Devotional: Faith Lift - John 12:32-33

John12:32-33           Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

            From time to time, I read articles from other pastors who state that Christ’s death was actually accidental and not what He wanted or intended. Jesus was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. He got caught up in the middle of a nasty religious and political rivalry in which He became the unlucky scapegoat. Personally, I find that kind of interpretation to be false and very misleading, especially when I read passages from the Gospels.

            For instance, in today’s passage, Jesus communicates a prophecy about His death. When He states that people will be drawn to Him when He is lifted up, some of His listeners must have thought that this would happen if He was exalted to the Kingship of Judea. What Christ was really saying, however, was that when He was nailed to the Cross and hoisted up before His friends and enemies, all sorts of people would be drawn to Him.

            This prophecy has been fulfilled for almost two thousand years. Every day, thousands of people on this planet are drawn nearer to Christ through the power of His sacrificial Cross. His death enables them to be delivered from their sins. His sacrifice saves them from condemnation. His cross restores them to God’s forgiveness and love.

            Today, in our communities and across the world, people are going to be drawn to Jesus and their lives will be changed forever. This is the real mission of the Church on Earth. Its task is to help humanity turn from sin, cleave to Christ’s Cross, and be reconnected to God. We may have countless ministries and missions, projects and programs to undertake, accomplish, and complete, but the One, True, and Living Purpose of Christ’s Church is to encourage, augment, and support His work of saving souls in every generation, nation, and situation.

Question for personal reflection

What does Christ’s Cross mean to me? Has it become the channel of my soul’s salvation?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, without You we would be separated from God forever. Without Your Cross, we would be cast away eternally. Without Your sacrifice, we would be set apart from God’s mercy, forgiveness, and love. Thank You for taking on the Cross so that our sins could be taken off us. We will always be indebted to You, our Lord, Savior, and King. In your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s latest crayon drawing. It’s called “Once in a Blue Moon.” If you would like to see a larger version, please click on this link: Moon.

Tony Blair: Seek Faith, Not War

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has called for faith to be given a central role in tackling the world's problems.

Mr Blair said faith should be rescued from extremism and be a force for progress, in his first speech on faith since becoming a Catholic.

He said politicians found it difficult to talk about faith because they "may be considered weird".

His speech was accompanied by a noisy anti-war protest and silent vigil by Catholic peace group Pax Christi.

Mr. Blair, who converted to Catholicism months after stepping down as prime minister last summer and is now a Middle East envoy, told an audience of 1,600 at Westminster Cathedral he was often asked if faith was important to his politics.

"If you are someone 'of faith' it is the focal point of belief in your life. There is no conceivable way that it wouldn't affect your politics," he said.

Read the rest of the story here…

Daily Devotional: Seeing Jesus - the work of the church is to bring others into God's Kingdom

John 12:21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus."

This is one of my favorite verses from the Bible because it encapsulates the work of the church. Congregations can get caught up in building programs, financial campaigns, and missional projects, but in the end, if no one comes to see Jesus, then they’re busy doing nothing.

Churches exist to bring people to Christ. They have no other function. Christians can do as much good in their lives and strengthen their community through acts of kindness and well-being, but if no one comes to Jesus, then the deeds are empty of any eternal blessings. This is why it is so important to remember that our faith is missional. We seek others to tell them about Jesus. We try to fill our sanctuaries with those seekers of Christ, not to boost our numbers, but to get more souls into heaven.

Jesus was overjoyed when Andrew and Philip brought the Greeks to meet Him. It meant that His ministry was beginning to travel around the world. That’s why He says it was for this reason that He came. His ministry was to teach the world about God. His mission was to die for the world. On both counts, He succeeded, which is why He is elated at this point in His life. God’s plan of salvation is working. God’s Kingdom is being extended outside of Palestine.

So, the challenge for all of us today is this: what am I going to do or say today that will encourage others to seek and find Jesus? Who am I going to contact or meet today that needs to hear the Gospel? What am I going to do today to extend God’s Kingdom outside of my own personal world and bring it into someone else’s life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have called all of us to do Your bidding and to serve Your will. Grant us the courage to express our faith today to all whom we meet. Give us opportunities to talk about You, Your church, and Your mission, so that others may seek You, too. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.