Today's Devotion: Speaking Plainly - Mark 8:32

Mark 8:32       He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

Some people never grow up. In my many years of ministry, I’ve come across sad people who live as if they’re still adolescents and take no responsibility for their actions. When things get tough, they ignore the crisis and avoid the issues. Some of them retreat into a petulant corner; others become addicted to alcohol, drugs, or porn. Instead of seeking God’s help or good counsel, they carry on their reckless ways. It usually ends in tragic circumstances or bitterness. That’s what makes it all so sad.

I think Peter the disciple had a similar problem. When things were going well, he was probably the life and soul of the party. However, when Christ spoke about arrest and execution, defeat and death, Peter desperately sought to avoid the impending reality. He didn’t want to listen to negative words. He didn’t want to accept Christ’s fearful prophecies. He wanted the sacred circus and miraculous merry-go-round to continue. He couldn’t face the obvious truth that Christ was expressing.

Within all of us, there’s a similar pattern. We want life to be jolly, our hearts to be happy, and our days filled with gladness. We have made the pursuit of happiness our reason for living, instead of enjoying God and praising Him forever. We don’t want to change our ways or be challenged by Christ’s words. We want our faith to be warm and fuzzy, instead of confrontational and life-altering. In other words, we really don’t want us to be focused on Christ; we want Him to be focused on us.

Question for personal reflection

Do I shape Jesus into what I want Him to be, or do I allow Him to re-shape me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, speak plainly to our hearts and minds. Grant us a better understanding of what You want to do in our lives. Keep us from deluding ourselves and help us to devote our lives to You. 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 comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Psalm drawings. It’s based on Psalm 121 and features the word “I to the hills will lift my eyes.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5276/7091105163_df5d277257_b.jpg

Easter devotion: Fact or Fantasy? - Matthew 27:64

Matthew 27:64            “So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

 

This last deception will be worse than the first.

Do we realize that if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then all of our faith is a tragic lie and inhumane deception? Millions of people will have lived and died for their faith in Christ, but if He was not resurrected, then their lives and deaths will have been in vain. In my opinion, to actually be a Christian is to put all of your belief eggs in that one basket of faith; to be a disciple of Christ means that you truly have to believe that He rose from the dead.

The relevance of our faith all comes down to that one fact in history. If the resurrection never occurred, then Christians could be called the most stupid people in the whole universe. However, if the resurrection did occur, then the converse is actually true - Christians are the smartest people who have ever existed because their faith in Jesus will prove to be the most successful and eternally rewarding belief that has ever been given to humanity.

So, the question of faith seems to be this: either Jesus was deluded and Christianity is the biggest deception in history, or Jesus rose again and our mission is to broadcast that Good News to our families, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, neighbors, and even strangers. The choice about what we do with the Resurrection is ours; the challenge of its truth comes solely from God.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, as Christians we believe that You are the Savior of the world because You died for our sins and rose from the dead. We thank You for Your mercy and forgiveness. We praise You for Your glorious resurrection and heavenly ascension. We eagerly anticipate Your Coming again. In Your Holy Name, we expectantly pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Christ drawings. It’s called “The Baptism” and is a crayon drawing of Christ being baptized in the Jordan with the Holy Spirit descending upon Him. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6924951609_4fc7a8a94e_b.jpg

A New Earth - Part 4

(Continuing a page by page critique of Tolle's book "A New Earth.")

This chapter is long and tedious - I'll post the critique in stages...honestly folks, there's only so much of this stuff that I can take in...

P85: Tolle refers to the ego as psychic energy – that will please some New Agers.
The ego does not seek the formless attention which is presence – Buddhism.

P86 Tolle writes about the fear of not being good enough. Paul would talk about this as falling short of God’s glory.

He also writes about the ego’s constant need of feeling superior – so why does this book attack and dismiss religion, especially the church?

P87 Eckhart writes about children wanting attention – he’s writing to his readership. Very clever. He’s identifying with their identity – which goes against what he is supposed to be proclaiming.

Talks about victimization which leads to complaining, being offended, and outraged. Somehow I get the feeling he is going to strap this one onto the Church.

P88 – Complainers feel they are being treated unfairly by life, fate, or God – this is interesting. Perhaps Tolle should have quoted some psalms of complaint, or verses from the Book of Job.

Talks about role play in relationships and how partnerships fail – this makes me wonder about Tolle’s failed relationships – is he making general observations, or is this coming from his own egoic experiences?

P89 Finishes with absurd argument about the Spanish form of “te quiero”, as opposed to “te amo”. True love is rare according to Tolle…in his life?

He suggests that Jesus saw the ultimate irrelevance of caste or social class – so how does this explain Jesus saying that soldiers should not complain about their pay, or how people should pay their taxes to Caesar, etc.

People are confused about who they are and how they fit in today’s world – this is true…but it always has been.

P90 Tolle rambles on about confusion and comes up with the idea that if we accept that we don’t know who we are, we will find peace – this is sophistry – it sounds mysterious and enlightened, but it’s really just a delusion. It kind of reminds me about a James Thurber story…

Tolle says our roles are unimportant and we should resist becoming identified with this – what about doctors, surgeons, paramedics, etc…what about Oprah? Talk show host?

P91 Don’t take ourselves seriously, if we want to be free of our roles. Which begs the question: if you are seriously ill, do you want a surgeon who is serious about his skills, or one that couldn’t care less?

Tolle insists that authentic human relationships can exist when we adopt role identities. Yes they can…doctor – patient, teacher – student; shopkeeper – customer…

Social archetypes…Tolle uses these to connect with his readers…which is another relationship…writer – readers!

P92 Playing roles leads to less spontaneity, light-heartedness, and joy – (Tolle is hitting upon the main heartfelt wishes of housewives…)

Talks about hippies as refusing to play stereotypical roles…but they became rebels…Talks about collective insanity of 1950s society…but wasn’t the hippie movement based upon insane collectives??? (Charles Manson…) Hippie movement degenerates because they had to feed their drug ridden habits…Eastern wisdom introduced by hippy culture…but it was mainly the Beatles who did that.

P93 We speak to people in different ways – Tolle suggests this is inauthentic….but most of the situations are perfectly natural. He suggests that we are playing roles, but he misses the point: we are communicating and sometimes deference to someone in authority is the only way to accomplish this.

P94 Tolle suggests that we are not relating to people when we play roles; here’ a key question: how is Tolle writing/relating to his readers???? Is it inauthentic?

A lot of what Tolle is teaching in the part of the chapter is borrowed from Martin Buber’s I-Thou theories.

He tells the tale of Kasan’s sweaty palms, in deference to his superiors. In the end though, Kasan still becomes master to his students…

P95 “Just Fine” – a lot of people live in denial with their unhappiness…true.

Tolle writes that unhappiness has nothing to do with who you are. This is absurd. Unhappiness has everything to do with how you feel, therefore it has everything to do with who you are at any given time.

P96 Separate yourself from unhappy thoughts – this is a bit like Tinkerbelle in Peter Pan.

Don’t seek happiness – if you do, you wont’ find it. This is Tolle’s opinion…What does he think about the Declaration of Independence…life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…

P97 Tolle writes about parents and their roles. He’s reaching out to mothers stuck in their role…this is very clever targeting.

Tolle cautions parents about being overbearing and controlling…this obstructs kids from exploring and finding out for themselves. But parenting is about setting safe boundaries, as well as ethical ones for our children.

P98 Role of parent can become compulsive and ruins relationship with child. This section makes me wonder if Tolle has ever been a parent. Is he speaking from theory or practice?

The ego motivates itself to enhance itself and look after its self interest. This used to be called ambition. Is Oprah not one of the most ambitious women in the world?

P99 Tolle writes about manipulative parents using guilt trips to get what they want. Did Tolle have a bad childhood?
Awareness is the greatest agent for change – but change for what?

He also suggests that egoic patterns miraculously dissolve when you don’t oppose them. What does he mean by miraculous?
P100 Tolle describes the generational conflict between parent & child. He writes about old thoughts and old ways…is he subtly using this as a continuing argument of breaking from the past?

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.

Melted Hearts

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

Podcast version here

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

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

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


Bible Verse of the Day


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



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

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

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

Endurance + Encouragement = Unity

A time of exile for the Jews and a prophet named Liberator.
Churches in the Mediterranean encouraged by Paul.
A Knoxville Church called Erin, which is the Charlie Brown of its community
And how the Battle of the Atlantic is an example of rugged endurance.

Endurance + Encouragement = Unity

Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--


A long time ago, in a place far away, a whole community was taken from its land and transplanted into a foreign nation. In those days, traveling ten miles away was considered to be a great trek, so to find themselves thousands of miles from home was considered to be the beginning of the end for the people of that tragic Jewish community.

For generations they had lived in a Promised Land, serving a God who protected them. For centuries, this faithful community had believed itself to be invincible, just like their god, so when they were finally defeated and led into away into the bitterness of exile, they were absolutely devastated.

How could this happen to God’s chosen people? How could God allow our enemies to defeat us? How will we ever be able to survive? And how can we sing our songs of faith in a strange and hostile land?

In the midst of all of their confusion, anxiety, and despair, God did not abandon them. Instead, He came with them and inspired one of his faithful prophets, a man called Isaiah, whose name means “Liberator.”
In order to endure as a faithful community, Isaiah would have to preach and teach a new message from God – a message of encouragement and hope, of deliverance and dedication, of freedom and faith.

If the people paid attention to what Isaiah prophesied, then their hope of salvation would one day be accomplished. God would raise up someone from among them who would be full of wisdom and understanding, counsel and power, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Each of these divine gifts would be essential for the community to survive and continue throughout the generations.

This Chosen One would be given wisdom and understanding, which is often called the gift of discernment in the Bible. He would know the right thing to say and do, as well as being aware of the right time to take action on behalf of God’s people. In other words, he would have a gift of true leadership – of favoring God’s intentions and encouraging the people to build up their faith to overcome their fears.

This Chosen Servant would also be given the gifts of counsel and power, which is often interpreted as authority. As he encouraged the people to remain faithful to God, he would also exercise his sovereign and divine right to rule over the hearts and minds of the people. His authority came directly from God, and so to oppose or diminish the Chosen One’s teaching or commands, would be to directly oppose God.

And this Anointed Servant would also have complete knowledge and fear of God: in other words, he would revere God and submit fully to His commands and demands. He would not sway to the right or the left of God’s truth. He would set his face like flint and keep a true and absolutely straight course for the sake of honoring God and the saving of His people.

When Isaiah prophesied these things to the captive Jewish community, he was inspiring them to hold on to the promises of God. If they persevered in believing God’s Word to be true, if they kept hold of their faith, if they endured and maintained their reliability of their God, then they would encourage one another with their faithfulness and worship, devotion and dedication. In other words, so long as they let their faith define their community, and not their geographical location, they would remain united; they would stay inspired; they would survive.

Thankfully, the people held on dearly to everything that Isaiah the Liberator preached. And even after they returned to their homeland, they still believed that this Chosen Servant, this Anointed One, this Messiah was yet to come. Their belief became our salvation. Their hope became our faith. Their Messiah became our Christ…and all because those Jews endured in the midst of hard times, encouraged one another in faith, and became the united people of God. As Christians, we owe everything to Christ, but we should also hallow and remember the enduring faith of those Jewish exiles from more than 2500 years ago. Without their devotion, we would not be here.

Now let’s fast forward seven hundred years. God’s people are once again scattered all over the place and so He raises up another Jewish prophet called Paul. Paul’s mission is to establish the Christian faith all over the Mediterranean, beginning in the small Jewish communities and then expanding the ministry to people from all over the world.

Paul’s people face the same dilemma as Isaiah’s – they are small fish in a humongous pond. They believe in One God and in Jesus Christ, His Holy Son. They are energized by the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit; but they are also surrounded by thousands of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian gods and goddesses. How can they compete with centuries of idolatry? How can they survive against the mighty Roman Empire?

Paul’s response is similar to that of Isaiah, only this time, it is directed to the people of God. The Chosen One has already appeared and ascended into heaven. Christ’s faithful followers are now going to become the messengers of His ministry and the servants of His mission. They need to be empowered and encouraged, inspired and united in order to endure. And so Paul writes this special prayer for the Christians in Rome:

Romans 15:5-6 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul first of all states that it is God who gives endurance and encouragement to the faith community. In other words, the source, the sustenance and the sustainability of this Christian community rests upon the favor and will of the Lord alone. Charismatic preachers like Paul and powerful teachers like Timothy may come and go; it is the presence of the Lord that decides if a faith community shall endure.

Secondly, Paul asks God to shower the church in Rome with a blessing of unity as they follow Jesus. In other words, Paul’s not just asking for everyone to get along and be happy together. He’s asking the Lord to encourage, enable, and empower the church in Rome to be truly united in Christ, so that their mission and purpose may be effective. The Mormons say that a family that prays together stays together. Paul beat them to it: he is stating in this blessing that a church family united in Christ, endures for everlasting life.

Thirdly, the whole purpose of being united in the Lord, of being a faithful community and a devoted church family is to bring glory to God and to worship Him forever.

Sixty six years ago, just two days after Pearl Harbor, when this nation thought that things could not get any worse, Adolph Hitler declared war on the United States and ordered that all US ships crossing the Atlantic be torpedoed. He wanted to keep US supplies, ammunition, and troops from reaching Britain. He knew that if America and Britain managed to strengthen their alliance, then the Nazis would lose the war in Europe. During the first six months of the war, Nazi U-boats destroyed 348 Allied ships. In response, the Allies only managed to destroy two submarines. Allied commanders were reluctant to take so many losses, but they endured for the sake of the mission. Even although it took three years to win the Battle of the Atlantic, the unified front of the British, American and Canadian forces brought salvation and liberation to Europe.

But how does all of this affect us here in the 21st century? What has this to do with our salvation and deliverance, liberty and faith? Why is it so important that our folk in this wee church hear and receive this message?

Well, first of all, we’re a small fish in a large pond. We could get swallowed alive by all the big, successful churches around us. We could very easily say that we can’t compete against the Baptists, or football fans, or the way in which society is headed. We could just give up the ghost and put the lights out before we close the doors. But that’s not what God wants…and remember, it’s His presence that keeps us in existence.

Secondly, we’re a really diverse church. We’ve people from all over the United States and from all over the world in our congregation. We come from different backgrounds and cultures, different generations and families – and that has always been a part of our calling as a church, ever since we were established in 1877. God brings people here to be united in Christ, not because we are the same, but because we each have been called to serve the same Savior, the same mission, the same ministry.

And thirdly, this message of endurance and encouragement needs to be taken up by our church, by our presbytery, and by our denomination. We’re letting Satan divide us, instead of allowing Christ to unite us.

Today in 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was first shown on TV. It’s become an seasonal classic that has stood the test of time. I watched it once again a couple of nights ago, and once again its message tugged my heart. Charlie Brown tries his best to get a great Christmas tree for his school friends and neighbors, but his efforts, although sincere, end up in failure. He presents a miserable tree to his peers and they castigate him for it. He tries to do the right thing, and the world just picks on him.

And then, a remarkable thing happens. The children decorate the tree with all the stuff that Snoopy has used to decorate his kennel and the tree is transformed. Instead of being divided, all the children are united. Instead of being dejected and rejected, Charlie Brown is lauded and applauded.

Folks, we are the Charlie Brown of Christendom in this community. I would love for us all to be Snoopy, but he belongs to the Pentecostalists. We are trying our best and beginning to make the right moves in our ministries and missions, so that we will make an impact in this community for years to come. We all come here because we’re looking for God in our lives. But we’re also here because we’re looking for God to give us something to do with our lives.

And this is where Paul’s final words of this passage become our blessing for today: he writes

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

If ever there was a verse that we could adopt as our motto for 2008, it should be this one. So let’s claim it for our church today and use it as a church benediction throughout the coming year: May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Does Anyone Remember "The Whirlybirds?"

I love helicopters. Ever since the days of the “Whirlybirds” television series way back in the early sixties, I have been fascinated with this type of aircraft. I used to spend hours pouring over old black and white photographs of helicopters, learning names like Sikorsky and Chinook and voicing them as if they were sacred incantations. Even today, whenever I hear the rumbling of the rotary blades in the sky, I have to stop what I’m doing and look up. Evelyn thinks I’m crazy, especially when I unexpectedly run out of the house just to look at them. One day, I’ll muster enough courage to go up in a helicopter and enjoy the scenery below.

However, what seems marvelous to me about helicopters isn’t shared by the rest of my family. In fact, when I’m busy watching helicopters traverse across the sky, people around me don’t bother to look. After all, it’s just a helicopter – what’s so special about that? Fifty years ago, they were not common where I came from, but these days we see Army, Rescue, Police, TV and Radio helicopters all over the place, so what’s the big deal? I guess for me, it’s about reliving the wonder of childhood and a boyish fascination with Whirlybirds. It lets me know that the child within me is still there.

Verse of the Day

Zechariah 8:6 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?" declares the LORD Almighty.

When Zechariah speaks about the wonders that God will perform by returning His people to Jerusalem, it will seem incredible to the Jews, but not to God. The people will be astounded and amazed that God still cares for them, but to God it will be His usual way of fulfilling His promises. The exiled Jews will declare their deliverance as a miracle; the Lord will see it as keeping His word.

The lesson that we can all learn from this is that God’s Word remains true throughout the ages. He still performs marvelous deeds and miraculous works in the world, which are extraordinary to us but just normal to Him. God doesn’t see Himself as a performer of miracles; He identifies Himself as a keeper of His Word. If we honestly try to live our lives in godly way, then we don’t have to be powerful or mighty, dynamic and energetic. All that we have to do to be godly is to keep our word.

Prayer: Father God, throughout the centuries You have remained true to Your word. You have sustained our planet and this universe simply by the power of Your will. We live because You allow us time. We exist because You care for Your creation. These things are marvelous in our eyes, but simple, normal acts of love in Yours. We bless and praise You, Almighty God. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Erin Church Devotions: Keeping It All for God

Do we have to share everything with others? Aren't there some things we should keep for ourselves and God?

Podcast version here

Matthew 25:9 "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

It’s strange, but you would think that in this situation, the girls with oil in their lamps would share it with the others. After all, it’s a Christian story, and isn’t Christianity all about sharing our resources with other people? Jesus usually criticized selfish people and urged his followers to give what they could to the needy. So why doesn’t He end this story with: ‘and the five selfish maids were not invited to the bridegroom’s party for not sharing their oil.’ After all, that’s the way the world would end it, right?

This means, as usual, that there must be something deeper going on. The parable is not about sharing, it’s about being prepared and showing respect. The five clever maidens were ready for any inconvenience. They wanted to make sure that they could honor and escort the bridegroom when he eventually arrived. They weren’t thinking about themselves. They were concentrating on what the groom needed to make his wedding party a great success. The five wise girls had already committed their resources to him; if they shared their precious oil with the foolish maidens, then the bridegroom would have been dishonored by all. By keeping the oil to themselves, they were at least ensuring that fifty percent of the bridal party would properly honor the groom.

I guess we all feel sorry for the five foolish maidens because we identify so readily with them. Most of us are last minute shoppers at Christmas and get by each day by doing just enough. It always amazes me on Sunday mornings when a lot of people arrive just a couple of minutes before the worship is due to start. One minute the sanctuary looks half empty; the very next it is three quarters full.

The point Jesus was making with this story is something that we all should seriously consider: leaving our faith commitment to the last minute may be fatal to our souls. Our lives are meant to be used for enjoying God and worshiping His Son. If we take them for granted, then we may unexpectedly run out of time one day, with no earthly chance of making things right with God.

That’s why making and taking time to read the Bible, reading or listening to these devotions, and to ponder about what God is telling us is so important. We can get sidetracked too easily. We can leave holy things to the last minute much too often, that we unintentionally end up disregarding, dishonoring, and disrespecting God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are often too busy for our own good and end up sapping our resources and energy on things that are unimportant, trivial, and meaningless. Help us to reset our ways and enable us to honor You with our love, devotion, and faith. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Erin Church devotional: God's Final Revelation

Audio version here

Deuteronomy 4:15,16 You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman. (NIV)

You may not know it, but I love drawing as well as writing. I find both to be very therapeutic. I tend to draw late at night just before I go to bed. It helps to switch off my mind and enables me to wind down after a hectic day. I usually use wax crayons in my drawings. I guess I’ve always been that way since a child. I like the grain effect that crayons produce. Lately, I’ve been designing stained glass windows using the grain effect to enhance the drawings.

I think that the Hebrew children must have loved to draw as well. Maybe they made pictures in the sand or chalked drawings on the rocks. However, they were under a strict prohibition not to make an image and then glorify it. God was beyond their imagining and didn’t want to be contained in a painting or drawing, idol or statue. He was greater than they could possibly know, so to picture Him in an image was to diminish God entirely.

God also liked to reveal His nature to His people in different ways and at different times. The Old Testament is full of events and circumstances where God’s presence is known amongst the people in a dynamic way. Those events such as the Crossing of the Red Sea, Elijah’s sacrifice on Mount Carmel, and Daniel in the Lion’s den testify to the immediate and true presence of God. Images and idols, drawings and pictures were not needed to convince the people that God was truly with them.

And then God’s final revelation to the world came to us in Jesus Christ, His Holy Son. In the midst of a world empire that was obsessed with images and idols, statues and temples, God quietly brought His Son into our world to reveal to us His love, His care, His mercy and grace.

As much as I enjoy drawing, I know that I can never depict Christ as He really is, nor do I ever want to. He is the final revelation of God and we are meant to be attracted to His life, teaching, and words, so that we can one day step into the holy, wonderful, and awesome presence of God. Without Christ in our hearts, we cannot gain entrance to God’s Kingdom. Without Jesus in our lives, we will never get beyond the Pearly Gates. He is the ultimate image of God in the world. Our purpose is to help as many others as we can to see Him that way, too.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Holy Son of God and the last great hope for humankind. You are the true image of holiness and perfection, of strength and courage, of mercy and grace. Help us to turn to You this day, to glorify Your words and deeds, so that we may confidently tell others about who You really are. In Your Holy Name, we humbly serve and pray. Amen.

Erin Church Devotions: Farmers - Sturdy Examples of Faith

Audio version here

2 Timothy 2:6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. (NIV)

For the first nine years of my work in ministry, I pastored a beautiful area in the South West of Scotland. The countryside was stunning and as I traveled throughout the area in my car, I often saw the farmers working in their fields. Their lives fascinated me and I was in awe of their work ethic. They do get up before light of day and work long, arduous hours.

Their families are all involved in working the farm. The children are taught responsibility at an early age and given their own areas of the farm to look after. It was a joy to be amongst them, and I sometimes miss visiting with them at the farmhouse, listening to their talk about livestock, crops, and machinery.

It’s no surprise to me that the Christian faith has much to say about farms and farmers, crops and harvests. Our faith grew out of agricultural religious cycles and many of our celebrations and feasts are long associated with the farming year. In Scotland, we used to celebrate Communion twice a year – in April and October. We did this after the lambing season had finished in March, and once the harvest was brought in during the Fall. It gave the farmers a special time to be with God, commune with His Son and people, and give thanks for the blessing of the lambs and the finishing of the harvest.

In many ways, our churches are also like farms. We plant the seeds of belief in the hearts of our children in the hope that those seeds will become fruits of faith. We are also given ministries and missions to tend, so that Christ’s work amongst us can grow and expand in our community. And we are each expected to bring a faithful harvest to God at the end of our lives, showing Him that we have shared our faith with others, and planted new seeds of belief in the hearts and minds of those we leave behind. We are each meant to be hardworking farmers of faith, so that we might expect the bounty of God’s blessings and receive an eternal share in Christ’s Kingdom.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the work of our farmers and for the food they provide to our people. Bless them at this special time when their harvests are gathered and their work is done. Be with them as they plan ahead for next year’s crops and livestock. May they be respected and appreciated for all that they accomplish amongst us. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Erin Church Devotions: Dealing with Anxiety

Audio version here

Exodus 14:12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" (NIV)

When I first became a Christian, I found it tough to try to live up to Christ’s standards. I wanted to remain the same, and for Christ to be different. I wanted Him to accept who I was, instead of me accepting His terms of belief. I wanted Jesus to be my friend, my pal, my best buddy, especially during those times when I wanted to go out and get drunk, paint the town red, and do whatever I desired. In other words, I wanted Christ to save me, but to still let me do what I had always done.

But being double-minded just didn’t work. I was always fighting within myself to overcome temptation, and then when I failed, I fought with my pride to overcome my need to confess. One moment I was happy with the Lord; the very next I was angry with Him. I’m certain that there was some psychological scarring going on, and old wounds that had never been healed were beginning to fester, as well as pester me.

What was occurring was an ancient work of God. I was being convicted and afflicted by the Holy Spirit, but I didn’t understand it at the time. I had given my heart to Jesus, but not my whole life. I was still keeping some things back, some things that I wanted to possess on my own. The trouble was this: the more I held back from Christ, the less able I was to deal with temptation. The more absorbed I became with my my desires, the less faithful I was to God.

At some point, the struggle reached a point when I had to either give up being a Christian, or go forward in faith. I had to let go of the past and move on with Christ. I had to let go of Egypt, and let God lead me through my spiritual wilderness to Christ’s Promised Land. After struggling for months, I eventually surrendered my soul. It wasn’t easy, but it was the best thing that I have ever done in my life.

Perhaps you’re struggling with an issue from the past, or are deeply troubled about your present circumstances. Maybe you’re pining for the good old days, or fearful of what lies ahead. Whatever you are experiencing, it’s time to surrender it all to Christ and place it in His hands. Being depressed about the past or anxious about the future just saps your energy, well-being, and health. Put yourself in Christ’s arms; He’ll embrace you and all of that baggage that you’re carrying. He’ll help you through the emotional wilderness that you’re in, and lead you to a better life, a more hopeful time, and a brighter day. Trust me; I know this to be true.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to surrender our lives to You today. Give us the courage to let go of our fears and worries, so that we can replace them with faith and assurance in You. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

Erin Church Devotional : Backsliding in Faith - How to return to God

Audio version here

Jeremiah 3:22 "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding."
"Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.” (NIV)

Recently, our Celtic band Glenfinnan played at a Scots-Irish festival in Dandridge, Tennessee. We performed from the front porch of an old inn, right in the heart of the town. As well as listening to our music, people were walking around the various craft and food stalls, all of which had Celtic connections.

At the end of the street, there was a high hill. It was the back end of the dam wall and it was very steep. Children were slowly walking up the hill carrying sheets of cardboard with them. Once they reached the top of the hill, they slid down it by sitting on the cardboard. It looked wonderful and all the kids were having great fun.

This reminded me of my own childhood days. Just around the corner from my own home, there was a steep hill and we also used to slide down it on sheets of cardboard. There was one major difference from Dandridge. At the bottom of the hill in Scotland were railway tracks. We used to play “chicken” by sliding down as fast as we could to reach the tracks just as a train was passing by. We were young, fearless, and stupid. You wouldn’t catch me doing the same today as I did way back then.

Although sliding was great fun, walking back up the steep hill was agony. It took ages and after a while, it was all too much. No matter how much we looked forward to sliding, we were just too tired to do anymore.

Backsliding in faith can be fun, too. People slack off from going to church or turning up to Sunday School. They want to do something exciting or haven’t got the time to give of themselves to God. They believe that they’ll get back to church soon, but it becomes too much of a chore, too much of a task to organize. Backsliding is no longer just fun; it becomes a feature of their lives.

But God and God’s people are just waiting for them to return. Backsliders are not going to be condemned or criticized, chastised or challenged. Instead, they are going to be welcomed and embraced, encouraged and loved. Instead of backsliding, they are back praising God. Instead of being away, they are shown the Way. Instead of fearing God’s wrath, they receive His grace. Backsliding can be fun, but homecoming is even more wonderful.

Perhaps you’ve been away from church for a while and don’t know how to get back. Don’t worry about it – just walk through the church door, and you’ll receive a hundred thousand welcomes. You’re back where you belong. You’re back in God’s place.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all backslide occasionally and find it hard to return. Faith is such a steep hill at times, so we pray that You will reach down and help us climb it. Grant us the courage to return home to You, so that we may re-experience Your love, grace, and welcome. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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.

Daily Devotional - Doctrine - a dirty word or a sure way to salvation?

1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (NIV)

Doctrine is a word that we don’t use very often these days. We tend to associate it with the word ‘dogmatic’ and so it has some negative connotations for a society full of free-spirited people. The New Testament Greek word for doctrine is didaskalia which means teaching and learning. It’s not meant to be a negative word – it’s supposed to positively encourage us to learn more about God through the life, ministry and works of Christ.

I’ve been a pastor for over twenty years and throughout that time, I’ve watched society sadly reject Christian doctrine, only to replace it with individual ideas and personal opinions. People who hardly read the Bible make up their own ideas about God. Even church people, who do nothing to grow spiritually, carry around quaint and quixotic superstitions in their hearts and heads. They think that their own ideas are going to save them; they erroneously believe that God will accommodate their self-made teaching and personal doctrine.

The scriptures were given to us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so that we might not depart from the truth. And the proper teaching of this truth relies upon our devotion to Christ and a proper understanding of the scriptures. If we make up our own beliefs, then we have no salvation. God will not set aside His Son in order to accommodate us. That would exalt us and diminish Christ. We would be in danger of making ourselves our own gods first, and then placing Christ at the bottom of the pile.

So, perhaps we all need to really reflect upon what we actually believe. And then we should ask ourselves this tough question: are my beliefs based upon Christian doctrine, or are they something that I have made up to accommodate my personal feelings instead of the Christian faith?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to understand how important doctrine is for our salvation. Teach us Your ways and enable us to learn what is sacred, holy and true to You. Give us the courage to set aside our own ways, in order to let the Holy Spirit fill our hearts and minds with Your ways. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.