Daily Devotions: A Special Day - 1 Thessalonians 2

1 Thessalonians 2:7 But we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 

If she was still alive, my family and I would be celebrating my mother’s 80^th birthday today. Sadly, she suddenly passed away 21 years ago when she was 59. She never got to see most of her grandchildren and never knew that our branch of the family moved to America.

It was my brother Andy who reminded me of this special birthday on Facebook. For some weird reason, I thought my mother was born in 1933 instead of 1931. Since the early 70s I’ve always believed she was two years younger than she actually was. Don’t ask me why – the 70s were not the most memorable years of my life. Sometimes I wonder how I ever survived them.

I do however remember my mother’s care. Despite her mental and physical illnesses, she still did her best to care for our whole family. She hardly ever slept, so late at night one of us kids used to stay up and talk with her. I can still visualize those precious moments sitting in the small kitchenette at the table. She was usually drinking tea and smoking a cigarette as we talked about anything and everything. It may not have been a healthy environment, but emotionally it was comforting. Those late night chats in the kitchen are amongst my dearest and most precious memories.

So today I’m honoring my mum and thanking God for her presence in my life. Eva McClay Stuart is eighty years young today…J

Prayer:                        Lord, we thank You for our mothers who gave us life and brought us into the world. We may only have had them for a short while in our lives, but whatever care that they gave us so that we could live our own lives, we truly thank You and them for. Bless our loved ones who are with us today and help us to cherish the memories of those we miss. In Christ’s 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 a photograph of John’s mother, Eva. This was taken in her early twenties.

4 minute devotion: What is Worship? - Acts 24:11

Acts 24:11 You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 

When I think about the Apostle Paul, it tends to be that I see him more as a preacher and teacher rather than a worshipper. Here, however, in this passage, we read of Paul’s intent to worship at Jerusalem, as opposed to stirring up the people with his powerful messages and dynamic messages. He takes and makes time from his busy schedule to honor God with what used to be called ‘divine worship.’

These days, we talk about contemporary worship, traditional worship, or even blended worship, but all worship is meant to be focused on God and rendered to Him. To make it divine, the Reformers removed all kinds of ornaments, statues and stained glass windows from their sanctuaries and left the churches almost entirely bare. Even the Communion Table was set to the side or put at the back of the church. Only when the Lord’s Supper was actually being celebrated, did the table come out into its central position.

I think we should restore the concept of ‘divine worship,’ because it would make us all realize how important it is to be in God’s House on Sundays and offer Him our best songs, praise, and devotion. For far too long, we’ve been taken God for granted and rate worship as an extra-curricular faith activity or spiritual pursuit on the same level that we treat a football game or one of our favorite television shows.

If we reinstated the aspect of ‘divine worship’ to our thinking, we would soon realize that this is not only something different, holy, and sacred; it is also something that is infinitely important to connecting ourselves eternally to God. At worship, both the human and the Divine are meant to encounter each other. If we take worship for granted, it will neither be meaningful or spiritually substantial to us; however if we treat it as divine, it will become precious and purposeful in our lives.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, each Sunday You invite and call us to divinely worship our Creator, so that our lives may be guided by Your Holy words, our spirits enthused by Your Presence, and our lives changed by Your ways. Help us to keep worship as a focus of our lives and a sacred means of being connected to you forever. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the past or Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to offer feedback on this message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest patriotic drawings. It’s called “As American As…” and features apple pie and baseball…J. If you would like to see a bigger version of this print, please go to the following link: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/4975521640_1331ec5a8d_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: No Breaks for Believers

Acts 18:17       Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.

There’s a good discussion on the internet about why do bad things happen to faithful people. After all, if people believe in God, shouldn’t they get some sort of waver on suffering? Atheists especially love to use this as a means to philosophically demean religious people and validate their own non-deist views. I guess that they just use the typical human method of discriminating against those who are different. We all are guilty of that, religious and non-religious alike.

But why doesn’t God protect His people? Surely they above all others should have a guarantee of security? Maybe that’s why the symbol of our faith is actually a Cross and not a Shield. We are all subject to the same level playing field. If a gigantic meteor was to hit the Earth tomorrow, we’d all be wiped out – Christian, Jew, Moslem, Hindu, Agnostic or Atheist. In fact, extinction would affect every living being on this planet.

Today brings no guarantees about tomorrow, but for the Christian the micro-second that life on Earth ends, Eternity with God begins. Atheists won’t know what they’re missing, but that’s their decision.

So party on, believers! Life with Jesus never ends.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the Only Guarantee in Life and we thank You for the gift of Eternity. Others may freely and willfully choose to reject what You offer, but we gladly celebrate Your everlasting goodness. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully 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.

Holy Week Devotions: Two Weeks Behind - Psalm 25 v 15

Psalm 25:15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.

The past fourteen days have been a blur to me. I’ve been in pain with tendonitis in my ankle and just when I was getting over it, I got hit with a double whammy of a cold. Easter is just one week away and I feel as though I’m two weeks behind everyone else. I’ve a lot of catching up to do.

This illness has also reminded me that I’m not invincible and that my energy is not inexhaustible. It’s made me depend more on the Lord and His people. It’s made me realize that I’m just as human as everyone else.

Sometimes we all go through times of trial and trouble and rely upon our own resources, energy, and determination to enable us to overcome. It’s only when we can’t handle things or lose our patience that we turn to the Lord. Instead of initially letting God get involved, we sometimes bring Him in reluctantly to clean up our mess or take over the situation. If only we would learn that God is ready, willing, and able to stand beside us and walk us through our distress, we would save a lot of hurt and disappointment, confusion and mistakes.

As we approach Holy Week, let’s try to let go of ourselves and let Christ lead us. Let’s allow the sacredness of this week seep into our souls and influence our attitudes. Let’s keep our eyes on the Lord and be confident that He has the power to release us from our worries, concerns, and fears.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, help us to focus our hearts and minds upon Your Passion in this coming week. Remind us of Your pain and sacrifice, Your courage and determination, Your power to forgive and restore. Grant us Your peace in the midst of our problems. 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 drawing called Japanese Garden. You can see a larger version of it online here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/4464086688/sizes/l/

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Project Being There

Matthew 10: 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

There’s a married couple in our church who have adopted three great kids from Viet Nam. They did this because they wanted to care for children who were orphaned and needed a good beginning and solid foundation in their lives. It’s cost them a lot of time, energy, and resources to do this, but it’s a wonderful and priceless gift for each child. Those little ones were saved because an American couple cared deeply for them.

But it didn’t stop there. They knew that there were more kids in Viet Nam who needed to be provided for, so they set up a charity called “Project Being There.” They did this to raise awareness and money for an orphanage in Viet Nam. Last week, the group was involved in a Chili Cook Out in downtown Knoxville to let more people know about their organization.

I’m glad that our church has such people in its midst. I’m glad that we can help this new charity become effective in this crucial area. I believe that this is what Christ would call living an abundant life, where the blessings that we have can be generously shared with those in need. If giving a cup of cold water to a thirsty child is a divine gift in Christ’s eyes, then giving orphaned Vietnamese children a good start and a new hope must be holy and sacred to God.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, there are so many good things that are being done throughout our world by people of faith and people who care. Thank You for the gift of compassion and love which can be shared, nurtured, and grown across the entire globe. Bless the work of organizations like Project Being There and enable them to embrace the poor, encourage the orphan, and empower the rest of us to do what we can to make the world a better place. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: In God We Trust - Luke 16 v 31

Luke 16:31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

Over the years, I’ve been fascinated with the story of the Turin Shroud. It’s the famous medieval cloth that purportedly is meant to be the cloth that Christ’s Body was wrapped up in when He was placed in the tomb. The image found on the cloth is centuries old and it looks like the outline of a crucified man, especially after photographs of the Shroud were looked at in their negative prints.

I’ve never been convinced that this is the true shroud. To me, it’s a discarded canvas that Da Vinci, Michelangelo, or their artistic associates worked on and never finished. The local church in Turin capitalized on their community’s fascination with venerated objects. I guess if the shroud had been recently discovered in someone’s attic, it would end up being sold on Ebay, along with slices of toast that have Christ’s face on them.

Some people need tangible proof of Christ’s Resurrection before they will begin to believe that it actually happened. They want factual evidence, not faith. They want someone to prove that it occurred before they will place all of their lives, hearts, and souls into Christ’s keeping.

But that’s always been the important issue with God: are we willing to trust Him simply on His Word? Are we willing to trust the truth of the Gospels without question, or will we wait until the end of Time to discover it, when all will be revealed? To coin an old Southern preacher: if we wait, it will be too late.

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, faith is a hard burden to carry, especially when we try to pin it down and rationalize it. God has set us this test in order to see if we really trust Him. If we fail, we let go of any eternal hope. If we have faith, we win everlasting life. Keep us from complicating this simple challenge. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you have any comment s about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Daily Devotions: Bride of Christ

Ephesians 5:32           This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church.

It seems so old fashioned now, but I can remember a time when the title “Mother Church” was constantly used. It referred to the place where we were spiritually nurtured, either as a child or as a new Christian. In my lifetime, there are two places that I would call my “Mother Church.”

The first was a mission hall situated at the heart of one of Glasgow’s toughest and most deprived areas. As I picture it now, I can still see the barbed wire at the top of its steel fence and some of the graffiti that was constantly spray painted on the outside walls. Inside the hall were a couple of classrooms and a sanctuary that could seat about sixty people. The pews were stained with a dark lacquer which would stick to your clothes on a wet day. As churches go, it was as run down as the surrounding area, but it was in that hall that I first really came to hear and know about Jesus as a child.

My second nurturing church couldn’t have been anymore different. It was a huge Gothic church in the center of town. It was about three hundred years old and could seat at least a thousand people. Sadly, when I went there, the congregation numbered about sixty on Sunday mornings.

The sanctuary was magnificent and the stained glass windows were absolutely beautiful. Each time I went there, I was mesmerized. The church organ was one of the finest musical instruments in the city and the organist was a professor of music from Glasgow University.

The Ramshorn Church, as it was called, was surrounded by a cemetery that went back to the seventeenth century. It also had a downstairs Fellowship Hall with a crypt beside it where famous Cotton Merchants and Tobacco Lords were buried. And it was there in that fellowship hall, one Wednesday night in June 1977, that I gave my heart to Jesus. I was reborn and my spirit was nurtured in that church for over five years.

Perhaps today, we might all take time to think about our ‘Mother Churches,’ and give thanks to God for their importance in our lives. Some people think that churches are outdated, old fashioned, and archaic, but Christ has used them successfully as His vehicle for bringing people closer to God for almost two thousand years. The Church is the Bride of Christ, so do we honestly believe that He is going to abandon her after all these centuries? So long as Time remains, so will Christ’s Bride.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for the churches that have nurtured our spirits and brought us closer to You. Thank You for the congregations that have mothered us and shown us the way to God’s Kingdom. Continue to bless our present churches and help them to nurture young people and new Christians. 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.

Daily Devotions: Soraya M.

Today’s devotion may be alarming to some. Please do not read if you are squeamish.

Isaiah 53: 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

I’m going to a movie this afternoon, but it’s not one that I’m going to enjoy. It’s called “The Stoning of Soraya M.” It’s about a young Iranian woman who was falsely accused of ‘unworthy conduct’ in her village and who ended up being horribly stoned to death, just for being a woman.

I cannot believe that in this 21^st century that women are being stoned to death in Iran. Gays and teenagers are also being killed in their communities by religious fanatics who wrongly believe that God wants these people stoned to death.

About eighteen months ago, I watched a horrifying video which was smuggled out of Iran of two young people being stoned to death. They were semi-entombed in a pit and covered in a white shroud. They were absolutely terrified and their families were desperately trying to protect them. When the mullah gave the word, stones the size of baseballs were harshly thrown against the bodies, faces, and heads of the unfortunate couple. Their agonized screams were drowned out by a fanatical chorus of “Allah akbhar!” (God is great!). The execution took fifteen minutes and when the camera secretly panned over the bodies all that could be seen was blood, guts, and brains.

How long can the United Nations allow this to happen? How long will Western governments dependent upon oil put up with these satanic injustices? How long will liberated women in the West ignore the plight of their sisters in Iran? And how long will Christian churches, whose Savior died a similar agonizing and repulsive death, who also spoke out against the stoning of women, how long will our churches refuse to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves?

Prayer: Lord God, this world is tarnished by religious monsters and zealous terrorists who commit atrocities in Your Holy Name. Stop allowing them to hide behind the trappings of faith and raise up Your Son’s Church to courageously and boldly speak out against these evils. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray for the women, the gays, and teenagers of Iran who live in fear of false accusations and satanic executions. 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.

Daily Devotions: The Young Ones

Ephesians 1:18a I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you...

I'm back at Montreat, North Carolina to spend the first part of the week with our Youth Group. Every year our church sends our young people to experience a whole week with their peers praising God. As usual, the worship is energetic and our teenagers are enthusiastically enjoying being here. It's a wonderful opportunity to focus on Christ and I pray that it is something special that they will keep with them throughout the years to come.

I'm glad that they are joyfully sharing this together. Our Youth leader Becca has been here sixteen times. Her faith grew through her own Montreat experiences and led her into church leadership. I know that she wants each of the participants to embrace the fellowship and grow in faith. Her dedication to these young people is helping them to develop their own spirituality and faith in the Lord.

I'm glad that they are joyfully sharing this together. Our Youth leader Becca has been here sixteen times. Her faith grew through her own Montreat experiences and led her into church leadership. I know that she wants each of the participants to embrace the fellowship and grow in faith. Her dedication to these young people is helping them to develop their own spirituality and faith in the Lord.

But what happens when they come back amongst us? Having had a wonderfully enlightening and enthusiastic experience at Montreat, aren't they in for a spiritual culture shock when they get back home? It's something that often bothers me and I personally wonder what we can do to blend more of their way of worshiping back at Erin.

At the end of the week, our young people lead the morning worship service at church. It gives them an opportunity of relating their experience to the rest of the church. But is it enough? Shouldn't we be doing more now to embrace their ideas so that both the light in the eyes of their heart and the hope they carry in their souls are not extinguished nor diminished? Instead of seeing them as the future church of tomorrow, how can we embrace them as the living church today?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, open the eyes of our heart and help us to truly see what Your Spirit is doing amongst our young people today. Give us the courage to boldly hand over important aspects of leadership in our churches today, allowing them to help us grow through their faith. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today's devotion, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Community Calamity

Ezekiel 7:26 Calamity upon calamity will come, and rumor upon rumor. They will try to get a vision from the prophet; the teaching of the law by the priest will be lost, as will the counsel of the elders.

I cannot think of a more terrifying situation for a community of faith to be in. Ezekiel’s ranting about the loss of vision, teaching, and counsel reflects a time when the people of God were in absolute disarray. Their land was about to be overtaken and their people enslaved yet again. The political leaders could not parley with their enemies. God seemed to be absent from the whole situation and the religious leaders had no message of hope to give to the people.

As you know, faithful readers, I worry a lot about the National Church. I’m concerned about the lack of vision and leadership, sound teaching and spiritual counsel. We seem to be heading down into a dead end and even although we can see it, we don’t want to accept it. It’s as if we’re in some sort of huge spiritual denial and we don’t have the savvy to turn around and head back in God’s direction.

Recently, I’ve also been thinking about the wee church that I serve. It’s constantly growing, full of new ideas and people. We’ve been through some setbacks, but God always seem to lead us to something better and bigger. I just wish that our National Church would do the same. If a wee church like Erin can keep growing, there must be something that we’re doing that is right in God’s eyes compared to what’s happening nationally.

That’s why we’re entering into a new phase at Erin. We want to keep growing spiritually and numerically. We want to influence our community and make an impact for God’s Kingdom. We want to continue putting Christ at the center of who we are, what we do, and how we practice our faith. It’s not that we’re perfect, holy, or far superior than those around us – far from it. We’re just trying to please Jesus and help others experience that self-same joy of serving the Lord.

So this morning, we pray for a prophetic voice and vision to be heard and seen in our national Church. We pray for sound spiritual teaching to be placed before the people. And we ask that the counsel of all the elders across the church will emerge from being focused and centered on Christ. Otherwise the terrifying prophecy of Ezekiel could be our National Church’s ultimate destiny.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the blessings that You have given to our wee church. Thank You for the vision of things to come, the teaching of the truth, and the wise counsel of our elders. Help other wee churches in other places begin to experience the same, so that Your Name may be truly honored and glorified, praised and adored. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Crossless Christians

Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

We live in a cross-less society, where people are not willing to carry their own burdens or endure any trouble. Even some Christians want their faith to be light, worry-free, and non-challenging to their life-style choices. It’s as if we’re saying to Christ and His first disciples, “that cross carrying stuff is old-fashioned. We want to emerge as new Christians, who are free to reject what we don’t like of the old ways and re-invent our faith. We want it all to be light and fluffy, likeable and popular. We don’t want to carry nasty crosses anymore.”

The trouble is this: when we do that, we’ve become a New Age religion and no longer cross-carrying Christians. We want our faith to be convenient instead of persistent. We want it to be experienced on our terms instead of Christ’s. Rather than place Christ at the center of all things, we want Him to be focused on us. We want Jesus to like us and love us, laugh with us and live with us, instead of confronting and challenging us, or converting and changing us.

Sometimes I wish that Jesus had never said things like ‘anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.’ I wish that He had uttered something like ‘disregard your crosses, have fun with Me, and you can be My friends.’ But He didn’t. Christ knew that life was hard and that in every generation Christians will be faced with two choices: to throw off their crosses and go their own way, or to wearily pick up their heavy burden and plod on, following Jesus all through life.

Having faith in Jesus is never going to be easy, but one day we will get to lay our crosses at His feet and enjoy His peace forever. But if we want it all now, we will never experience that everlasting joy and peace.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we want to give up being Christians and just fall into line with the rest of the world. It would be a whole lot easier just to ignore Your words and to go our own way. Instead of feeling guilty, we would be unburdened and could live our lives free from any commitment, challenge, or change. But You have called us to carry our crosses, to endure the world’s dislike, and to experience the cost of faith. It isn’t an easy path to follow, but we pray that You will enable and empower us to keep on going, so that we may emerge as real Christians and not phony disciples. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s’ message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Hudson Miracle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Wild Thing

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

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

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

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

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

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4 Minute Devotions: Valkyrie Review

Evelyn and I have our own New Year’s Day tradition of going to the movies to see a new blockbuster. There’s usually a show mid-morning, so it gives us the rest of the day to relax and perhaps do some bargain shopping afterwards. So, yesterday we headed to the theater to see what was being shown.

We opted to go and see Tom Cruise’s new movie, ‘Valkyrie,’ which is all about the unsuccessful bombing assassination attempt of Hitler. It was a great movie and the suspense was intense. You knew how it would all end, but you still rooted for the brave souls who sought to rid the world of a monster.

At the end of the movie, all the conspirators are either shot or hanged for being traitors to their country. For years after the war, keeping their memory and lauding them as heroes was highly controversial in Germany. Eventually, their attempt was recognized on a memorial which reads: “Here in the former Army High Command, Germans organized the attempt to overthrow the lawless National Socialist regime on July 20, 1944. For this they sacrificed their lives.”

The film disturbed us and rocked our faith. We were left with this question which no one can answer: why didn’t God allow this assassination attempt to work? If Hitler had been killed in July, 1944, then the war would have ended much sooner and millions of lives would have been saved. The Russians would never have entered Berlin and the Cold War may never have occurred. How could God permit this monster to live for another ten months, creating havoc and destruction across Europe, as well as sentencing countless numbers of Jews to death in satanic concentration camps? Wouldn’t it have been better to rid the world of Hitler sooner?

I guess it’s a question that will never be satisfactorily answered on this side of eternity. Most of the conspirators and members of the German resistance movement were Christians, too. They saw their faith and calling as a means to rid humanity of a terrible and wicked evil in the world. They must have wrestled with this ethical problem more than we can ever imagine.

Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

In the end, I have no answer, but I still retain my belief that Christ, through his willingness to sacrifice Himself, seeks to redeem the world eternally from all wickedness and evil. Generations may see terrifying tyrants and monstrous dictators rise and fall, but Christ’s reign continues to the end of all history.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes our faith struggles and we are not certain of Your ways, Your truths, Your life. The world is full of inhumanity and wickedness, and it seems as though evil is contaminating the entire earth. In the midst of our angst, give us the courage to believe and the fortitude to hold on to faith. Remind us that Your ways are not ours. In Your Holy Name, we still faithfully pray. Amen.

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