First Generation - 1 Peter 4:19

1 Peter 4:19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. (NIV)

The First Christians must have been a very strong, faithful generation. They persevered through times of unjust persecution and cruel suffering in order to maintain the Church. We are the heirs of their endurance, but are we worthy of such a blessing?

When I read of Christians supposedly being persecuted in our country, I know it is exaggerated. We complain vehemently when we are challenged or inconvenienced because some of us aggressively want things to happen according to our beliefs, our standing, and in our time. It makes me wonder if the First Christians are looking down on us from Heaven and shaking their heads. They would consider our complaints paltry compared to what they had to endure.

Faith, during truly hard times, can comfort us but it was and is never meant to make us comfortable. As C. S. Lewis once wrote: “I didn't go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don't recommend Christianity.”

Application: How uncomfortable is my faith?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach us the truth about ourselves and make us more aware of the hardships that having faith implies. Keep us from complaining about trivial things and constantly remind us of the sacrifices and suffering of Your people in the past. In your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings based on Christ’s teaching. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Cross.

Jesus is Lord - Romans 10:9

Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (NIV)

A lot of people have some misconceived ideas about this verse. It seems to suggest that all we have to do is to make a verbal affirmation of who Jesus is and that we will be eternally saved. It would mean that all we would have to do in our lives about our Christian faith is just to pay lip service to Jesus and then carry on with whatever we want to in our lives. On the surface, it appears to be just that simple, but this is why the original context of what is written in scripture is so very important for a real and complete understanding of what the apostle Paul is expressing.

First of all, he is addressing the small congregation of Christians in Rome. When they initially read his words, they completely understood how radical they were. All over the Roman empire and especially in the capital city, Caesar was the only one who was proclaimed as Lord. To show their loyalty to the emperor, all Romans would pledge their allegiance to him by saying and believing he was their Lord. To declare that a Galilean Jew was their Lord was tantamount to treachery which was punishable by death. So, when the first Christians declared that ‘Jesus is Lord,’ they were not just giving lip-service to God, they were actually putting their lives on the line.

Secondly, they doubled down on this by further proclaiming that Jesus was risen from the dead because this meant that His Roman execution had been ineffective and non-enforceable. They were declaring that in Christ there was an even greater power than the might of the Roman Empire. They were stating that Jesus was supreme and His authority was everlasting. The Romans called Rome ‘the eternal city;’ Christians were now saying that the realm of eternity was beyond the reach of the whole city and empire, no matter how great it thought itself to be.

So, when we are asked to declare that ‘Jesus is Lord,’ in order to be saved, it’s not just mere words that are spoken, it means that we place a higher allegiance in Him way above and beyond anything that we encounter of Earth. It also means that we totally pledge our loyalty and devotion to Him beyond any power, person, or authority we experience in our lives.

Point to ponder

Do I honestly believe that Christ has my greatest allegiance in my life? Is there anything competing with my submission to him?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we call You ‘Lord,’ not because it’s just a polite title, but because You are the Supreme Authority in our lives. Everything else is subordinate to You and let us know that if we really want to be saved, there can be nothing else equal to You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly 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 a drawing of Jesus based on a Greek icon. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Icon.

Church devotion: A Simpler Path - Acts 2:46

Acts 2:46         Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

            I envy the First Christians. Their faith seemed very simple and straightforward. They worshipped and studied each day, and made time to frequently share meals and break bread together. They weren’t encumbered with almost two thousand years of ecclesiastical history, denominational divisions, or cultural conflicts. They just simply, purely, and innocently practiced their faith in cheerful, faithful, and joyful ways.

            Where did we go wrong? What moved us off the simpler path to Christ? Christians today are fiercer than ever and fighting battles that are not important. Whenever I read something belligerently written by some Christian group, whether they be conservatives or progressives, which berates the other side, I feel badly inside. In the past, I’ve created and contributed to these self-righteous invectives, but I’ve now reached a point where I ask myself this: what does it prove? How does it help Christ’s Kingdom? What do people outside of the Church think of us?

            I’d like to get back to those simpler days of sharing the Gospel and breaking bread together. I’d like things between all Christians to change, so I know that it has to begin with me. I may not get it right all of the time; I hope I don’t wander from the simpler path, but I know that the Church – whether local, national, or even international – can’t go on beating itself with its own stick. The world is broken and we need to be healers sent from Christ, but we can only do that if we honestly heal ourselves of our self-sustained prejudice, arrogance, and ignorance.

Questions for reflection

What is the role of the Church in the world? How does it present that role in my local community?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we are all sinners saved by Your grace, but sometimes we forget that we are essentially unworthy and unholy. Redirect our lives and re-position us on a simpler path of faith. Cleanse us of ecclesiastical arrogance and cultural conflict. Teach us Your Way, so that we can faithfully present Your Truth and live Your Life. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to make comments or ask questions of today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

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

Daily devotions: Recognizing The Spirit - 1 John 4:6

1 John 4:6        We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

John the Beloved Apostle was writing some exclusive and rebellious statements way back in the First Century. It’s no wonder that he was exiled to the island of Patmos away from the mainland. He was a dangerous rebel and his influence shaped the Church in ways that we seem to have forgotten.

Over the years, I’ve heard many Christians and preachers quote John’s words of “God is Love” and “Love one another” as if that’s all he had to write and say. Nothing could be further from the truth. If anyone seriously wants to know what kind of message John preached, they have to read all of his letters, his version of the Gospel, and the Book of Revelation. Very soon the reader will realize that John is not expressing universal tolerance or boundless love. More often as not, John’s message is about the absolute veracity of Christ as the Son of God, the Defeater of the Devil, and the Judge of all who live.

Sadly, I’ve noticed that the next generation of Christians wants to buy into the false one world, one love, and one humanity philosophy through mutual respect and co-existence. If that was ever meant to be the Gospel truth, then John would never have been exiled or even written about false teaching and false prophets, anti-Christs and persecution. He could have easily capitulated and lived a life of peace; but John actually walked with Christ and was known to be His Beloved Disciple. He had stayed with Jesus all the way through the crucifixion, even when the others had run away. He kept faith with Christ for decades and could have lived an easy life, but he knew what the Gospel Truth was and he understood how important it was to pass on that absolute truth to the next generation of Christians.

That same message and mission needs to be reclaimed, proclaimed, and exclaimed in the Church today. There is no wiggle room because we are exclusively meant to be People of the Way. If the next generation of Christians actually wants to save the planet, then they have to be courageous enough to confront the falsehoods of the world, rather than trying to tear apart the Church. It will take a rejection of universalism and a realization of the spiritual predicament that the world is in. It will take a lot of guts and less good intentions to boldly state and live what John so clearly stated about the true Church: “We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.”

The question that has to be asked is this: Does the next generation of Christians have what it takes?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know that real Christianity is not about wishful thinking, pie in the sky pluralism, or unfocused universalism. Your Way is hard and Your Cross is heavy. Remind us of the sacrifices of the past and guide us on the right path to Your Kingdom. Keep us from trivializing the Truth and protect us from following false delusions. In Your Holy Name, we sincerely 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 called “Redeemer Rabbi” which is a drawing of a Stone Statue of Christ’s face. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/5813805303_784c8ccd1d_b.jpg

Gospel devotions: Sharing the Gospel - Acts 26

Acts 26:28       Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" 

I really admire Paul. He never wasted an opportunity to tell the people that he encountered about Jesus and how to be a Christian. Even when he faced leaders and governors, kings and an emperor, he used the meeting to talk about Christ and not his own precarious situation. That’s what makes Paul such a hero in my book. His Christianity is undaunted by circumstances; his faith in Jesus never falters.

This is why I also admire the Christian Church in China. Each day, Christians over there face harassment and opposition, injustice and imprisonment, and yet they keep meeting secretly for Bible studies, worship, and prayer. They are remarkable Christians and put us Western church goers to shame. If we were faced with one percent of the opposition that Chinese Christians encounter on a daily basis, we would back down and make our faith private. We consider it as being impolite and even bigoted to share our Christian beliefs with others of different faiths; Chinese Christians cannot afford that philosophical luxury – nor would they ever want to.

So, here’s the challenge for us today: if God grants us an opportunity to share our faith with the people we encounter, whether it be in the street, at our work, in our homes, or even online via Facebook and Twitter, will we boldly witness for Christ or fearfully choose to ignore it?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we will encounter and meet up with many people today, some of whom You have placed on our path so that we might share Your Love, Your Gospel, and our faith with them. Keep us from being afraid and help us to apply our faith in loving and effective ways. 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 image is of Graystone Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. When John and his family first came to Knoxville, he preached there for six weeks. In October, Graystone celebrates its 120^th anniversary. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link:  http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5002097480_6095c74e91_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: Christians First

Podcast version here

Acts 12:1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.

Over the holidays, I watched a television program on the History channel called “The First Christians.” It was all about the origins of our faith and how Christ’s devoted followers suffered for their beliefs. It was such an interesting program that I’m in the process of developing a five week series on the subject for our church’s Monday Night Bible Study.

I’m always amazed at how much pain, suffering and injustice that the First Christians experienced and endured. They truly believed in Christ and most were willing to give up their lives for Him. When I think about how much we modern-day Christians take for granted about our faith, it makes me wonder if Christianity would ever have overtaken the Roman Empire if we had been given the opportunity. We tend to get upset over non-issues of faith which does nothing for our witness to the world. The First Christians, however, seemed to understand what was important and they staked their lives on those crucial matters of faith.

As we head into 2008, perhaps instead of making New Year’s resolutions that never last, we should work on those essential parts of our faith that are everlasting. We should make more time to study God’s Word and the history of Christianity. We should put more of our lives into worshipping God and serving Christ. We should prioritize our faith and seek God’s guidance for the life changing decisions that we may make during this coming year. If we set out to put God’s Kingdom first in our hearts, then we will find our lives being transformed and made more meaningful by God’s Spirit within us.

Perhaps then we will have a faith worth living and dying for. Perhaps then we will encounter and experience that incredible joy and strength that the First Christians discovered in devoting their lives to Christ.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we want to be good Christians, with a faith that empowers our lives. Help us to make this New Year a special crossroads in our lives, when we can be reborn and rededicate our hearts to You. In Your Holy Name, we fervently pray. Amen.