Short reflection - Happy Endings - John 11:25-26

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (NIV)

            Most of the stories that I read or heard as a child ended up with this unforgettable line: ‘And they all lived happily together.’ No matter how scary the wicked witch was in ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ or how terrifying the Giant was in ‘Jack and the Beanstalk,’ or how cruel the villain was in ‘Aladdin,’ everything turned out well and the heroes of the story ended up being blessed and happy. I guess that because most of those stories were told to me at bedtime, it was far better to go to sleep on a blissful note than to have nightmares about the villains. We all like good stories and prefer those that have happy endings, even if they are all contrived just to make us feel secure.

            Throughout my sixty years on Earth, I have watched folks go about their lives expecting a happy ending. I guess they figure that God will somehow work that out for them, granting them a blissful everlasting life no matter who they are, what they believe, or what they’ve done. Jesus has taken care of everything, so there’s no need to worship or serve Him; all we need is to acknowledge that Christ will do it for us, no questions asked. If only it was as simple as that – we could close our churches forever, stop printing the Bible, and put a halt to praying. After all, if Jesus understands how busy we are, how wise we have become, and how important we’ve made ourselves, He will give us a happy ending. We can get on with life and Christ will be there at its conclusion as our personal Caretaker, Assistant, and Guide into the next life.

            I wonder if it really is that simple, and if so, then why was Christ crucified? I wonder if eternal bliss is waiting for us somewhere beyond the rainbow just because we want a happy ending? In my heart, I may want to believe this, but I feel as though it would just be wishful thinking. If Jesus is the Resurrection and Life that we truly want, doesn’t actually obtaining it involve some sort of allegiance to Him?

            There’s much more to Christianity than just thinking happy thoughts and taking Jesus for granted. Wishing for a happy ending is not the same as truly hoping for eternal life. At some critical point in our lives, we need to connect the dots between Christ and us – without that full and final connection, we’re just whistling in the dark and deluding ourselves.

Point to ponder

Am I truly connected to Christ? Am I ready to receive everlasting life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep us from deceiving ourselves that everything will turn out okay just because we want it to be that way. Help us to reflect on our commitment to You and enable us to serve You faithfully throughout all that is left in our lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. If you would like to ask questions or make a comment about today’s devotional, please send John an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called ‘Iconic King.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: King.

Daily Devotional: Canceling debts - Colossians 2:13b-14

Colossians 2:13b-14   God forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 

            In the political world, the National Debt becomes an important issue at every general election. Candidates from all the parties usually talk about how they will reduce the financial burden that is placed upon every taxpayer in their countries. Whoever comes up with the best solution normally becomes the poll favorite to win the office of leadership. However, when they gain that position, they soon discover that dealing with the National Debt is not as easy as they hoped. Current policies and other politicians usually get in the way of solving the problem. The debt becomes greater and is often left to the next leader or generation to find the right answers.

The sad fact of the matter is this: politicians all over the world are not very willing to sacrifice their popularity by imposing stringent economic solutions – the art of  national debt procrastination abounds all over the world.

            We are all under a similar debt when it comes to dealing with our sins. Each time we sin, we rob God of His glory and owe Him an apology. Every day, our sinful debts keeps piling up so, at the end of our lives, we will be so indebted to God that we will never be able to face Him and pay back all of the divine glory that we have stolen and squandered. However, God has provided the solution to canceling our debt to Him. His Son Jesus has paid that sinful debt in full at the Cross of Calvary. We do not carry over our sinful debt into the next part of our lives when we accept Christ as our Savior-Redeemer. He has paid it all and, in doing so, has given us the opportunity to be fully and eternally restored to God.

            In the midst of this important election with all of its complications, personalities, and issues, let’s also constantly remind ourselves of Who really is the Leader of our lives, the Canceller of our debts, and the Savior of our souls.

Questions for personal reflection

How do my sins alienate me from God and make me indebted to Him? Why do I need Jesus to save me from my sins by canceling my debt to God?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You were nailed to the Cross to cancel the debt due for the sins of humanity. Our sins are countless, so we owe everything to You. Remind us of the cost of our eternal restoration and freedom. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to contact him, please send an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s Good Friday drawings called ‘Sin Bearer.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Sin Bearer.


Podcast version

Short devotion: Real Acceptance - John 13:20

John 13:20    “Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts Me; and whoever accepts Me accepts the One who sent Me.”

            Acceptance plays a major part in who we are as 21^st century people. We all want to be accepted on our own terms as individuals. We all need to feel part of a society that accepts us totally. We all want to belong to a world where every single person’s life matters and every single choice is respected. This is a very high ideal and one that is impossible to fulfill. People on this planet have different ideas, philosophies, and versions about life. We live in different places; we have different histories; we belong to different cultures; we eat different food, wear different clothing, and speak in different languages. The chances of us completely accepting one another are very remote and, sadly, highly unlikely. We therefore look to a Higher Power and Wiser Being to show us what is acceptable and what is not.

            Today’s verse from the Gospel of John belongs to a passage where Christ is actually commissioning His faithful disciples for the work that is yet to come. Unknown to them, they are about to experience and endure the three most intense and grueling days of Christ’s three year ministry. Their cozy world is about to be turned upside down and inside out. Their lives will never be the same, and their mission will be enormous: they will be charged with broadcasting to the entire world Christ’s message of resurrection and salvation.

In this instance from the Gospel, the acceptance that is crucially important to Christ is the acceptance of His messengers of the new Faith. To accept His apostles is to accept Him; to accept Him is to accept God. This is foundational for the life-changing work of preaching and teaching the Gospel, which will continue to the end of the world. Rather than us being accepted by Him, which is what most of us want Jesus to do, we must accept His terms, His conditions, and even His messengers.

In the end, the work of the Gospel, the spreading of faith, and the expansion of Christianity will be the most important mission undertaken in all of the history of humanity. We may reach dizzying heights of technological wonders; we may discover amazing new facts and sciences in the future; we may even travel to other planets and journey across the stars in centuries to come – these are all glorious and magnificent goals for humanity to reach – but in the end, God knows all of these things that we may discover, for His wisdom is infinite, so the most important thing to God is our individual discovery of accepting His Holy and Only Son as our Lord, Savior, and King. The importance of acceptance, then, is not the acceptance by God of who we are on our terms, but our personal acceptance of Christ on God’s terms.

Question for personal reflection

Have I accepted Christ as my Savior, Lord, and King?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You came down to Earth to offer us the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of accepting You as God’s Chosen One. Keep us from continually making excuses or avoiding this crucial choice. 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 ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Devotional - No Hurry - Revelation 10:6

Revelation 10:6           And he swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and the angel said, “There will be no more delay!”

There’s an old story told about three apprentice devils who were taking their final exam in front of Satan.

“Before I let you loose in the world,” Old Nick said, “I need to know what deceitful message you are going to whisper in the ears of people so that they end up here in hell.”

“That’s easy,” said the first devil. “I’ll tell them there is no heaven.”

“That won’t work,” said Satan. “Whenever people look at the beauty of the earth and feel the wonders of creation, they know that heaven exists. FAIL!”

“I’ll tell them that there’s no hell,” said the second devil.

“That won’t work either,” said Satan. “The world is full of so much pain and suffering, injustice and cruelty that people know hell exists as a place of punishment for the unrepentant and wicked. FAIL!”

The third devil thought for a moment and then said, “I’ll tell them that there’s no hurry.”

“EXCELLENT!” Satan declared. “People will be fooled into believing that there’s plenty of time to change. Hell will overflow with lost souls! PASS!”

And the angel said: “There will be no more delay!”

Are we ready for Christ’s Return if He comes back today?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, our lives are precious gifts which are meant to be spent serving God and enjoying His Creation. We get distracted at times by what’s going on around us instead of paying attention to what’s happening inside our souls. Help us to take this day as a means of strengthening our faith, serving You, and sharing Your love, so that we and others will be ready for Your Return. In Your Holy Name, we wait and pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make a comment about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is called “Death by Dali” and is John’s crayon depiction of the Crucifixion based upon Salvador Dali’s masterpiece “Christ of St. John of the Cross.” If you would like to see a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5061/5630260156_4cd6a2e7b5_b.jpg

4 Minute Devotions: Indiscriminately Kind

Why is God kind to the ungrateful and wicked? What is it about grace that is so amazing?

Podcast version here

Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Years ago, I had to make pastoral visits to a highly successful businessman who was dying of cancer. We talked about life in general and how the world had changed throughout the years. The man expressed his sincere faith in God, but often wondered why some wicked people became rich, whilst faithful people remained poor. He had seen this happen time and time again in the business world, which made him question God’s wisdom in dealing with the world. Surely, if people were loyal to God, He would bless them? So why did so many good people fail to become successful?

I really couldn’t answer that question, but I asked him to take time to read over Psalm 73, which deals with the problems of a faithful, religious person becoming upset with God because the proud, brazen, and wicked seem to get all of the breaks. After reading the psalm, the businessman seemed to understand God’s ways a bit better, and he let go of his doubts.

If I had remembered, I would also have included today’s verse in our conversation. God is kind to both the ungrateful and the wicked. We might think that to be unfair, unreasonable, and ungodly, but it reminds that God is in control. His ways are not always our ways; His thoughts are not always the same as ours.

Why does God do this? Because He can, and because that’s how grace operates. Grace is applied to the least deserving; if it was only give to the good, then it would be called reward or merit. That’s what makes grace so amazing and so divine. We couldn’t do it – we would favor the good and cast aside the bad, whereas God applies His grace in ways that we do not understand and to people whom we would never accept.

The older I get, the less I know about God. Not because I forget, but because He is infinitely more than I can ever comprehend. That is both amazing and wonderful to me. How about you?

Prayer: Lord God Most High, we often underestimate Who You are and what You can accomplish. Your ways are often mysterious to us, so we need Jesus to positively reveal to us Your love, Your mercy, and Your grace. As we journey together in faith, teach us more about Yourself. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Promises, promises

Audio version here.

2 Corinthians 1: 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. NIV

My Grandmother, Rachel Stuart, whom we all called “Grandma,” was a great wee person. She looked like Dorothy’s mother, Sophia, from the TV show “The Golden Girls.” She raised a large family of seven and had umpteen grandchildren and great-grandchildren. My grandparents were married when they were sixteen and seventeen years old, and they enjoyed almost seventy years of marriage together.

Grandma Stuart had a number of sayings, but one of her best was: “He’s a great promiser, but a bad fulfiller.” She usually applied that to national politicians, but she also wanted her grandchildren to learn this important lesson – sometimes what people say they will do is vastly different from what they end up doing.

When Paul writes to the Corinthians about the promises of God, he writes from a background of belonging to a people who longed for God to fulfill His promises. They had waited hundreds of years for a Messiah to come into the world to save Israel, but time after time, they were disappointed. For some, it must have seemed as though God was a great promiser, but a bad fulfiller.

Paul firmly believed that Jesus was the Messiah and that God fulfilled all of His promises through Him. The Christ that the people had been looking for, was the person they crucified. The Messiah that they had all been hoping for, was the Resurrected Son of God, Jesus Christ.

After two thousand years, we still wonder if God will fulfill His promises and when Christ will return. The world needs Christ the Peacemaker, Judge, and Savior to come back into history and put an end to all wickedness, war, and waste. Faith is required for those who wait expectantly for Christ to return - a faith that believes God is not just a great promiser, but a true fulfiller of all that He has said. Or as Paul so effectively wrote it: ‘no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.’

Prayer: Father God, Time to You is a mere twinkling of the eye, but to us who wait on earth, it can seem like ages. We know that You have Your own plans about when Christ will return to earth. Grant us patience and enable us to live each day as if it will be the moment of the final fulfillment of Your great and everlasting promises. In Christ’s Name, we expectantly pray. Amen.

Three Witnesses

Audio version here

Matthew 3:16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. (NIV)

I don’t remember my baptism, but I remember seeing old monochrome photographs of my parents and older sister after the event. The photos were taken with my Dad’s box camera and the prints were 2x2. In one of the photographs, my mom is holding me in her arms whilst my sister is pulling at her skirt and crying. I’m oblivious to all that was happening that day. I’ve got no idea what all the fuss is about.

As well as my family being there with the congregation and minister, there were also three very important witnesses to the whole ritual – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The old pastor who baptized me invoked their presence during the prayers, and even although I was completely unaware of what was occurring, the Holy Spirit must have touched me that Sunday morning.

Baptismal questions were asked and promises were given. And even although my parents were not church-goers, they did see to it that I went to Sunday School – well, at least my mom did anyway. They loosely attempted to keep their part of the covenant, but God made certain that His side of the sacred agreement was fulfilled.

These days, I get asked to baptize babies of folks who have loose connections with the congregation. I wish that some of them would make a greater effort in fulfilling their vows, but in the end I completely trust God to fulfill His part of the covenant. Some of the kids I’ll never see again, but I hope and pray that they will be touched by the Holy Spirit and ushered into God’s Kingdom at some point in their life. Our congregation tries to mentor and guide many of the kids who are part of our faith community, because it also makes a promise to do so. But sometimes getting the parents to come with the kids is an uphill battle, especially if they think, like my own parents did, that church is a leisure option instead of a lifetime commitment.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, many children will be baptized throughout the world this Sunday and sadly, some of them will never cross the threshold of a church door for years. Let Your Holiness prevail in the hearts and souls of these young ones. Let Your covenanted connection to them emerge throughout the passing years of their lives. May all the young ones, who are baptized this Sunday, become faithful servants for Your Kingdom, despite the weak church connections of their families. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Fight the Good Fight

Scottish audio version here

Philippians 3:19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. (NIV)

I wonder what Paul would have thought about buying food in a supermarket and seeing glossy magazines at the check outs that extol the virtues of the latest diets? I think he would have had a hissy fit and banned Christians from being in such places. But now that I think about it, it does seem kind of weird that in the very places where we pile up our carts with all sorts of junk food, we’re also enticed to buy weekly diet magazines. I guess that’s the way the world and marketing works. We buy the food because we’re hungry and we purchase the magazines because we feel guilty.

Even in Paul’s time, people were the same. The enemies of Christ were known for their gluttony, excesses, and over-indulgence. But what Paul was worried about was that Christian people were being led astray by the world, so that there was hardly any difference between Christ’s followers and unfaithful people. The church was enticed by society to adopt earthly standards instead of heavenly ones.

And that’s been the fight in every generation since Paul’s time. We’re constantly striving to keep our faith and maintain some sort of different standard, whereas the world pressurizes us to be like everyone else. Some Christians have even bought into the old heresy that all religions are alike and that we are all heading towards the same goal – the happiness of heaven. But we are not alike, which is why Christians are not liked in most secular cultures. We are different for we have a different Teacher, a different Savior, a different Leader to follow.

Now, don’t get me wrong – we aren’t perfect, spiritually superior, or absolutely sinless. Christians still have faults and make mistakes. But we try to overcome our selfish ways; we aim to please God rather than ourselves; we attempt to practice faith through confession, forgiveness, compassion, and love. Our minds aren’t always on earthly things, for our hearts are filled with heavenly hopes. As Paul expresses it: “…our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our lives belong to You and we try to serve You each day. We know that we are prone to failure and make many mistakes. But we also realize that You have the authority to forgive our past misdeeds, and that You bestow a mercy which frees us from our regrets, enabling us to begin again. Be with us this day and renew our spirits. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Holy Heritage

Matthew 21:38 "But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.'” (NIV)

It’s amazing what greed does to some people. Several times, in my twenty plus years of ministry, I have watched greed destroy families and friends, especially when it comes to dividing up property and possessions after the death of a loved one. It sickens my heart each time I see it occur and no matter how brazen or immoral the takers are, their greed supersedes their need to be fair and to share.

It happens on a faith level, too. Some churches are ditching their foundational beliefs in order to become more influential and powerful. They’re changing their names, denominations, and traditions for trendier types. They’re turning their venues into stadiums and cinemas, instead of houses of prayer. Each week, they lose something else in order to gain something new.

They’re driven by a power to be powerful and a need to be needed. They’re feeding the monster that they have created and some of them are beginning to splinter, divide, and breakdown. Perhaps the age of the mega-church, driven by personality and celebrity, is beginning to grind to a halt. Their towers of Babel have been built too high and people are returning to the smaller places, the safer sanctuaries, the more traditional churches.

When we kill Christ in an effort to be bigger and better, we kill our churches. The battle has always been between Christ and our culture. No matter what generation we are in, our lives are meant to be His. Anything else is unimportant. Anything else will just crumble and decay. Mega churches are nothing new – Christians built them in Europe 800 years ago and called them cathedrals. Most of them are in ruins or have very small active congregations in them now – the price of power and prestige, at the cost of people and faith.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for growing our church in recent years. We pray that each growth of a person has meant a closer journey with You. Help us to build the strengths of fellowship with one another through Your truth, way, and life. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Competence

2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

There’s a great website at www.despair.com where all sorts of photographs are given humorous tag lines to act as de-motivational messages. It’s well worth a visit and it may cheer up your day, especially if everything you are trying to accomplish is going wrong today. One of the photographs that I like is of a skier who is falling through the snow, whose arms and legs and skis are flying all over the place. Beneath the photo, a caption reads:

INEPTITUDE: If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly.

In other words, it’s not a matter of competence – just make sure that your confidence is high.

When the apostle Paul writes about ‘competence’ in his letter, he’s talking about what we accomplish and achieve for God. We don’t do it for ourselves and we are not meant to seek any glory as Christians. Everything that we undertake, do, and fulfill in the Lord’s Name comes from God. His is the victory, we are just vessels. His is the glory, we are just servants. Our attitude should be one of humble gratitude – we are grateful to God that He has used us for His works, His ways, His ministries and missions. As Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church continually points out – it’s not about us – it’s about God.

Wherever you are and whatever you do today, do it for the Lord. And where you experience success, praise God for the gifts He has given you to accomplish your feats. Without those blessings, we would all be incompetent. So let’s learn to do things well for the Lord, and let’s learn to enjoy them humbly.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have called upon each of us to live our lives according to Your ways. You have blessed us with guidance, direction, and purpose. Anything that we accomplish is because of You. In everything that we experience success, You are the prime reason, mover, and motivator. Thank You for sharing Your gifts of goodness, faith, and love with us. May we all accomplish much for You and God’s Kingdom this day. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Wood Gatherer

Numbers 15:35 Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp."

It’s one of the hardest passages to understand in scripture (Numbers 15:32-41), and it’s equally hard to believe that God would call for the execution of one of His people just for picking up sticks.

I can remember when I first read this passage. It shocked me and I felt it was so unjust of God. It also made me afraid to do anything wrong on Sundays and, for a long time, I feared God’s retribution. The whole incident made me feel that instead of being a loving father, God actually was a supreme tyrant, whose darkest wishes and oppressive whims could never be challenged nor changed.

As the years have gone by and my knowledge of scripture has increased, I now understand that the man was defying God and causing the whole community to be tainted with sin. The act of gathering sticks on the Sabbath was a violation of the covenant God had made with the whole Israelite people. By collecting wood, the unfortunate man was publicly declaring that he was above God’s laws, God’s people, and God Himself. It was a simple act, but a terrible mistake, so the consequences were severe.

Sometimes, we all take God for granted and we are in danger of treating Him with familiarity and contempt. Through our own choices, we place ourselves in harms’ way by challenging God’s ways. That’s when the grace of Jesus Christ protects us, and shields us from God’s wrath. Without Jesus, we would be as guilty and as unfortunate as the Sabbath-breaking wood gatherer. Without Christ, we would be utterly destroyed by God.

It’s a hard lesson to face first thing on a Monday morning, but it should help us make better choices. And not because we fear God, but because we are truly thankful for Christ’s mercy and grace. We may make mistakes this week and face the consequences of our actions, but at least with Jesus as our Savior we will be forgiven, and we can be restored to God’s favor.

Prayer: Lord God, we confess that we fail to fulfill our faith-based obligations and our Christian responsibilities. We know that we are going to make mistakes every day, and that we will challenge Your ways by ignoring or disrespecting Your commands. We are sorry for being so human and weak at times. Forgive us through the power and authority of Your Son Jesus Christ, who carried wood on His back and turned it into a Cross of mercy and grace. In His Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Half Life

Jeremiah 17:11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool.

Having a mid-life crisis seems to be a common experience for people in their forties. It’s a time in life when you ponder over your past regrets, present purpose, and future plans. You begin to realize that the sands of time are running out and there is nothing you can do to halt them. The years are flying by and you recognize that everything you want to do cannot be accomplished. It’s a time to become selective as well as reflective. It’s a moment in life to stop, do an inventory of your gifts, and then concentrate on those things that are pleasing, satisfying, and self-fulfilling. It’s a time to understand at last why you were created and what God wants you to do.

Some people don’t want to be middle aged and do everything under the sun to keep them young. They undergo plastic surgery so that they can look good. They keep themselves superbly fit so that they can feel strong. They seek out new trends, foods, and diets to stop the aging process, but eventually time wins the race and getting old is part of the journey we call life. As the Bible says, ‘even the young grow old and weary; and young men stumble and fall.’

As Christians, we shouldn’t be afraid of time running out because it doesn’t mean that everything ends. The person that we are within ourselves, the soul that is surrounded by our body, is timeless. And if you don’t believe that, then ask yourself this question: do you still feel as if you are sixteen years old? Do you still experience the child within yourself? Of course you do – that’s why we are all called children of God.

I guess what I’m trying to express is that staying young comes from the heart that is connected to heaven, and not from the body that is linked to the earth. For some of us, our earthly life might be more than half gone, but we are still on the threshold of the eternal journey that has yet to come.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of Time and the Shepherd of our years. You give us guidance each day through our muddles and mazes, our meanderings and wanderings. Your plan is to extend what we learn, know, and experience by offering us the gift of everlasting life. In the midst of this journey on earth grant us the courage to accept Your conditions of humility, repentance and reverence, so that we can one day enter into Your eternal presence, peace and love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Champions

2 Corinthians 12: 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (NIV)

When Peyton Manning won the Super Bowl for the Indianapolis Colts, he proved all of his critics wrong. Over the years, Peyton has taken a pounding from Sports Commentators because they believed that he couldn’t make a big-time win. I guess that they couldn’t stomach the thought that a quarterback from the University of Tennessee would ever produce a Super Bowl Champion.

Despite the insults and criticisms, Peyton persevered. He’s the hardest working quarterback in the NFL. During the game, he pores over photographs and game plays in order to come up with the right strategy to beat his opponents. It’s been a hard uphill battle to the top, but his focus, determination, and skills have triumphed. He’s become a symbol of the American Dream. He’s become a success because he has endured the insults and sharpened his leadership on and off the field.

Paul, the apostle, succeeded in a similar way. At first, people in the church couldn’t trust him because he had persecuted so many followers. He also had to endure criticisms that his ministry was too confrontational, stirring up fights across the Mediterranean in local synagogues as he sought to do the Lord’s work. He was a contentious character, but he was devoted to Christ. He created a lot of unease in the region, but he also built up a lot of churches. He wasn’t afraid to stand up for what was right and he overcame his enemies. And even if some people still didn’t accept him, his works spoke for his loyalty to God.

Sometimes we go through times where the road is rough and life is hard. Sometimes other people hinder us or problems become serious burdens on our backs. In those moments, when we are weak, Christ is our strength. With faith and perseverance, focus and determination, we can overcome those times and be successful in what we do – whether it’s for ourselves or for God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You never said that life, work, or ministry was ever going to be easy. In many ways and at various times, we all struggle with our faith, our purpose, and our reason for living. When we are weak and down-hearted, be our strength and inspiration. When we are beset with problems and issues, enable us to persevere, endure and overcome. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Good for Nothing

Romans 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

I was listening to a preacher on the radio whilst driving to work this morning. He said something like: “It’s a lot easier to deal with God than it is to deal with God’s people.” I thought about that for a moment and then agreed. Faith would be a lot easier if we only had to relate to God. It’s only when we begin to share our faith, our beliefs, and our opinions with other people that problems arise.

I guess this is also what Paul was getting at when he confessed his mistakes and recognized that he was still a sinful person. Even although he had a dramatic and dynamic conversion experience, Paul still thought, said, and did things that were evil. He battled with his sinful nature time and time again, hoping to overcome his habitual mistakes. But, as Paul points out, what he ended up doing was the very thing he wanted to avoid.

From the outside, churches are supposed to be full of people who always get along, live in peace, and support one another. Every church that I know promotes itself as a friendly place where fellowship, fun, and faith are experienced. But the reality is that churches are full of people, from the preacher in the pulpit to the person in the pew, who themselves have sinful natures. It’s hard to get along all of the time, and it takes a great deal of patience and perseverance. Those churches that are growing seem to know how to celebrate the good times, whilst enduring the bad times.

There’s no such thing as a perfect Christian, pastor or church. As the radio preacher said this morning: “It’s a lot easier to deal with God than it is to deal with God’s people.” If we want perfection, we are never going to find it on earth. But if we learn to accept our imperfections, we’ll discover humility and contentment, tolerance and satisfaction.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Paul was one of Your greatest apostles and a giant amongst preachers of the Christian faith, and yet he had trouble with sin. His honesty about his battles with good and evil strangely gives us hope. We confess that we are not so good either, and that we constantly fall short of God’s standards. Forgive us when we surrender to temptation and restore us by Your grace. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Coming Soon

Revelation 22:7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

There’s a lot of disruption occurring in the Presbyterian Church, which is dividing our ability to witness effectively in the world. Different pastors and elders hold diverse views about what’s right and wrong for the church, and the people in the pews are being led like sheep to the slaughter on the altars of adversity and discontent. Congregations are leaving the denomination across the country, which is weakening our influence throughout many communities. Instead of being washed in the blood of Jesus, we’re hemorrhaging. Instead of bringing the good news of the Gospel to the world, we’ve actually become bad news.

I worry about what’s happening. I try to understand why people want to polarize their faith. Is it because we hate one another so much that we have no room for love? Is it because we’ve too much pride that we have forgotten to be humble? Are we so focused on currently making things right for ourselves that we’ve jettisoned the future of the Church? Are we so sure that we’re on the Lord’s side and not servants of Lucifer?

Christ is coming soon. If I live till I’m eighty, then for me He’s coming in the next thirty years. Time is running out for all of us, and He will judge us according to what we have done. Can we honestly say that He is more interested in the divisions we’ve created, or in the people we’ve attracted to Christ? Will Jesus commend us more for doctrinal purity or compassionate conversions?

In the end, Presbyterianism is just another thin branch of the whole Christian Church. Even if it breaks, the tree will survive.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are Your Church and we are Your people. None of us are perfect; not one of us is pure. Grant us wisdom and discernment, compassion and love. Keep us from dividing the body and diminishing our witness. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Working on Walls

Nehemiah 6:9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed."
But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands." (NIV)

I served the Glen Kirk in Maybole, Scotland for just over nine years. Like Erin church, it was built on the side of a steep hill. On one side of the church a hedgerow and hickory fencing separated the church property from the local golf course. On the other side, the boundary for the church campus was set by a 150 year old stone wall.

One morning, I noticed that the church wall was bulging. Over the years, water, silt, and mud had built up behind the wall. As I looked down the street, I could see that other parts of the wall were bulging, too. It was ready to collapse and I had fears of it suddenly tumbling down on top of some cars or even pedestrians in the street below. It had to be fixed. It had to be taken down stone by stone and rebuilt.

The town council had just started a new community jobs project. This was a government scheme to help people who were unemployed learn some new skills or trades, so that they could become marketable again. It only paid minimum wages, but it maintained the dignity of those who were sustained by the projects.

Our bulging wall was an ideal project to work on. It took about three months to complete and involved stone masons, builders and local contractors. Several teams worked on the tearing down, clearing out, and re-building the wall. When it was completed, everyone involved took a great pride in what had been achieved. We had averted a collapsed wall and in its place was a better wall that witnessed to the effectiveness of the whole community project team.

When Nehemiah in the Bible sets out to rebuild the walls surrounding Jerusalem, he also had to deal with adverse conditions. His local rivals were bent on destroying his efforts and they resorted to blackmail and deceit. But Nehemiah’s strength came from the Lord and when he and his fellow workers felt weak or troubled, he prayed a simple, successful prayer, “Lord, strengthen my hands.”

Today, some of us may be facing an uphill task, a serious problem, or a painful issue. We may not feel strong enough to overcome our troubles because we are weakened by worry. During times like these, we look to the Lord to help us by simply praying for the strength to endure and overcome.

Prayer: Lord God, strengthen our hands and give us guidance. Whatever fears we are facing or troubles that we are experiencing, keep us from collapsing and build up our strength. Lead us through these trying times and help us to effectively overcome them. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Emerald Fields

Deuteronomy 11:11 But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven.

On each of the three Scottish coach tours that I have led, there came a time when someone said, “Everything is so green!” Scotland is covered with so many emerald hills and green fields that when you see them for the first time, it’s like being given eye candy. The richness of the colors is so beautiful that for many American tourists, it remains amongst the most vivid of their memories.

But why is everything so green? What causes the fields to brightly glisten like emerald patches across the landscape?

Rain. Lots and lots of rain. For most of the year Scotland drinks rain from the heavens; this in turn enriches the soil and allows grass to grow everywhere. Over here, we are so used to sprinkling our lawns in the height of summer to keep it growing. Over in Scotland, the rain constantly falls and so the land is blessed with an abundance of grassy meadows, fields, and hills. And that’s also why there are so many cattle and sheep in Scotland – there’s plenty of green grass to support the livestock.

To the ancient Israelites, God’s promises of a land overflowing with milk and honey, along with an abundance of rain, must have sounded like Paradise. They had spent 400 years working in the irrigated fields of the Nile, making bricks and growing feeble crops. God was not only taking them out of slavery, He was sending them to a fertile valley where they wouldn’t have to toil as hard to survive. Not only would He supply their needs, God was also willing to give them abundance beyond their wildest dreams. And that’s why it was called the Promised Land.

In our own lives, we go through some dry and empty times, when we can become discouraged and even depressed. That’s when we need to ‘stand on the promises of God,’ as the old hymn states. God never forsakes or abandons us to misery. He never lets go of us in the midst of despair. And He is able and willing to get us through desperate moments, in order to lead us to those promised times of abundance and everlasting love.

Prayer: Lord God, You act in mighty ways, leading nations from slavery and oppression into the light of abundance and prosperity. You also care deeply for Your people and Your promises are always fulfilled. Lord God, we look to You as the source of all our blessings and the sustainer of our lives. Bless us with Your abundant love and bring us to Your amazing place. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.