Short devotion: Limping Around - 1 Kings 18:21

1 Kings 18:21           Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. 

            I can still remember translating today’s passage of 1 Kings 18 from the original Hebrew into English many years ago at seminary. This verse doesn't just say “How long will you waver between two opinions,” the actual Hebrew reads, “How long will you go on limping from your left foot to your right foot?” Elijah had a great way with words and was rebuking his people for their obstinacy and idolatry.

Instead of following God and His words, Elijah’s people worshipped foreign idols and strange deities. They had been led astray by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel who made the people forsake their old faith and embrace the savage gods that the original Canaanites had worshipped. Despite being delivered from their One True God over many generations, the people decided to reject the past and dabble with idolatry. They followed the example of their leaders, instead of letting themselves being led by God. They chose the wrong path, so Elijah was sent among them by God to trouble the whole nation and redirect them back to God.

Eventually, the idolatrous and scandalous ways of Ahab and Jezebel would be defeated and true worship of God would be restored. But it would take several years to be accomplish and not even Elijah would see the fruits of his prophesies.

Every generation is faced with the same temptations. These days, we are prone to worship celebrities and follow their false lead. Much of the ambivalence in today’s society is caused by people ‘limping from the left foot to their right foot.’ There does not seem to be any consistency among faithful people and so we suffer from the same idolatry that almost ruined Elijah’s people.

It’s time to reclaim who we are as Christians by re-establishing the foundational truths of our faith. If we continue down the same path of inconsistency that we've been travelling on for years, then faithlessness and meaninglessness will devour the spirits of our people. True worship of God is based upon three simple things: daily Bible reading, daily prayer, and daily service to God. If we honestly think that we can get by without these three elements then we are sadly deluding ourselves and will end up making our own idols. However, if we truly want our lives to change for the better and for God, then we absolutely need to stop limping around and start walking toward Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Questions for personal reflection

How strong is my Christian faith? What do I do to keep it strong?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You invite us to follow You in order to become Your disciples and servants of God. We cannot do this on our own, nor by wishful thinking. Help us to turn to You in order to truly change our lives. Keep us mindful of the foundational role that the scriptures, prayer, and service have in sustaining and strengthening our faith. In Your Holy Name, we 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 a drawing of Elijah in the wilderness that John drew for Vacation Bible School this year. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Elijah.

End Times devotion: A 2000 Year War - Revelation 12:17

Revelation 12:17         Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

            There’s a 2000-year-old war going on this planet which most people do not know about. It started when Christ came into the world to shake things up and give humanity one last opportunity to get right with God. When is happened historically, it appeared to be a minor event, but universally, it is a cataclysmic point where Heaven confronts Humanity in order to establish God’s Kingdom and let everyone know of His uncompromising sovereignty.

            The war exists between good and evil, faith and fantasy, orthodoxy and heresy. The Truth of God in the person of Christ is embattled with the temptation of sin, manifested by Satan. This constant struggle over the souls of men, women, and children has continued for almost 2000 years. In this war, we must take sides. Humanity has been given a crucial choice; if we fail to choose Christ, then we lose everything.

            The conflict is not dualism where both sides are equal in power, influence, and strength. The devil is fighting a losing battle - all that he wants to do is to take down as many confused, bitter, and unbelieving souls as he can in order to spoil God’s plan of salvation. The purpose of the Church is to be a shield against Satan’s displeasure. However, as we enter into what chess players call the ‘End Game,’ the devil’s works within the Church become more outrageous, more unorthodox, and more unrepentant. Sadly, good people are losing their hold on Christ’s testimony; church people are wavering in the apparent victory of wickedness over the world.

            The Book of Revelation was given to the Church in order to help Christians recoil from their folly and recover their faith. The trouble is this: so many people never read it, or instead reject it, or casually treat it as biblical science fiction which will never come to pass. That’s exactly what the devil wants; that’s exactly his intention. The more that people are actually ignorant of the Word of God and the testimony of Christ, which is plainly revealed in Revelation, the more lost souls the devil can take to be doomed along with him. In warfare, this is called a scorched earth campaign; biblically speaking, this is an Armageddon of the damned.

            I make no apology for the severity of today’s message. I’ve tried to be conciliatory, positive, and nice for years, but it’s made no difference. People do what they want to do, and believe what they want to believe. Ultimately, all of our choices will have eternal consequences. Heaven is not meant for those who refuse to repent; or as CS Lewis once wrote, “There is no one in Hell who did not choose to be there.”

If we let go of the testimony of Jesus, then know this: we let go of everything that is eternal.

Question for personal reflection

Have I honestly read the Book of Revelation? Do I understand the consequences of its message for me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, faith is a serious commitment because it constantly challenges who we are and what we do. The world is caught up in its own wickedness and the Church is constantly being challenged from within and without, about what is true, faithful, and Christian. Keep us from letting go of Your testimony, and help us to endure the turbulence that is coming. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please contact him by email at Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest religious drawings called “Passion Flower.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Passion Flower.

4 Minute Daily Devotions - Peer Pressure

(It's getting harder to preach the Gospel these days - even in the Church, of all places!)

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved.”

Podcast version here

I’m having a tough time relating to my peers. It’s always been hard because I didn’t go to an American seminary, so I’ve no class fellowship to identify or connect with. I also was brought up in old-school Presbyterianism, so my Scottish Calvinist background doesn’t help me get close to my progressive Presbyterian associates.

At times, I feel like a fish out of water and I wonder if my family and I would have been better staying in Scotland. And then I remember that I am called by God to be here, so there must be a reason that I am constantly crying in the wilderness and feeling out of place.

I’m a Gospel preacher by trade. I owe everything to Jesus and because of that I’m not willing to give up on His ways, His teaching, or His Lordship. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect by any means, but I believe that Christ is. And I fervently believe that everything which the Old & New Testament reveal about Christ is completely true, unchangeable, and unarguable.

There’s a lot of pressure put on Christian people to give up part of their beliefs by equating Christ with Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, or even Krishna. Religious people are all part of one theological soup that tastes of God. The Gospels are just another batch of sacred documents which tell us tales about a great teacher called Jesus. Other religious documents from all over the world are supposed to be just as insightful, instructive, and important about showing us how to find God.

I’ve even got peers, who are Presbyterian pastors, who don’t believe in the Resurrection, nor do they think the Gospels are trustworthy. They follow their own path and sadly they take other people with them down a dead end.

When Peter the fisherman stands up fearlessly in front of the Sanhedrin and boldly declares that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved,” I believe him. He’s just a fisherman from Galilee, putting his life on the line, and courageously preaching the Gospel. He’s out of place in Jerusalem. He’s crying out for Christ in a theological wilderness. He’s declaring the divine truth and does not care what his peers, elders, and leaders believe. Peter has given his life, heart, and soul to Christ. He can do nothing else but preach the Gospel.

I choose to be like Peter because I want to serve the Lord. I will always preach the Gospel because I truly love Jesus. And whether my pastoral peers like it or not, I will keep the New Testament Christ in my heart because I know of no other Name through whom humanity can be saved.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we live in troubled times and the Church is causing a lot of trouble for herself by mincing Your words and devaluing Your truth. Help us to get back on the right track. Grant us the courage to remain loyal to You and to the Gospels that reveal Your ways, Your words, and Your holy works. In Your sacred Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment upon today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. Please feel free to forward this message to your friends.