Midweek Message: Know the Truth

John 8:31-32 To those who had previously believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (NIV)

Jesus faced a lot of opposition throughout His ministry, especially from some of His earliest followers who eventually decided to walk away from Him. In doing so, they rejected His teaching which was based on truth and love, and then they fiercely confronted Him with their doubts about His character, as well as their own retrenched beliefs.

Christ’s truth challenged His people, just as it still does for all who call themselves Christians today. He never said that believing in Him or following His way was going to be easy, but He did insist that what He was preaching and teaching was the God-given truth. People back then relied on many of their traditions and sacred texts to formulate their own ideas about what was important and true. When Jesus brought a new understanding of what those traditions and texts really meant, His ideas were initially treated as being novel and inventive, but eventually they were seen as being too radical and dangerous for regular religious people.

We are still faced with the same challenges, especially in our truth-forsaken society which relies more on what we feel rather than what is factual. A culture which insists that what people feel to be true as more important than what is actually true, can be easily manipulated by charlatans and liars, conmen and fanatics. Such a society enslaves itself to the whims and wiles of totalitarian leaders, as well as their henchmen and women, whose only purpose is to increase their power by spreading lies, causing chaos, creating division, and fomenting fear. This is why Jesus taught both His supporters and opponents that knowing the truth was essential to their freedom – lies took away their liberty whereas the truth kept them free.

Point to ponder: How does Christ’s truth constantly challenge me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life which we all should seek and emulate. Forgive us for being duped by leaders who lie. Help us to follow and practice Your teaching which counters fear with faith and lies with love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Sunday Shorts - Our Own Rules

Mark 7:8 “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” (NIV)

One of the biggest things that Jesus had to contend with was the fact that some contemporary religious groups had made up their own rules and regulations about applying their faith rather than following the simple commands of God. Take the Pharisees, for instance. They had taken God’s laws about working on the Sabbath to an absurd degree so that if you had a false tooth and kept it in your mouth during the Sabbath, you were actually carrying something which was vehemently prohibited and considered to be a blasphemous breaking of God’s command. Rules like that enabled the Pharisees to consider themselves spiritually superior as they fanatically followed them; everyone else was imperfect and sinful, unworthy of God’s blessing. 

When Jesus appeared, He questioned these absurdities and exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. This is why He said they were more into following and idolizing their own rules rather than humbly applying God’s commands. And the more that Jesus pointed this out, the more religious enemies He encountered. Christ was upsetting their rigid religious hold over the people by setting them free with loving commands and compassionate teaching. 

Thank goodness we’re not like those absurd Pharisees, right? Wrong! 

When Christians become hateful and harass others who are different, marginalized, or foreigners, they are following their own traditions rather than Jesus. When pastors preach about crushing or killing their political enemies, they are making up their own faith and have departed from Christ’s compassionate teaching. When church members support lying leaders and excuse their false statements, they have let go of the commands of God and are supporting the Father of all lies. And when Christian people embrace false conspiracies and pass on wrong untruthful messages or memes, they are worshiping absurd and dangerous ideas for which they will be judged by Jesus for their careless words and sinful statements. Being a Christian does not excuse us from being held responsible; being followers of Jesus does not pardon our prejudice. When we let go of the commands of God and hold on to human traditions, we are putting our souls in jeopardy from which only confession and repentance will be the remedy.

Point to ponder: Am I guilty of following false ways? If so, am I willing to repent?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we think that You approve of everything we believe, say, or do. We want You to do our bidding or agree with our understanding. Reveal to us our sinful ways and help us to regrasp and apply the simple commands of loving God and one another. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Sunday Shorts - Choices

John 6:66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

It was the lowest point in Christ's itinerant ministry. For three years, He had traveled up and down Galilee, gathering a great number of disciples and followers through His preaching, teaching, and healing. But now things were becoming gravely serious because He was meddling in people's lives. Jesus was also notorious to some of the authorities, and His preaching kept hitting raw nerves. On this particular occasion, Christ called His followers' faith into question, suggesting that some among them did not believe in His ministry and mission. And what was the outcome? The scripture states it very plainly: 'Many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.'

Christ continues to have a way of doing that same thing to Christians in our time, too. He still confronts us today, questioning our choices, demanding firm allegiance, and challenging our ways. We all want hope in our lives and a loving Savior, but we sometimes find it difficult to accept the belief baggage and lifestyle lessons that come along with our Christian faith. And for some folks, like those in today’s scripture (John 6:60-66), this is too hard to accept and apply, so they also sadly drift away from Jesus and His Church.

The good thing about this incident is that not all of the disciples abandoned Him. It was left to that good old boy, Peter, to encourage Jesus for a change. When His Savior asks the Twelve, "Will you also go away?", the Big Fisherman gives the sweetest answer to Christ's ears. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

Our faith journey isn't easy and sometimes we will be discouraged or deceitful, sinful or faithless, but we shouldn't despair. Instead, we should look at how Christianity ends. We do have a wonderful Savior and the promise of everlasting life. We have the opportunity to serve Jesus and to joyfully enter into His loving presence forever. We may feel like going away at times, but His healing words will keep drawing us back to Him to receive forgiveness and acceptance, guidance and grace. And when all is said and done, isn't that why we placed our faith in Christ in the first place?

Point to ponder: How difficult is following Jesus for me? How can Christ help me overcome this?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we were once lost souls, whose lives had no real meaning or purpose. In Your mysterious way, You drew us towards You and helped us to give our hearts to You. Sometimes, being a Christian is very difficult and we don't always get it right. We thank You for Your patience, forgiveness, and grace. Without them, we would perish from the Earth and have no hope. With them, we will delight in Your love forever, for You have the words of eternal life. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Sunday Shorts: Confrontation

John 2:15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. (NIV)

I used to love watching one of the Seventies sci-fi shows which starred Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner. During the intro each week, he said an immortal line: “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” The show, of course, was The Incredible Hulk, and Dr. Banner was referring to his transformation into the green monster when he became enraged. I never cared much for the Hulk comic books, but I enjoyed the TV series. It was pure escapism for an hour and usually had some sort of moral message in each episode. 

Today’s passage makes me wonder how much we would like it if we actually experienced Jesus being angry. He goes to the Temple to worship God, but He is enraged by the buyers and sellers who have turned the sacred sanctuary into a monstrous marketplace. The people and pilgrims who came for peace and prayer were faced with all sorts of chaos and commotion. Instead of listening for the voice of God, all that was heard were temple merchants selling their wares of sacrificial livestock, while moneychangers were fleecing worshipers with exorbitant rates for turning Greek denarii coins into Temple shekels.

Jesus was angry, not just because His Heavenly Father’s sacred place was being disrespected, but because of the injustice and corruption that was occurring. People of faith were harassing outsiders and the religious authorities turned a blind eye to all the wheeling and dealing that took place. Jesus may not have transformed into a giant green monster, but there is no doubt He was angry and the people around Him didn’t like it.

This also makes me wonder about what’s happening in some churches today. Christians are deliberately turning a blind eye to corrupt leaders whose demeanor, nastiness, and prejudice are completely the opposite from all that Jesus taught. They also excuse their idols and ply them with gifts of money, esteem, and power, not realizing that they’re just like those buyers and sellers of old whom Jesus angrily cast out of the Temple. Sadly, those Christians also don’t like being shown the truth when the tables of bullying and bigotry, cowardice and corruption are overturned; however, I guess they won’t like Jesus being angry with them either.

Point to ponder: What tables does Jesus have to overturn in my life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we call ourselves Your followers but we cast aside our faith when it’s inconvenient or when we are confronted with the truth about those we blindly follow on Earth. Open our eyes to see what You see and protect us from false prophets and corrupt leaders. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

 

John Stuart is a retired Scottish presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Sunday Shorts: In Denial

Mark 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (NIV)

            We’re not very good at denying ourselves, are we? We tend to think that the world revolves around us, so we’ll oppose anything or anyone that gets in our way when we want to please ourselves. I think that Christians are sometimes very bad at this, especially when we seek to create society in our image and make things easier for us to be seen as right, faithful, and true. Instead of carrying our crosses by applying our faith solely to ourselves, we want to impose our beliefs on others and get them to carry our crosses for us. We do this through forcing unjust laws on everyone, banning books in schools and libraries, and undermining public resources which fund education, homelessness, welfare, and equal rights. Jesus would not be proud of the harm we cause through our self-righteous ways; Christ would not condone denying help to those in need of support, counseling, and love.

            I think if Jesus lived among us today, we would end up crucifying Him again. We wouldn’t be able to take His straightforward rebuke of how we’ve dangerously mixed our Christianity with nationalism, or how we cruelly treat people who are foreign, queer, or marginalized just because they live differently from ourselves. Those people are the crosses we are meant to bear, to carry, and support lovingly instead of burdening them with our issues, our prejudices, our bigotries. The Kingdom of God that we all hope for is meant to be like yeast which positively permeates the whole loaf in order to make it rise; it’s not meant to be a poison which kills the spirit and diminishes hope in others.

            So, if we truly want to follow Jesus, then we have to lift up those crosses which seem so unfair, unequal, and burdensome – the crosses of unity and diversity in our community, the crosses of respect and humanity in our world, the crosses of love and understanding to all, the crosses of equality and liberty that Jesus would have us bear.

Point to ponder: How do I impose my Christian beliefs on others? How can I remedy this?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, being a Christian is not for wimps and was never meant to be easy. Forgive us for wanting things to be the way we want, instead doing the things and being the followers that You want. Open our hearts to Your teaching, so we may help and love the world You came to save. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Short devotion: Afraid of The People

 

Matthew 21:46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

 I used to wonder why the religious authorities didn’t arrest Jesus sooner, and I questioned what made them so afraid of the people. I guess it wasn’t the appointed time and that the chief priests, as well as other leaders, were trying desperately to hold on to their positions of power, esteem, and influence. They were weak because they were intimidated by the grass roots; they were paralyzed because of their fear of the people.

 Today, we’re sadly seeing a similar lack of leadership in our elected representatives. They’re so scared of grass root rebellion that they’ll do nothing about the vileness and corruption of their political leaders. They would rather rally behind a coarse and cowardly person than support a real substantial leader; they would rather follow a conceited conman than a courageous candidate because they’re afraid of what ‘their people’ will do.

 The chief priests and scribes eventually caved to mob rule by having their religious opponent crucified. It was a cowardly act and one which ultimately destroyed their religious power and partisan group. If history is known to repeat itself, then those who fanatically follow a corrupt strongman will ruin themselves. Those who fear the angry mob and support tyrants will end up losing everything.

 Point to ponder: Why are people so afraid of the truth?

 Prayer: Lord Jesus, we live in strange times. Fear has damaged our faith and liars have tarnished the truth. Open our eyes to see what is really happening and give us strong hearts to confront the corruption we know exists. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

 John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Short Devotion: Transformation - 1 Peter 3:8-9

 

1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. (NIV)

I love the transformation of Simon Peter from when he first followed Jesus in Galilee to the last years of his ministry in Rome. When we first come across him in the Gospels, Peter is brash, headstrong, and loud, and sometimes he even creates more trouble for Jesus. The Big Fisherman must have been a handful at times, but I think Jesus loved him for being so much of an open book. “What you see is what you get” could have been easily applied to Christ’s great Galilean disciple.

That brashness also landed Peter in a lot of trouble. How can we ever forget him hanging around outside in the high priest’s courtyard as Jesus was being unjustly tried by the Sanhedrin? And when he was confronted by a girl servant, his fear was so great that he ended up cursing and strongly denying he was associated with Christ. What a humiliating experience for the disciple who pledged to give his life to Jesus just a few hours before!

And then, decades later when Peter was writing today’s highlighted verses, I wonder how much he reflected on the past and recalled his unbound temerity. This more spiritually mature fisherman, who was carefully writing to the young, persecuted church, had completely changed. Rather than being brash, he was humble; instead of being loud and full of himself, he was gentle and full of love. What a transformation!

How I wish and pray that Christians everywhere, including myself, would adopt this spiritual maturity that Peter experienced. Instead of being judgmental, self-righteous, and loud, we should be sympathetic, compassionate, and humble. The world has had its fill of division, hatred, and strife. It’s looking for Christ’s followers to be gracious, show kindness, and share love. If we really want to convince others that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of the world, then we need to witness truthfully, lovingly, and above all, humbly. Any other way is not Christ’s way at all.

How has my faith matured over the years? Am I willing to share Christ lovingly and humbly?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to be more aware that what we do as Christians is much more effective than what we say. Allow us to grow in faith, so that we may humbly and wisely share Your love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Check out the church’s website at www.erinpres.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s early drawings of Simon Peter. 

A Small Gate - Matthew 7:13-14

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (NIV)

            My parents’ home in Scotland had its own front garden. My Dad planted a hedgerow to divide it from our neighbors and placed a green picket fence all around it. To get to the front door of their house, you had to walk through the small wooden gate in the fence. My Dad never oiled the hinges on the gate, so it creaked noisily each time it was opened. I think he did this deliberately as an early warning signal to let him know that someone was approaching the front door. Every time I visited my parents, the creaky gate was a welcome sound to me and a homecoming ritual that I always enjoyed. Even though they are long gone and I am now living in a different continent, I can still hear that gate being opened as I muse on it in my mind.

            When Jesus spoke of the narrow gate in Gospel times, He was clearly teaching His followers to seriously focus on the path He was laying before them. If they wandered from His teachings or even redefined His way, they would miss the narrow gate which was meant to open them to a life beyond death and an eternal existence. Christ cautioned them about being too broad-minded or too casual about their faith. If they followed the world, they would pursue a wide path which ultimately led to destruction. However, if they remained attentive and focused on Jesus, they would keep on His single path and enter through His narrow gate which, according to Jesus, only a few would truly experience.

            In these post-modern times, people are both encouraged and enticed to follow their own destiny, their own path, and their own ideas. The culture of self has overtaken the community of faith which sadly means that many will miss the narrow gate. As a pastor, an important part of my calling is to show people where that gate is and help them to walk through it. If I’m too busy doing my own thing, going my own way, and making my own path, then I will be guilty of leading people astray. However, if I maintain my focus on Jesus, His way and His words, then I can confidently remain at the gate and faithfully help my folks through it.

Point to ponder

Am I allowing the world to distract me and divert me on to a different path? How can Jesus help me to find and walk through His narrow gate?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep us on Your path and lead us through Your narrow gate. Prevent us from becoming careless about our faith and lost in our own ways. In Your Holy Name, we humbly ask and pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing called “Banner.” If you would like to view a larger version, double-click this link: Banner.

Gospel devotion: A Narrow Door - Luke 13:24

Today’s Bible readings can be found at these links: Psalm 80:8-19 and Luke 13:18-27.

Luke 13:24    Jesus answered: “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.”

            Over the weekend, a new survey was released which suggests that the United Kingdom is among the least religious countries in the world. The survey was conducted by the Win/Gallup organization and a news report about the results can be read here: ITV News.

            The findings of this survey do not surprise me at all. Over the past twenty years, I have seen Christianity decline in Britain, which I think has occurred due to an increase in both humanist secularism in society and liberal progressiveness in the mainline churches. Church attendance is waning and religious connections are diminishing. Those who are still left in the Church are either disillusioned with the direction that their progressive leaders are following, or they are actually deluded into thinking that such a path will make the Church vitally relevant - it doesn't, because not having much to believe in is very quickly transformed into believing nothing at all.

            Lots of people don’t really read the Gospels any more. They carry around in their hearts and minds an artificial Jesus of their own making who loves everyone, indulges everything, and accepts anything. Nothing could be further from the Gospel Truth. Jesus Himself talked about a narrow door to salvation, not a broad gate or an open field. Progressives would have us believe that the wider that the Church makes the gate, the more people we can gather together for the Kingdom of God. If that were the case, then why on Earth did Jesus ever talk about a narrow door?

            The Truth of the matter about salvation, which should be defined as the forgiveness of our sins and our everlasting re-connection to God, is this: it is only experienced through a narrow door, controlled by God and confined to Christ’s teachings; it is not a broad opening, constructed by our beliefs and ever-widened by our opinions. The sadness about this stark Gospel reality is this: more people in the present generation of Brits will never find that door because of the failures of their Christian leaders. The concern that I personally have is that the United States is heading down the same erroneous way. The only happiness, however, is this: the door to salvation is still open – we just have to make the right commitment to Jesus in order to walk through it.

Questions for reflection:   How committed am I to Jesus? Am I willing to walk through His narrow door to find salvation? If not, then how can I be saved?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, help us to seek a real understanding of Who You are and what You actually taught. Keep us from shaping You into our own image, and enable us to be willing to be shaped, led, and saved by You. 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 ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Communion drawings called “This Is.” If you would like to view a larger image, please click on this link: This Is.