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Yesterday, the blog broke through the 500,000 mark. Thank you to everyone who has ever visited, read, or commented on the blog. Here's to getting through the 1 million mark!

Gospel devotion: Sharing Good News - Romans 15:23-24

Romans 15:23-24       But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.

It was always Paul’s intention to take the Gospel from one end of the Mediterranean to the other, from the shores of Palestine to the Rock of Gibraltar. He had a vision of preaching to almost the whole Roman Empire, which would have been a mammoth task to undertake. However, despite having such a grand scale vision, his efforts to reach Spain would be halted by his arrest in Jerusalem and subsequent fatal trial at Rome. He would never fulfill his ambition, but his work would carry on to all sides of the Mediterranean and beyond through those who heard his message and read his letters.

When I first became a pastor in Scotland, all I wanted to do was serve a parish and help all sorts of people come to Christ. I never dreamed of coming to the States to be part of a different kind of ministry, which has now given me the ability to communicate to Christians around the globe. Folks in the church at Erin, Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as others in Scotland and across the world, get to read these devotional messages. With the use of email, Facebook and even Twitter, I can reach out to others from Christ all over the world at any time. It’s humbling to realize this and when I read the list of countries and cities where people read my devotionals, it really is staggering.

It makes me wonder how much Paul would have used modern technology to reach people for Christ all over the Earth. He endured hardships and suffering, beatings and imprisonment for the spreading of the Gospel. He would have loved this new technology and would have put it to wonderful use in order to share Christ’s message across the nations.

Thank you for reading these devotions and for sometimes sharing them with your family and friends. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to read the scriptures, my thoughts, and the devotional prayer. May God bless you on your journey of faith this day and may He continue to grant you visions for bigger and better things for your life, your church, and Christ’s ministry.

Questions for personal reflection

How can I use the technology I own to spread the Gospel? Who can I share Christ’s message with today?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for the spreading of the Gospel throughout the world and for the many new ways we can share Your words with others today. Grant us opportunities to share our beliefs at the right time, with the right words, and to those who need it most. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Window Lamp.” It features an old kerosene lamp lit in a window at dusk. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3831/9622394834_c41fc6f281_b.jpg

Devotional Blogs: Not For Profit - 2 Corinthians 2

2 Corinthians 2:17     Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.

There’s an old Yorkshire saying which states, “Where’s there’s muck, there’s brass.” It means that money can be made out of anything, no matter how messy or unpleasant it may be. As long as you’re willing to get down and get dirty, there’s a profit to be made. Controversy and scandal are major opportunities to make a financial killing. There’s always a market for controversial, on the edge stuff. Sadly, the Church is no different from the world in this regard.

For instance, there are some so-called Christian writers who have given up going to church in order to make a name for themselves. Being part of a local congregation gets in the way of completing presentation papers or meeting editor’s deadlines. Sunday mornings are for relaxation, isolation, and luxury. Drinking a latte, reading the newspaper, and doing their own thing rather than worshipping God in the pews is all that they live for. In the world’s eyes, there is nothing wrong with that, but I’m talking about Christian authors who write about what’s wrong with the Church. They think that their ivory tower theological perspectives should be adopted and practiced by grass roots believers who are actually Christ’s foot soldiers in the world.

For the Church to be effective, it doesn’t need armchair theologians who sit at home when worship takes place. It needs people, who are steeped in the troubles of life and in the midst of difficult times to sincerely keep Christ at the heart of their lives. The world would rather hear the rugged tales and personal testimonies of those who have maintained their faith through rough patches and critical days. The lofty loners who pontificate their insipid, impractical, and untested theologies in order to profit from controversy, heresy, and apostasy, may write and sell books that will satisfy spiritually shallow readers, anti-establishment academics, and pander to progressives, but with no real meat or substance, their so-called theologies will decay and turn to dust, whilst the True Church plods on making real progress across the world.

So how does this spiritually help you begin a new week? Be careful about what you read and know who the writers really are. All that glistens is not gold and where there’s muck, there’s brass.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, help us to discern what we should be reading and studying in order to become better disciples. Keep us from being caught up with fashionable faith writers whose only motives are to make money from unsettling the Church. Help us find sincere teachers who truly put You at the heart of their lives, their writing, and their presentations. 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 John’s latest drawing in his Psalms project. It depicts Psalm 101 v 1 – “I will sing of Your love and justice.” A larger version can be viewed online here:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/5069276397_16410c724f_b.jpg

Christian devotions: Bride of Christ - Acts 27

Acts 27:31       Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved."

“I don’t need to go to church in order to be a Christian.” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve read or heard something like that, I’d be thousands of dollars richer. People honestly believe that church isn’t necessary for them to be good Christians. All they need is a simple straightforward belief that Jesus loves them and that because He’s a universal cosmic good guy, He will let them into heaven – no questions asked. Church becomes irrelevant because it robs the individual of their freedom to do what they want. As long as they can go directly to Jesus, He will understand and let them away with everything and anything.

Unfortunately, that popular misconception eternally separates more people from God than anything else in modern times.

So why did the First Apostles form the Church? They, of all people in history, should have been granted exemptions because they personally knew Jesus. And yet they didn’t skip church to go and do other things. They didn’t take their faith for granted nor did they cheapen Christ’s Grace by doing what they wanted.

You see, they understood that the Church is actually the Bride of Christ. They knew that the Church was Christ’s closest companion in His ministry to the world. To be part of the Church meant being baptized into the faith, participating in communion, and worshipping together with Christ’s followers. It was not an individual spiritual pursuit or personal religious journey. Being a part of Christ’s Kingdom meant being involved with Christ’s Community of faith – the Church.

I think that this is why Paul’s statement to the Roman soldiers and sailors on the doomed ship has a deeper significance for us today. It’s not just about a ship wreck, it’s about staying on board and being together during a crisis. Without remaining on the ship and heeding God’s word, the passengers and crew would not survive the storm. The same applies to us today – without being in church and remaining with Christ’s people through these turbulent times, salvation cannot be guaranteed.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we know that salvation belongs to You alone, and yet You also established the Church to be the vehicle of Your gospel and the means of bringing people to You.  Bless Your Church on Earth with a renewed sense of purpose. Help us to dedicate our lives to Your service and glorious Kingdom. 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 new Christmas 2010 drawings. It’s called “Church in Snow.” A larger version can be viewed online at the following link: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5023390336_1c9c7da679_b.jpg