Erin Church Devotions: Monkey Puzzle

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Have you ever seen a monkey puzzle tree? They are also known as Chilean Pines and come from the Andes regions in South America. They prefer a cold, wet climate so you see a lot of them in Scotland. I guess some intrepid Victorian explorer brought the seeds back home with him and they started to flourish in Scottish gardens.

I think that they are beautiful trees and love seeing them around the world. I know that there are some in Virginia, but I’ve not come across any in Tennessee. They make beautiful ornamental trees when they are young, but as they grow older they reach massive heights. The leaves on the tree are packed tightly together and look like cacti. I suspect that they were called monkey puzzles because South American capuchin monkeys would have a hard time getting to the top to eat the tree nuts.

Some verses from the Bible are like that. Take today’s for instance:-

Luke 18:8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

It’s from a parable about prayer and justice, which seems to conclude when Christ teaches His listeners that God hears those who persevere in prayer. But then Jesus tags on something completely different. He challenges the people by asking ‘will faith be found on earth when He returns?’

What does Jesus mean by this? You would think that people who persistently pray have faith and those who uphold justice would be godly. Why is Christ not expecting much faith on the earth when He returns? This is one of those verses that I wish Jesus hadn’t uttered. It just makes my head go round and round in circles.

And then a light goes on: it’s a lesson for all of us not to get too preoccupied with our needs or to be overwhelmed by the woes of the world. If we are too focused on the here and now, we will disregard what’s to come and forget that, as well as having earthly experiences, we also can have an eternal life with Christ. So I guess instead of trying to make everything perfect in the world, we should be willing to wait for that perfection when Christ eventually arrives. If we concentrate too much on what happens here, we end up having faith in ourselves; but if we hold on to that sacred hope that when Christ returns peace and justice, blessings and happiness will be ours, then we will be constantly looking forward to that precious time. And if we do that, then Christ will indeed find faith on earth when He at last returns.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we constantly talk to You about our needs and seek justice throughout the world. Help us to do whatever we can to make this world a better place, but also remind us that perfection and peace, justice and true enjoyment will only come to all the earth when You arrive. Be with us and bless us as we wait to serve You forever. Amen.

Erin Church Devotional - Jesus is Lord - or how being PC ain't being PCUSA

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Psalm 69:13 But I pray to You, O LORD, in the time of Your favor; in Your great love, O God, answer me with Your sure salvation. (NIV)

There’s a debate taking place across the Presbyterian Church as to whether or not it is still appropriate to call Jesus “Lord.” The argument goes like this: we are no longer part of a medieval feudal system or a society that depends upon slavery. Terms like “Lord”, “Master” and “King” denigrate people around the world by making them feel subservient and worthless. Instead of being made to feel inferior, we need to know that we are special, chosen, and favored by God, therefore terms like Creator, Friend, and Encourager should be used when we refer to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In other words, we want God to be shaped and molded, created and contained by our descriptions; we want to be treated as equals and not as servants.

At the recent meeting of Mission Presbytery in Texas, a commissioner complained that the use of the word “Lord” should be outlawed across the church because it reeks of Western imperialism. “After all,” the commissioner concluded, “Jesus never used the term to describe Himself.”

This is where Biblical ignorance rears its ugly head: the speaker obviously hadn’t read the following verse:
"You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am." John 13:13

Fortunately, someone was there to remind everyone of that verse. An Hispanic pastor also stood up to say that for some Hispanic communities in South America, the Lordship of Christ is a life or death issue, especially in areas where drug barons or military juntas wickedly rule the community. Christians, who firmly believe in the Lordship of Christ, do everything in their power to confront evil in their community, even if it costs them their lives. And the same could be said for Christians in China, Myanmar, the Middle East, and Africa.

We Western Christians have become so obsessed with political correctness that we have forgotten what it means to pledge our allegiance to Christ. We are creatures of God, called to be servants of the Kingdom and slaves to the Gospel. We are all unworthy, and none of us can claim equality to Christ or God. If the Presbyterian Church keeps following this blind alley, then we’ll end up falling into the pits of despair and desperation. We’ll do anything to woo the world, instead of being wedded to Christ. We’ll sell our souls to the loudest lobbyists, instead of giving our lives to our Lord.

I, for one, am not willing to surrender anymore, or to follow the maddening crowd. Jesus is my Lord. I am only His servant.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach us why we must become subservient to Your ways and words. Release us from our arrogance and sinful pride. Help us to accept our role as servants in Your Kingdom. Give us the courage to stand up against those who would tear You down. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.