Devotions - Heaven's Highway

Pentecost devotion: Thrown Down - Mark 13:2

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:37:00 +0000

Mark 13:2 "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; each one will be thrown down."

It was a shocking thing to say, but Jesus said it any way. When He declared that all the great Jerusalem buildings, including the Temple, would be thrown down, He was prophesying about an event that would occur almost forty years later. It was shocking because Jerusalem had just been through an architectural renaissance of its city. The great buildings and the new Temple were proudly admired by the Jews. Some of their national prestige had been restored by these new worship centers and edifices. Jesus was spoiling the celebrations and puncturing Jewish pride.

At His trial, Christ’s words would be used against Him and bring about His execution by both the religious and political authorities. His words would be treated as both blasphemy and treason, causing Him to be arrested, tortured, and painfully executed.

Sometimes I wonder if Jesus would say the same about our own structures, edifices, and policies. Maybe we have taken great pride in building up a Church that doesn’t have long to exist. Perhaps we are pinning our pride to a system that is ready to crumble, or a theology that will take us down a dead end. This is why it is important to focus on the Holy Spirit at this time of Pentecost. What is He saying to us? What is He working towards? What is He asking us to do?

After Jerusalem and its great buildings were torn down in AD70 by the Romans, Judaism was reformed by the rabbis at Javneh in AD93 and Christianity emerged as a new faith. Perhaps then, we should be asking ourselves this question: if our church buildings and structures were to collapse within a generation, how would our faith reform and what new ways to Christ would emerge?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Foundation and Corner Stone of our faith. Build our people into churches of compassion, truth, and mission. Give us the understanding to see the Way ahead and help us to embrace the Holy Spirit as He reshapes, reforms, and renews Your Church on Earth. In Your sacred 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 image is John’s latest Pentecost drawing called “Spirit on Fire.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7077/7251220410_933cbb13fa_b.jpg

Daily devotions: The Language of Heaven - Genesis 12:1

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:06:00 +0000

Genesis 12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.”

Genesis 12v1 was the very first Bible verse that I ever had to read, pronounce, and translate in Hebrew and it got me hooked on studying the Old Testament at Glasgow University in Scotland. My professor, Robert Davidson, was an outstanding biblical scholar and when he gently spoke the verses in Hebrew, you could hear from his voice how much he loved the ancient language in his heart. As he lyrically pronounced each word and syllable, I yearned to study Hebrew. It was a new part of my faith journey into ministry and it’s something that I still cherish.

Prof. Davidson made the text come alive and created an amazing picture of Abram’s journey to Canaan with his descriptions. He was Old School, which meant that he had been a parish pastor before becoming a university professor. This also meant that his lectures, which were full of wonderful research and knowledge, were also grounded in grass roots faith. Years later, he became the Moderator of the Church of Scotland and is still regarded as one of the finest spiritual leaders that Caledonia has ever known.

God commanded Abram to leave all that was familiar to him and go to a land that he had never seen. Abram’s obedient response puts a whole chain of events into motion that still affects many of us today. Three great faiths – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – are born in that amazing moment. Abram’s blind acceptance of God’s Word not only affects his immediate family, it changes the history of the world.

Today God will call each of us to do His bidding, some of which may have life changing effects upon our lives, our families, and even our careers. The question we may have to ask of ourselves is not whether we are willing to listen to Him, but are we willing to listen and obey God?

Prayer: Lord God, we each believe that You have a plan for our lives, a call to our hearts, and a ministry to fulfill. Help us to be ready, willing, and able to accept Your Word, work, and way for our lives. In Christ’s 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 John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of my latest Pentecost drawings. It’s called “Pentecost People” and is a simple depiction of the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5453/7238891276_57f5062184_b.jpg

Pentecost devotions: Journey of Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:32:00 +0000

Today's Bible reading: Genesis 11:27-32

Genesis 11:31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.

Last Sunday morning, after the worship service, we held a special ceremony to re-dedicate the church bell. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful event. We took time to remember one of our dearest elders and friends, as well as delighting in the official opening of the new site for our church bell.

The church bell goes back to the founding of our congregation and is the oldest artifact that we possess. For almost seven generations, it has been used to call the faithful to worship on Sunday mornings. It has been heard by Scots-Irish immigrants of the late nineteenth century. It proclaimed the ending of both the First and Second World Wars. It remained with us throughout the turbulent sixties and seventies, and now it has been restored in the 21^st century to a beautiful location next to the front entrance. All being well, it will outlive the present congregation and, who knows, it may one day herald the Second Coming of Christ to the Earth.

The story of the first Erin congregation is similar to the biblical account of Abram and Sarai. The Erin people also left the land of their birth and journeyed thousands of miles to settle in a place of promises. With hard work and determination, true grit and a focused faith, they carved out a living and eventually settled here in Knoxville, Tennessee. They called their new church ‘Erin,’ which is the ancient Gaelic word for Ireland. They planted a congregation and sewed seeds of faith which are still bearing fruit today. Just like the patriarchs of old, their work has been rewarded and their faithfulness has been blessed. The journey of joy continues; the mission of Christ goes on.

Questions for personal reflection

How has the faith of past generations influenced and affected me? What am I doing with that faith today in order to ensure that it will be passed on to future generations?

Prayer: Lord God, you are the Maker of Time and the Shaper of History. You have raised up generations of faithful men and women to serve the continuing ministry and constant mission of Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You for allowing us to be a part of Christ’s work on Earth. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully 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 image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called “Spirit-2012.” Its creation involves paper sculpting, wax crayons, and a scanner. If you would like to view a larger version, please click here: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/7217562558_43d588ee31_b.jpg

(It’s also available as a t-shirt at John’s CafePress website at http://www.cafepress.com/stushietees )

Daily devotions: A Living Covenant - Genesis 9:13

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:13:00 +0000

Genesis 9:13 “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the Earth.”

Like most people on Earth, I love seeing rainbows. The colors are always fantastic and the whole experience is mystical, especially when the bow arcs across a dark gray sky and then gradually disappears as the rains move on. Sometimes a double bow will appear and once I saw three bows together. That always thrills the child within me and I feel blessed to having seen something naturally beautiful. I know that there are scientific reasons why rainbows occur and it all has to do with the refraction of light against droplets of rain. Whatever the cause, I still stop to look at rainbows and experience the wonder of it all.

I also understand the covenant that God made with the Earth when the first rainbow was produced after the Great Flood. That promise was made not just with people, but the whole of life on Earth. This tells me that God greatly cares for all of Creation and not just human beings. We are just one species of many creatures on Earth and God loves them all; after all, who among us doesn’t love the things that we have created and crafted with our own hands? Don’t we also sit back, enjoy, care for all that we have made?

Next time I see a rainbow, I will delight in its short existence and thank God for such a blessing. I will also remind myself that the rainbow is not just for me, but for every living creature under its vibrant arc.

Question for personal reflection

Where do I find God’s promises being fulfilled in my life?

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for the wonder and beauty that rainbows evoke in our hearts and minds. We also praise You for the Promise of sustaining the Earth with Your blessings and grace. We are grateful to be living on and enjoying a planet with an amazing variety of living things. Help us to help You take care of it all. 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.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings. It’s called “Pentecost Power” and is a stained glass design of the Holy Spirit descending to the Earth. Symbols of flames and the rainbow permeate throughout the drawing. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7224/7200604314_e1352d502e_b.jpg

Daily devotions: The Missing Verse - Mark 11 v 26

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:58:00 +0000

Mark 11:26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.”

In some early Gospel manuscripts, Mark 11 v 26 is missing. Either the person who was copying the original scrolls forgot to add in the verse, or the verse was added at a much later date. Thousands of years later, we still don’t know what to do with it, making it a mystery that we will never be able to unravel.

Some Bible translations deal with the problem by placing the verse as a footnote. That way the verse is included in the Bible, but is not officially a part of the translated passage. The new International Version of the Bible, which I read regularly constantly, places footnotes on practically every page of Mark’s Gospel. This means that the translators have been using more than several manuscripts to write the Gospel in English. It also means that they haven’t been able to agree on which version is the most original.

Most of the time the omission doesn’t really alter the emphatic meaning of the story, event, or teaching of Christ, but in the case of Mark 11:20-26 it actually does. Verse 25 ends with Christ granting authority to His disciples to forgive sins which the Church has used over the centuries to control people. When you add in verse 26, the whole passage takes on a new meaning: if Christ’s followers refuse to forgive, then they will also be unforgiven by God. In other words, when the Church refuses to forgive, it places itself in an unforgiven category. Jesus is teaching His disciples and us that grace is not just a godly gift; it is also a religious real-life obligation placed upon Christ’s followers.

Question for Personal Reflection

If God forgives me the same way I forgive others, what does that actually mean for me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgiveness is an essential part of being a Christian. We are meant to forgive others because we are forgiven by You. We are also forgiven by God in the same manner that we forgive others. This is both a great mercy and a heavy responsibility. Help us to review how and who we forgive. Keep us mindful of how this forgiveness affects our everlasting relationship with You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently 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 image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings. It’s called “Spirit in the City” and is an art nouveau type stained glass design of the Holy Spirit descending to Earth at Pentecost. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7174563066_24c0631105_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: A Real Promise - Genesis 8:22

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:32:00 +0000

Genesis 8:22 (God said) “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

I am not a scientist so I have to trust what the environmentalists tell me about what’s happening to the planet. I also don’t fully understand what global warming may or may not be, so I have to depend upon them to let me know the truth. If they have a political agenda or an ecological philosophy to push, no matter what the facts present, I wouldn’t know because I am no expert in their fields. It’s all a matter of trust and faith, good will and wise conclusions.

I’m a theologian and a biblical scholar, so when I read in Genesis that God says everything will be okay on this planet so long as the Earth endures, then I trust that His promises are true. Throughout my life, I have never known of God breaking His Word, so I can readily accept that thousands of years ago, when He stated that the agricultural and weather cycles on Earth would persist, as long as the Earth endures, then it will always be the case. I realize, however, that these cycles will only continue so long as the Earth herself is sustained. If we destroy the planet by abusing the environment then those cycles, upon which all life on Earth depends, will be absolutely ruined. In other words, we don’t have to worry about God bringing the world to an end – we can manage that tragedy all on our own.

Question for personal reflection

How can I faithfully serve God through cherishing the Earth and protecting its environment?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the King of all Creation and we best serve You when we look after others and the world that we live in. Help us to recycle our faith through sharing it with others, as well as combining our resources with other Christians to renew and value the Earth. 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 image is one of John’s latest digital glass drawings. It’s called “The Bright Morning Star.” If you would like to view a larger version, click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6997700470_2e5fe82c6e_b.jpg

Daily devotions: Two by Two? - Genesis 7: 2-3

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:37:00 +0000

Genesis 7:2-3 Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth.

‘The animals went into the ark, two by two; the elephant, giraffe, and kangaroo’ was part of a children’s song that I used to sing in Sunday school. I loved to do the actions and sounds of all the animals and could even picture them in my mind walking onto the ark in perfect pairs. Two of every kind of animal that ever existed – except that it wasn’t two at all – for some ‘clean’ animals it was fourteen in all, especially sheep and cattle. Fourteen birds of every kind were also included. ‘Two by two’ might sound great as a rhyme to the word kangaroo, but ‘seven by two’ doesn’t really fit in the song or as a picture in my mind’s eye.

This is a good example of a popular misconception of the Bible. We’ve become so used to singing ‘two by two’ and seeing pictures, drawings, cartoons, as well as movies depicting this image that we take it for granted and believe it to be correct. If we don’t read the Bible accurately, then we accept the popular misconception. If we don’t take time to study God’s Book, then we will take short cuts and believe what is currently acceptable.

This is why Gospel preachers are presently struggling with society. There are a lot of popular misconceptions and even some serious deceptions going on in Church World. If people take the Bible for granted, they’ll end up believing in anything and make up their own ideas about Jesus and God. Usually those ideas will be shaped around their own lifestyle choices. It’s far easier to live with a popular misconception than it is to live according to an unpopular biblical truth. It’s far simpler to make up ideas about God and think everything will be okay rather than actually reading His Word and accepting the robust challenges of the Gospel. ‘Two by two’ and ‘kangaroo’ are far easier to rhyme for children than ‘seven by two’ or fourteen, but when we become adults can we honestly continue to accept popular misconceptions about our faith?

Questions for personal reflection

What is the actual source of my Christian beliefs? Have I succumbed to popular misconceptions or surrendered to God’s True Word?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your words are Gospel and God’s Word is Truth. Somehow we’ve managed to stop regularly reading the Bible and, in doing so, have diluted and even ‘dumbed down’ the standards of our Faith. Forgive us for such arrogance, ignorance, and foolishness. Help us to humbly turn to You as the source of all that is true as revealed through the Holy Words of the Gospel. In Your Sacred 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 image is John’s latest lectionary drawing called “True Vine.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7136/7140981637_f1a12a5d31_b.jpg

Daily devotions: The Hard Way - Mark 9:14-23

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:47:00 +0000

Mark 9:19 "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

As a teenager, I insisted on learning things the hard way, which often exasperated my parents. If they said something about this, I would petulantly sulk or aggressively attack them. Instead of listening to them and following their wisdom, I would go my own way and do my own thing. The results were dysfunctional, wayward, and self-destructive. The fact that I am still alive today says more about God’s grace than it does about my ability to survive. Looking back, I must also have exasperated Him too.

In the Gospels, we sometimes see Jesus being exasperated with His own disciples and people. The story of the sickness of the teenage boy and his unbelieving father in Mark 9, along with the argument that takes place between the religious teachers and Christ’s followers, appears to have caught Jesus at the end of His tether. “O unbelieving generation,” He exclaims, “how long shall I stay and put up with you?” I don’t know if He was tired and weary, or just vexed and fed up. Whatever Jesus was feeling, He wasn’t happy at all about the situation.

This makes me wonder how He would react to our present generation of Christians. Are we heading in the right direction? Are we following His teaching or our own agendas? Are we a believing or unbelieving generation? These are tough questions to ask but they should be asked by every generation, in every nation, and every congregation.

Years later, when both my parents had passed from this life to the next, I realized how much they loved me through those turbulent teenage times. I regret disregarding their life-wisdom and learning things the hard way. I didn’t believe them because I was so caught up in my own self and I arrogantly cast aside their advice. The question that we in the Church need to ask ourselves today is this: are we doing the same to Jesus?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive our unbelief and help us to accept Your ways. Teach us the value of Your timeless teachings and the importance of Your wise words. Keep us from exasperating You when we embrace worldly ways as opposed to Your godly guidance. 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.

Today’s image is one of my latest chess drawings called “Chess Nouveau.” It features chess pieces in the style of Scottish art nouveau genius Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who heavily influenced the works of Frank Lloyd Wright. If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/7123158751_5be5d70f4a_b.jpg

Sunday devotions: Hired Hands or Higher Hand? John 10:11-18

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:10:00 +0000

Today's Lectionary Reading: John 10:11-18

John 10:12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.

I read a very sad statistic this morning and it has bothered me since that time. According to a 2008 survey of a mainstream denomination, 54% of pastors did not believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. That was four years ago, so I now suspect that the number will be about 57 - 60% of pastors.

Why is this happening? Any business that employed sales people who did not fully believe in the product would soon go under. Any sports team that did not have players who believed in the coach would keep on losing. And any church that has a pastor who does not believe Christ is the World’s only Savior is doomed to fail because congregations, with shepherds who believe in nothing, always end up believing in anything.

I am fortunate to lead a congregation of folks who try to put Christ at the center of their lives. They know Who He is and all that He has done for them. They understand that they have faults and sins like everyone else on Earth, but they also believe that the grace of Christ saves them from being eternally separated from God. If I didn’t believe 100% in Christ being the Good Shepherd who calls everyone to His flock in order to be forgiven and restored to God through Him alone, then I would create havoc with their beliefs, confuse the minds of the congregation, and eventually scatter the sheep. I would only be a hired hand and not influenced at all by a Higher Hand.

Any business that employs sales people who do not fully believe in the product is doomed to fail. Any branch of Christendom that ordains pastors who do not fully believe in Christ being the Only Savior of the World is destined to diminish and, sadly, eventually die.

Hired hands or the Higher Hand – which leads the church we serve?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we play around in our minds with notions, ideas, and opinions that are self-serving, self-fabricated, and self-centered. You died for those sins and, deep within our hearts, we know that only You have the key to unlock Heaven’s Door. Forgive us for failing to believe in You and for allowing the world to distract and deceive us. Help us today to fully accept that You are the Good Shepherd and that when we listen to Your voice, we find salvation. 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 image is John’s latest Pentecost drawing. It’s a stained glass design called “Pentecost Paraklesis.” If you would like to view a larger version of the image, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6978306792_200832531b_b.jpg

Today's Devotion: Speaking Plainly - Mark 8:32

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:31:00 +0000

Mark 8:32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

Some people never grow up. In my many years of ministry, I’ve come across sad people who live as if they’re still adolescents and take no responsibility for their actions. When things get tough, they ignore the crisis and avoid the issues. Some of them retreat into a petulant corner; others become addicted to alcohol, drugs, or porn. Instead of seeking God’s help or good counsel, they carry on their reckless ways. It usually ends in tragic circumstances or bitterness. That’s what makes it all so sad.

I think Peter the disciple had a similar problem. When things were going well, he was probably the life and soul of the party. However, when Christ spoke about arrest and execution, defeat and death, Peter desperately sought to avoid the impending reality. He didn’t want to listen to negative words. He didn’t want to accept Christ’s fearful prophecies. He wanted the sacred circus and miraculous merry-go-round to continue. He couldn’t face the obvious truth that Christ was expressing.

Within all of us, there’s a similar pattern. We want life to be jolly, our hearts to be happy, and our days filled with gladness. We have made the pursuit of happiness our reason for living, instead of enjoying God and praising Him forever. We don’t want to change our ways or be challenged by Christ’s words. We want our faith to be warm and fuzzy, instead of confrontational and life-altering. In other words, we really don’t want us to be focused on Christ; we want Him to be focused on us.

Question for personal reflection

Do I shape Jesus into what I want Him to be, or do I allow Him to re-shape me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, speak plainly to our hearts and minds. Grant us a better understanding of what You want to do in our lives. Keep us from deluding ourselves and help us to devote our lives to 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 or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Psalm drawings. It’s based on Psalm 121 and features the word “I to the hills will lift my eyes.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5276/7091105163_df5d277257_b.jpg

Devotion: Who is Jesus? - Mark 8:27

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:39:00 +0000

Mark 8:27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"

Who do people say Jesus is?

· The Son of God

· A great teacher

· Savior of the World

· An historical person

· A fictional character

· A tragic leader

· A charlatan

· An ancient miracle worker

· A first century magician

· Etc, etc, etc….

The list is endless and descriptions will be added, deleted, as well as discussed until the end of the world. Whoever Christ was, is, and ever shall be, the truth about Him is this: He will never go away or be forgotten.

Questions for personal reflection

Who do I say that Jesus is? How does that affect my life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Who You are is very important to us. We call ourselves Christians because we believe in your words and try to live by Your teachings. Help us to grow in our knowledge of You and enable us to share our beliefs about You with other people. 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 image is John’s latest stained glass design for a Pentecost window. It’s called “The Promise” and it depicts the Holy Spirit descending to Earth on the Day of Pentecost. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7254/7104904371_cebaec716b_b.jpg

Earth Day Devotion: What Came First? Genesis 2:5

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Genesis 2:5 …and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground,…

What came first? Rain from the sky or water from the ground?

I must admit I hadn’t really thought about this, but today’s passage has really intrigued me. When the Earth was created, how did water form on this planet? Did it occur through condensation – the hot Earth cooled and hydrogen with oxygen combined in the process, or was it through evaporation – icy comets hitting the hot planet repeatedly causing showers of rain in the atmosphere? I’m not a scientist, environmentalist, or even a geologist, so I have no clue whatsoever about the processes involved. I guess it must have taken a considerably long time for water to appear on the Earth, but I’m also confident that this was a significant part of God’s creative plan and amazing patience. After all, how many planets in our Solar System currently have the gift of water on their surface?

Whatever the circumstances, this I do know: water is a precious commodity and one which significantly impacts the health of all of us on this wee planet. Much of the ill health, disease, and poverty in the world today can be attributed to the lack of clean water in many areas around the globe. The sad thing is this: we have the scientific, economic, and technological ability to clean the world’s entire water supply but due to our greed, sin, and inhumanity, we often lack the will to do anything about it. If we truly want to bequeath anything worthwhile to our descendants that will make their lives better, then clean water should be this planet’s first priority.

This coming Sunday is Earth Day. As Christians, we will be praising and praying to our Creator. Perhaps we should all ask Him what we can do to make the world a better place and to give our brothers and sisters across the globe access to clean drinking water.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Living Water of faith, hope, and love in our lives. Across many nations, billions of people do not have easy access to healthy water. Open our hearts and minds to the challenge of providing clean water for everyone in the world within a generation. 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, then please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing for Earth Day. If you would like to see a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5455/6942425398_1632459efd_b.jpg

Earth Day Devotion: Sacred Seeds - Genesis 1:11

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:17:00 +0000

Genesis 1:11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.

For the first time in years, I’ve planted some seeds in a box and am hoping to grow perennial flowers that I enjoy. The plants are nasturtiums and lupines. They are both different kinds of plants. The nasturtium is a Chinese creeping plant with beautiful orange and yellow flowers. Butterflies are attracted to them and when the Fall comes, they’ll probably be covered in a host of caterpillars. The lupines are tall plants which attract honey bees. They are usually white, pink, and lavender blue. If they grow successfully, they will constantly re-seed and eventually cover a large area of my front garden.

I need to look after the seedlings in order to give them a strong chance of growing and developing into mature plants. If I neglect to water them or if a late frost gets to them, they will soon die. Every day I keep an eye on them and so far I am delighted with their progress. Hopefully, I will be able to plant them outside in a month’s time and watch them bloom all summer long.

I am constantly amazed at Creation. God’s imagination, artistry, and skill are all around me and I feel both humbled and privileged to enjoy the wonders of His natural works. I like to think that when God first created plants, flowers, and trees on this planet, He not only saw that they were good but that He was absolutely delighted and thrilled with His own work.

Within each of us, God plants seeds of faith that have the potential to bear fruit and multiply through the sharing of our beliefs, the worshipping of Christ, and our participation in His ministry in our own communities and throughout the world. God’s work never stops growing because He is actively involved in the Church’s mission. Our task is to discover where our faith can best be used to bear fruit and where our Christian beliefs can blossom among the people we love, work with, and encounter.

Question for Personal reflection

Where does my faith in Christ produce the most fruit for the future?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for creating the Church in the world and for allowing us to be participants in Your mission. Help us to rely upon You to guide our thoughts, ways, and deeds so that we may produce fruitful works that glorify You and attract other people to Your Kingdom. 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 him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. John is always delighted to read your comments and to receive feedback.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Smoky Mountain Sunset.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/6926536366_3bd793f073_b.jpg

John’s drawings can also be found on his art website which you can view at www.stushieart.com.

Bible devotion: Easter People - Mark 6:27-28

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Bible passages for today: Isaiah 66:17-21 and Mark 6:21-29

Mark 6:27-28 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.

Sometimes the Bible can be very gruesome and totally ugly. Both of the passages that we are reading today do not lend themselves to anything encouraging, inspirational, or edifying. In Isaiah, people who eat bacon are condemned to God’s wrath; in Mark’s Gospel, John the Baptist is beheaded at the whim of a young girl, her embittered mother, and a wicked king.

Last week, someone wrote that as Christians, we are “Easter people living in a Good Friday world.” I think she meant that in the midst of all the ugliness, brutality, wickedness and inhumanity in the world, Christians have a strong hope that beauty can be resurrected, peace restored, goodness returned and humanity blessed through the everlasting power of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps then, the Bible is only ugly in parts to show us the depravity of people in order to attract us to the divinity of Christ.

Questions for personal reflection

Where do I see Christ’s power in the world? How does that power influence me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, the world can appear to be a scary, ugly, and wicked place. You, however, remind us that Your goodness is working across the world through the many churches, congregations, and Christians who live on this paltry planet. Help us to be Easter people to those who are experiencing a type of Good Friday suffering and pain in their lives. Enable us to embrace and support them. 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. John appreciates your own ideas and feedback…J

Today’s image is a compilation of two Holy Week drawings that I created this year. I call it ‘Easter People.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7182/6927788536_4e0e578f28_b.jpg

Daily devotions: Helping Our Teachers - Isaiah 65:23

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Isaiah 65:23 They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them.

Teachers are amongst the most undervalued professional people in our society. They devote themselves to the betterment of our communities by trying to educate the hearts and minds of the next generation. They put in long hours during the day, work at home at night as well as the weekends, and have to deal with a constant stream of parental demands. It’s not a career that anybody can do; you have to be specially called if you want to teach.

In my opinion, helicopter parents are currently the biggest blight on producing great academic students in our society. They constantly ‘hover’ over their kids and expect classroom teachers to shape the curriculum to suit their child’s individual needs. When their kids misbehave or neglect to do their homework, these poor parents berate the classroom teacher rather than deal with the source of the trouble: their own kids. Because of their constant and unnecessary intervention, they doom their kids to misfortune. Even when the kids go to college, these doted parents are still interfering. In my opinion, they are the Number 1 reason that academic standards are declining across the United States and in other western nations. A whole generation of children is going to miss out on advancing their peer group academically because they will not be able to think or fend for themselves.

So, here’s the simple lesson for today: if you want things to get better in your community, support your local teachers.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to value the teachers among us, both in church and at school. Grant us the courage to support and sustain them, even when our natural inclination is to excuse and make allowances for our kids and grandkids. Enable us to re-enable our teachers to grow great leaders, innovators, dreamers and visionaries so that the next generation will be blessed beyond measure. 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.

Good Friday devotion: Forgive Them - Luke 23:34

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:48:00 +0000

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Song – to the Irish tune of Cockles and Mussels

In God’s Holy City,

Where we were shown pity,

When Jesus the Christ died upon Calvary,

As He suffered and bled,

Our Savior He said,

“My Father, forgive them, and save them for Me.

O save them for Me, O save them for Me.

My Father, forgive them and save them for Me.”

I can remember almost 25 years ago when my first daughter was born. Both my wife Evelyn and I felt both the joy of bringing a new baby into the world, but also the deep anxiety of not knowing what to do next. There are no instructions or blueprints that come with a baby and if truth be told, most parents wing it on a day to day basis. Every child is different and each precious baby has their own unique personality. What works for one, will not work for another child. We learned this the hard way when our second daughter was born two years later. We soon realized that all that we had learned with the first child was not applicable to the second.

Not knowing what to do because of inexperience happens to us all. When we first learn to drive, we have to be taught what to do step by step, gear by gear, and street by street. We can’t suddenly take the car keys at the age of sixteen and expect to drive. We have to know what we’re doing, we have to know where we’re going; we have to think about where we’re driving and how fast we are moving. To get in a car and drive without knowing the basics is just asking for trouble.

Crucifying the Christ, the Holy Son of God, was the ultimate act of human ignorance. The people had seen and experienced Christ’s miracles. They had heard His teaching and wondered at His miracles. He had brought them closer to God than any other prophet or religious leader in their history, but they ignored the Truth He proclaimed, cast aside His way for their own understanding, and chose to take His life rather than accept His lifestyle choices. They thought that they were getting rid of another false messiah, a theological trouble maker, and religious rabble rouser, but what they were actually doing was killing the Son of God.

Jesus could have called down a thousand angels to protect Him. God could have stopped the crucifixion at any time and destroyed His holy city. Instead of judgment and wrath, Christ calls for gentleness and redemption. Instead punishment and destruction, Christ prays for peace and deliverance. In all of the history of humankind the most wicked of sins occurred at Calvary, but in the history of all Creation, the most gracious Savior of the world shows mercy.

“Father,” He prays, “forgive them for they don’t realize what they are actually doing.”

“O save them for Me, O save them for Me!

My Father, forgive them, and save them for me!”

Maundy Thursday Homily devotion sermon: On This Night

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:09:00 +0000

On This Night

Mark 14:37-38 Then Jesus returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

When I was a lot younger and ministering in Scotland, I used to come in from a hard day’s work in the parish, sit down to my dinner, and watch the evening news. It became an important part of my life and every night, between 5 to 6pm, I was engrossed in local, national, and international reports. I spent the whole hour try to cram in as much news as I could because after 6pm, the phone would ring and I would either be going out to yet another church meeting or a parishioner’s home for an emergency call. That whole hour became my lifeline between the real world and church world.

Late at night, I would catch up with my favorite sitcoms, documentaries, or sci-fi shows. They usually lasted for an hour and helped me to unwind. I could release the tensions of the day by watching a show that I liked. It was not only entertainment, it was a very easy way to chill out and relax, or as they say today to chillax. Watching television for an hour without having to think, make decisions, or settle issues was a daily blessing.

These days, because I am much older, I’m not into the evening news. It’s more like the evening snooze that I enjoy. Most of the time when I get back home, I start watching an hour long program and then find myself waking up just as the credits are being screened at the end. Like most of my peers, I’m so tired at night that I cannot even watch TV for an hour. I used to laugh at my Dad when he was my age or Evelyn’s parents who did the same. I now understand their weariness and tiredness and the need to snooze and nap. The older you get, the sleepier you become. I guess it’s God’s way of slowing us down and getting ready for His peace.

When Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, He needed His disciples to watch over Him. He was vulnerable and scared, anxious and fearful. He knew what He had to do, but He didn’t want to go through it. When he says to Peter that “the spirit is willing, but the body is weak,” he wasn’t just chastising the disciples for falling asleep; he was also expressing what Christ himself had just experienced: His spirit was willing to accept what God required, but His body was frightened about what that would entail.

When I read about the disciples falling asleep, I easily recognize my own humanity. They’re tired, full of food and rich wine. The last thing that they want to do is stand guard. It’s a beautiful moonlit night and they’re outside in the fresh air watching the stars. All they want to do is nap and snooze, sleep and dream.

But there’s an even greater display of humanity going on in the Garden of Gethsemane. A young man, at the age of 33, is wrestling with God and fighting off the temptation to run. Like anyone of us, Jesus doesn’t want to die, and yet he also knows that without His death, no other human being will ever be given everlasting life. He wants to please His Father in heaven, but Jesus also pleads with Him for a different solution. He wants to do the right thing, but Christ also struggles with how that will be accomplished. His Spirit is very willing, but his body is very weak.

Tonight, on Maundy Thursday and this terrible night we call Tenebrae, a darkness enters into the world, our church, and our souls. For on this night, we remember that night when Jesus, the Light of the World, was betrayed by Judas, the servant of darkness. Christ represented the life and love of God, whereas Judas displayed the deceit and depravation of humanity. That night touches us because we know in our hearts of hearts that we betray Christ each and every day with our arrogance, our pride, our self-centered ways, and self-opinionated ideas.

Thank God that Jesus made the right decision! Praise the Lord that Christ took up that cup of bitterness, judgment, and wrath and swallowed it completely. It was meant for us; it was not meant for Him. We are sinful creatures, whereas He is the sinless Christ.

Our bigotry betrayed Him; His beauty blessed us.

Our conceit condemned Him; His crucifixion captured us.

Our fallen humanity leads to Hell; His faithful holiness leads us to Heaven.

Our sins slaughtered Him; His sacrifice saved us!

Centuries ago, the great revivalist Charles Wesley wrote these opening words for a hymn that is still sung in Britain during Holy week.

And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior's blood?
Died he for me, who caused his pain
for me, who caused his bitter death?

Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my Lord, should die for me?

On this night, Jesus decided, of His own free will, to die for us. Amen.

Reflective silence before the Communion.

Good Friday devotion: Missing the Point - Mark 15:31

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:31:00 +0000

Bible Passage: Mark 15:25-32

Key verse: Mark 15:31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can't save himself !”

I cannot begin to imagine both the humiliation and hurt that Jesus must have felt as His own people hurled insults and mocked Him. Their words and curses must have felt like rocks and stones violently impacting His heart and soul. The physical pain of crucifixion must have been awful, but the mental torment and spiritual agony that He also endured must have been absolutely sickening.

Jesus had spent three years helping and healing His people. He taught them about God’s love and mercy. He preached to them about changing their ways and receiving abundant life. His message was challenging and radical, but His mission was about redemption and restoration. Unfortunately, His people missed the point, so instead of embracing Him, they executed their Christ.

Sadly, this is still going on in Christ’s churches today. Some of His own people will miss the point by making up their own ideas about who He was, and of what Jesus does in the world today. Even with so much information about Christ, His life, people, and community freely available to us today, there will still be those who will mock Him with their misconceptions and insult Jesus with their ideas. Holy Week will come and go, but they will not be one step closer to Christ because they will have missed the point of His Passion entirely.

Questions for personal reflection

How has Christ’s death affected my life? What has He done to challenge and change me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, the point of Your Passion is at the heart of why we are Christians. You died for our sins, so we must come humbly to You to ask for mercy and forgiveness. Sometimes our pride gets in the way, or we take Your grace for granted. Help us to make this week holy in our lives by taking time to serve, honor, and glorify You for all that You accomplished on the Cross. In Your Sacred 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 image is John’s latest Holy week drawing called “Christ Nouveau.” It’s a depiction of Christ Crucified in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the great Scottish artist who inspired Frank Lloyd Wright. If you would like to view a larger version of the image, please click here:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5072/6897826374_c074c38fbc_b.jpg

Holy Week Devotions: First To Be Saved - Mark 15:15

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:29:00 +0000

Bible Passage: Mark 15:8-15

Key Verse: Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. Mark 15:15

Did you realize that Barabbas was the first person that Jesus died for? Think about it. Barabbas is released by Pilate and Jesus takes his place. Barabbas is a terrorist who has probably killed his share of Romans. He led an unsuccessful revolt resulting in his capture. He was scheduled for crucifixion; instead Jesus takes his place.

I wonder if Barabbas stayed in Jerusalem and watched what happened to Jesus. The chances are that he didn’t. He probably left the region as quickly as possible, thanking his lucky stars and hiding somewhere safe. We never hear about him ever again, so he perhaps took his undeserved freedom and fled into obscurity.

Justice was denied that day in Jerusalem, but grace increased. Jesus, the peace loving, faithful prophet died in the place of a murderous religious fanatic. God’s Holy Son took the place of a wicked human being. Because we focus so much on the Cross and Resurrection, we miss this most poignant moment of the first Holy Week.

The point that I’m making is this: if Jesus could die for a person like Barabbas, then hasn’t He also died for people like us?

Question for personal reflection

Do you think that Barabbas was ever personally grateful to Christ for dying for him? Are you grateful for the same thing?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You died for each one of us, taking upon Yourself the unholiest of our sins and the vilest of our deeds. You died in place of us, so that we may be completely forgiven and eternally restored to God. How can we ever thank You? How can we show You our appreciation? We give our hearts to You, as well as our lives, to the glory of God. In Your Holy Name, we humbly and thankfully 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 drawing is one of John’s latest Holy Week images. It’s called “Cup of Salvation.” If you would like to view a larger version of the picture, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7268/6894799260_642eda84fe_b.jpg

Holy Week Devotions: Final Footnote - Psalm 22:1

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:57:00 +0000

Bible Passage: Psalm 22:1-5

Key Verse: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? Psalm 22:1

Every year our church has an actual sunrise service at a beautiful private school campus in our town. On a good morning, you can see for miles and the Great Smoky Mountains are perfectly silhouetted on the horizon. A couple of weeks before the service takes place, I go to the US Navy website to get the actual time of sunrise, so that I can let our people know when to gather at the school’s flagpole.

When I looked at the time this year, I got a terrible shock: Easter sunrise is at 6:10AM. I thought that this was a bit early, but the US Navy has never steered me wrong, so I accepted the time and let everyone know when to gather at the school. I pictured us all arriving with tired unwashed faces, unkempt hair, and yawning all the way through the singing, prayers, and gospel readings.

Fortunately, our church choir director re-checked the timetable and noticed the footnote at the bottom: Add one hour for daylight time, if and when in use.

The actual time of Easter sunrise is 7:10AM! As Bugs Bunny would say: what a maroon!

Because I didn’t read the footnote, I got the time wrong. Coincidentally, the same thing happens with Psalm 22. When we read those first words being spoken by Jesus from the Cross, we think that God has abandoned Him and that Jesus is painfully separated from God. To be forsaken by a parent is a great emotional loss to anyone, and so we interpret Christ’s use of this scripture as a way of expressing His complete despair and sadness of being isolated from God.

But we haven’t read the footnote, which comes in the last verse of this psalm: ‘They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn-- for He has done it.’ – Psalm 22:31

Jesus is not bewailing the fact that He has been abandoned by God; He is actually singing a song of salvation where God delivers His people for all time! It’s not about being forsaken and isolated; the Cross is about being saved and restored to God.

Question for personal reflection

How has Christ’s death become a blessing for me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You won the battle of good versus evil, life versus death, and sin versus obedience when You died on the Cross. You sacrificed Yourself for us; You obeyed God perfectly and completely. You knew that His plan of salvation for humanity succeeded. We will be eternally grateful to You for this Supreme Sacrifice which eternally restores us to God. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving our souls and bringing us back into God’s gracious Kingdom. 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 image is John’s latest Good Friday drawing of Christ being crucified. It’s called “Outside a City Wall.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7027482543_2af1a2c5f8_b.jpg

Short Devotions: What Jesus Wants - Mark 5:7

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:17:00 +0000

Bible Reading: Mark 5:1-10

Key verse: He shouted as loud as he could, “Jesus, Son of the Most High God, what do You want with me? Vow now to God that You will not torture me!” Mark 5:7

There’s a verse in the New Testament Letter of James that aptly describes what is going on here in this Gospel passage between Jesus and the demoniac. It reminds us that even demons recognize Christ for who He actually is. James writes:

‘You believe that there is one God? Good! Even the demons believe that--and tremble.’ – James 2:19

I’m struck by the fact that there are people in this world who refuse to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and yet, according to the Gospel, there are demons who know Christ and shudder. Those demons will never enter into the everlasting Kingdom of God and sadly neither will those who don’t believe in Jesus. With this in mind, we are soberly reminded as Christians that it is our mission to spread the Gospel through our acts and expressions of faith, in words and works. We don’t do these things to earn any eternal reward or divine merit. We do them to attract others to Christ and as ways of encouraging them to accept Him for Who He actually is.

Jesus was not concerned about the demon, but He was deeply troubled about the possessed man. He confronted the evil presence and rooted it out of the man, so that the demoniac could be liberated from his torment and troubles.

Christ’s ministry is still the same today. In a crazy, fearful, and tormented world, His compassion and concern is to give the people on this planet a better life, a better hope, and a better way. When people fully understand and accept that Jesus is the Son of the Most High God, then their lives are completely transformed and their days are filled with meaning, purpose, and the delight of God.

Question for personal reflection

Have I accepted Christ as the Son of the Most High God? If so, how has this changed my life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Son of the Most High God, we worship Your ways, words, and works in the world. We praise You for Your powerful presence on this planet and we seek to serve You with all of our lives. Grant us new opportunities to encourage others to seek and find 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, send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest Appalachian drawing. It’s called “Heaven Meets Earth” and it is a sunrise depiction of the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6228/6878952464_a6dbda2089_b.jpg

Please note that John has limited signed editions of this print available. Just email him for details.

Christian devotions: Storm Stiller - Mark 4:38

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:56:00 +0000

Mark 4:38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

I’ve only once had an anxiety attack in my life and I hope that I never ever go through it again. It happened years ago when my family and I moved into our new home in Knoxville. I suddenly realized that we had just taken on a thirty year mortgage for a house, in a strange city and foreign land, with absolutely no guarantees about the future.

I also felt bad for my wife and two daughters who had given up everything to come to America with me. They no longer had their own family or friends, their cousins or their comrades to support them. They needed me to be there for them, but I was so engrossed in my work that I failed them. Instead of having faith and being reassured, we were all afraid and resentful. This went on for a few weeks and then I had my panic attack.

I couldn’t breathe one day and my heart raced ahead of itself. My mind was a whirl and I honestly thought I was dying. It lasted about a minute but it felt a lot longer. By the time it was over, I was as white as a sheet and drenched in cold perspiration. It was a horrible experience and I would not wish it upon anybody.

Looking back, I can see that my main problem was a lack of faith in Jesus. I was relying upon my own strength, instead of seeking His support. He had brought all of us to the other side of the Atlantic for a whole host of reasons that are still being fulfilled today in all four of our lives. The storms that I experienced were self-created. Christ was in the heart of them, ready, willing, and able to still the storms and calm the waves. It took me a while to see it, but I now understand: Christ’s presence is real and all that truly matters is that He is here.

Perhaps, like the disciples of old, you are going through a stormy patch and troubled waters. Maybe life is hard and your problems are overwhelming your spirit. Know this: Christ is with you in the midst of all your anxieties and all of your cares. He can, and He will, still those storms.

Question for personal reflection

What fears and issues am I currently facing? How have I asked Jesus to help me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your powerful presence is what our lives constantly need. We are human and frail, fearful and anxious at times. When we are weak, we need You to be our strength. When we fall, we need You to lift us up. Lord Jesus, guide our lives and calm our storms. 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 image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Stars over Ireland” and it features the Liffey Bridge in Dublin at night time. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6844586504_7af66c66e8_b.jpg

Christian Devotions: Our Redeemer - Isaiah 63:16

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:18:00 +0000

Isaiah 63:16 However, You are our Father, even though Abraham does not recognize us or Israel know us; You are our Father, O Lord, and from ancient times Your Name is known as ‘Our Redeemer.’

Sadly, every now and then, some celebrity or famous person loses their life in a tragic or scandalous way. We are all shocked and saddened by this kind of event, especially if the person has died much younger than anticipated. Within days, we are all saturated with breaking news, special documentaries, and television biographies that sometimes unfairly criticize or sully the reputation of the dead person. Media frenzy ensues and the story is big until some other star passes away tragically. Then a new circus begins and the same old cycle of speculation and cynicism continues.

I used to wonder if that kind of thing happened beyond death. Is a person’s whole life totally revealed to everyone in eternity, with all of the shameful secrets and sinful events completely exposed? Are our reputations eternally sullied and our souls punished by God for our faithless and fruitless ways in life? As a teenager, those things used to worry me immensely; as a Christian, I now understand the beauty of God’s grace.

For thousands of years, the One, True, and Living God has been known as ‘Our Redeemer.’ He doesn’t have to, but He wants to redeem us from our sins and rescue us from the sickness of our secrets. In Isaiah’s time, the people thought that because they were so far away from Jerusalem, God didn’t have the geographical power to rescue and deliver them. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah realized that this wasn’t true. God wasn’t limited by time or space; geography or history could not bind or restrict His redeeming power. God didn’t have to, but God was willing to deliver His people yet again.

As Christians, we now know God’s great redeeming love through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. We are delivered from death and saved from our sins through the Cross at Calvary. Whatever we have sinfully done in the past, Christ has completely forgiven for all Time. Whatever shameful secrets have sullied us, Jesus has totally absolved. From of old, we have known His Name: Our Redeemer.

Question for personal reflection

How has Jesus been revealed to me as the Redeemer of my life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we cannot thank You enough for restoring us to God’s favor by redeeming us with Your blood. We will always be eternally thankful for Your sacrifice on the Cross that has reconnected our souls with God for all Time. Help us to cheerfully and joyfully live each day as thankful redeemed people. 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 image is John’s latest Spring drawing called “Dogwood Cardinal.” If you would like to view a larger version of the picture, please click on the following link: http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6227/6998552941_3a75f0a757_b.jpg

Devotions: God Will Find You - My New E-book!

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:23:00 +0000

I've just published my new Kindle e-book of devotions entitled "God Will Find You." I believe it's the best one I've written and the formatting is terrific.

As well as fifty devotions, the book contains a lot of my artwork. Each daily devotions comes with a suggested Bible passage to read and a question for personal reflection.

The book can be used at any time of year, but it can be especially read between Easter and Pentecost. Kindle is now available as a free app for most mobile devices, PCs and Macs.

Enjoy the book!

Free devotions: Church Restoration - Isaiah 58:12

noreply@blogger.com (Stushie) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:13:00 +0000

Isaiah 58:12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

The Church as we once knew it is broken and just like Humpty Dumpty in the old children’s nursery rhyme, I’m not sure that it can ever be put back together again.

The dilemma that we currently face is this: do we stand around and weep at all of the broken pieces, or do we pick up what is left and build something better? Do we repair what is wrecked or do we create something new with the broken material?

One of my favorite television programs is called “American Restoration.” It’s all about a small business in Las Vegas where the owner and his family restore old machines, gas pumps, and vintage toys into something new. They start with a worn out piece of junk that nobody would want but, by the end of the program, it’s a completely restored item, in perfect working order and newly painted. Sometimes the restorers cannot mend a machine or the parts are so badly worn that they need to be replaced. When that happens, the boss and his workers re-invent the inner workings of the item and build it into something new, something that works, and something that is attractive.

I think that is what the task of God’s church currently is: to become restored and renewed. We cannot ever be what we once were, but with God’s guidance and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and churches, we can become something beautiful for Christ. Therefore, the challenge we face this: are we going to wait, weep, and wail over what is broken and end up with nothing, or are we ready to re-gather the pieces, restore our hopes, and rebuild what we have into something new?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as Christians we are Followers of Your Way, Seekers of Your Truth, and Lovers of Your Life. Your Church is broken and we have lost something that can never be re-found. We are afraid of the future and fear the unknown; therefore we seek Your Living Presence among us so that we can faithfully and successfully rebuild, restore, and renew our churches for Your continuing ministry and mission in our communities and across the world. 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 on today’s passage, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest digital glass designs. It’s called “Celtic Dawn.” In the larger version, you can almost touch the contours of the borders on the digital window. You can view the larger version here: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7064/6957944417_d242cd6902_b.jpg