A Knoxville Story - Amos 6:7

Amos 6:7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end. (NIV)

            There’s a video of a young boy from Knoxville, Tennessee, where I live, which has gone viral with over 20 million views. In the video, the young lad is tearfully expressing to his mom that he is being relentlessly bullied in school. He wonders why this is happening and it is very hard to watch him break his heart. At one point he asks why people who are different should be treated this way. At the end of the video, he also says that things may get better one day.

            The response to the video has been overwhelming. Sports stars and celebrities have reached out to the boy and have promised to have lunch with him at school where most of the bullying takes place. News correspondents from across the nation have picked up on the story and many of them are praising the boy and his mother for having the courage to post the video on social media. A college fund has also been set up for the young lad, so that his future may be positive and strong. It’s an amazing example of how the internet can actually be a good thing; it’s a wonderful way of showing how human beings can reach out compassionately to the weak and powerless. Hopefully, those who bullied the boy will stop it and realize the error of their ways.

(You can read about the many positive responses to the video at this news link: http://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/celebrities-athletes-lawmakers-show-support-for-young-east-tennessee-boy-in-viral-video/51-498277490 )

            In today’s biblical passage from Amos, the ancient prophet is expressing God’s complaints against those who used their power, wealth, and prestige to oppress and bully the poor and powerless in their land. The message that God gives through Amos is quite stark and clear: in the time of judgment, God is coming after them first. They had been given power and authority to make things better, but they wasted that gift and used it to enrich and empower themselves. When God’s wrath was going to be visited upon the whole community, they would be the first to be punished and sent into exile. The divine message is simply this: God will show no mercy to the merciless.

            Such passages are a serious reminder for those in powerful positions that no matter how much faith they may express with their public words, if their actions bully and suppress the weak and powerless, they will be judged accordingly and punished severely.

Point to ponder

Where do I see bullying taking place in my community? What am I doing to defend the weak and speak out for the powerless?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, injustice and prejudice made You angry. Help us to sift out the intolerant and prejudicial ways within our communities which cause us to veer away from Your words and place us all under God’s judgment. 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 send him a response to today’s message, please email him at Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Nativity drawings called ‘A Child is Born.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Child.

Gospel Devotion: Two Old Words - 1 Thessalonians 5:9

1 Thessalonians 5:9   For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

For some people, the biblical words ‘wrath’ and ‘salvation’ have no meaning in their regular lives. They go about their daily routine, not giving a second thought to God, or of the Christian understanding that one day everything will come to an end. They probably think that Doomsday beliefs are for deluded fools and, as for a God who punishes people for their sins, that’s just a negative way that the outdated Church uses to control people with fear.

If I was going to dissuade folks from the need to believe in Christ, I think that I would tell people that what they do doesn't matter, nor will it ever count against them, and that life beyond death is given to everyone. I think that I would convince people that sin doesn't exist anymore and that God loves to indulge us. I would tell them that Christ’s blood had nothing to do with the forgiveness of sins and that His execution was just an historical accident – He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I would finally tell them that we are gods and all the God that we ever need to be, that humankind is the pinnacle of existence, as well as the greatest beings who will ever live.

If I told them all those things, then words like ‘wrath’ and ‘salvation’ would have no meaning, and I could add to that list words like ‘church,’ ‘prayer,’ ‘faith,’ and even ‘Christianity.’

But if I did that, then I would be a vile liar and a peddler of untruth. I would be guilty of leading people astray and away from the Gospel. I would be damaging their souls and wounding their beliefs. If I stayed in the church and preached those things, I would be a heretic. If I left the church and said those things, I would be apostate. However, for some people, those last two words, ‘heretic’ and ‘apostate’ have no meaning in their regular church lives….

Questions for personal reflection

What does God’s wrath mean to me? How do I interpret the word ‘salvation’?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You never said that following You was ever going to be comfortable or easy, so keep us from trying to make our faith cozy and bland. Forgive us, Lord, for following our own ways instead of Yours. 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 make a comment or ask a question about today’s devotion, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Celtic drawings. It’s called “Celtic Mandala” and features a Celtic Cross surrounded by many other Christian symbols. How many can you find? If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7416/12126875254_8e9f12c2a7_b.jpg

Church devotion: In Christ Alone - Romans 5:18

Romans 5:18  Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

            The other day one of my Facebook friends sent me an article concerning my denomination, the PCUSA. It was about our Committee on Song’s rejection of the beautiful contemporary hymn, “In Christ Alone.” It was expected to be included in the new hymnal, mainly because congregations like my own love to frequently sing it. However, it was rejected by the PCUSA committee because the original writers of the hymn, Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, would not allow the lyrics to be changed.

            The original song contains the lines:

“Till on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied.”

The Committee proposed an alternative:

“Till on that cross as Jesus died

The love of God was magnified.”

Some members of the Committee were repulsed by the idea of God being wrathful; the original lyricists would not permit their words to be changed because they believed it would change the entire theology of the whole song.

            It’s moments like this which cause me to question the road that my denomination is traveling down. We seem to take great offence of being reminded that we are sinners, condemned by a just and holy God, in need of total and absolute salvation. If we do not acknowledge or understand the depths of our sinful depravity which is offensive to God, then we will never accept the need for salvation from our sins.

            I admire Getty and Townend for their insistence on keeping to the original lyrics; I deplore the Committee on Song for having surrendered Reformed theology and replacing it with New Age mentality. It’s a sad day for the church when we go into denial about the wrath of God, the gravity of which sent Jesus to the Cross instead of ourselves.

            As a much better pastor than I will ever attain to be once wrote, “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Discipleship.

Question for personal reflection

Do I honestly believe that my sins have no eternal consequences? Do I really feel as though God will forgive me of anything through repenting of nothing?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we stand condemned as sinful creatures under a holy and perfect God. Without You, we would have no forgiveness; without Your bloody sacrifice, we could not be redeemed or restored to God. In You alone, we have salvation. Keep us from taking Your grace for granted by reminding us of the terrible cost. 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 traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of my 2013 Easter drawings called “Outside a City Wall.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7027482543_2af1a2c5f8_b.jpg

Daily devotions: Lord and King - Luke 5:8

Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 

Currently, I’m perplexed as well as frustrated and, as usual, it has been caused by the Church trying to be culturally correct. I’ve been reading two reports, one from the denomination and the other from what has been said by the Episcopalian church. In the first instance, a motion was passed by our own denomination at the recent General Assembly to stop using terms like ‘Lord’ or ‘King’ when describing, addressing, and praying to Jesus and God. The second issue was part of a discussion raised at the Episcopalian bishop’s National conference where it was suggested that churches and pastors stop using the word ‘sin’ because it offends people.

I’ve heard of some dumb ideas in my time (and I’ve come up with a few of my own) but these types of theological appeasement mentality must be amongst the stupidest church ideas that I have ever come across. How can you stop calling Jesus ‘Lord?’ Do people not know the history behind the title? Have church people forgotten that to have said “Jesus is Lord” in the Roman Empire was an act of treason against the emperor and brought the death sentence to many First century Christians? Have we become so vain that we cannot humble ourselves before Christ as our King? Have modern Christians never read the following verse from the first letter of John:  ‘If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.’ (1 John 1:8)?

Both these current lines of thinking are absolute nonsense and turn our faith into a cozy, convenient set of ideas which neither challenge nor change our ways.

When Simon Peter knelt humbly before Christ, he knew two things: that Jesus was His Lord and that Peter himself was a sinner. Heaven help us if we ever forget those same two important things!

Questions for personal reflection

How can I serve Jesus and show the world that He is my Lord and King? What sins in my life humble me before God, causing me to seek His grace and pardon?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are our King and we are merely Your servants. We are sinners in need of forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Only Your authority as our Savior King and Redeemer Lord can save us from the wrath of God. Keep us from idolizing ourselves and dishonoring Your power, Your glory, and Your Kingdom. 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 on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest art project called “Mountain Mill.” It’s a crayon drawing of the Mabry Mill which is situated off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/7546583852_3490c7cb03_b.jpg

Gospel devotions: One Life, One Choice - 2 Corinthians 4 v 4

2 Corinthians 4:4       The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

I worry about people these days because they seem so sure that what they individually believe is what God approves. We’re living in an age where everyone has their own separate and personal creeds of faith. The old ways are being rejected because they are based upon absolute truths. New emerging philosophies are being heralded as the greatest thing and biblical values are being cast aside. We are becoming biblically and theologically ignorant, or as Paul so eloquently wrote: ‘the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers.’

Some of you reading this are probably thinking that John is on his high horse again and that you don’t need to be soulfully challenged or spiritually harassed. I even find that on Sunday mornings church members don’t want to hear the Gospel being preached because it upsets their world view of “I’m OK, and you’re OK.” They are blinded by their own Christian concerns and nurture a naïve narcissism. They don’t want the spiritual world that they have created around them to be taken apart. Instead of allowing Christ to be at the center of their lives, they want themselves to be at the center of Christ.

The Gospel is the most disturbing divine message ever to affect humankind. If that wasn’t the case, then Jesus would never have been crucified and most of His followers would not have been martyred. We sugar coat the Gospel until it becomes a sugary spirituality which is easy to swallow. We see it as a way to get the best out of our life on Earth, as opposed to being a choice to save us from God’s wrath.

Perhaps you didn’t like that last line and maybe think that preachers should focus more on Christ’s love than God’s wrath. However, if you honestly read the Gospel and take time to study it, you’ll soon find out that it’s not a huggy-feely-cozy commitment that is expected and experienced; the Gospel is a straightforward, in your face, confrontational choice: heaven or hell, salvation or damnation, everlasting life with God or the eternal agony of being separated from Him.

That’s why I worry about people in church and in the world: they just don’t see it or get it.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, today I pray for the people who are reading this message. Open their hearts and minds to the Gospel and alert them to the fact that this isn’t a spiritual game or religious leisure pursuit. Remind us that we all have one life to live and one choice to make. In Your Holy Name, I humbly 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 called “Scarecrow Moon.” You can view a larger version at http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5073081839_98890e7374_z.jpg

Atonement: What is it?

Last night at the British Academy of Film Awards, the movie “Atonement” won most of the categories. I haven’t seen it yet, but it looks like an epic, similar to the masterpieces that David Lean used to direct decades ago. It covers a span of sixty years to include both World Wars and the plot involves a scandalous lie that affects the lives and love of two young people. It will be interesting to see if the movie wins any Oscars. If it’s as good as the critics say it is, I suspect it will.

Bible Verse of the Day

Hebrews 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Atonement is not a word that we use very often these days. In the past, it meant the ministry work that priests did to placate God for all of the sins and offenses that the community made against Him. Usually, it involved long liturgical prayer gatherings and ended with an animal sacrifice. Absolution was only given when the priests believed that the rituals were properly performed, and the sacrifice was perfectly made.

These days, we don’t make prolonged rituals of confession or slaughter innocent animals because Jesus is both our High Priest and Perfect Sacrifice. By laying down His Life on our behalf, He perfectly fulfilled what God required for our sins. And by interceding on our behalf, Christ frees us from the eternal consequences of our sins. So when we read about Christ making atonement for the sins of the people, we can rejoice and be comforted because He shields us from the wrath of God and restores us to His Everlasting Kingdom.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Only One in all of history and throughout the universe who can save us from our sins and release us from the oblivion of death. We cannot do anything to dissuade God from punishing us for our sins, but You can. Be our blessed Advocate and Redeemer. Make atonement for all of our mistakes and misdeeds, as we place our hearts and souls into Your Hands. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.