Office Devotions: Holy Harmony

2 Corinthians 6:15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

I’m struggling right now with my thoughts about other religions. I know that religion has been the source of major wars and disharmony throughout the world for thousands of years. I understand the need to get along and be good neighbors. I yearn for world peace, coexistence, and harmony, but I’m also a Christian first and foremost, so the question that I’m asking myself is this: did Jesus preach a message of peace at all costs or did He actually begin the Last Battle between humankind and God, which will end up with His Victory over all?

Decades ago, in my youthful arrogance, everything seemed to be perfectly clear: it was Christ’s way with everything or no way at all. Throughout the years, the world has changed and so have I. My sinfulness over the years has made me realize how much I depend upon Christ’s grace, but is that grace limited to those who believe, or is it freely given to all religious and non-religious people?

I keep returning to the focused faith of the First Christians. They were willing to die for Christ. Were they being truly faithful or just fanatical? Were their beliefs foundational and immovable? Did they die because they were stubborn and anti-establishment, or were they martyred because they couldn’t and wouldn’t compromise Christ?

In my heart, I know the answer: there is no harmony between belief and unbelief. Christ is the only way to salvation.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, sometimes we feel lost and disconnected to God. We want the world to be a beautiful, loving, and peaceful place. We want our planet to be totally united and focused on the welfare of humanity. But sometimes there is no peace and there will be no harmony because we cannot compromise our Christian beliefs. Help us to do what we can for the common good of our brothers and sisters in the world, but never at the cost of losing our faith in You. 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 picture is taken from John’s Scottish Art series. It depicts Iona Abbey in Scotland at night, just after the Fall harvest. You can find a larger image of it at the following link: Scottish Art Series

Office Devotions: Saving Grace

Ephesians 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.

‘There but for the grace of God, go I’ was one of John Wesley’s sayings. It was his way of expressing thankfulness to God for mercy, whilst at the same time realizing his own human weaknesses. If it wasn’t for God’s grace, John Wesley felt that he would have been overcome by all sorts of evil and sin.

Recently, I visited with the AA group that meets in our church. My usual Bible study had been cancelled, so I took the opportunity to make a house-call amongst the Twelve Steppers. It brought back memories to me and, as I sat there, I inwardly thanked God for His power and influence over me which kept me from remaining a hopeless alcoholic.

It was also good to see other men who had traveled that road, too. I admired their courage and knew of the struggles they described. It was a really good meeting and the Twelve Steppers are very supportive. None of them are judgmental; and all of them, including myself, began their sharing with the words: “Hello, my name is …., and I’m an alcoholic.”

But the grace of God just isn’t for alcoholics. It’s for all of us. It’s for the busy mother who is worn out looking after her children. It’s for the harassed worker who is trying to meet an urgent deadline. It’s for the school teacher who tries each week to inspire her students to learn something new. It’s for the teenager who is struggling with peer pressure, who wants to do what is right. And it’s for the senior who sees the world changing faster than ever and wonders where the good old days have gone.

The grace of God is for each of us. As human beings we are weak, frail, prone to temptation and apt to sin. No matter who we are or what we’ve done, we all need the grace of God to grant us that divine opportunity to begin again, to take a step in the right direction, and to be lovingly embraced by God. In other words, our lives are rescued from the messes that we create through the love, mercy, and grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

So no matter who you are today or what you’ve done in the past, receive a new beginning through the gracious love of God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we make mistakes in our lives that negatively affect our relationships, spoil our dreams, and sometimes destroy our hopes. We come to You, seeking Your grace to give us the opportunity to begin again and start anew. We know that we don’t deserve this, but that’s why You call it ‘grace.’ Be with us and love us. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Office Devotions: Christ's Choice

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Sometimes I wonder how Paul would have fared in today’s world. He comes across as being too sure of himself and I don’t know whether he is rebuking his readers or encouraging them.

Take this morning’s small verse, for instance. Paul begins by stating, ‘Your attitude should be…;’ he doesn’t write could be or might be – Paul insists that our attitudes should be – that’s pretty strong stuff for a preacher to be expressing. That meddles directly with how we manage our faith.

If Paul was around today, he would probably get thrown out of a lot of churches for preaching such a controversial and confrontational message. He would be emotionally tarred and feathered by an outraged congregation, especially one of those ‘you’re okay, I’m okay, everybody’s okay’ type of churches.

When I question Paul’s no nonsense Christianity, I’m reminded of two things: firstly, my own failures as a Christian in trying to be a perfect servant of God; and secondly, Paul’s unquestionable right to state such things. After all, Paul was no cozy theologian who sat in an Ivy League study asking hypothetical questions. He was a diehard Christian who had been almost lynched, battered and bruised, hunted and harassed, stoned and shipwrecked, tortured and tried for his faith in Jesus. If anyone had the right to meddle in our lives and to state things like ‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,’ it surely was Paul.

As a pastor, I come across many people who are hostile to Paul’s teachings, but do you know what? I’ve still to come across one of his critics who have experienced any real persecution.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we forget that it was You who personally intervened and dramatically converted Paul on the road to Damascus. Too easily, we cast him aside because his certain faith makes our own beliefs seem shallow and pale. Help us to look again to Paul’s teaching and remind us that he was Your choice. 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 comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Office Devotions: Oscar Month

John 6:15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

I love February because it’s Oscars month on Turner Classic movies. I get to record and watch the old movies with famous actors like Errol Flynn, Olivia de Haviland, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Greer Garson.

For the past two night, I’ve been watching Laurence Olivier in Richard III. He plays one of the sleaziest, greediest, and wickedest villains on the screen. I love Shakespeare’s plays anyway, but Olivier’s acting is absolutely amazing.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, cheats, conspires, and kills his way into becoming the King of England. Along the way, he makes many enemies and at the end of the play, he is left destitute on the battlefield. That’s when Olivier utters the immortal lines: “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” Justice is served and the villainous king is cut down and killed by his rival.

When I read the Gospel passage this morning, I was reminded that the people wanted to make Jesus their king, just because He supplied them with fish and bread. They wanted Him to provide for them, to heal their sicknesses, to satisfy their hunger, and to make their lives pleasant.

But Jesus was on a mission from God, so He couldn’t be tempted by such an offer. He was serving God, not Himself. He was doing God’s will, not His own.

This also reminds me that our faith in Christ is purely meant to glorify and honor Him. If we seek Jesus to bless us all the time and to make our lives easier, then we’ve crowned the wrong kind of king in our hearts. If we place our lives into His hands and seek to serve His kingdom here on earth, then we’ve truly made Him the King of our lives.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to place You at the center of our lives and to honor You with our service to Your Kingdom. Enable us to keep You as the King of our hearts and Lord of our days. 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.