An Inconvenient Truth - Acts 9:16

Acts 9:16 “I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

            After his Damascus Road experience, things would never be the same for Saul of Tarsus – nor would they ever be easy, according to Christ’s words. Saul was being called to bring the message of the Gospel, which he initially hated, to the very people he was meant to be striving against. Groups on both sides of the Christian persecution now had no reason to trust him. To the Syrians Christians, Saul would be considered as a tremendous risk for the fledgling faith; to his religious overseers in Jerusalem, he would be known as an unholy traitor who betrayed his own faith and dishonored God. And even though Saul was put in this situation against his own will, Christ would not fully protect him from the many years of suffering that would come. His calling was not just to spread the Gospel, but to suffer the consequences that came along with it.

            As post-modern Christians, we tend to avoid suffering for our faith as much as possible. We want laws to protect our beliefs and advance our causes. We want other people to follow our moral codes to prove that we are right and they are wrong. We want our faith to be individually shaped and personally convenient. We want God to operate within our timetables and according to our goals. We disown anything about our faith that interferes with our desires and we embrace everything that makes us feel good about ourselves, no matter if it conflicts with Christ’s teaching. If Christ were to meet us on our own Damascus Road, we would probably put up with our own blindness rather than have Jesus change everything about us. As for suffering for our faith? – that belongs to the saints in the past or fanatics in the present.

            It seems that being nice to one another is more important than being honest with Christ. To be secure is better than suffering; to be comfortable is way much better than being called. Perhaps we should re-read the New Testament passage again (Acts 9:1-22) and then honestly ask ourselves this question:

Am I willing to let Christ call me, even though He will change everything?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, sometimes we are scared to give You our hearts and open our lives to Your calling. We don’t want things to change and we would rather turn away from suffering. Help us to approach You honestly so that we may serve You faithfully and do what You want for the rest of our lives. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently 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 Traqair@aol.com. You can also read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Christmas drawings called “Mary Had a Baby.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Mary.

Fisher Folk Faith - Mark 1:17

Mark 1:17       “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (NIV)

            For the first nine years of my ministry, I was privileged to serve in a Scottish fishing village called Dunure. It was situated on the West coast of Scotland, overlooking the Firth of Clyde, which is the waterway to the Irish Sea. It’s a picturesque village with an old ruined castle that once owned by the powerful Kennedy clan. Quite recently, Season 3 of the popular Outlander television series has just been filmed down at Dunure harbor.

            The fishermen and their families taught me a lot about faith and ministry. They were very supportive but were also willing to let me know when I made mistakes. Their hard work and determination gave me many insights into courage and endurance; their faith and family ties helped me to understand the strength of being a community in both good and adverse times.

            When Jesus called the fishermen to be His first disciples, I think He knew that their tenacity and loyalty, as well as their candid and honest outlook on life, would bless His ministry and continue His mission long after He was gone. Christ may have given them a new calling to find, fish, and gather people to God’s Kingdom, but their own skills and determination would ensure the future successes of the Christian faith. In fact, we are indebted to those Galilean fishermen for the faith we embrace today, just as I am indebted to the Dunure fisher-folk for teaching me many lessons about life and ministry which I still practice years later.

Point to ponder

Who taught me about the Christian faith? What lessons of theirs do I still practice today?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we thank You for the calling of the disciples and especially the fisher-folk who supported and encouraged You throughout Your ministry. We also praise You for the success of their mission to the larger world and the blessings of faith that are now ours today. Grant us opportunities to share our Christian beliefs with other people in our own lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s crayon drawings of Dunure. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Dunure.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. The church website can be read at this link: www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Church devotion - Changing Time - Mark 1:15

Mark 1:15       “The time has come,” Jesus said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (NIV)

            Yesterday, we all had to put our clocks forward an hour in order to synchronize our lives with Daylight Savings Time. I must admit, I hate the process, not just because of all the clocks, timers, and alarms that need to be re-set, but because we live in a 24-hour active world where daylight doesn’t really matter anymore. My solution to the problem would be this: put the clocks forward one Spring for half-an-hour and never, ever change them again.

            In the New Testament, there are two forms of time. The first is ‘Cronos,’ which is an hour by hour system of time that we still try to manage each and every day. The second form is called “Kairos,’ which is all about a specially appointed time by God for an important event in our faith history. In today’s passage, Jesus states that the ‘time has come,’ which is Kairos. It means that this is the appointed time that God has set for Christ to begin His ministry.

            In our lives, there are holy and sacred moments that God appoints which will affect our faith and possibly change us forever. A personal conversion experience, a calling to ministry or an invitation to move elsewhere are all examples of Kairos. In those special moments, God’s Hand is at work, directing and guiding us to something new, something He wants to be done, and something that will become important to us.

            Perhaps you are unsettled or even wondering what to do, where to go, or how to start. Maybe this is God’s way of telling you that He is preparing a new work, a new way, and a new path for you to accept, embrace, and walk. Even Christ had to start His ministry at some appointed Kairos time; perhaps God is letting you know that this happening to you, too.

Point to ponder

Am I drifting aimlessly or is God pulling me toward something new? Am I willing to accept His guidance at this appointed time?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, our lives do not fully belong to us and our times are always in Your hands. You know us completely and perfectly understand our present circumstances. Guide us to an appointed place and time, so that we may know of God’s purpose for this moment in our lives. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s sunflower drawings called ‘Waiting for Summer.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Sunflowers.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can view the church’s website at www.erinpresbyterian.org.