Church devotion: No Limits - Mark 3:35

Mark 3:35       “Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

            As church people, we are meant to be brothers and sisters in Christ. Our identity is defined through Him and, by our faithful works in the world for Him, people should be able to see that we are united. The trouble is this: the world sees a fragmented church which is constantly in turmoil and being broken by inner conflicts. Instead of being the vehicle of Christ’s peace, healing, and grace, His Church has become a symbol of religious strife, constant battling, and sadly, self-righteousness.

This is a complete shame because the world needs Christ more than ever. His words and ways, His life and love could repair a lot of the damage and destruction that is experienced all over this planet. Poverty and ignorance, illness and despair could be effectively diminished if Christ’s people could totally unite and fight the real foes of humanity. Tragically, Church people have got into the habit of creating doctrinal divisions and are rent asunder by definitions of what is sacred. I include myself in this tragedy because I have often compounded some of these issues, conflicts, and separations.

            I often hear preachers preaching messages about getting back to the basics, but what they really urge is a conforming to past doctrinal truths and rigid religious rules. I understand that structure is important, however I am more inclined to think that you can’t theologically systematize and narrowly limit God’s grace, goodness, and love.  If God’s love is everlasting and His grace is infinite, then how can there be boundaries? If there is a limit to God’s love, then doesn't that also mean that God cannot love the unlovable, which may further mean that He is limited, finite, and impeded by a boundary that He cannot cross?

            Boundaries remind us that we are finite, mortal, frail, limited, and human. Jesus invites us to cross the limitations that are set upon us by aligning and uniting our lives to Him. He becomes our way of rising above our boundaries in order to be restored, reconnected, and reunited to the boundless grace and love that belongs to God. Through Christ, the unlovable are loved, the unreachable are reached, and the sinful saved. And when we faithfully do His work in the world beyond church world, we are further blessed to become not just brothers and sisters in Christ, but also brothers and sisters of Christ. In other words, we are adopted by Him into the everlasting heart, life, and love of God.

Questions for personal reflection

Where can I work for Christ and do God’s will today? How can I encourage others in church and my community to do the same?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we seek to truly serve You and yearn to please You. Today, and throughout this week, You will give us opportunities to share Your love and grace with other people. Help us to do all that we can to do God’s will among our families and friends, our neighbors and community. 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 comment on today’s message, then please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest Nativity picture called “Outsiders.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Outsiders.

Church devotion: Problems with Paul - 1 Corinthians 5:3

1 Corinthians 5:3       Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.

            The apostle Paul didn't pull any of his punches, nor did he mince his words. He spoke directly and firmly, as well as candidly and clearly, which must have made him an awesome preacher in his day. Even now, when we all read his uncompromising words in 1 Corinthians 5, we flinch at his tone. In a sexually liberated society, we all have trouble dealing with his unyielding judgment.

            Does this mean that Paul was wrong to write about sexual immorality? Are his words meant for an ancient time and therefore have no place in our present cultured Christianity? Do we find him offensive because his words reek of archaic authoritarianism and joyless judgmentalism, or are we pushing back because there’s a strong element of truth to his point?

            Traditional Christians are constantly being ridiculed and attacked for trying to maintain nineteenth century standards in a twenty-first century world. They are being pressured to capitulate, so that the whole Church can present itself to the current culture as being worthy of popular ideals. During the last part of the twentieth century, the Church went to war with itself over sexuality and marriage issues. The first two decades of this new century seem doomed to be wrecked with the same conflicts.

            In my darkest moments, I cannot see an end to this cultural civil war and as the Church rips itself apart, the world begins to fall apart. Our ministries become stagnant and our missions are harder to maintain. People become devoted to personal causes instead of the person of Christ. Jesus becomes just another religious teacher instead of the Redeemer Savior of the world.

            And then I remind myself that the Church is the Bride of Christ, so He will not let it be diminished or blemished, anguished or finished. He continues His ministry and mission both in the Church and across the world. His promises are still being fulfilled and His words still bring people to God. His work never ends and His Kingdom will last forever. All we have to do is to continue to follow Him faithfully, even though we are all sinners and imperfect. His Way, His Truth, and His Life will always endure…and in the end, that is all that is important.

Questions for personal reflection

What is Christ doing in my community today? Is the Church there with Him?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we are all struggling as Christians in a world that is constantly changing. We continually clash with one another and go to war over words, works, and ways. Forgive us and help us to be restored to one another so that we can effectively help to heal this broken world. 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 ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send John an email to traqair@aol.com. He may not answer all emails quickly, but he does read every one of them.

Today’s image is my latest Bible card drawing. It’s taken from Psalm 113v3.

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Church Devotions: Epic Fail - Ecclesiastes 7:18

Ecclesiastes 7:18a       The man who fears God will avoid all extremes. 

I am appalled, but not surprised, at the riots in Britain. It’s shocking to see so much destruction and violence, but I believe this has been festering for a number of years.

The Church has failed an entire generation. We’ve allowed people to follow strange and selfish paths which lead to emptiness, anxiety, and aggression. I saw this happening in Scotland prior to me leaving in 1995. Christian beliefs were beginning to wane and humanism was on the rise. The Church was largely discarded as an anachronism. Traditional beliefs were ridiculed and much of the Calvinist Reformed Theology was mocked. In England, the Church gave in to cultural pressure, so that anyone could live as they liked and believe what they wanted. Eventually, the whole structure of the new society was shaped to disregard the Church and to entirely diminish Christianity.

They succeeded. And now anarchy and atheism have become so entrenched in this new generation that there are no longer any spiritual, ethical, or moral boundaries. Civilization in Europe, which has been held together by Christianity since the 7^th century AD, is beginning to crumble. Those who ignored the warning signs are reaping what was sown. All that the Church can do is stand by the sidelines and watch society destroy itself. Greed and pride, selfishness and brazeness have overtaken the souls of the people. Foolishness and ignorance, poverty and violence are on the increase. Instead of progressing into the 21^st century, Britain and other European nations are stepping back into the Dark Ages. The law of the jungle and the survival of the fittest has taken over from the love of Jesus and the strength of faith.

My heart bleeds for Britain, but I need to work over here. The signs of the same things are occurring and I am anxious about the younger generation. They are like sheep without a Shepherd and I worry that their society is going to be hardest upon those among them who keep their Christian convictions alive. Persecution seems so far away and is only an extreme possibility; but sometimes I wonder if it’s only a matter of years before committed Christians over here are going to be harassed, harangued, and hunted down as we once were during the Dark Ages.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we are seeing the bitter fruits of faithlessness emerge violently and satanically in other places around the world. Your Church has been culpable in planting the seeds of discontent, unhappiness, and meaningless in the hearts, mind, and souls of this 21^st century generation. We have neglected the true message of the Gospel and have allowed it to be replaced by a mythical morality, futile theology, and insipid ideology. Forgive us for being distracted, dishonorable, and disloyal to You. Help us to recover and restore our people through repentance, revival, and redemption. In Your Holy Name, we plead and pray. Amen.

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

Today’s drawing is one of John’s latest Chess series prints. It’s called “Knight takes Rook” and is a pop art image of the game. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6186/6024701992_405a71c6de_b.jpg

Church devotions: Church Mistakes - Revelation 2:1-7

Revelation 2:5            Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 

Even churches can make mistakes and, as the Reformers used to say, “Councils err.”

Revelation Chapters 2 & 3 contain seven indictments against well established churches in the New Testament age. With one exception, each of them had fallen off their original spiritual path by allowing their community and culture to overtake their business and beliefs. Instead of following Christ’s pattern for ministry and mission, they followed their own plans and went their own way. Christ cautions them about this and warns them of the consequences of their decisions and actions. He even calls them to repent of their ways; otherwise His Light and Spirit would be taken from them.

Those prophetic warnings of along ago could so easily have been written today. Christians everywhere are in danger of succumbing to their society. The old word for this process is ‘syncretism.’ Of all the community sins mentioned in the Bible, the act of syncretism, of God’s people submitting to cultural pressures, was the most damning to whichever generation succumbed.

As post-moderns and 21^st century Christians, we are not shielded from this sinful process. In fact, in recent years our churches have turned away from what is acceptable to God towards what is acceptable to the world. It only remains to be seen whether or not Christ will take away his Light and Spirit from those churches which wander away from Him and do not repent. It may be the case, as it was for several of the churches mentioned in Revelation, that a generation of believers was lost before repentance, revival, and restoration were experienced.

The challenging questions for us today are these: Have our Councils erred? Are we in need of church-wide repentance? What signs will indicate that Christ has removed His lampstand from our people?

Prayer:                                 Lord Jesus, help us to review our recent decisions and truly ask whether we are contending for the world or Your Kingdom? Grant us wisdom and keep us on Your path. 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 or ask him any questions, please send an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing called “Fall Retreat.” It features a rustic cabin in the heart of the Smokies during the Fall season. You can view a larger version of the drawing at the following link:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/6014988935_76c01bd78d_b.jpg