True Love - John 16:27

John 16:27    No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. (NIV)

            We live in a world where many people believe that God loves everyone, therefore, we can do whatever we want and God won’t mind. Sadly, it’s the biggest misconception that good folk have, and may even be a questionable idea which promotes a teaching of false assurance. It’s very easy to embrace this impression because none of us are comfortable with the notion that some folks are not loved by God. Even as a pastor, I struggle with this one but when I see the consequences of a carefree, casual approach to faith – moral anarchy, self-indulgence, and narcissism -  I question the veracity of such a popular misconstrued philosophy.

            As usual, when I get perplexed about this, I look to the Gospels and try to focus on what Christ actually taught, as opposed to common misunderstandings of what He said and did. In today’s passage (John 16:16-33), I am intrigued by Christ’s remark that God solely loves the disciples simply because they love and believe in Jesus. As a parent, I can understand this – whenever I see my daughters in the company of good and reliable friends, I love those friends dearly for loving my daughters. I think God, as Christ’s Father, felt the same way about the disciples who truly loved, believed, and supported Jesus. This, in turn, causes me to ponder on the whole idea: does God truly love us when we faithfully love and believe His Son?

            If this is the case – and remember, it comes from Christ’s lips – then doesn’t the Church do a disservice to Jesus, as well as to the world, when we dilute the faith by presenting it as a vehicle for being nice to others rather than being true to God? As I see congregations dwindling in mainline Christianity, it makes me wonder if our one-god-fits-all message has lulled us into a false sense of security and sadly doomed many people, including our own loved ones, into being separated from God forever for not truly loving and believing in His Son.

Point to ponder

Who do I truly believe that Jesus is? Is this what God expects me to believe?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, Your words often challenge us and Your ways confront our choices. Open up our hearts and minds to Your Gospel. Help us to read Your life story and teachings carefully, so that we may live our lives by loving You faithfully. 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 communicate with John, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s psalm drawings based on Psalm 149. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm149.

Church Meeting Devotions

September is usually when local churches begin their calendar year. Programs and projects, classes and congregational gatherings which have been set aside for summer, get back into their full swing. As the people of God gather for different events - classes, studies, dinners, team meetings, and boards, pastors and other church leaders are often requested to begin the events with a short devotional.

Over the years that I have served as a pastor, I have written hundreds of devotionals which are short and to the point. I've used them with the congregation I serve, as well as other meetings in other churches. years ago, I had to hand write or print out those devotions, however, with the advent of tablets and kindles, I can now easily carry devotions with me anywhere.

The two e-books that I have written for pastors and church leaders contain 60 devotions each - 120 devotions in total, which is enough to last for several years. They can also be used as discussion starters for any small groups. Each devotion contains a highlighted Bible verse, a short commentary, followed by a quick prayer. All of the devotions have been tried and tested at various functions and gatherings where I was a participant.

Because pastors and churches normally work on tight budgets, I've kept the price down to $1.99 each or the equivalent of 3 cents a devotion :) Those pastors who have purchased these books have enjoyed reading and using them. For your convenience, I have listed them below this post.

May God bless all of your work for the Lord. May all of your hopes and dreams be fulfilled.

God be with you.

Pharaoh's Folly - Exodus 7:3-4

Exodus 7:3-4 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. (NIV)

            There are some parts of the Bible that both intrigue and disturb me. Take, for instance, today’s passage from Exodus 7. Moses is being told by God what to do in order to free his people. It requires a face-to-face meeting with Pharaoh. Moses is scared about the encounter, but God promises him two things: that the Egyptian ruler will receive him, but God will also harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will not listen to what Moses has to say.

            I can understand God allowing Moses being permitted to see Pharaoh; what I have difficulty with is that Pharaoh does not appear to have any free choice in discussing the matter. And, because the Egyptian ruler hardens his heart and will not listen to what Moses has to say, the Egyptian people will suffer the consequences of several devastating plagues. From what the Bible is teaching, it seems to be that whatever the choices ancient rulers made, whether voluntary or involuntary, it was the nation that ended up suffering.

            For one of my own ancestors, this was tragically true. In the seventeenth century, when King Charles the First surrounded himself with sycophants and ignored the appeals and requests that came from his own Parliamentary leaders. A Civil War ensued and Charles ended up being executed by his own people for treachery. Ever since then, British sovereigns have never again been given an absolute monarchy. Too many people died in that Civil War for their rights to be a free and democratic people – which is something that their American descendants also fought for in 1776.

            So, what can we learn from the Bible and history today? This: there are always consequences to our choices, which may be good or bad, depending on whether we listen to sound advice from others, or just do things our own way.

Point to ponder

What mistakes have I made in my life by rejecting good counsel? What have I learned from those mistakes?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, not one of us is perfect and we are sometimes too stubborn for our own good. Help us to listen to those around us who lovingly offer us wise and sound advice, so that we may avoid the pitfalls of making bad and uninformed decisions. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s cat drawings called ‘Queen of the Nile.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Queen.