religious News: From Tractor Pulls to Petrol Bombs
A schoolboy argument over a tractor has led to a Christian village in Pakistan being looted and burned.
Lahore, July 2 : Over six hundred Muslims attacked Christians in Bahmniwala village in Kasur District of Pakistan after local mosques urged them to unite and “teach a lesson” to the Christians.
Angry Muslim mob, after accusing of blasphemy, destroyed Christians’ houses, looted valuables and tortured Christian men and women ruthlessly.
At least 110 Christian families, almost 700 people, were forced on Tuesday night to flee the village. The families sought safety in the fields surrounding their village.
However, locals said the problem started when a Christian boy, Arif Mashi, was travelling on a tractor and asked a Muslim boy, Muhammad Riaz, to allow him to pass. When Riaz refused, the two quarrelled.
Following this incident, on Tuesday night, a mob attacked houses of the area’s Christian community with petrol-bombs, destroying their electricity meters and thrashing any Christians they found., the Daily Times reported.
4 Minute Daily Devotions: Real Results
1 Corinthians 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?
The apostle Paul went through some really tough times. Apart from being persecuted and hunted down by his enemies, he was also heavily criticized by members of the churches that he had established and developed. It must have been hard for him to receive such complaints, especially when he believed that the Corinthian church’s strength had much to do with his own work for the Lord. I guess that they must have forgotten how much they owed to Paul for bringing them out of obscurity and into the light of steady growth.
This passage makes me wonder what are the results of our own work in the Lord? How many people have been blessed or touched by our words and acts of Christian faith? If we were to take the faith component out of each of our lives, what kind of gaps would there be? We will probably never know, but it is perhaps something that we each should personally ponder: how effective and influential is my faith? What are the results of my work in the Lord?
Yesterday, I received an email out of the blue which touched my heart and reminded of the importance of this devotional work that I do for the Lord. I’d like to share the email with you. I’ve left the spelling and grammar uncorrected because I want you to experience the email the way I did.
Dear Sir John Stuat,
Thank you for your message in Hebrews 10:33 which conforted me
I have read this in Uganda/ Africa having fled my country due to insecurity but am alive with my wife and children now refugees many things have been destroyed but we were not distroyed.
God bless you
Kakule Kisunzu
I do not know who Kakule Kisunzu is, but I am both humbled and delighted that something I wrote a while back has helped him and his family. To me, that is a wonderful result in this work that I try to do for the Lord.
So the question for all of us is this: what are the results of our work in the Lord?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, through Paul’s ministry You have reminded us that our faith is not something that we keep to ourselves. As Christians we are meant to share Your teachings and influence others to come to You. May we take the opportunities that You give us each day to reach out to those who do not know You. May we also see the results of our work in You. 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.
4 Minute Daily Devotions: Godspell Goodies
I went to our Youth Players opening night of Godspell last evening and I was amazed at the energy, joy, and enthusiasm of all of the young people involved. Godspell has some great songs and is a perfect vehicle to relate the scriptures to a modern audience, but the way our kids have updated the material is fantastic.
Creative Expressions and theater ministry have become important hallmarks of our church and more families are becoming involved in the life, work, and ministry of our congregation. As I watched the young people on stage, as well as those working the sound system and the spotlights, I was just blown away by their creativity and commitment to one another. Sometimes I worry about the future of the church and our faith; and then when I see these youngsters perform, all my anxieties melt away.
I think I understand what the psalmist meant when he wrote that those who take refuge in God will ever sing for joy. At last night’s Godspell performance, I experienced that same joyful feeling.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for our young people and for the new ways, works, and words that they will express and use to carry faith to the world. They are a wonderful blessing to our churches and we pray that You will continue to inspire and excite them through the creative presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. 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.
4 Minute Daily devotions: Fellow Elders
1 Peter 5:1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:
Eldership is at the heart of what it means to be Presbyterian. All of our Presbyterian churches are led by our ruling elders and teaching elders. They are called by God to seek the Holy Spirit in a particular congregation and to follow that path sincerely, faithfully, and effectively. It’s one of the great strengths of the Presbyterian system and, when it is employed properly, it makes Presbyterianism a great light amongst Christian denominations.
I love being both a Presbyterian Christian and a teaching elder in the church. I feel connected to the apostles like Peter because of the special, mysterious, and holy laying on of hands that is part of the ordination process. I feel connected to the elders around me, both active on Session and pro-active in the congregation. There is a great sense of team work, responsibility, and faith in Christ that we share amongst us.
I also like the fact that Peter refers to elders as being witnesses to Christ’s suffering, which reminds me that being ruling and teaching elders in the church is never an easy process. We think, we question, and we struggle with our faith. We solve problems, seek answers, and look for guidance from the Holy Spirit. We try to keep the church on the right path, just as the world tries to distract our goals and diminish our effectiveness. We are the gate keepers of the faith and are meant to be the visionaries of our churches. Elders are always looking at the bigger picture and what lies ahead. If we only concentrate on the here and now, we will never reach the blessings yet to come.
These are anxious times for our faith, but if our elders across the Presbyterian Church remain faithful to Christ, uphold His teachings, and live according to God’s Word, then we will not only share in Christ’s glory, but we will also be handing over a strong church for the elders yet to be ordained in years to come.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for the precious gifts of eldership that You have bestowed upon the Presbyterian Church. We pray that the faithfulness, integrity, and spirituality of our ruling and teaching elders may continue to inspire our people and lead them through these uncertain times into future years of bounty and blessing, discipleship and service for Your Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we fervently 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.
4 Minute Daily Devotions: Enduring Forever
Post-modern idealism is heretical.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
I was reading an article yesterday on what has been called post-modernism. It’s a trend that has been affecting our society since the 1990’s. Post modern people think everything is relative and that there are no certainties anymore. What one person experiences, thinks, and believes is just as important, valuable, and truthful as what the next person experiences, thinks, and believes. The hope is that if enough people adopt a post-modern attitude then we will be able to solve all of the conflicts, divisions, and disunity in the world. In other words, an enlightened post-modern humanity can become its own Savior.
And that’s precisely the trouble with this kind of thinking. Christ becomes redundant. He is no longer the Savior of the World, but only another religious teacher. We replace Jesus with our own philosophical and cultural ideals. We idolize humanity and discard the divinity of Christ.
It’s called ‘heresy’ which is a word that post-modernists abhor. How can anyone be called a heretic, they protest, when no one knows the absolute truth? And when people like me write about the insidious nature of heresy in our church, culture, and society, we’re accused of being narrow-minded, arrogant, and insensitive to this post-modern phenomenon that is circulating around the world.
But here’s my two cents on the whole issue: the World has constantly sought to diminish, dilute, and discard God’s Word. Jesus was crucified for His absolutist ideas and uncompromising teaching. The First Christians were persecuted and martyred for their unconditional beliefs and unwavering loyalty to Christ. Do we honestly believe that we know better than those who walked and talked with Jesus? Are we saying that our post-modern views are more valuable than Christ dying on the Cross?
The Word of God, as the writer of Hebrews states, is living and active. It cuts through our post-modern idealism and narcissistic society. It penetrates our self-absorption and disturbs our one world philosophies. It challenges our cherished ideals and upsets our self-centered 21st century sickness that heretically separates us from God. We don’t like it; we fight against it; and we defiantly won’t embrace it.
But when post-modernism has turned to dust, God’s Word and Christ’s Gospel will remain. And so long as the wheel of Time turns, people of all ages, cultures, languages, and races will come to Christ and accept Him personally as their Lord and Savior. Heretics may come and go, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Christ of History and the Savior of the World. Kingdoms may rise and fall, ideas and philosophies may emerge and diminish, but Your Gospel and God’s Word endures forever. Forgive us for embracing false ways and preserve from allowing heresy to harm our faith. 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.
History Screensaver: Tears for Galileo
21 June, 1633 – Galileo forced to deny that the Earth revolves around the Sun by the Inquisition
What modern rights and truths are being squashed by the Church today?
4 Minute Daily Devotions: Calloused Hearts
Christian hypocrisy is alive and well in the Bible Belt.
Matthew 13:15 ‘For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
Not exactly ‘Gentle Jesus, meek and mild’ stuff, is it? I wager that if Jesus was to step into a mainstream church pulpit today and preach what was on His heart, the congregation would be squirming in the pews and vow never to return again. To call religious and spiritual people callous is a bit disconcerting and yet that is precisely the kind of Christians we are raising in the Western Church today.
Okay, so you were looking for a word of encouragement or an affirmation of God’s blessing in this devotional, but the pastor is now meddling with the spiritual comfort zone most people have created for themselves. I’ve heard people talk the talk for years and they live deluded Christian lives. I’ve seen countless people busy themselves with other things, but as far as Sunday worship, Bible study, or prayer are concerned, you would think you were asking them to move a mountain!
Oh they are full of good intentions, but we all know that the pathway to Hell is paved with good intentions. I just wish that Jesus was around in the flesh and that those who constantly make excuses could meet Him face to face. Then I wouldn’t get shot down as being the messenger of His words. Jesus could take the flak for Himself.
So the challenge for us all is this: what are we going to do about our calloused hearts and self-centered excuses in the Western Church? When are we going to start living as Christians instead of wannabe followers of the Faith?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are not always meek and mild; in fact in the Gospels You are very confrontational and fiercely straight-forward. Somehow we have mixed up our ideal image of You and have begun idolizing ourselves in the process. Revive our faith! Reclaim our souls! Restore us to God! Get rid of our good intentions and replace them with real commitment. In Your Holy Name, we fervently 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 devotional, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
4 Minute Daily Devotions: Outside the Box
Psalm 37: 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this.
Our congregation is about to embark on a new adventure. We are trying to raise $1 million in order to renovate our church in such a way that the next generation of church members will not face mounting bills which will limit their mission. We’ve come a long way to get here and sometimes people don’t truly understand how much effort it takes to keep a church growing.
During the last fourteen years, we’ve seen a steady increase at Erin. In contrast, our denomination (PCUSA) and Presbytery have been diminishing. Previous pastors had followed the denominational path and subsequently the church stopped growing. Erin took a great risk in 1995 when I was invited to be the pastor because my thinking would usually be outside of the denominational box.
I know that throughout the years some people have left because I don’t toe the denominational line, but my response to them is this: would you have rather had a mediocre church that was dying, or would you prefer a church that has constantly grown and has a dynamic future?
I’ve mentioned before that our wee church is at a major crossroads. We stand at the threshold of a new and vibrant future, but in order to progress forward we need to get over the past. If I’m expected to totally give of myself to this campaign and this church, then I cannot keep looking back. I’m committing my way to the LORD and focusing on the future of this congregation. I firmly believe that if everyone else gets on board, then God will truly do great things here.
Finally, I had lunch with the local Presbytery Executive last week and he sees how important our work is at Erin. He asked me to consider being a part of the New Development Strategy for Presbyterian churches in our area. Toeing the denominational line has not helped to grow our local churches. He wants someone involved who can “think outside the box.” I see that as an affirmation of what I have tried to accomplish here with the people of Erin and by the Spirit of God. It’s nice to have a PCUSA representative officially recognize what’s happening here. Maybe we can help other churches to do the same.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the One who permits churches to grow and Your Holy Spirit’s presence is essential for those congregations who would grow in the future. Without You, we are just another religious club trying to keep afloat. Help us to think outside of the box and go outside of our church in order to find where Your Spirit is working in the midst of our 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 comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
Political Art: Tehran Turmoil
The Black uniformed Revolutionary Guard hammer green clothed protestors with cudgels and run over a student with a motorbike.
Abstract drawing because the world does not want to see what is clearly happening….:( All surrounded by the Iranian flag
Daily Devotions: Clean Water
Proverbs 11:25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Our church has a team of four people traveling to Guatemala tomorrow. They’re going on a special mission to find a site in a small village where a clean water well can be established. The team has been in training for months and they’re all excited about providing such a wonderful source of refreshment and health for the local community.
A couple of years ago, we would never have attempted such a mission, but we had a family who came into our church that had been supporting a Guatemalan school in the same region. Their enthusiasm and knowledge became a touchstone of interest for our church people. We started to support the school on a regular basis and then helped to finance sending a college student team for a week’s mission with the village kids.
These were great projects but we also wanted to do something that would have a lasting effect on the whole community. That’s when someone on our mission team was inspired by the Holy Spirit to suggest training an engineering team to build the water well. It would mean that the kids at the school and in the village would have access to clean water, which would diminish the amount of parasites they suffer from, increasing their health, and lengthening their lives.
So the Word of God is fulfilled in a beautiful way. The original church family, who generously gave of their time, talents, and resources to the Guatemalan school, has now refreshed the mission life of our church, which in turn is now refreshing the lives of an entire village. God truly works in mysterious ways!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we give You thanks for the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in lives of church people. We thank You for motivating generosity and concern, compassion and goodness which helps and saves other people in far off lands. May we always look for opportunities to refresh others in our community and across the world. And may we also know of the life changing refreshment of the Holy Spirit in our congregation. In Your Holy Name, we pray.
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.
