Love Wins - 1 Peter 4:8

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (NIV)

This is one of my favorite verses in the New Testament. Being a dour Scottish Calvinistic Presbyterian, I often feel that my depravity, according to both Calvin & John Knox, contaminates my faith and deeply separates me from God. Even though I’m a pastor, I feel miserable about my sins and regret many past mistakes. If it wasn’t for Christ’s love and God’s grace, I doubt that I’d ever feel good about myself, but thankfully, the power of love has the ability to overcome my misery and restore me to God’s favor. Or as the Apostle Peter simply put it: love covers over a multitude of sins.

Perhaps you’re feeling bad about your past or weighed down by a mistake you’ve made. Maybe you feel disconnected to God and not good enough for His love. Please don’t despair – God’s love is the greatest power in the entire universe. You can be loved by God; you will be forgiven and you definitely can start over again. How? – because love covers over a multitude of sins – even those that you have committed.

Application: Forget the past, live in this moment of God’s grace and receive Christ’s love every day for the rest of your life. 😊

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the greatest gift in all of our lives – the love of God that You purchased for us on the Cross. Help us this day to share this amazing love with all whom we meet. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship each Sunday at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s psalm drawings based on Psalm 73. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm 73.

God's Faithfulness - Lamentations 3:22-23

Lamentations 3:22- 23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (NRSV)

I’ve always loved these verses for several reasons. First of all, they remind me of a dear old couple from Scotland who often sang this as a duet in worship. After decades of marriage, they epitomized all of the love, grace, and faith that these scriptures express.

Secondly, I need this promise from God every single morning of my life. I am far from perfect and cannot get through a single day without sinning. This means that I create a gap between myself and God each day. However, when I wake up in the morning, a new day begins with God’s mercy and forgiveness, faithfulness and love. It’s a beautiful and sacred gift that I will cherish as long as I live.

Application: Start off each day with a smile. God has graciously forgiven us and faithfully loves us, so what more can we possibly need? 😊

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for the gift of grace and the blessing of love each day. Enable us to share these blessings will all whom we encounter today. In Christ’s Holy Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship each Sunday at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings called ‘Mackintosh Rose. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Rose.

A Tax Break - Luke 18:13

Luke 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ (NRSV)

Do you ever have one of those days when you feel as though you’ve taken a wrong turn, done something stupid, or been very selfish? Me, too. I don’t know how you personally cope with those kinds of days, but they sometimes make me feel as though I can’t approach God for any help, hope, or healing. My foolish mistake or sinful act separates me from God, and so my pride or shame won’t let me immediately turn to Him for pardon, grace, or restoration. It’s as if I’m angry with myself or feel as though I’m wasting God’s precious time. However, at some crucial point, I reluctantly traipse back to Him like the tax collector in today’s verse, hang my head in shame, and mumble a plea for forgiveness.

Almost immediately, I experience a sense of relief and of being reconnected to God. I know I don’t deserve His gracious love, but I am very glad to receive it. By forgiving my sin, God restores me to His delight; by pardoning my mistake, I not only feel better, but I want to do things better for God and His Kingdom. To be forgiven is a precious gift that I hope I will never take for granted; to be restored to God’s favor is a wonderful way to begin my life again.

Perhaps you are feeling burdened by past mistakes, sinful deeds, or personal failures. Maybe you’ve been carrying a whole boatload of guilt that is keeping you back from reconnecting with God. Or perhaps you just feel as though you’ve disappointed God and can’t approach Him for mercy or restoration. Please do not despair: God’s grace is far bigger than any or all of our sins; God’s love is far greater than any mistakes we have made. He allows us to ask for forgiveness, not because He wants to shame us, but because He wants to restore us and reconnect with our hearts and spirits. In other words, we may be great sinners, but Christ is an even greater Savior than all of our sins combined.

Point to ponder

What is my deepest regret or costliest mistake? Am I willing to bring this to God in prayer and ask for forgiveness?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know us completely and are aware of everything we have foolishly or sinfully done. You ask us to come to You for mercy to give us the gift of God’s grace. We are truly thankful and totally humbled by Your merciful ways. In Your Holy Name, we joyfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along and join us for worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s worship drawings for Transfiguration Sunday. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Transfiguration.

Church devotion: An Interesting Word - Luke 17:3-4

Luke 17:3b-4            "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

            ‘Rebuke’ is an interesting word. In English, it originally meant to force back or repress something by pushing against it. In Greek, it meant to overload something with so much honor that any badness, corruption, or sinfulness would be thoroughly depleted, so that only goodness would remain. These days, we equate the word ‘rebuke’ as something negative, judgmental, or offensive, simply because we do not like to be criticized, questioned, or confronted about our personal choices, decisions, and deeds.

            In the New Testament, the purpose of a rebuke was to make someone aware of the negative consequences of a personal act or selfish misdeed. The rebuke was meant to stop individuals from doing something sinful or foolish, in order to bring them back to their senses, turnaround their lives, and set them back on the right direction. It wasn't a judgment to make them feel bad; it was a cautionary word to help them be restored to something good.

            This is how forgiveness and grace actually work. People may turn away from self-destructive and detrimental choices because they sincerely seek the peace and wholeness that being forgiven offers. This is what makes repentance a key process in spiritually reforming and transforming people. The hope of being reconciled and restored to God’s favor, blessing, and love can be a major and positive impact in healing people of their past, in order to help them lead better and productive future lives. So, if we properly understand what Jesus once taught in today’s passage, we would see that a rebuke can bring about a healthy realization in a person, which in turn leads to a sincere repentance, to be followed up with real forgiveness, in order to bring about an absolute restoration with God and others. It’s a beautiful way of transforming our lives; it’s what makes grace so amazing.

Questions for reflection

Have I ever been rebuked? If so, how did I respond? Am I willing to forgive someone who repents? Am I committed to restoring hope through the healing of God’s grace?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You are the Author of our hope and salvation. Sometimes Your words challenge, confront, and even rebuke us in ways that make us aware of our faults, foolishness, and failings. Help us to understand that You overload us with Your honor not to make us feel bad, miserable, or fearful, but instead You use it to cleanse us from our sins and fully reconnect us to our loving, forgiving, and everlasting God. In Your Holy Name, we humbly and cheerfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest stained glass type designs. It’s called ‘Spirit of the Dogwoods.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Dogwoods.

Grace devotion: No Limits - Mark 3:35

Mark 3:35       “Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

            As church people, we are meant to be brothers and sisters in Christ. Our identity is defined through Him and, by our faithful works in the world for Him, people should be able to see that we are united. The trouble is this: the world sees a fragmented church which is constantly in turmoil and being broken by inner conflicts. Instead of being the vehicle of Christ’s peace, healing, and grace, His Church has become a symbol of religious strife, constant battling, and sadly, self-righteousness.

This is a complete shame because the world needs Christ more than ever. His words and ways, His life and love could repair a lot of the damage and destruction that is experienced all over this planet. Poverty and ignorance, illness and despair could be effectively diminished if Christ’s people could totally unite and fight the real foes of humanity. Tragically, Church people have got into the habit of creating doctrinal divisions and are rent asunder by definitions of what is sacred. I include myself in this tragedy because I have often compounded some of these issues, conflicts, and separations.

            I often hear preachers preaching messages about getting back to the basics, but what they really urge is a conforming to past doctrinal truths and rigid religious rules. I understand that structure is important, however I am more inclined to think that you can’t theologically systematize and narrowly limit God’s grace, goodness, and love.  If God’s love is everlasting and His grace is infinite, then how can there be boundaries? If there is a limit to God’s love, then doesn't that also mean that God cannot love the unlovable, which may further mean that He is limited, finite, and impeded by a boundary that He cannot cross?

            Boundaries remind us that we are finite, mortal, frail, limited, and human. Jesus invites us to cross the limitations that are set upon us by aligning and uniting our lives to Him. He becomes our way of rising above our boundaries in order to be restored, reconnected, and reunited to the boundless grace and love that belongs to God. Through Christ, the unlovable are loved, the unreachable are reached, and the sinful saved. And when we faithfully do His work in the world beyond church world, we are further blessed to become not just brothers and sisters in Christ, but also brothers and sisters of Christ. In other words, we are adopted by Him into the everlasting heart, life, and love of God.

Questions for personal reflection

Where can I work for Christ and do God’s will today? How can I encourage others in church and my community to do the same?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we seek to truly serve You and yearn to please You. Today, and throughout this week, You will give us opportunities to share Your love and grace with other people. Help us to do all that we can to do God’s will among our families and friends, our neighbors and community. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or comment on today’s message, then please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest Nativity picture called “Outsiders.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Outsiders.

Devotion on Grace: The Gift of Grace - Matthew 20:15

Matthew 20:15        Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?

            Today’s Gospel passage (Matthew 20:1-16) has nothing to do with workers’ rights, shrewd employers, or salary compensation; it’s all about the grace of God and how He freely and independently chooses to bestow it upon anyone that He selects. Grace belongs to God, so when He blesses someone that we think doesn't deserve it, then we need to ask ourselves this question: who does deserve God’s grace?

            Of course, the honest answer to that question is no one deserves God’s grace, otherwise it would simply be a meritorious award or an honorary gift. We all for short of the standards that God expects of us; we all sin on a daily basis, so if God simply gave His grace to those who deserved it, no one would experience or know of God’s grace ever again.

            It’s because God is gracious that we can begin again each day with a clean slate. It’s because of God’s grace that we can turn away from our sin and turn toward His love. It’s because of God’s grace that we can live our lives not under the fear of judgment and wrath, but with the joy and gladness that only grace can bring. As the old hymn emphatically states, grace is absolutely amazing!

            Perhaps you still feel guilty about something you did in the past, or some wrong that you committed which hurt someone else. Maybe you regret something that you said or did which disappointed God and still makes you feel ashamed. Perhaps you believe that you cannot be forgiven, so all you deserve is God’s wrath and eternal punishment for a horrible sin in your life. To tell you the truth, every Christian feels that way; every church person knows that reality; every follower of Jesus has experienced those kind of faults and failures.

            However, because God is gracious and because He wants to give grace, we can all be forgiven and restored, pardoned and accepted of anything and everything that we have ever said or done. There are no limits to God’s grace when we come to Him humbly and sincerely seeking His pardon. When we acknowledge our sinfulness before Him in prayer, He gives to us His grace through Jesus Christ, His Son and our Savior.

Questions for personal reflection

What is the biggest regret in my life? Am I willing to confess it to God, in order to receive His grace?

Prayer:           Lord Jesus, You are the instrument of God’s grace and the channel of His mercy. We know that we do not deserve such a wonderful and amazing gift. We thank You for sacrificing Yourself so that we may be given God’s amazing and absolute grace in our sinful lives. 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 make a comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Nativity drawing for kids. It’s called “Babushka Nativity.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Nativity.

Free Daily Devotions: Finding Forgiveness - Acts 3

Acts 3:19         Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the LORD.

We all make mistakes and need to forgive ourselves of past foolishness. Not one of us is perfect and, if you’re anything like me, sometimes the guilty burden of past events is hard to live with.

We’ve all said or did wrong things that have hurt or disappointed other people. We’ve all made selfish choices that we later regret. And we’ve all taken sinful paths that leave us empty and disillusioned, unfulfilled and dissatisfied with life. Failing is a part of being human and falling into sin is a daily event.

Forgiveness, on the other hand, is an important part of God’s daily grace. We can be liberated from our unloving ways through the presence of Jesus in our lives. When Peter urges his people to repent, he’s offering them a divine opportunity to be forgiven of what they collectively did to Jesus. He’s inviting them to confess their mistakes and seek God’s grace. If they choose to do this, they will be restored to God’s favor and given the glorious opportunity of beginning again.

That’s the kind of message that I need to hear each day. If I had to carry the burden of past mistakes, I would never be able to get through another day. Christ’s sacrifice allows me to come to Him to ask for, seek, and find forgiveness. Jesus restores my soul and refreshes my spirit each day. I can even forgive myself because He forgives me first.

I don’t know what kinds of heavy burdens you carry in your heart and mind, but this I do know: repentance works. If you truly ask Jesus today to forgive your past mistakes, He will completely pardon you and you will be renewed. This is one of God’s greatest promises. This is how Godly grace works.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we all have sinful secrets and have committed shameful choices in our lives. The past burdens us and we are made miserable by our own stupidity. Help us this day to turn to God, to repent of our ways and seek Your forgiveness. Restore us to God’s favor and refresh our lives from this time forth. In Your Holy Name, we sincerely pray. Amen.

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

Daily Devotions: On the Edge

Psalm 14:1      The fool says in his heart,” There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

Like everyone else, I struggle with my faith at times. I’ve always believed in God as far back as I can remember, but it’s what I believe in God that keeps changing. When I first became a Christian, I wanted to convert the entire world. I actually preached on street corners in Scotland and sang hymns outside of Glasgow pubs. I was fearless for Christ and wanted to show the world what unbelievers were missing. I guess I must have appeared like a religious freak to most of my drunken audience, but I was on fire for the Lord and it didn’t bother me.

These days, I would find it tough and perhaps be too embarrassed to preach outside a city bar. I get in enough trouble preaching from the relative safety of a church pulpit. Sometimes my zeal to get the Gospel message across has caused some people to get upset and leave the church. A sermon that stings is sometimes too close to the truth, even for me.

Faith is a precious gift from God, but sometimes we foolishly take it for granted or allow ourselves to cast it aside in order to indulge in sinful things. We totter on the edge of foolishness which, for some people, can lead to affluence and unbelief, indifference and apostasy. I’m not one of those who subscribes to the belief that ‘once saved means always saved.’ I think that we can lose our salvation if we lose ourselves to the wiles of the world, which is why Jesus says in Mark’s Gospel: “Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."(Mark 4 v 25) If we were saved for all time, we could give our hearts to Christ at the age of three and spend the next 97 years doing whatever we liked.

When I preach the message on Sunday mornings, I am very much aware that we’re all just living on the edge of eternity. Who knows what tomorrow may bring, so that is why we all need to get our hearts and minds, our lives and ways right with God through Christ today. To do anything else or to leave it for another time is plainly foolish and just as bad as the person with no belief at all.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, let this be the day when we all completely surrender our lives to You. Let this be the time when we allow You totally into our hearts, to change us forever. Enable us not to keep back anything or any part of us from You. Take away our foolishness and fill us with true faith. 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 John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Daily devotions: Godly Grace Matthew 5 v 45

Matthew 5:45b  He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

God’s grace will always remain a mystery to me. I want life to be fair, for the wicked to be punished and the good to be rewarded. I want righteousness to be blessed and brazenness to be condemned. I want the arrogant to be humiliated and the humble to be exalted. I want the pious to become powerful and for the unholy to be diminished. In other words, I want God to do what I want to do, instead of applying His grace to those who least deserve it.

When I stand up on my self-righteous pedestal and reproach others for being sinful, I seriously forget that I need God’s grace more than anyone else. When I feel smug about my faith in Jesus, I go down a road that ends up in pride and perdition. Instead of recognizing my sins and bowing before God, I shamefully roar and berate others for their godlessness. I am a hypocrite, in need of help and healing, humility and holiness, godliness and grace.

Each day, God causes the sun to rise on the evil and good. He does not separate them. He allows His grace to shine on all. Each year, He brings rain to the righteous and unrighteous. He does not distinguish between them, but rather God refreshes all. It’s both a mystery and a miracle to me. It’s a wonderful way of applying grace to an undeserving world full of undeserving people like me.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You died for this whole world in order to redeem it from sin and restore it to God. Sometimes we want to limit Your grace and define Your love. Forgive us for failing to truly recognize that grace is both completely unmerited and totally undeserved. 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: A Great Savior

Hosea 14:4 I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.

Podcast Version here:

Sometimes when I make mean mistakes or selfishly sin, I think that God is deeply disappointed and angry with me. I find it difficult to approach Him with the right contrition and sincerity, so I end up wondering if I will be forgiven. I don’t feel worthy enough to be saved or good enough to be pardoned, and sometimes a darkness overwhelms my soul. It’s a frightening thing to fear God and to think that He will harshly judge me.

And then, just as I need it most, the Spirit leads me to a biblical verse which turns out to be a wonderful promise of God’s grace in action. Even as a pastor, I need to hear God speak to my soul. And He does today through these wonderful words of Hosea. It’s as if God is saying to me: “I will heal your waywardness and love you freely, for my anger has turned away from you.”

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the movie, ‘Amazing Grace.’ It’s all about William Wilberforce, the great anti-slave trade opponent who gave his life seeking to abolish slavery throughout Britain and her colonies. In one scene from the movie, Wilberforce is seen talking to John Newton, the slave trader turned preacher. Newton is agonizing over his sinful past and despairingly expresses his deep regrets. At one moment, he is almost overwhelmed with his past wickedness. Then he boldly declares: “I know two things – I am a great sinner and that Christ is a Great Savior.”

We all carry burdens of past mistakes and each of us have moments when we feel our guilt before God. But His grace through Jesus Christ is so almighty and complete, that all our sins can be forgiven, our past burdens can be relieved, and our future hopes can be restored. We just need to come to Christ in prayer to receive these wonderful blessings.

Prayer: Father God, we know that we offend, disappoint, and anger You with our sinful ways and selfish choices. We confess to doing stupid things and making serious mistakes. We seek Your mercy and forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice and grace. In His Name, we humbly 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.

4 Minute Devotions: Indiscriminately Kind

Why is God kind to the ungrateful and wicked? What is it about grace that is so amazing?

Podcast version here

Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Years ago, I had to make pastoral visits to a highly successful businessman who was dying of cancer. We talked about life in general and how the world had changed throughout the years. The man expressed his sincere faith in God, but often wondered why some wicked people became rich, whilst faithful people remained poor. He had seen this happen time and time again in the business world, which made him question God’s wisdom in dealing with the world. Surely, if people were loyal to God, He would bless them? So why did so many good people fail to become successful?

I really couldn’t answer that question, but I asked him to take time to read over Psalm 73, which deals with the problems of a faithful, religious person becoming upset with God because the proud, brazen, and wicked seem to get all of the breaks. After reading the psalm, the businessman seemed to understand God’s ways a bit better, and he let go of his doubts.

If I had remembered, I would also have included today’s verse in our conversation. God is kind to both the ungrateful and the wicked. We might think that to be unfair, unreasonable, and ungodly, but it reminds that God is in control. His ways are not always our ways; His thoughts are not always the same as ours.

Why does God do this? Because He can, and because that’s how grace operates. Grace is applied to the least deserving; if it was only give to the good, then it would be called reward or merit. That’s what makes grace so amazing and so divine. We couldn’t do it – we would favor the good and cast aside the bad, whereas God applies His grace in ways that we do not understand and to people whom we would never accept.

The older I get, the less I know about God. Not because I forget, but because He is infinitely more than I can ever comprehend. That is both amazing and wonderful to me. How about you?

Prayer: Lord God Most High, we often underestimate Who You are and what You can accomplish. Your ways are often mysterious to us, so we need Jesus to positively reveal to us Your love, Your mercy, and Your grace. As we journey together in faith, teach us more about Yourself. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: More than We Deserve

God's grace is astonishing. Even although we do not deserve it, He makes us co-heirs with Christ. A short reflection on Romans 8 v 17.

Podcast version here

Evelyn and I had to sign a couple of financial forms the other day, designating our children as co-heirs. I guess we’ve reached that time of life when we have to think carefully about our future. It’s not easy to process internally, because it involves thinking about a time when we will no longer be in the world and our children will continue with their own lives. What we wanted to ensure was that our finances would be shared equally amongst them, should anything ever happen to us.

Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

It’s not a very happy subject for a devotional, but it is an important one. What we leave to our children expresses how much we love them. Now a stewardship orientated pastor would use this lesson to get people to thinking about how much they should leave to the church, as an expression of their love of God, but that’s not what this text is about.

What Paul is describing is the grace of God. Think about it: Jesus does all the hard work of laying down His life for our sins, of giving up everything so that we might be forgiven. You would think that because Jesus does this, He would inherit all of God’s blessings. And yet God’s grace goes beyond that, because He makes us co-heirs with Christ.

Some people don’t get it when they first glance at this passage. They don’t understand how profound a blessing this is. We, who are wretched and unholy compared to God and Christ, become co-heirs of everything that God has to offer. We, who once were sinful creatures, become the joint heirs of heaven, earth, and the whole of creation. It is astounding. It is astonishing. It is amazing.

Prayer: Lord God, we know that we do not deserve Your grace. We perfectly understand how unworthy and unholy we actually are. And yet, through the abundance of Your love and by Christ’s sacrifice, we are destined to become the heirs of everything You have made. This is so remarkable that mere words cannot express our delight. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Daily Devotions: Promise U

Our church kids put on a Christian musical yesterday called “Promise U.” It was amazing. They put a lot of practice into their performances and it was wonderful to watch them sing and act, dance and quote scripture throughout the entire show. I’ve very proud of all of them, and I just love to see them expressing their faith in beautifully creative ways.

Podcast version here

I’ve baptized most of the children, and I feel as though the congregation has fulfilled part of its commitment to bring them up in the faith and encourage them to get to know Jesus. Many people from the church, not just parents, are involved in the show. Our hope is that our kids will learn to love the Lord and pass on their faith to their own children through positive experiences and creative ways.

Not all of the kids belong to our church. Indeed, some of them have no church connection at all because their parents are not believers. When we first set up the Creative Expression teams, we felt it was important not to place any barriers upon any kids who wanted to take part in the shows. We still feel that way, and this year, for one wee girl in particular, the Sonshine Kids Company has been a godsend. Her family are not church people, but the girl is a friend of one of our own church kids. She came along to a practice one Wednesday night and has been a regular ever since. She now comes to Sunday school and loves being in church. Her folks might never make that kind of commitment, but it seems to me that the Lord really loves that wee unchurched girl.

Bible Verse of the Day

Romans 4:14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless.

If our church had been legalistic and cold hearted, we could have put up a membership boundary that would have prohibited non-church members from attending the practices. But the church belongs to Christ, and He is the One who said: “Let the children come to Me.” It’s amazing how His grace works, and it’s what Paul is emphasizing in today’s verse from Romans. If we all had to follow the rules to become heirs to the kingdom, then faith, grace, and hope would be replaced by duty, legalism, and perfection. In other words, we would have to earn our way into heaven and Christ’s work of salvation would be totally ignored and never needed. If that wee girl had to earn her way into our children’s creative program, she would have been held back by her parents’ non-commitment. Thankfully, through the grace and wisdom of God, she has found a place where she can truly belong.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have paid the price for our sins, our imperfection, and our unworthiness. We could never do enough good things to offset the sins that we continue to commit each day in our lives. Thank You for sacrificing Your Life and for going to Cross in order to pardon all of our sins and win us back for God’s Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

Download a hymnbook on your I-phone and bring it to Church

Churches to Sing From Digital Hymn Sheets

CHURCHES are being invited to join the digital revolution by downloading digital hymn books.

The innovation could spell the end for the traditional hymn book and church organ.
Publisher HarperCollins is launching a digital version of Mission Praise, the best-selling collection of worship songs.

Song sheets and accompanying musical backing tracks will be available for download.

Churches will be able to create electronic playlists for their orders of service.
The words can be printed off and handed out to the congregation or displayed on video screens, while the music can be played via iPods or computers.

The 1800 songs on www. missionpraise. com include The Lord's my Shepherd, Amazing Grace, Abide With Me and Rock Of Ages.

"Church services are set to be revolutionised, " a HarperCollins spokesman said.
"The site will provide an invaluable resource. We're hoping this will be a cost-effective offer to churches, schools and Sunday schools who can use the resource and tailor it to their specific needs."

Originally published by Newsquest Media Group.
(c) 2008 Herald, The; Glasgow (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

As reported at Red Orbit

Impartiality - or How the socially and politically correct thing is not Biblically correct

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Leviticus 19:15 Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. (NIV)

I am terrible about judging competitions. I tend to root for the underdog, instead of dealing with things fairly. In the past I’ve judged Halloween costume contests, cutest pet awards, and cake tasting competitions. A couple of years ago, I even judged a Senior High speech contest and found it difficult not to give higher marks to the kids from rural schools. I wanted to be impartial, but I couldn’t disconnect the kids from their backgrounds. I wanted to make up for the deprivations and disadvantages that the poorer kids had. Instead of judging the presentation and content of the speeches, I gave points for effort. When my marks were compared with the rest of the judges, mine’s were entirely different. I was never asked back to judge the competition again.

The Bible warns us about showing partiality or favoritism. If we decide issues between different parties because of who they are and not what the issue is, then we’re guilty of playing favorites. This is anathema to God and something that we need to really learn. In God’s eyes, there are no favorites – all have sinned and are in need of salvation. He deals with people equitably – on an equal footing – and He expects us to do the same. It may not be socially or politically correct, it is theologically sound. God judges us the way in which we judge others. And if our judgments are poor, slanted, or suspect, then He will deal with us according to our own standards, which could mean that mercy and grace are set aside.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to make better choices, decisions, and judgments in all of our lives. Convict us to be fair and to give everyone, rich or poor, wealthy or working class, impartiality. Teach us the practical wisdom behind such ideals. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.

Rehab

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1 Corinthians 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. (NIV)

I like Michael Vick as an athlete. I think that he has been given an extraordinary amount of talent that is largely unequalled in the NFL. I’ve watched him since his playing days at Virginia Tech and I believed that he would have become one of the major sporting heroes in the United States this decade. I have been deeply disappointed in what has been revealed. I find it hard to believe that’s someone with so much talent, so much wealth, and so much potential would waste it all on illegal betting and savage dog-fighting.

I hope and pray that Michael is rehabilitated whilst he is in prison. I watched his public apology yesterday and I believe that he meant what he said. He’s a young man and if he keeps himself reasonably fit in prison, he may still have something to offer to his sport. Everybody deserves a second chance. My prayer is that Michael abandons his foolish ways and becomes a better person.

Sometimes fallen idols make the best witnesses of God’s redeeming love. When I read Paul’s letters in the Bible, I’m reminded that he originally persecuted the church and may even have killed some of Christ’s followers. On the Damascus road, things changed for Paul in a mighty way. The Lord revealed Himself to Paul and showed him the error of his ways. Paul was given a second chance and he embraced it.

We all make mistakes; we all fall short of God’s expectations; we all are in need of redemption and rehabilitation. Christ comes to us in the midst of our troubles and crises to release us from our addictions, obsessions, temptations, and miscalculations. He has the power to renew our lives; He has the ability to restore us to God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You died for our sins so that we might not be defined by our mistakes, but rather refined by Your grace. Help us to turn away from those things that potentially lead us away from God. Grant us mercy when we sin. Give us hope to make our lives better again. Release us from our past regrets and guide us to a future glory. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

Grace is Amazing

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John 1:16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (NIV)

For a while, Grace was a popular name for girls in Scotland, especially among those who are now Baby Boomers. I used to wonder if the name Grace was chosen for spiritual reasons, because Billy Graham’s revivalist meetings were taking place in Scotland when these girls were born. Maybe Grace was chosen as a name because everyone was rediscovering the hymn “Amazing Grace.”

Then I realized it was probably something else, or rather someone else who caused the name Grace to be popular in Scotland: Grace Kelly. She was idolized by people throughout the world and when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco, her life was a fairy-tale come true. Perhaps Grace was chosen as a name for all of those Scottish babies long ago because their moms wished a happy, successful, and beautiful life for their daughters.

The Greek word for grace in the New Testament is charis (cha-rees), from which we get the word charity. It describes an act of graciousness that has been divinely influenced or inspired. We often talk about our God given rights, but in this case, we are talking about God given guidance which influences our thoughts and hearts into showing mercy, lending support, and offering help to people. This grace is often applied in circumstances where our help, charity and love is largely undeserved or unexpected.

That’s exactly what God offers to us through Jesus Christ, His Holy Son. He grants us a grace that can never be equaled. God’s grace sustains the universe and maintains our lives. God’s grace forgives our sins and redirects our ways. God’s grace gives us a divine opportunity to be restored to His favor and everlasting love. We deserve to die for our disobedience, disrespect, and distrust of God. Instead, through Jesus Christ, God offers an undeserved way out of oblivion, a merciful path to heaven. That’s why an ex-slave trader like John Newton could write a hymn called “Amazing Grace.” It is totally unexpected; it is completely undeserved.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are our grace, our mercy, and our love. Even although we are completely unworthy and undeserving of salvation, You offer us forgiveness, restoration, and eternal peace. Enable us to grasp this grace and to cling to the charis that You give to us. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Reading this week....

I've hundreds of books in my library. I'm running out of time to read them, so I'm going to try to read a book a week. This is my first effort. I'm also listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons - I've a ton of CDs!



I've had this book for decades (since seminary - almost 30 years ago).

Here is the opening statement of the introduction:

"In the first half of the 18th century, England was in a state of religious and moral decay. For many years the land had been sinking into darkness and paganism. Intemperance and immorality, crime and cruelty were increasingly becoming the characteristics of the age. The National Church was in such a dead condition that instead of being salt, preserving the nation from corruption, she was only adding to the immorality by weakening the restraints which Christianity imposed on the lusts of men. The teaching from the pulpit consisted of natural theology and cold morality, which were utterly impotent to awaken the Church or to stem the flood of iniquity. If the nation was to be saved, the Church would first have to be revived."

Sound familiar??????

"Letters of John Newton" 1960 edition Banner of Truth Trust price 2/6d...25cents