4 Minute Devotions: In God's Name

Religious fanaticism needs to be confronted and denounced no matter where it originates or operates. Christ is the Prince of Peace and we, as Christians, have a holy calling and distinct obligation to seek reconciliation and promote His peaceable Kingdom throughout the world.

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Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

Yesterday, I read an article about a Muslim cleric in Britain who is calling for Sharia laws to be upheld by British courts. He preaches vehemently and insists that thieves, male or female, should have their hands cut off, and that unmarried couples who have sex should be publicly flogged.

Meanwhile, over here in Oklahoma, a Baptist Church is giving away a semi-automatic assault rifle as a door prize at a YOUTH Conference.

What on earth is going on? And why isn’t God doing something about these fanatics?

We live in troubled times. I know that I can be ornery and stubborn when it comes to faith matters, but I would never dream of calling for punishing amputations or giving teenagers a machine gun. These people, pastors, and clerics are crazy and no matter how zealous they are for Allah or the Second Amendment, this is not faith as Jesus would have described it; this is religious fanaticism at its worst and we should all denounce it as an evil under the sun.

No wonder so many people get turned off by religion these days. If worshipping God turns us into limb-hacking, gun-toting devotees, then we should avoid it at all costs. Human history is littered with enough corpses attributed to religious fanaticism. We don’t need another Holy War, genocidal jihad, or holocaustic crusade to glorify God. I’m sure He’s just as sick as we are with those who use His Name to maim or murder infidels and sinners. After all, the world painfully tortured and unjustly killed His Son on a cross – no more blood needs to be shed to reconcile, redeem, and restore humanity to God’s holiness.

The challenge for us today is to stand up to these belligerent bullies and misguided maniacs by promoting the peace of Christ in our lives. After all, if the world does not see the Jesus within us through our outward acts of mercy and grace, then fanaticism will contaminate our communities and put this planet in peril for generations to come.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to find the high ground and empower us to effectively confront religious fanaticism without ourselves becoming vitriolic vigilantes or malicious messengers. Keep us on Your path to peace and reconciliation, without becoming appeasers or enablers to those who would forcefully oppress us with their fanaticisms. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

No Mean City

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Psalm 13:4 “my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.”

I was devastated to hear about the terrorist attack at Glasgow airport in Scotland at the weekend. Glasgow is my hometown, a city with a rich diverse culture. Glaswegians are known for their hospitality and friendship. They even have one of the largest Islamic communities in Europe residing there.

I was angry, too, for the bombers knew that lots of innocent families would have been queuing up at the airport. Hundreds of children were waiting in line with their parents to fly out on their annual summer vacations. If the burning jeep had managed to penetrate the main doors, I dread to think how many children’s corpses would have been pulled out later.

And then this morning, I was shocked to read that two of the perpetrators were doctors! I thought that they took an oath to do no harm. What kind of inhumane, insane fanatics are being raised? How long will it take before these people come to their senses?

These terrorists are not religious people. They honor no one, nor do they respect the Quran. They are simply enemies of humanity whose wickedness has reached satanic proportions that they are willing to murder innocent men, women, and children in order to express their vile message of violence and cruelty.

They seek to overcome our way of life through fear, intimidation, and violence. They are barbaric bullies, contemptuous cowards, and pathetic parasites who malign the teachings of Mohammed, the peace of Christ, and the benign rule of God. They have sold their souls to the brazen god of fear, fanaticism, and vengeance. They have no honor, no glory, and no shame.

Glasgow is a diverse city that was built upon hardship, gumption, and true grit. The Nazis tried to bomb it out of existence in World War 2 and they failed to subdue the heart of the city. These terrorists will soon discover that the city of Glasgow flourishes in the midst of adversity and that the people will band together to overcome this evil. Wickedness will not prevail. Good will triumph over evil.

Prayer: Lord God, there are wicked people in the world who use religion to disguise their disgust for humanity. We pray that their efforts to destroy our way of life, hope, and faith will not be accomplished. Help us to confront this evil and join together with the majority of humanity to defend ourselves and overcome this wickedness. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.