Teacher Devotions: Christ's Fan Club - Dancing with the Stars

Luke 17:25     But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Apparently, Donny Osmond won “Dancing with the Stars” last night on television. I never watch the show but millions of other people do, so I’m guessing that many of those who voted were lifelong fans of Donny.

I can remember his first single disc “Puppy Love” and how teenage girls all over the world screamed and swooned at the concerts where he was performing. After Elvis and the Beatles, Donny and his brothers were the biggest act in the music world during the 1970’s. His only rival was a young black kid called Michael Jackson. It’s funny how life turned out for both of them.

I admire Donny’s comeback and maybe his win on the show will rekindle his showbiz career. He’s not done a lot of international performing for the past two decades, because most of his fans outgrew his music and rejected his ‘soppy’ love songs. Perhaps a new wave of nostalgia among his original fans will help rebuild his career.

People are fickle, especially those who are obsessed with celebrities. As the years come and go, so does their enthusiasm for performers, artistes, and stars. Even leaders in both the political and religious worlds can be negatively affected by this group mentality. One day the people want to crown you as their king; the next day the mob wants to crucify you to a Cross.

When Jesus was talking to His disciples, He warned them several times about the suffering to come. Most of them were caught up in Christ’s popularity and enjoyed being connected to Him. Jesus frequently reminded them about the fickleness of the crowds. He knew that He was destined to suffer. He fully understood that the people would one day reject Him.

Several generations ago, Christianity was a popular faith. The Church had helped lead our people through two World Wars and the Great Depression. Faith was a key component that enabled our people to endure the worst and hope for better days to come. But then, decades later, the same communities who had embraced and increased the Church began to reject Christ’s teachings.

Sadly, we now live in a time where agnostics and atheists are using their belief system to undermine, diminish, and marginalize our faith in the public arena. However, the Church has faced this before in different places and times. At some point, revival occurs and the Church emerges in a stronger way. We only have to look at the flourishing churches in the former Soviet bloc countries to see that this actually occurs. The world may delightfully tell us that the Christian Church is dying, but it forgets that death only means resurrection for us.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You have stood the test of time and Your Church has endured persecution, devastation, and destruction throughout the centuries. Your Spirit never fails to inspire people every day to come to You. Thank You for the gift of the Church in the world and for the promises of hope and resurrection in the years to come. 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.

Teacher Devotions: Everlasting Words Acts 6v10

Acts 6: 10        But they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

Some people believe that we are living in a post-Christian world where Christ’s ways and words are losing their effectiveness in society and throughout the globe. In places like Britain and all over Europe, secularism is increasing and churches are emptying. People believe more in themselves and get what they want out of life, rather than taking guidance from God or experiencing Christ’s grace.

One thing that I have noticed is that when people become more secular they also become more selfish. The law of the jungle and survival of the fittest take the place of God’s laws and faith in Christ. Greed overrides need; vanity replaces charity; and the love of money overtakes love of God.

Some churches cave in and surrender to secularism and become community centers with small chapels. Some Christians give up on God and follow the maddening crowd. Others become spiritually paralyzed and don’t know what to believe in or do.

Those churches and Christians who remain are the ones who seek God’s wisdom and look to the Holy Spirit to inspire and lead them. They do not stand still nor do they stop growing faithfully and spiritually. They know that Christ’s words are everlasting and no matter how hard the secularists try to kill off Christ, they will not succeed. Christ’s mission and ministries have faced this all before, and once again the Church will reform, revive and be resurrected. The world, society, and the devil may attempt to inflict wounds upon the Church, but they cannot prevail against God’s wisdom, Christ’s ways, or the works of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, the world may try to ignore You, but it cannot eradicate Your Presence. Society may seek to diminish Your disciples, but it cannot halt Your mission. The devil may even try to cause havoc throughout the Church, but Your ministry will always prevail. Thank You for Your power and we give glory to Your Everlasting Name. 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.

Teacher Devotions: A Great Christian - Acts 11 v 26

Acts 11:26b     So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

Barnabas is one of my favorite people in the Bible. He always seemed to do the right thing at the right time. When his Christian community needed money to survive, he sold his property and helped to sustain them. When no one else would trust Saul, Barnabas befriended him and taught with him. Barnabas was a great encourager, so it’s no surprise to me that he happened to be teaching in the very place where followers of Jesus were called Christians for the first time. Barnabas was and still is a great example of what it means to be a Christian.

Encouragement is something that we call can use each day, but it’s also a gift that we in the church could do better at sharing. As a pastor, I have seen people come and go to church as they please and I wish for their sake they could be more regular worshippers. I guess they are just waiting for the right word of invitation and encouragement, acceptance and love.

Perhaps today our mission is to be a Barnabas amongst our families and friends. An encouraging word goes a long way, even amongst Christians.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, help us to reach out to those who find it difficult to be in church on Sunday mornings. Enable us to encourage and embrace them, and not treat them as outsiders or backsliders. Let us see and accept them as God’s children and Your followers. Remind us also that we are far from being perfect ourselves. In Your Holy Name, we sincerely 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.

Teachers Devotions: We Will Remember Them

Psalm 39:4      Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.

2 Corinthians 8:5       And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.

November 11^th has always been a very special and solemn day for me as far back as I can remember. As a child I watched Remembrance Day parades and wondered why all of the pipers, soldiers, and people were marching in the street. Later on in life, I would attend solemn church services and school programs where everyone kept a minute’s silence at the 11^th hour. The silence had a profound affect upon me and I have annually tried to keep it sacred.

A lot of people think about the older men and women at today’s Veterans’ Day marches, parades, and services. I don’t see them as old, frail, and grey haired. In my mind’s eye I picture them all as young twenty-something people whose hopes and dreams were set aside by two terrifying World Wars.

When I hear or read the names of those who died, I see them as young people who should have been at college, but who were called up for service of their country. Their lives were fleeting because they gave absolutely everything.

I feel sad and deeply humbled by their holy sacrifice. I hope that I have lived my life in ways that would not belittle their giving. I may never go to war or serve my country on a foreign battleground, but I will remember, respect, and honor those who have done that in the past, and who are still doing it today.

In Britain and across the many nations of what was once the British Commonwealth, the following beautiful statement is expressed after the sacred time of silence:

“They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them. We will remember them.”

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we are thankful for Your sacrifice that has guaranteed us salvation. Today we also remember those young people who have given of their lives to secure the freedoms, liberties, and rights of our people. Help us to honor their sacrifice by living our lives freely and faithfully. 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.

Teachers Devotions: One of Us - Habakkuk 2 v 13

Habakkuk 2:13 Has not the LORD Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?

Our Monday night study group at the church is looking at J B Phillips wonderful book, “Your God is Too Small.” It was written just more than half a century ago, but it is still relevant for Christians today. Phillips discusses the various conceptions that people have about God and how those conceptions are inadequate for modern people. Our group is enjoying the study because we all get to share our individual ideas about God and see how these relate to Phillips’ book.

At one point in the book, Phillips suggests that sometimes people conceive God as a Supreme Distant Being, with no opportunity of establishing a worshipful, prayerful, and personal relationship. Such deists end up feeling spiritually empty, and so they intensely devote themselves to do good deeds and make the world a better place. In the end, their purpose is futile and their mission does not last beyond their years on Earth. In other words, they exhaust themselves for nothing in trying to please the world and a Supreme Being, who is remotely not interested in anything they accomplish.

As Christians, we are thankful for the nearness of God and His intense interest in each of our lives. Jesus came down to be with us, to fully experience human life, to know of its pains and joys, and to recognize our weaknesses and strengths. We live for the Lord and the good that we do is not to bolster ourselves or better the world. We do it to glorify Christ and to continue His mission on Earth, even until the end of time.

Our God in Christ is not too small or remote at all. And our lives are His forever.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we thank You for becoming one of us and connecting our lives to God’s Kingdom. We praise for truly experiencing the human condition and for granting us the glorious opportunity of restoring us to God forever. Thank You for being one of us and for being with us. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully 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. He enjoys reading your comments.