Workplace 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

Office Devotions: God's Timeline

2 Peter 3: 4     They will say, "Where is this 'coming' He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."

Podcast version here

Every now and then, I have to remind myself that Christ can return at any minute. I often take it for granted that the world will continue indefinitely and that the seasons will come and go, just as they usually do each year. But then I remember that I am a Christian first and a citizen of this world second. The Earth will not last forever and when Christ appears, human history will be over.

I get so caught up in my own routine and my own wee world that I forget about God’s intentions and Christ’s promises. The ultimate reality is the eternal reality and my ways, my words, and my works are just mere blips on God’s timeline. He is center of the Universe; He is the real thing.

It sounds cliché to some, but perhaps today is the Day when Christ will come back. Am I ready for such a cataclysmic event? Or will I just put it to the back of my mind and trivialize it, so that I can focus upon what’s in front of me and what’s happening now?

Within me, a quiet voice is saying: “Time marches on, John, but not forever.”

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, forgive us when we unintentionally set aside the thought of Your Return. Pardon us when we are so selfishly focused upon ourselves, that we forget about Your words, Your ways, and Your works that are still to come. Help us to remember that we serve You and await Your arrival on Earth. In Your Holy Name, we expectantly 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: Faithbook

2 John 1:12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

Recently, I joined Facebook. I really enjoy reading what other people are up to each day and sending them words of encouragement and laughter in the comments section. It’s a wonderful way of keeping in contact with friends, both near and far.

For instance, many years ago in Maybole, Scotland my best friend Dave was killed in a car accident. I was absolutely devastated and my heart was broken for his wife and three young children. A couple of years later, the family emigrated to South Africa. I wondered what would ever become of them, and with me moving to America, I thought I would never know.

Then along comes Facebook and within a matter of weeks, I’m “friends” with all of Dave’s children. I now get to see and read what they’re doing and how they’re feeling. It’s remarkable. I now feel as though the world is a much smaller place and I love the sharing that takes place on Facebook. It’s like being part of a cosmopolitan village.

When John was writing his letters, he valued his contacts immensely. He was a busy man, but he wanted to see, greet, and meet people face to face. I think if he was alive today, John would be reaching out to folk across the world using Facebook. I think he would love the personal daily contacts.

That’s what I like about our faith, too. Christ can be so personal to each one of us when we let Him into our hearts. His deep and intimate friendship allows us to be guided by God and embraced by the Holy Spirit. Christ’s personal and abiding interest in our individual lives can be a great source of encouragement, assurance, and comfort. With Him deeply connected to our lives, our joy on earth, as John writes, can be complete.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for allowing us to freely come to You, so that we may be completely reconnected and restored to God. May our lives become faith-books that can be read by other people, so that they may also seek to reconnect their lives to 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.

Office Devotions: God's Global Warming

Acts 21: 24 But the word of God continued to increase and spread.

Despite the recent surveys telling us that the demise of Christianity is imminent, the word of God continues to increase and be spread. Did you know, for instance, that there are presently more Christians on this planet than at any other time in the history of the world? Did you know that Christianity is the biggest religion on earth – it outnumbers its nearest rival Islam by 2 to 1. Did you know that Christianity is the fastest growing religion in Africa?

Perhaps not, because we tend to think about Christianity in Western or American terms. American Christianity only makes up about 5-7% of the world’s Christians. We are so parochial and narrow sighted. We think that our ways are God’s ways when in fact Africa, Asia, and South America have more worshippers, church members, and followers of Christ in each of their regions of the world.

I guess that means that when God looks on earth and Christ sees His followers, American Christians are at the back of the crowd. That’s kind of humbling and yet it’s also wonderfully reassuring. I wouldn’t like to think that our consumerist Christianity was the best that our faith has to offer.

Maybe it’s time to learn from other Christians in different parts of the world who constantly face hunger, famine, disease, and persecution. In the West, we tend to be restless and unsettled, unsure of our faith and treat it like a commodity. Perhaps if we went to bed hungry at night or faced the horrors of sickness with scarce resources our faith would be substantially different.

I suppose this devotion is a wake up call for me as well as for you. Despite our weak and watered down Western Christianity, the word of God in other parts of the world continues to increase and be spread. So let’s get with the program, people!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we tend to look at our own faith through our own blinkered eyes. Instead of seeing a vast world of Christian people, we focus on dwindling denominations and a diminishing influence on Western society. One day in the future, missionaries will come back to this land from Africa, Asia, and South America to reintroduce our society to Your ways, Your words, and Your works. Thank You, Lord, for ever increasing and spreading the word of God throughout the world. 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.

Office Devotions: Soldier-Servant

Acts 10:2 Cornelius and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

I think when I get to heaven, I’d like to meet Cornelius. His story fascinates me and I love the fact that God uses him as a vehicle to spread the Christian faith throughout the mighty Roman militia. He is chosen by God because of his faithfulness and generosity. He walks the talk and makes himself not only acceptable to the Jews around him, but more importantly to God Himself.

In the scripture we are told that Cornelius is a centurion in the Italian regiment. That means that he is an officer in one of Caesar’s finest troops. His loyalty to the Emperor must have been strong, and yet he is also a follower of the God of the Jews.

I like the fact that God is willing to use an outsider like Cornelius to accomplish an important part of Christ’s ministry. God is favoring the centurion because of his devotion and charitable contributions. Cornelius just isn’t a person who says he believes; he puts his faith into practice by giving to and providing for the poor in his community. Usually, a Roman centurion couldn’t care less about the Jews or those living in poverty. Cornelius is an exception to the rule and because of this, God uses him in an extraordinary way.

I think what the passage is teaching us is this: Cornelius was a Christian even before he knew about Christ. His devotion to God, regular praying, and giving to the poor were very Christ-like. He was an honest soldier with noble characteristics. He was a man of God who would soon become a servant of God’s Son. Cornelius provides for all of us a trustworthy example of a faithful devotee of God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for people like Cornelius, whose lives are filled with faith and honesty, loyalty and charity, commitment and compassion. Help us to receive his example of faith with love and grace. Empower and enable us to try to do much of the same. 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.

Office Devotions: Where Best to Invest

Now is not the time to invest in stocks; now is the time to invest in church.

John 4:34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”

In these uncertain times, we are all faced with financial worries and concerns about money. For some, it seems to be that saving for the future is futile because the financial market is on a catastrophic roller coaster. For others, the worry about losing their jobs and busting their career goals seems imminent. Hardship and recession, anxiety and depression are lurking everywhere. There just doesn’t seem to be any end to the uncertainty and, across the country, millions of families are trying to make ends meet.

How long this economic downturn will last, no one knows. So where can we invest our resources, time, and talents in something that will have a lasting effect and will endure for the rest of our lives? I think that the answer is simply this: our churches.

Now I know what you’re thinking: just because I’m a pastor, I’m bound to say this to make sure that the church survives this crisis. But that’s not the case. What I’m saying is this: in these uncertain times we should draw closer to God, to let the broken world see that our faith can overcome the worst of times. If we are just fair-weathered Christians who believe in God when things are going well, then our faith is shallow. However, if we continue to praise God and support Christ’s ministry during tough times, then our faith will be tested, tried, and turn out to be deeper than we have ever known.

During different crises in the past, the Church continued to flourish because it was needed to help heal and support those who were broken in the world. At the time of the Black Plague, many churches became hospitals in Europe. After the Reformation, the Church combated ignorance and poverty by setting up parish schools for young people, to make something better of themselves through the power of knowledge and education. And during the last Great Depression, churches ran soup kitchens, clothing centers, and support groups that enabled small communities and many families to overcome the hardship of the times.

In these uncertain times, we need to invest in the Church, because the Church ultimately brings out the best in humanity through faith, hope, and love to the many people who are struggling.

The Christ we serve is the Lord of all Compassion. So let’s use these times as an opportunity to show the world who Jesus is, by investing in our churches and applying our faith in meaningful and supportive ways.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, the world is hurting and our economy is struggling. People that we know have lost their jobs, whilst others are losing their hard-earned savings. In the midst of all this uncertainty, let Your Church become a constant haven of salvation and support, kindness and compassion, charity and love. 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.

Office Devotions: Hudson Miracle

Yesterday, we all saw a miracle unfold on the Hudson River. A US Airways flight heading to Charlotte lost both its engines as it was taking off, and the veteran pilot had to glide the plane into the water. His remarkable handling skills enabled both he and his crew to ditch the jet into the river without causing an almighty explosion. Everyone on board was still alive and they all realized that they were still endangered.

What happened next was equally amazing. The Hudson River ferries started to cruise towards the floating plane. Within mere minutes, passengers were being rescued and taken on board the ferries. The US Coast guard arrived very quickly and the whole rescue operation was a complete success. It was a miracle. It was also a tremendous act of courageous humanity.

Job 38:30 …when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?

If the waters had been frozen over, then it probably would have been disastrous. If another pilot had been at the controls, he might never have been able to successfully land the plane. If the crew hadn’t been so highly trained and prepared, people might have panicked and drowned. If the ferry boat skippers had not changed their routes and put themselves in danger, lives may have perished.

Today, there will be a lot of families who will be thanking the captain and crew for their courage, tenacity in the face of danger, and leadership in the midst of potential disaster. It was a magnificent moment in the annals of human nobility. Everyone did their part, including the passengers, to rescue themselves from a dangerous situation.

When the Church works properly, we play the role of rescuing people, on behalf of Christ, from death and destruction. The world needs a strong, united, and fully focused Church to tend to its wounds and broken ways. Sadly, we are so splintered and divided that our witness and work in the world is not fully functional or effective. If only we could learn from this incident. If only we would set aside our differences and dedicate our lives to the rescue mission of the whole world.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for the miracle on the Hudson River. Thank You for all of the courage, talents, and bravery of the crews of the plane, the ferry boats, helicopters, and rescue services who all saved the lives of everyone aboard the doomed flight. Help us to learn from this miraculous incident and apply it to our faith, our churches, and our Kingdom service in the world. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Office 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.

Office Devotions: Wild Thing

I’ve always liked John the Baptist, especially since my Sunday School teacher told me that my name derived from his. He’s been one of the biblical heroes of my heart. I like his wildness and courage, boldness and zeal; and sometimes, I like to live up to that kind of image in the ministry. However, John ended up being thrown in a dungeon and beheaded for his preaching, so maybe I should rethink my style!

He must have been a well-known person in his day because thousands of people came to be baptized by him. John played a key role by preparing the way for Christ’s ministry. Because of that, I expected Jesus to keep a place of honor for John in heaven. After all, without John’s ministry of preparation and baptism, how would Jesus have been received by the people?

But then, when I read Christ’s words, they puzzle me. Jesus says, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (Luke 7:28) Does He really mean that? Is Jesus saying that anyone who gets into God’s Kingdom will be greater than John the Baptist?

Wow! That really does turn things upside down for me! Grace is an amazing gift from God. John the Baptist does all of the work, and yet we end up reaping the benefits. It’s mysteries like this that make me realize how wonderful God’s love is, and how great Christ’s work of salvation has been.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your words are puzzling at times, and Your gift of grace humbles us. We know that we don’t deserve Your forgiveness, and yet we receive Your mercy. We know that we are unworthy of Your blessings, and yet You sacrifice Your Life for us. This is too much to understand at times, but it is also wonderfully reassuring. Thank You Jesus, for all that You have done, and for everything in our lives that You continue to do. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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