The Relevant Elephant in the Church

The Relevant Elephant in the Church

I've been a pastor for almost thirty years and, throughout those three decades, I've constantly heard the repeated complaint that ‘the Church needs to be more relevant.’ I've watched ministers and congregations run around in circles trying to make the music more upbeat, the message more positive, and the mission of the church more slick. I've seen optimistically idealistic seminarians come into charges brimming with new ideas and insights, only to burn themselves out within four or five years. I’ve seen the Church constantly change its teaching, doctrine, and beliefs to accommodate the current culture, only to discover that as soon as we get settled on one issue, the culture has moved on to another place. People want faith to be fashionable, as well as attractive. Appearances are everything and so the relevant elephant in church grows into a monstrous mammoth that crushes real Christianity.

‘The Church needs to be more relevant,’ but to whom? The culture? Civilization? Society? The Church was never established for those temporal and finite things. Cultures constantly change; civilizations rise and fall; society enslaves us to what’s popular at the moment. If the Church needs to be more relevant, it needs to be more relevant to God’s Kingdom. If we are human creatures living under the grace of God, then the Church is not called to be relevant to us (that’s self-idolization); the Church needs to be called into existence and relevance by God. Since God is eternal and all human things are temporal, then the only relevancy that is required of the Church is how we are in fact relevantly connected to God.

Now the culture junkies won’t ever understand this – they've substituted God for what’s good. They've glorified the world and its ways, instead of worshipping God and His ways. But you know what, the culture junkies already have their reward: they seek to be liked and they get it. They’ll also come and go – eventually culture junkies become irrelevant and outdated to their own society in their own time, but God’s mission, God’s Kingdom, and even God’s Church goes on and on and on and on.

So, next time you or I hear someone complain about the Church needing to be relevant, let’s agree with them at first by saying, “Yes, it does.” And then we should clearly add this thought: “The Church needs to be constantly relevant to Christ and God’s Kingdom, but not to the ever-changing world or its temporary culture. We belong to Him who is eternal, and not to that which is currently fashionable.”

Daily devotions: Spirit Led - Zechariah 4:6

Zechariah 4:6             So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

Sometimes I get discouraged by what’s happening with the Church in our society. We seem to have this casual approach to God that is now turning into a disdain for God’s Word. People come and go to their churches as they please to the extent that Christian worship has now become a leisure pursuit instead of a regular spiritual commitment. There’s no longer a thirsting for the scriptures or a hunger for what God is saying to us. We can pick and choose what we like from the Bible and discard what we disapprove. Instead of being kept sacred and regarded as holy, we treat God’s Word as if it has a sell by date and throw it away because it is irrelevant to our personal needs.

And then just when I’m feeling sorry for myself and the Church, I receive an email from a church member whose family is on a teaching mission trip to Christians in Nepal. Here’s what one of them has written:

Monday (1st day of the conference) was busy and wonderful. I don’t think anyone counted actual numbers in attendance, but the room was pretty full. Many who were coming were delayed—one broken-down bus accounted for 15 late-comers. They arrived last night or early this morning. The church is simple and rustic—that is code for primitive and with holes in the floor for toilets. Participants sit on a carpeted floor all day. The worship team is young and loud and enthusiastic. We can tell when they sing an “old timey song” because the older Christians join in and begin to raise their hands. The young women and men each have their own dances they choreograph and perform during breaks. They would be a hit in the US…lots of the same movements.

We have 3 morning sessions and 3 afternoon sessions. Tom and John take turns in the 1st two sessions each half of the day…then the men and women break into separate groups, and I take the women, and John or Tom take the men. People wander in and out all during the sessions. Some have responsibilities with the children or cooking or cleaning up, so they come when they can. The pastors and leaders attending the conference are very quiet while a speaker is talking, and they take notes faithfully on what is being said.

People hungering for the Word of God! We may think that our sophisticated laid-back relationship with God is what He expects of a 21^st century church, but we are sadly deluding ourselves. God expects of us what He obviously receives from the Christians in Nepal: total commitment.

I look forward to a day when the Western Church will rediscover Christ and humbly serve Him completely. I yearn for a time when all churches across our land will gather together, not because they are powerful or mighty, relevant and fashionable, but because they are filled with Spirit-led people and not just spiritual ones.

Question for personal reflection

How committed am I to Christ? Am I truly Spirit-led or just spiritual?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, help us to rediscover a hunger for Your holy teachings and a thirst for Christian theology. Prevent us from being too focused on ourselves and keep us totally committed to worshiping, serving, and following You throughout our lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Advent drawings called “Mackintosh Advent.” It’s an art nouveau rendering of Advent candles in a church window. If you would like to view a larger version, click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8118931383_48d8bc70a9_b.jpg

Short devotion - Presbyterian Patches - Luke 5:36

Luke 5:36       Jesus told them this parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.”

I love being a Presbyterian because of the deep roots and time honored traditions in the Presbyterian Church. It appeals to my Scottish way of thinking and embraces my need for a Reformed Celtic Christianity. I admire the heroes of the past who devoted their lives to ensuring that the Presbyterian faith would blossom and grow in Scotland, Ireland, Canada, the United States, and all over the world.

I love Presbyterian missionary zeal which was built upon the great ministries of people like Mungo Park, David Livingstone, and Mary Slessor. I read their biographical histories and I connect with their fiery faith and courageous confrontation of the communities they served.

I love Presbyterian thinking and its commitment to social justice. When I look back across the centuries, I see the dedication of the Covenanters, American revolutionaries, Advocates of the Poor, and Civil Rights marchers who changed the industrial revolution and shaped the modern world.

In the midst of all these movements, revolutions, and issues, a Christ-centered Presbyterian Christian faith was at the heart of them. People protested because Jesus advocated justice. Presbyterians rallied to reform because Christ redeemed the world. The Church challenged the world to change its ways so that more people could turn to Christ and be saved. Faith was revived; society was reformed; and the Church glorified Christ above all things.

Because I love being a Presbyterian and because I love all things Presbyterian, I am sad that we appear to have taken the wrong turn and are going down a path which may rend, tear apart, and divide the church into many pieces. New patches of post-modernism seem to be ripping apart the faith fabric of Protestant Presbyterianism. Instead of growing in Christ by doing what God wants, we’re giving the world what it wants, and surrendering who we are as Reformed Presbyterians. The new patches are creating a larger hole in the churches and congregations across the land; unless we do something soon, we may see the end of Reformed Christianity this century.

It takes courage to confront the waywardness of society and to challenge the characteristics of a civilization that is spinning out of control. But then again, that’s when Presbyterians in the past have boldly stepped up to the plate and revived the Church. Maybe it’s time to do the same again in order to not just repair the godly garment that has been ripped apart, but to restore it to the glorious goodness of God, the candid constancy of Christ, and the uncompromising honesty of the Holy Spirit.

Questions for personal reflection

Is the post-modern Church headed in the right direction? How can we ensure that we are following Christ’s path and not our own way?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You have watched the path of the Church since its very beginning. You know the outcome of the paths that we are presently following. Grant us the gift of discernment in order to recognize Your Way of Truth and Life that we should be journeying on. 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.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest chess pop art drawings called ‘Three’s a Crowd.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7279/7586308216_7d7d189ebc_b.jpg

Today's Devotion: Swords and Clubs - Mark 14:48

Mark 14:48     “Am I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?”

For the past nine months, I’ve been reading some sad stories about churches and pastors who have been treated badly by their religious authorities. Some ministers have been quickly dismissed and some congregations have been locked out of their buildings. Instead of showing understanding and grace, authority figures are displaying indignation and contempt. Rather than seeking reconciliation by arbitration, both sides get locked into a war of words that destroys Christ’s witness in the local community. If there are tears of sadness in heaven over these acts of unkindness, then there must also be tears of laughter in hell. Instead of showing Christ’s compassion in these trying times, we are all guilty of brandishing the devil’s swords and clubs.

Some days I wonder where it will all end up. Will we fatally fracture the Western Church with our social issues and creeping universalism that many people will just give up and forsake their faith? I’m seeing diminishing congregations across the land and churches struggling to survive. If accepting the present trends in culture is so good for the Church, then why are our numbers still going down at an alarming rate?

And then I read today’s Gospel passage (Mark 14:43-52) and I realize that it’s all part of the Great Plan. There is no revival without betrayal; there is no salvation without the crucifixion; there is no resurrection without persecution.

Questions for personal reflection

How is my faith impacted by society? When and where do I betray Christ?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, having faith in You is not easy. Across the generations and throughout the nations, Christians have struggled with cultural demands, as opposed to eternal commands. Help us to be honest with Your Word and keep us from allowing the devil to diminish the gracious witness of Your Church among ourselves, as well as throughout the world. 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 ‘art nouveau’ roses drawings. It’s called ‘Lifetime Joy’ and is drawn in the style of Scottish designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose work inspired Frank Lloyd Wright. If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8148/7299741342_ea6f7664c3_b.jpg

John also has note cards and gifts available with these new designs which you can view at the following online store: http://www.cafepress.com/stushienotes

Daily Advent Devotions: Christian Contenders - Philippians 1 v 27,28

Philippians 1:27b-28a                       I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.

Like most kids, I was bullied at school by several people who loved to intimidate me on a daily basis. They would bump into me on the soccer field and trip me up deliberately, or they would gang up on me in a quiet corner and seek to terrify me.

It got so bad that I didn’t want to go to school. My grades plummeted and instead of being in the top ten group in my class, I sank almost to the bottom. My mom wanted to go and face my daily oppressors, but that would have shamed me even more. She wasn’t mentally fit anyway, so I didn’t think that she could make any difference.

And then one morning during recess, just as the bullies were coming to get their usual sadistic pleasure out of intimating me, my mom appeared out of the blue. She verbally tore into them and publicly humiliated them. As I watched their faces get redder with embarrassment I realized that they were just children like me. My mom gave them a dressing down and the other kids in the school playground cheered her on. I guess that some of the other kids had been bullied by them too.

After that incident, things got better. I wasn’t afraid any more and got back into the top ten students in my class. The bullies’ reign of terror was ended and my mom became the heroine of my heart. Sadly, insanity and schizophrenia would expunge the incident from her mind, but even although it has been more than forty years since the event occurred, I still admire her what she did for me that day.

These days, Christians are contending for the Gospel in the face of persecution and harassment, imprisonment and even death in many lands. Their undaunted faith is a living testimony to the truth of the Gospel and work of Jesus Christ in the world. Society sometimes seeks to diminish Christianity and make it irrelevant. But the more that we are philosophically and socially opposed, the more true Christians appear to contend for the faith of the Gospel and stand up for Christ’s holy words. We will not be bullied, berated, or beaten down.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, faith is a precious gift and one that world desperately needs. All over the earth, Your Church and Your people are being made to feel insignificant and irrelevant. We are told that we are intolerant by intolerant people. We are viewed as being reactionary by those who violently react to Your teaching. We are humiliated and harassed all over the world by brazen bullies and godless governments. Help and empower us to contend for the Gospel, just as our brothers and sisters in our faith did so long ago. In Your Sacred and 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.

Daily Devotions: Arguing against God - Job 23 v 4

Job 23:4          I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments.

I feel sorry for the whole Christian Church right now. We seem to be stumbling over our own feet and are constantly struggling with issues of homosexuality, poverty, and abortion. There doesn’t seem to be any clear consensus about what we should believe, and no matter what biblical verses or principles are used to prop up one side of a theological debate, the other side trumps it with a different interpretation. We are so tainted with this urge to state and enforce our views upon the Church that we have lost the capacity to convince the world that what we believe in is the truth. In our desperate need to make everyone feel accepted and for us to be liked, we’ve thrown out Christ with the waters of baptism and allowed the waters of chaos to overwhelm us.

I personally feel as though I’ve taken the wrong path and allowed myself to justify my beliefs. I’ve confused and fused my culture with my Christianity. I’ve stuck my head in the sand instead of drawing a line in the sand. Instead of letting the scriptures be my guide, I’ve relied upon my conscience. Instead of following the words of Christ, I’ve followed the maddening crowd. I’ve permitted modernism to mangle my relationship with Christ and have let post-modernists diminish my preaching. I feel like a prodigal pastor and a theological prostitute. I need to repent, refocus, and return to the Kingly Christ of the Scriptures and not the jolly Jesus that society has created.

In the Old Testament, Job fiercely expressed his right to contend with God and be acquitted through the power of his arguments. In the New Testament, Christ freely sacrificed Himself because we cannot contend with God and be acquitted. We may be able to defend our thoughts and justify our beliefs to other people, but we cannot do the same with God. Only Christ can advocate on our behalf. And only He can do this for us if we repent of our pride, our arrogant mistakes, and false misconceptions.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we foolishly believe that our society has it all right and that Your words are outdated, outmoded, and outflanked. You clearly laid out the godly ways to live our lives, but we sinfully pick and choose whatever is convenient for us. Pardon our arrogance and stupidity for believing that our generation is right and that all previous Christian generations were totally wrong. Redirect our paths and reclaim our churches as Your own. In Your Heavenly Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently 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.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Christ's Fan Club - Dancing with the Stars

Luke 17:25     But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Apparently, Donny Osmond won “Dancing with the Stars” last night on television. I never watch the show but millions of other people do, so I’m guessing that many of those who voted were lifelong fans of Donny.

I can remember his first single disc “Puppy Love” and how teenage girls all over the world screamed and swooned at the concerts where he was performing. After Elvis and the Beatles, Donny and his brothers were the biggest act in the music world during the 1970’s. His only rival was a young black kid called Michael Jackson. It’s funny how life turned out for both of them.

I admire Donny’s comeback and maybe his win on the show will rekindle his showbiz career. He’s not done a lot of international performing for the past two decades, because most of his fans outgrew his music and rejected his ‘soppy’ love songs. Perhaps a new wave of nostalgia among his original fans will help rebuild his career.

People are fickle, especially those who are obsessed with celebrities. As the years come and go, so does their enthusiasm for performers, artistes, and stars. Even leaders in both the political and religious worlds can be negatively affected by this group mentality. One day the people want to crown you as their king; the next day the mob wants to crucify you to a Cross.

When Jesus was talking to His disciples, He warned them several times about the suffering to come. Most of them were caught up in Christ’s popularity and enjoyed being connected to Him. Jesus frequently reminded them about the fickleness of the crowds. He knew that He was destined to suffer. He fully understood that the people would one day reject Him.

Several generations ago, Christianity was a popular faith. The Church had helped lead our people through two World Wars and the Great Depression. Faith was a key component that enabled our people to endure the worst and hope for better days to come. But then, decades later, the same communities who had embraced and increased the Church began to reject Christ’s teachings.

Sadly, we now live in a time where agnostics and atheists are using their belief system to undermine, diminish, and marginalize our faith in the public arena. However, the Church has faced this before in different places and times. At some point, revival occurs and the Church emerges in a stronger way. We only have to look at the flourishing churches in the former Soviet bloc countries to see that this actually occurs. The world may delightfully tell us that the Christian Church is dying, but it forgets that death only means resurrection for us.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You have stood the test of time and Your Church has endured persecution, devastation, and destruction throughout the centuries. Your Spirit never fails to inspire people every day to come to You. Thank You for the gift of the Church in the world and for the promises of hope and resurrection in the years to come. 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.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Everlasting Words Acts 6 v 10

Acts 6: 10        But they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

Some people believe that we are living in a post-Christian world where Christ’s ways and words are losing their effectiveness in society and throughout the globe. In places like Britain and all over Europe, secularism is increasing and churches are emptying. People believe more in themselves and get what they want out of life, rather than taking guidance from God or experiencing Christ’s grace.

One thing that I have noticed is that when people become more secular they also become more selfish. The law of the jungle and survival of the fittest take the place of God’s laws and faith in Christ. Greed overrides need; vanity replaces charity; and the love of money overtakes love of God.

Some churches cave in and surrender to secularism and become community centers with small chapels. Some Christians give up on God and follow the maddening crowd. Others become spiritually paralyzed and don’t know what to believe in or do.

Those churches and Christians who remain are the ones who seek God’s wisdom and look to the Holy Spirit to inspire and lead them. They do not stand still nor do they stop growing faithfully and spiritually. They know that Christ’s words are everlasting and no matter how hard the secularists try to kill off Christ, they will not succeed. Christ’s mission and ministries have faced this all before, and once again the Church will reform, revive and be resurrected. The world, society, and the devil may attempt to inflict wounds upon the Church, but they cannot prevail against God’s wisdom, Christ’s ways, or the works of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, the world may try to ignore You, but it cannot eradicate Your Presence. Society may seek to diminish Your disciples, but it cannot halt Your mission. The devil may even try to cause havoc throughout the Church, but Your ministry will always prevail. Thank You for Your power and we give glory to Your Everlasting Name. 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.

Jude 1:3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

Podcast version here: http://media.libsyn.com/media/stushie/Just_Jude.mp3

Sometimes we think that the original New Testament church was full of people who were completely united and totally happy in their work together for the Lord. Nothing could be further from the truth. Those First Christians struggled to keep the Church alive, not just they were persecuted by the authorities, but because of the tribulations within the Church itself.

Different people had different ideas about what was important to Christianity. Some felt that God’s grace through Christ was unlimited so that they had complete freedom to do anything they liked. If they were immoral or made mistakes, Jesus would constantly forgive them.

But other Christians like Jude, believed that faith in Christ placed obligations and responsibilities on His followers. They were entrusted with Christ’s ministry and mission, which made them personally accountable for their lives, their actions, and their beliefs. Being a Christian was never meant to be easy or cozy. It required persistence in the face of persecution, and resistance when confronting temptation.

Eventually, Christians like Jude won the day and the Church survived. But every generation since then has had to struggle with the same issues. Our faith is not a given. Each generation can squander it by allowing the world to shape the Church’s culture, principles, and beliefs.

The struggle that we fight today is inconsistency and a laissez-faire attitude to what is important for Christians to believe, practice, and accomplish. Jude’s words sound critical and judgmental to us today, but does that make them unimportant or wrong? Are we more interested in a Church that suits our beliefs and is tailored to fit our lifestyle choices, or are we up to the challenge of having Christ mold us?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, these are challenging days and turbulent times for the Church. In every generation, people are called to serve and honor You with their lives. This involves sacrifice and dedication, persistence and determination. Help us each day to keep focused on what You would have us do and accomplish with our lives for Your Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at 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.

4 Minute Devotions: Wisdom and Understanding

Jeremiah 51:15 He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

These days, when we talk about a person of power, we usually mean someone who has strong leadership skills, popularity, and has amassed a fortune. They are usually hard working, focused people who have amassed wealth and credibility. Political leaders, company executives, and even very successful movie stars are usually thought be powerful people. The press, media, as well as society in general, listen to what they have to say and value their opinions. Because of their success, we are drawn to what they say and do.

Power in the Bible takes on some different characteristics. Instead of wealth and success, power emerges out of wisdom and understanding. Elderly people were accredited more standing and respect in Biblical communities because of the years of experiences that they had accrued. Their understanding of the times, the seasons, and the forces of nature were crucial to the well-being and sustenance of their people.

Sadly, we’ve lost some of that in our world today. Old people are set aside as being old-fashioned and out of touch. We’re more into what’s happening now and who’s doing what amongst our peers, instead of listening to the garnered wisdom and collective understanding of our seniors.

Even the church has foolishly disregarded what our senior folks have to say about faith. We’re more into ‘emergent’ and trendy ways of doing worship and being church. In our frantic effort to be relevant, we’ve unwisely ditched the best of our faith for the worst of our wants.

If we honestly seek to be powerful and make an impact in our communities, then we have to take time to give credence to the collective wisdom and understanding of those who have been faithful for decades, instead of constantly deferring to those whose faith is just beginning. Change for changes sake leads to chaos and division, and we end up being influenced by the world. Choices made through wisdom and understanding, give us the power to be influential and make a real impact for Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank You for the seniors in our faith communities whose wisdom and understanding have helped to sustain our faith. Help us to be more open to their ways that have kept them loyal to You for decades. Teach us through what they have learned about the world and the church. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Time for a New Advent?

A great discussion is taking place over at the Presbyterian Bloggers site concerning the meaning and colors of the candles in an Advent wreath. During the discussion, I offered the suggestion that we change the colors and re-code to reflect current issues in the world. Here's a rendering of what I came up with:-



The 1st Advent candle is red, representing World AIDS Day and the church's penitence for mistreating HIV/AIDS sufferers in the past.

The 2nd Advent candle is purple, symbolizing Christ's royalty and the centuries of church tradition.

The 3rd candle is pink, representing peace and cancer awareness.

The 4th candle is blue, reminding us of those who find no joy in Christmas because of loss, grief, and depression.

The 5th white candle signifies that Christ is born among us - the Christ who embraced lepers; the Head of the Church; the Healer of the Nations; and the Compassionate Shepherd of us all.

4 Minute Devotions: World AIDS Day - Past Mistakes

Today is World AIDS Day, a day of supporting those who suffer from HIV and a time to seek a cure. It’s also a day when the Christian Church needs to repent of our unpleasant and uncaring past.

Revelation 14:19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath.

In the early eighties, when we first diagnosed HIV/AIDS, a majority of evangelical church leaders preached that this was the result of God’s wrath being unleashed upon the homosexual community. Pastors gleefully berated the gay community and scornfully sentenced homosexuals to a slow, agonizing, and isolated death. Instead of recognizing the disease as an opportunity to show Christian compassion, churches delighted in demonizing, leperizing, and shunning a whole community of people who needed love, comfort, and acceptance.

The consequences of the mistakes that the church made way back then are still with us today. Because we allowed false prophets of hate to take over our pulpits, we lost all credibility. A whole generation has grown up since those hellish days, and now the church is faced with its own terminal condition, brought about by our reckless rhetoric and inhumane attacks on those who were defenseless, destitute and dying.

Perhaps we will never regain the trust of society because of our persecution of those whose lifestyles were different from ours. I guess it all depends upon whether we are willing to listen to our critics, or if we only want to hear what we say about ourselves.

Today is World AIDS Day and many people of different faiths, including Christians, are praying for the victims of this disease. If every Christian Church was to see this as a day of repentance for our past abuses, and act upon it by supporting those who suffer though AIDS around the world, then just maybe our planet would be able to see Jesus. At the moment, most people cannot see Christ because of the Christians that get in His way. For once, myself included, we need to step back and let the true Christ emerge – the Savior of the Dying, the Healer of the Nations, and the Loving Lord of all the Earth.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for allowing our pride and prejudices, our self-righteousness and severe spirituality to hinder Your work amongst the lost and unloved, the diseased and dying. Help us to see every person as a child of God in need of hope, love, and care. Keep us from demonizing those whom we do not fully know or understand. In Your Holy Name, we pray for the complete healing of AIDS throughout the entire world. Amen.

Daily Devotions: Promise U

Our church kids put on a Christian musical yesterday called “Promise U.” It was amazing. They put a lot of practice into their performances and it was wonderful to watch them sing and act, dance and quote scripture throughout the entire show. I’ve very proud of all of them, and I just love to see them expressing their faith in beautifully creative ways.

Podcast version here

I’ve baptized most of the children, and I feel as though the congregation has fulfilled part of its commitment to bring them up in the faith and encourage them to get to know Jesus. Many people from the church, not just parents, are involved in the show. Our hope is that our kids will learn to love the Lord and pass on their faith to their own children through positive experiences and creative ways.

Not all of the kids belong to our church. Indeed, some of them have no church connection at all because their parents are not believers. When we first set up the Creative Expression teams, we felt it was important not to place any barriers upon any kids who wanted to take part in the shows. We still feel that way, and this year, for one wee girl in particular, the Sonshine Kids Company has been a godsend. Her family are not church people, but the girl is a friend of one of our own church kids. She came along to a practice one Wednesday night and has been a regular ever since. She now comes to Sunday school and loves being in church. Her folks might never make that kind of commitment, but it seems to me that the Lord really loves that wee unchurched girl.

Bible Verse of the Day

Romans 4:14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless.

If our church had been legalistic and cold hearted, we could have put up a membership boundary that would have prohibited non-church members from attending the practices. But the church belongs to Christ, and He is the One who said: “Let the children come to Me.” It’s amazing how His grace works, and it’s what Paul is emphasizing in today’s verse from Romans. If we all had to follow the rules to become heirs to the kingdom, then faith, grace, and hope would be replaced by duty, legalism, and perfection. In other words, we would have to earn our way into heaven and Christ’s work of salvation would be totally ignored and never needed. If that wee girl had to earn her way into our children’s creative program, she would have been held back by her parents’ non-commitment. Thankfully, through the grace and wisdom of God, she has found a place where she can truly belong.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have paid the price for our sins, our imperfection, and our unworthiness. We could never do enough good things to offset the sins that we continue to commit each day in our lives. Thank You for sacrificing Your Life and for going to Cross in order to pardon all of our sins and win us back for God’s Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully 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.

Bible Reading Mom Booted off Bus

Texas Mother ordered off bus for reading Bible to her children

Source : www.ReligionAndSpirituality.com

A passenger on a bus in Fort Worth, Texas, says she was ordered off the bus because she was reading her Bible aloud. Christine Lutz says she was reading her Bible to her children when the driver asked her to stop or get off the bus.

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Taking Back the U.S. for Christ

February conference in Oregon aims high.
Source: www.ReligionAndSpirituality.com

The "2008 Restore America, Know the Truth, Change the Culture" conference will take place Feb. 22-23 at Rolling Hills Community Church in Tualatin, Ore., a few miles south of Portland. The conference is designed to show how Christians can restore their historical American culture.
Georgene Rice with KPDQ-FM will be Master of Ceremonies. Speakers include former lesbian activist and magazine editor Charlene Cothran, former Muslim terrorist Kamal Saleem, syndicated columnist Starr Parker, Terri Schiavo's attorney David Gibbs III, historian Marshall Foster, movie makers Jonathan and Debra Flora and WorldNetDaily.com Vice President David Kupelian.

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Beware the Golden Compass

Audio version here

There’s a new movie coming out just before Christmas called “The Golden Compass.” It’s a fantasy movie based on a best selling trilogy by the author, Philip Pullman. It’s the usual good vs. bad story, with the heroes winning the day. The only trouble with the book is this: the Church is perceived as being bad, whilst being a free spirit - without being encumbered by God – is the ultimate good.

In the first book, the clergy are portrayed as being kidnappers of children, who want to enslave their spirits to serve the Authority, which is God. The whole series is about rebelling against the Church and ultimately killing the Authority, in order to achieve true freedom. There’s a subtle message of atheism being glorified and religion being diminished in the book. Philip Pullman is aiming the series at children because he wants to mess up their relationship with God and lead them into the lonely wilderness of atheism and chaos.

You may decide to take your kids to the movie or read the books for yourselves. That is your own free choice. But don’t do it without evaluating your relationship with God and Christ’s Church first. If your faith is ambivalent and your notion of the Church is flimsy, you may put your beliefs on the line and end up disregarding God’s sovereignty. You may also be putting your kids in harm’s way and leaving them with more doubts about God, Christ, and the Church.

Whatever you decide, remember that Pullman has his own agenda, which certainly isn’t God’s. He wants God dead in the hearts and minds of people, so that we can live in a free-spirited world where anything goes. We had that once before, in the centuries preceding Christ. Human sacrifices, paganism, and dark forces ruled the hearts and minds of men during those times: are we sure that we want to regress back into those days, or do we instead choose to remember that God rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of Christ?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, grant us the rare gift of discernment in our lives, so that we will make better choices. Help us to know what to do about this movie and these books. Keep us from being persuaded by the hidden messages that we may encounter. Help us to deepen our faith in You by remembering that the seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas are times when we honor and glorify You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Erin Presbyterian Church Sunday Sermon: Fully Armed & Faithfully Trained

Ephesians 6:10-20

One of the biggest problems that the Church is facing right now is in trying to be nice and pleasing to everyone. We seem to have bought into this mentality that if we’re all nice to each other, God will reward us for being courteous and pleasant, amiable and friendly. If you take a look at most adverts for churches in the newspaper, radio, or TV, you’ll see something to effect that says: “Come and join us, we’re really friendly people.”

Somehow, we’ve managed to become social chameleons who want to fit in with everyone. If someone were to write a motto for the Christian church in America today, it would read something like this: “We love you when you like us.”

I don’t think Paul would have recognized our idea of church with that of his own. He would see us as religious friendship societies or Christian Country Clubs, who go along with the crowd in order to get along in the community. His idea of church was nothing like what we believe it to be today. Churches were not meant to be spiritual candy in the community; the Church was meant to challenge society in order to change it.

That’s why Paul calls upon the Ephesian church to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. The apostle has lived a life of stirring up passions and protests throughout his entire Christian ministry. He knows what persecution and trouble are. And he perfectly understands that the Christian Road is the one less often traveled – a road of radicalism and revolution; a path of persecution and pain; a way of wonder and war at the same time.

1948 Flag of Israel is adopted – The Church is supposed to be like what happened in the world almost sixty years ago today. A white flag with a six pointed blue star and two blue stripes was adopted by a new nation that was struggling to keep its independence. It was of course, the Flag of Israel, and to keep it flying, Israelis have had to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. They wouldn’t exist as a nation today if they just wanted to be liked. They would have been extinguished long ago if all that they had been established for was to be nice.

Now, just as the Israelis have had to fight for every year of their existence, Christianity needs to do the same. We cannot take it for granted that Christ’s message is being preached, taught, and heard in every generation or in every church. We cannot keep wanting to be liked if we wish to remain true to Christ and the Gospel at the same time. If all Jesus had wanted to be was to be nice, He never would have come into conflict with the authorities who executed Him. You don’t crucify nice people – you just simply ignore them. That’s what is happening in Europe right now. The Church has been busy trying to be nice to the population in Europe for the past fifteen years, and what is the outcome? People have stopped going to Church and practically ignore it entirely.


In Paul’s mind, Christianity was a spiritual call to arms to fight against the devil’s schemes. The devil’s ambition is to create chaos and wreak havoc across the world. He preys upon fear and disturbs the faithful. He moves against Christ’s mission wherever it is found in the world. He opposes the kingdom of God all over the universe, so whether or not we like the idea, we are in a global war where godliness opposes godlessness, where faith confronts fear, and where that which is sacred challenges superstition.

So, we’re asked to put on the full armor of God – not just some of it, but all of it. And we’re going to need every piece of armory that we can put on because the devil will be relentless in attacking our bodies and minds, hearts and spirits.


Now let’s get this straight in our hearts and minds once and for all: the devil exists. He isn’t a mythical character or a horror movie star. He isn’t something that was made up to frighten people into faith or to make bad children get to sleep. The devil exists and his biggest weapon is in making himself invisible to our society. He wants us to believe that he doesn’t exist. He wants us to think that he’s the product of a bygone age of superstitions and fear. He wants us to accept that science has managed to explain him away, and that the History channel can make a two hour special about his past. There are evil forces in existence that seek to destroy our souls and sanity, our faith and free will. As mere creatures, we are helpless against such cosmic forces; but as fully armored Christians, the Church becomes the One True Earthly Army of Christ that can confront evil and win people for God’s Kingdom. That’s why we’re called the Church Militant in the Reformed Tradition, and on this Sunday of all Sundays in the year, Reformation Sunday, we should be prepared to take on that title and take on the world.

And why to we call this day Reformation Sunday? Because this is the anniversary weekend of the day that Martin Luther in Germany pinned on a church door 95 protests against the wicked ways in which the Roman Catholic Church was presenting Christ, Christianity and the Gospel to the people. If he wanted to be nice, Martin Luther could have stayed in his bed that morning and forget all about his opposition to his Church, which had been seduced by worldly ways. Instead, Martin Luther chose to put on the full armor of God, be strong in the Lord, and confront the devil in the Church itself!

This should be a warning for all of us: when the Church woos the world, instead of being wedded to Christ, it dances to the devil’s tune. We have been dancing with the devil for so long in our society that we have lost our direction and let go of our grasp of God. In our narcissistic meandering, we have forgotten to love Christ and be loyal to Him alone. Of all cultures and generations of Christians, we are the least effective because we have let go of the truth in order to accommodate the world, the flesh, and the devil.


Paul was facing the same challenges and he knew that he had to rally the Ephesian Church to fight for their faith. Paul also recognized that the devil wouldn’t allow him to live a life of peace and prosperity. By standing out in the Empire and standing up for Christ, Paul would eventually have to lay down his own life. In fact a couple of years after writing this letter, he would be beheaded in Rome. His message would be silenced, but his ministry would continue, especially at Ephesus.

The Christians of that great, prosperous city would face persecution from the general population and the Roman authorities. Their allegiance to Christ and public declaration of Jesus being their only Lord, would cause them to be charged with treason against Caesar. Their dogged determination in continuing to spread Christ’s Gospel would lead to martyrdom and their numbers would be decimated. And yet they were willing to stand firm, to hold on to the higher ground, to maintain their faith, and to continue to pester the world with Christ’s challenges.

A couple of years after pinning his 95 protests to the church door, Martin Luther was brought before politicians and magistrates, church dignitaries and local rulers. He was told to recant of his ways, to give up his protests, and to seek the Church’s forgiveness. In an act of defiance and great faith, he boldly told this to the powerful assembly:” I will not recant. Here I stand, I can do no other.” In other words, he was not willing to be nice; he was not going to give in to worldly standards. He held fast to the true faith and protested against the DEVIL IN the Church. And that is why we celebrate the Reformation this day; that is why we are called Protestants.


Truth, righteousness, peace, and faith are part of our defensive armory defensive against the devil’s way. The devil can’t stand truth because it exposes him as a liar. He doesn’t like righteousness because it confronts his unholiness. He hates peace in the Church because all he wants is conflict and divisions, separations and schism. And he can’t stand faith in Christ because he cannot use fear as a means to destroy people’s hopes and dreams.


Two other things are given to us to enable Christians to overcome evil in the world. The first is the helmet of salvation which protects our head. It’s there for this reason: heresy in the Church begins in the mind, not the heart. There are more people damaged in God’s Kingdom by what they think about God, rather than what they experience about God. That’s why I keep asking us to be careful about what we allow ourselves to read, hear, and see in the movies, on television, or in books. It all ends up as baggage in our minds and if we are not praying throughout the day, or reading and pondering the Bible on a daily basis, or worshipping at church every week, then we are allowing ourselves to clutter up our mind with filth, greed, and pride that the devil uses to weaken our faith and let go of our grasp of God.

Remember, God gives us free will to choose to love and believe in Him. But the devil also uses free will against when we choose to fill our minds with ludicrous ideas, superstitious beliefs, and unholy thoughts. That’s why we need a helmet of salvation and not just for ourselves, but for the whole church. There are debates and discussions taking place across America in PCUSA churches about whether or not we should ask people to make a membership vow that stipulates Jesus Christ as being their personal Lord and Savior. And this is taking place in the Church!

Some pastors and elders, church members and congregations don’t want people to make this statement of faith because it’s too personal, too private, and too contentious. Of course it’s contentious. It’s always meant to be that way. When we confess that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we’re telling the Church and the world that we are His unworthy servants, who cannot escape God’s wrath unless we take an oath of fealty, allegiance and loyalty to Jesus Christ. Anything else is non-Christian – it’s our belief in Christ as Savior of the World and Lord of the Universe that makes us Christians!

And in the end, this is where the sword of the Spirit comes in. We’ve got to cut through the cultural pressures that try to make us nice, neutered, and non-effective to become the radical, revolutionary and Reformed Christians that we are meant to be in the Church, in our community, and throughout the world. We don’t come to Church just because it’s something nice at the end of the week: we are called to Church to be equipped by the Spirit, in order to go out into the community and make an impact for Christ, and prepare it for His return - because when He comes back it’s no more Mr. Nice Guy or Gentle Jesus, meek and Mild. He comes back to us as the Lord of all Creation and the Judge of the entire World.

Christ saves us from Himself! He is our Lord and God, which is why we need to be fully armed and faithfully trained.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, the world tempts us with its wicked ways and unholy truths. Even in the Church, we face heresy and apostasy, unbelief and superstition. Sometimes we don’t know what is the wrong way or the right way, so keep us following Your way, keep us on Your side. In Your Holy Name, we faithfully and fearlessly pray. Amen.

If God be for us, who or what can stand against us?