Daily Devotions: The Joy of Jesus - 1 John 3:13

Ecclesiastes 1:3           What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

1 John 3:13                  Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

Being a Christian in today’s world, even in the Church, is not easy. There are so many voices telling us that our faith is outdated, our beliefs have no relevance, and our devotion to Christ is deluded. The world wants to walk its own way and do its own thing; it does not need to be hampered by honesty, obstructed by obedience, or kept back by Christianity. The followers of Christ have had their moment in the sun; now it’s time for 21^st century people to make their mark and joyfully jettison Jesus.

Make no mistake about this: the world hates Christianity because our faith confronts evil and challenges sinful choices. The Gospels constantly tell us that we live to please God, whereas the world constantly demands that we live to please ourselves. In the world’s eyes, preachers are party-poopers and disciples are demonized. The Bible is a cosmic joke book and the scriptures are not sacred anymore. The world, the flesh, and the devil have infiltrated the Church, so that we are no longer People of the Book or Servants of the Kingdom. We have become citizens of the world and demi-gods of our own making.

Jesus told us that this would happen. In His parable of the sheep and the goats, He warned His followers of the Judgment to come. And with regard to the End Times, Christ told His people of a terrifying moment when two people would be together; one would be taken into glory and the other left behind. If we dismiss this as being irrelevant or put it to the back of our minds, we will never be ready for when that awful time comes. We will be left behind.

Christianity is a hard faith to follow. It takes a great deal of perseverance and discipline, as well as a whole lot of devotion and dedication. When we get it right, we live an abundant life and center our choices on God. When we get it wrong, we merely exist and doom our souls to destruction.

That’s why we need Christ as our Savior. We don’t need to hide from Him because we can confess our mistakes, re-direct our ways, and receive His grace. The joy of Jesus is this: while we were yet sinners and enemies of God, He died for us so that we might be forgiven and restored to God’s everlasting love.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we are sometimes tempted to capitulate and give up on the basics of our faith. The world constantly pressurizes us into conforming to its ways. Give us the strength to persevere in the face of cultural adversity, and grant us the courage to remain faithful to Your ways and words. 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, send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest picture called “Boston Bound.” It is a crayon drawing of the Boston skyline from the Bay area. If you would like to view a larger version, please visit the following link:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6143/5948796658_990048bfef_b.jpg

Daily devotions: Living a Hard Life - Proverbs 17:3

Proverbs 7:3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.

We say that we believe in God, so why do we live as though He doesn’t exist?

Sometimes I wonder if we really have faith or if we’re just playing at being Christians. It’s getting more difficult to distinguish between the lifestyle choices of believers and unbelievers. Apart for going to church on Sundays (and some have even given up on that), what makes us different from the people in our neighborhood or workplace? Is Christianity something that we adhere to even when it’s unpopular, or is it something that we carry around in case an emergency crops up? Is God at the center of our lives or do we just bring Him in when the going gets tough?

I believe that we as Christians are being tested not by the world, but by God. It’s almost as if we’re being given one last opportunity to get things right in this generation before the Lord actually returns. Believing in God, going to Church, and living as Christians was once part of the same package; these days, people believe in God without going to church, and people go to Church without living as Christians. In other words, it’s far easier to say that we are Christians than to actually live as one.

By the way, I include myself in this: being a Christian is the hardest thing to do in life and if our faith isn’t being truly tested day after day, then we’ve either forgotten what God demands of us through Christ, or we’ve managed to shape Jesus into who we want Him to be.

So I guess the question for all of us today is this: how can I start to truly believe in God and stop living as though He doesn’t exist.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, the Holy Scriptures challenge us day after day. We resist changing into what You want us to become and yet, we too easily reshape our lives into what the world desires of us. Forgive us for being poor witnesses of the True Faith. Grant us the courage to rethink commitment to You, and remold our lives in ways that are pleasing to You alone. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of my ‘digital glass’ designs based upon a verse from Psalm 85. In August 2011, Duke Divinity School is using this image for its annual church conference. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please visit the following link: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/3704016750_70147e967d_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: Christless Christianity

I’ve just started reading a new book called “Christless Christianity,” which was written by Michael Horton. The author explores American Christianity and expresses his concern about where it is headed. Both conservative and liberal Christians come under Michael’s scrutiny, and he bewails the fact that both camps are more into spiritual coaching rather than spiritual conversion. The dilemma that Horton raises is this: are we more into preaching and hearing messages that are about humanity improved, or Christ crucified?

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

I think he has hit the nail on the head and pounded it through the Cross. When was the last time we heard a sermon about the blood of Christ? How many modern churches are comfortable with having no cross in their sanctuary? How many American Christians look to Jesus as a life improving spiritual coach, rather than the blood soaked redeemer of the world? We would rather be frequently taught Christian principles to get us out of debt, instead of being weekly reminded of the debt that was paid for our sins.

I don’t think the First Christians would recognize what passes for Christianity today. I am not even sure if they would be willing to die for what we believe in. We cast them aside as if they were unsophisticated simpletons, instead of the courageous martyrs who confronted Roman society as they established their faith.

We want everyone to like us and so we allow the world to shape our faith. It’s gets to the point where we are no different from those with no beliefs and our Christianity is shallow, shameless, and superficial. We have trouble keeping our faith alive and are troubled by our doubts. If we were transplanted back to the First Christian century, our current belief system would never have survived into a second century.

If you take Christ out of Christianity, you are left with I-anity, which is about right. We put ourselves, our culture, and our misconstrued beliefs first and foremost to satisfy our lifestyle. Rather than styling our lives on Jesus and proclaiming what He did way back then, we promote ourselves and the here and now. It’s all about us – it’s not about Jesus.

This book is a wake up call for the whole Church, no matter on which side of the theological divide we stand. The blood of Christ improves our lives, by cleansing our souls and removing our sins. You cannot find that in a self-improvement book. It only comes through grace.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are all guilty of following our own paths and asking You to be right behind us. Remind us that we are meant to be following You. Help us to recommit and rededicate our lives to You today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.