Short devotions: A Pre-Mission World - 1 John 2:8

1 John 2:8        Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in Him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

I’m going to stop using the term ‘post-Christian world’ and replace it with ‘pre-mission world.’ My reason for this is simple. Our Western Society seems to have turned so far away from Christ that we are now living at a time when people are growing up without knowing who Jesus actually is. Gone are the days when everyone was expected to know something about Jesus’ life; but now the time is ripe to raise new faithful leaders whose love of the Lord will attract future generations of seekers, who will be hungering and thirsting for Christ’s love and grace.

It’s almost as if we’ve come full circle and that the world which the First Christians experienced is similar to our own. Those original followers of Christ confronted many popular hedonistic views and eventually attracted people away from worldly immorality to Christian immortality. It’s my strong belief that we are now being called to do the same.

Instead of whining about the woes of today’s world, we need to thank God for this new mission. In the midst of their libertine and hedonistic ways, people still feel spiritually unfulfilled and empty. For those of us who remain faithful to Christ, this is a new opportunity to keep preaching the message of salvation. Empty people still need to be embraced by Christ; dissatisfied libertines still need to be led to the Gospel’s abundant life.

God is doing something new among us. We are living in a pre-mission world. The challenge that we face today is the same that the First Christians encountered long ago. Are we willing to undertake this mission? Are we willing to be sent into the world?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You call us to a new mission. Whilst the world revels in its darkness, we see that Your Light has not been diminished. We pray that You will prepare our hearts and minds for this fresh opportunity of reaching out in faith, hope, and love. Grant us the courage to care for those who don’t care for us. Give us opportunities to witness to the real joy of serving You and Your Kingdom in our churches, communities, and countries throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we eagerly 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 drawing is one of John’s most popular pieces from the past. It’s called “A New Earth” and depicts Christ standing over the Earth. If you would like to view a larger version, please visit the following link: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3084/2432537217_e82364bff8_b.jpg

John also has signed copies of this drawing available.

Daily Devotions: Scoffers - 2 Peter 3:3

2 Peter 3:3           First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.

Being a Christian is never easy, but these days it seems to be a lot harder than it ever used to be. The words “born again” and “evangelical” have been reviled for almost 50 years in our society. I can even recount times in my life when those terms have been sneerfully expressed by church people, as if those who called themselves ‘born again’ or ‘evangelical’ were intellectually limited and spiritually weird. The world never liked those terms, but lately the very word “Christian” is being used pejoratively which doesn’t bode well for the future acceptance of the Church in society.

Peter calls such critics “scoffers” and refers to their prominence in the world as being a sign of the last days. Perhaps this is how Christ finally divides the sheep and the goats. Those who serve Him are saved; those who scoff at Him are cast aside.

I read a great quote this morning from J C Ryle, one of my favorite Bible commentators and teachers. He was writing about the two thieves who were crucified beside Jesus. One asked for Christ’s mercy and the other scoffed at Him. Ryle’s comment on the event is as follows: ‘One thief was converted in his last hour that none might despair. But only one was converted that none might presume.’

I don’t know if these are the Last Days that Peter writes about, but this I do know – Christ is the only Way to salvation and that without being a Christian, there is no other earthly way to get into heaven. Today’s world may revile the term ‘Christian’ as it has done for centuries, but those who honestly claim to follow and serve Jesus Christ will be with Him forever, long after this planet and all its people are merely space dust.

Prayer:                 Lord Jesus, You are the Christ and we are united in Your Spirit. Sometimes we are mocked because of our beliefs and throughout the world many Christians are still experiencing persecution. Keep us faithful to Your words and sustain our spirits as we follow Your Way. 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 drawing is one of John’s digital glass images of the Seven Last Words of Christ. It depicts Jesus and the good thief. This series of drawings was used by a symphony orchestra in Vancouver, Canada on Good Friday as a backdrop to their playing of Haydn’s “Seven Last Words of Christ.” If you would like to see a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3360/3413043726_56183fb191_b.jpg

4 Minute Devotions: Being Saved - Acts 16 v 30

Acts 16: 30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

I am both humbled and proud of the fact that I believe I was saved in June of 1977. Some Christians are uncomfortable with that term and others look down upon anyone who claims to be saved. I get the impression that they feel as though it’s beneath them to be saved and that anyone who claims this is really spiritually immature and dumb.

I feel sorry for them because they don’t understand what being saved really means, nor have they experienced the spiritual strength that comes with this wonderful event. For me, it occurred when I was struggling with the meaning of my personal life and felt really isolated from the world. For the Philippian jailer, it was both a salvation from death and a spiritual liberation for his whole family.

I believe that being saved by Jesus means being freed from our doubts and fears through becoming reconnected to God’s everlasting love and infinite grace. It also means that I understand that I cannot do anything to earn God’s mercy or pardon for all of my mistakes. I am saved from the eternal consequences of my sins by Jesus, who has died for me and taken my place. Death may come one day, but it will not swallow me up forever. Because I am saved, I belong to Christ for all of eternity.

One of the important membership questions that people are asked before they join our church is this: Do You accept Jesus Christ as Your Savior and Lord? In other words, they are recognizing Christ’s ministry of saving them too. After all, we wouldn’t call Christ ‘Savior’ in our Presbyterian vows if we didn’t acknowledge that we needed Him to save us, now would we?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are our Savior and we are all in need of being saved by You. Without Your sacrifice, we would not receive God’s mercy. Without Your Salvation, we would have no everlasting hope. Thank You for saving us and restoring us to the eternal love and grace of God. 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.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: An Inconvenient Gospel

John 16:31 "You believe at last!" Jesus answered.

Years ago, when I ministered to the Scottish fishing village of Dunure, some people stopped coming to church. Eventually, they were asked by a couple of elders of why they had become non-attenders. They replied, “He’s too evangelical for me.”

I was sorry to see them go, but I also took their criticism as a compliment. I am, first and foremost, a preacher of the Gospel and I see that my work is to express the need for everyone to be saved by Christ. In some areas of the world, it’s not popular, but if ever I was to start preaching according to what’s popular, I would have sold my soul to the world.

Even Jesus had difficulty in getting His disciples to understand how crucially and eternally important His Gospel message was. He laid everything on the line, including His life, to offer the world the glorious opportunity of being forgiven and being restored to God’s love. He was, and still is, an all or nothing kind of preacher. The Gospel is not just a collection of stories that we can joyfully meander through at our leisure. The Gospel takes us to a crucial crossroads in each of our lives, where we either commit our ways to the Lord, or we head down our own dead end.

When I heard the criticism that I was ‘far too evangelical’ all those years ago, I wanted to say, “If you think I’m evangelical, you should really listen to Jesus!” When He speaks the truth about God, or talks about commitment, discipleship, or even money, Christ never compromises. One day, after we each die, we’ll learn that for the last time. The dilemma that faces us on Earth is this: will I learn and accept it now, while there is still time, or will I wait until it’s too late?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to overcome our unbelief about You and settle this Gospel question in our hearts for all time. Enable us to get over our discomfort and fears, our mental and spiritual opposition to Your Message. Give us the courage to accept Your Gospel and stop us from creating a convenient truth for ourselves. 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.