Stushie’s Stuff

Are denominations important for our spiritual journey? Are Christians dividing their loyalty between Christ and the Church?

Podcast version here

Acts 17: 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

Our wee church is growing, but sadly our denomination is not. Erin is a Christ-centered, biblically moderate church, whereas our denomination is on the progressive side of Christianity. It used to be that this didn’t matter, but lately it has caused people to become a part of our congregation, without officially joining the church.

I understand how people feel, but I believe that they’re missing out of a great opportunity to get officially involved in the Fellowship of the church. In the Church of Scotland, such friends of the congregation are known as adherents: they stick to the congregation, but will not participate in the life, ministry, and work of the denomination.

There’s no easy answer to this dilemma, except to say that God doesn’t recognize any denomination. Christ’s Church is One Church, of One Faith, and One Lord. When we all get to heaven, there won’t be separate gates, places, or mansions for Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Anglicans, Baptists, Pentecostalists or even Roman Catholics. We all become one Family of God and the Bridegroom of Christ. Denominations might define our Christian identity on Earth, but they are absolutely not required in Heaven.

Paul puts it even better: God is not far from anyone who seeks, reaches out, and finds Him. In other words, it’s not our denominations that bring us closer to God; it’s our genuine desire to seek and find God that ultimately brings us closer to Him.

As a pastor, I wish people would join the church without any misgivings, but as a Christian, I’m happy to see them worshipping with us on Sundays and keeping within God’s Kingdom. In the end, it’s our relationship with God through Christ Jesus that is eternally important, not our allegiance to any branch of His Church.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You call us to be disciples of Your Way and followers of Your Truth. We find that churches can provide us with the seeking skills, scriptural knowledge, and faithful fellowship that we need on our spiritual journey. We thank You for all denominations and congregations throughout the world. However, constantly remind us that our allegiance is meant solely for You above all else. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

When will Nancy Pelosi learn to keep quiet until AFTER the vote takes place?????

This is not a time for partisan politics…ON BOTH SIDES!!!!

Do we use faith as a weapon of fear and hostility, or as an instrument of compassion and reconciliation?

Podcast version here

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.  

I grew up at a time when the world was constantly threatened with a nuclear holocaust. I don’t know where or when I learned about the US-Soviet arms race, but I can remember worrying about a nuclear war even during the best of my younger days.

It was a terrible fear to live under. It tainted every aspect of life. As a teenager, I wanted to try anything and everything before the world was wiped out and blown to smithereens. I didn’t care about what I did or who I hurt, because the world didn’t care about hurting me.

And then things changed. Several movies on the TV and the big screen made us all aware of our madness. “Threads,” “War Games,” and even “The Martian Chronicles” showed us all the futility of nuclear deterrents and Cold War antagonism. A shift in the philosophies of Western and Soviet leaders brought about concord and pacts were made to avoid the holocaust that I and billions of other people on earth dreaded.

Christian fatalists, who used today’s verse with glee as a means to get people fearfully saved before the impending holocaust, were disregarded as a new hope blossomed throughout the world. Books like “The Late Great Planet Earth” and songs like “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” were set aside. Instead of fear being used as a method to convert people to Christ, peace and love, along with redemption and reconciliation, were offered as a means of getting to know Jesus.

Perhaps you’re anxious about your family and friends, and worry about their salvation. Maybe you come across as being fearful instead of faithful, crushing instead of Christian, or hellish instead of heavenly. Think about how Jesus loved and embraced sinners in order to gain their trust. Think about how He employed compassion and reconciliation in order to open hearts and minds. Think about these Christ-like things and then apply them. Don’t be hostile or holocaustic with your faith; instead, become helpful and holistic.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, save us from using fear to bring others to faith. Instead, allow us to be compassionate and loving, gracious and generous in order to attract people to You and Your Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

By Hilary White
9/23/2008

LifeSiteNews

“If you’re demented, you’re wasting people’s lives – your family’s lives – and you’re wasting the resources of the National Health Service.”

LONDON, (LifeSiteNews) – In an interview, Baroness Mary Helen Warnock has said that people suffering dementia have a duty to commit suicide.Baroness Warnock, called the “philosopher queen”, is regarded as Britain’s leading moral philosopher. She said that she hopes people will soon be “licensed to put others down” who have become a burden on the health care system.

She told the Church of Scotland’s Life and Work magazine, “If you’re demented, you’re wasting people’s lives – your family’s lives – and you’re wasting the resources of the National Health Service.” In another article for a Norwegian periodical, titled “A Duty to Die?” she suggests, “There’s nothing wrong with feeling you ought to do so [commit suicide] for the sake of others as well as yourself.In other contexts, sacrificing oneself for one’s family would be considered good. I don’t see what is so horrible about the motive of not wanting to be an increasing nuisance.”

Baroness Warnock’s comments come as prominent voices in Britain’s House of Lords continue to advocate for legalised euthanasia and assisted suicide.Nadine Dorries, the Conservative MP for Mid-Bedfordshire, said she was concerned about the influence Warnock has. “Because of her previous experiences and well-known standing on contentious moral issues, Baroness Warnock automatically gives moral authority to what are entirely immoral view points.”

Contemporary utilitarianism – the idea that individual lives are of no inherent value and can be sacrificed for the good of society – is widely held in modern academia and medical circles. The principles of utilitarianism form the foundation for the modern “bioethics” (of which Baroness is a prominent proponent) that has largely replaced traditional Natural Law medical ethics that follow the principle of “do no harm” in many modern national health care systems.

Read the rest of the story here…

It’s the question that no one is asking, but perhaps we should.

I’ve watched John McCain do several on the spot interviews and during last night’s debate, I wondered if he is suffering from an early onset of Alzheimer’s. I’m a republican voter, so this is beginning to concern me.

If you watched the debate last night, then you’ll know that he told the Miss Congeniality joke about himself twice. Last month during an interview, he mentioned the same details twice within five minutes. During a speech on the stump, he referred to Putin as being the president of Germany. That might not mean anything to average voter, but it rang some alarm bells for me. McCain also stressed the same points over and over gain last night, like a broken record – was he emphasizing what he would do, or was he unknowingly repeating himself?

So the question that we’re all avoiding and need to watch during the remaining debates is this: is Alzheimer’s affecting McCain and if so, can we afford to to have a President in office who suffers from it? Forget about heart attacks or cancer: Alzheimer’s could cause a lot of erratic decisions that will seriously affect all of us.

Maybe it’s nothing at all, but perhaps an independent doctor needs to assess McCain before we vote him into the Whitehouse.

McCain; Will he stay or will he go?

A Big night for both presidential players….

Who is the biggest sinner in the world? The honest answer may shock us.

Podcast version here

1 Timothy 1:15           Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst.

Here’s a question that we never seem to ask ourselves: who is the worst sinner in the world? We could probably make a list of movie stars, dictators, politicians, and religious leaders and compare our answers, but the true answer would be totally missing: me.

We are only truly aware of the sins that we commit, the mistakes we have made, and the regrets we carry in our hearts. No one else knows the full sum of sins that we commit except ourselves; therefore when we ask who the biggest sinner is in the world, the honest answer is “me.”

Paul understood this simple truth, which is why he writes that he is the worst sinner in the world. He can see before him the past mistakes he made as a Pharisee; he can recognize his pride, anger, and self-righteousness that led him to persecute Christians; he carries the burden of his guilty past within his heart. He knows that he is the biggest sinner in the world and no matter how saintly we revere Paul, he would never take that merit upon himself.

Once we understand that we are each the biggest sinners in our own worlds, we need the biggest Savior in the Universe to forgive and restore us. We cannot do it on our own because we have no clout with God. We each need someone to stand before God to intercede on our behalf. God will not listen or excuse us. We cannot negotiate with God. Only Jesus can stand in the gap and declare us to be His sanctified and forgiven followers. It’s His merits that extinguish our demerits. It’s His obedience that cancels out our rebellion. It’s His sacred holiness that erases our sinful hopelessness.

We go from being the biggest sinners in the Universe to becoming the greatest heirs of God. We are given grace and mercy instead of punishment and wrath. We are granted everlasting life instead of eternal misery.

This is why the Church is commissioned to go out into the world. This is why every Christian is a missionary. Like Paul, we rejoice in our salvation and want to help others receive that joyful experience. We live in the love of Christ and the grace of God. We seek to share these bountiful blessings with the whole world.

So, if you ever hear the question: “who is the biggest sinner in the world?”, then answer “me.” And follow it up by letting people know who the Greatest Savior is in the universe. One day, they’ll want to experience the same.

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, none of us are perfect, holy, or sinless. We all make mistakes and commit sins. We all are ashamed of things in the past and fearful of doing things wrong in the future. Grant us Your mercy and grace when we fail and fall. Help us to come to You constantly with our confessions, regrets, and disappointments. Cleanse us of the past and lead us towards our eternal future. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

During the present economic crisis, it’s time to remind ourselves that our trust is in God, and not in greed.

Podcast version here

Psalm 77:8      Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?

We are living in uncertain times and we are all anxious about the economy. It seems that we have just about outlived our greed, and that we will all be tightening our belts and becoming more frugal about how we spend our money. I even saw a report the other day that teenagers are beginning to reject designer label clothing. Instead, they are starting to buy cheaper items in an effort to reject hyper-commercialism, in order to save their own money. That, in itself, is a sign of a more frugal society which will affect our economy.

We’ve all been here before. In every society and civilization, there is a time when profligate spending and financial speculation comes to an end. It usually coincides with a religious revival because people begin again to trust more in God rather than the economy. It’s a reality check on using greed to succeed. It’s usually replaced with integrity, frugality, and, oddly enough, generosity. Instead of thinking about what’s best for the individual, people become more altruistic and philanthropic. Instead of investing capital to gain more interest, people become more interested in community projects, charity organizations, and those in need.

That’s when we recognize that God’s love never fails. Economies and civilizations come and go, but the love of God, which is in and around us, remains. Instead of focusing upon where the market is each day, we recognize that each day is a gift from God. We give of ourselves in ways that glorify the goodness of God, instead of the greed of the market.

Perhaps you’re worrying and fretting over your finances today, and are wondering what to do about the economic crisis. This is the perfect time to come to God and ask His guidance, seek His presence, and acknowledge His sovereignty over the situation. Eventually, the market will sort itself out, but if we make and take time to place ourselves under God’s bidding, we will discover that our faith is stronger than the economy because faith, hope and love endure forever.

Prayer:                        Lord God, in these uncertain times, You are the Rock of refuge and the Anchor of our salvation. Help us to take time to ponder on Your influence over our lives, and see Your guidance over what’s happening in the world. Give us hearts that are full of hope and spirits that are encouraged by Christ. In Jesus’ Name, we mightily pray. Amen.

This is a job for….

Obama and McCain?????

Numbers or nurturing? Do church youth groups have to be big before they are successful? Isn’t nurturing kids more important than numbers?

Deuteronomy 32:10   In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye.

I was reading another pastor’s blog this morning. She was discussing a meeting that she had with a congregation who wanted to know how to attract young people into the church. The pastor was trying to get across the idea that building up young lives was more important than building up numbers, but the people at the meeting were impatient and frustrated. They wanted a successful youth group, full of teenagers, and bursting at the seams. In other words, numbers were more important than nurturing.

At Erin Church, I believe we have a great Youth leader. Becca has served our church for several years, building up relationships with the young people under her care. She treats them with respect and encourages them to grow in faith, fun, and fellowship. It’s a remarkable ministry that blesses our congregation year after year.

If Becca was more interested in numbers rather than nurturing, our Youth group would not work. She makes and takes time out of her busy schedule to invest many hours, conversations, teaching moments, and emails with our church youth. She knows what they need and more importantly, understands what the church needs for the future. I feel that we are blessed by her commitment, compassion, and Christianity. In my humble opinion, Becca understands how God cares about our young people. Like Him, she is willing to guard and care for them, as the apple of her eye. The respect that she gets from our young people is wonderful and the faith that they experience is eternal. Concentrating on mere numbers is superficial; focusing on nurturing young spirits is priceless.

Perhaps you are part of a church that worries about the numbers in your youth group. Forget about the numerical values and concentrate on the eternal values of those young souls. That’s how God looks at the church and His people. Consider this: if God was more interested in numbers, then why did He choose the nomadic Hebrews for His people above all the other mighty nations and civilizations of the time? The answer is simple: nurturing relationships means more to God than gathering numbers.

Prayer:                        Lord God, it’s amazing to see how You worked with the Jewish people across the centuries. They were tiny and insignificant, unworthy and unsuccessful compared to the mighty Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians. And yet You called them to be the apple of Your eye.

Teach us today that same lesson where numbers do not triumph nurturing. Give us a new understanding of the holy work that is done in each of our churches. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.