August 11 devotion - No Hurry

Revelation 10:6           And he swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and the angel said, “There will be no more delay!”

There’s an old story told about three apprentice devils who were taking their final exam in front of Satan.

“Before I let you loose in the world,” Old Nick said, “I need to know what deceitful message you are going to whisper in the ears of people so that they end up here in hell.”

“That’s easy,” said the first devil. “I’ll tell them there is no heaven.”

“That won’t work,” said Satan. “Whenever people look at the beauty of the earth and feel the wonders of creation, they know that heaven exists. FAIL!”

“I’ll tell them that there’s no hell,” said the second devil.

“That won’t work either,” said Satan. “The world is full of so much pain and suffering, injustice, and cruelty that people know hell exists as a place of punishment for the unrepentant and wicked. FAIL!”

The third devil thought for a moment and then said, “I’ll tell them that there’s no hurry.”

“EXCELLENT!” Satan declared. “People will be fooled into believing that there’s plenty of time to change. Hell will overflow with lost souls! PASS!”

And the angel said: “There will be no more delay!”

Are we ready for Christ’s Return if He comes back today?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, our lives are precious gifts which are meant to be spent serving God and enjoying His Creation. We get distracted at times by what’s going on around us instead of paying attention to what’s happening inside our souls. Help us to take this day as a means of strengthening our faith, serving You, and sharing Your love, so that we and others will be ready for Your Return. In Your Holy Name, we wait and pray. Amen.

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

Today’s drawing is called “Death by Dali” and is John’s crayon depiction of the Crucifixion based upon Salvador Dali’s masterpiece “Christ of St. John of the Cross.” If you would like to see a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5061/5630260156_4cd6a2e7b5_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: God's Timeline

2 Peter 3: 4     They will say, "Where is this 'coming' He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."

Podcast version here

Every now and then, I have to remind myself that Christ can return at any minute. I often take it for granted that the world will continue indefinitely and that the seasons will come and go, just as they usually do each year. But then I remember that I am a Christian first and a citizen of this world second. The Earth will not last forever and when Christ appears, human history will be over.

I get so caught up in my own routine and my own wee world that I forget about God’s intentions and Christ’s promises. The ultimate reality is the eternal reality and my ways, my words, and my works are just mere blips on God’s timeline. He is center of the Universe; He is the real thing.

It sounds cliché to some, but perhaps today is the Day when Christ will come back. Am I ready for such a cataclysmic event? Or will I just put it to the back of my mind and trivialize it, so that I can focus upon what’s in front of me and what’s happening now?

Within me, a quiet voice is saying: “Time marches on, John, but not forever.”

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, forgive us when we unintentionally set aside the thought of Your Return. Pardon us when we are so selfishly focused upon ourselves, that we forget about Your words, Your ways, and Your works that are still to come. Help us to remember that we serve You and await Your arrival on Earth. In Your Holy Name, we expectantly 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 Devotions: Shock and Awe

A pastoral friend of mine suddenly died this morning and I am deeply saddened by it. He was about the same age as me. We used to meet for lunch on a regular basis as a part of a small group of pastors. My other peers are just as shocked as I am. He was such a good friend to all of us, and we’re all going to miss him.

Podcast version here

When death hits us like that, it can give us a jolt of reality. It reminds me of my own mortality and makes me question my own readiness for meeting the Lord suddenly. I don’t want to get morbid here, but it’s something that we all shouldn’t leave till it’s too late. Being prepared to come face to face with Christ is the most important thing in our life. And no matter when our death comes, it’s always too soon.

Bible Verse of the Day

Revelation 22:7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

That’s why I admire the first century Christians. They lived with the imminence of Christ’s Second Coming among them. They firmly believed that Christ’s return was just around the corner. They hoped it would happen in their own lifetimes and were ready, willing, and able to serve the Lord at a moment’s notice.

I don’t think that the same can be said for our present generation. After two thousands years of waiting, we will be totally shocked when Jesus re-appears. And yet, as I’ve written somewhere before, Christ’s Second Coming will happen for all of us the split-second after our deaths. One moment we’ll be passing over as the result of an accident, at home, or in a hospital bed; the next second we’ll hear the blare of almighty trumpets and suddenly realize that Christ has already come. That’s why we need to be ready here and now, because if we leave it to there and then, it will be too late.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for taking You for granted and putting Your imminent Return to the back of our minds. We are sorry for disrespecting You and we ask that You enable us to properly prepare our hearts and souls for Your sudden arrival in the world. In Your Holy Name, we wait and pray. Amen.

A Thousand Generations

Audio version here

1 Chronicles 16: 15 He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations. (NIV)

They say that a new generation is born about every 20-25 years. This may mean that in any given century, four to five generations of one family are born. In the twentieth century, my grandfather was born in 1907; my father came into the world in 1926; I was born in 1957, and my first daughter’s birth took place in 1986, so I guess the statistics are right.

Now here’s something that will blow your mind. If God guarantees His word for a thousand generations, then it means that 20,000 – 25,000 years may pass before that promise is fulfilled. That’s a lot of centuries and an enormous amount of time.

So, what does it mean for us? Well, if civilization is fifteen thousand years old, then it may mean that we still have ten thousand years to go before Christ will return. If Biblical civilization is only seven thousand years old, then Christ may not come for another 18,000 years. And since Christianity is only two thousand years old, it could be that the long awaited Second Coming of Jesus may be as much as twenty three thousand years away!

It all sounds crazy and fantastic, and I guess if you take a literal interpretation of David’s psalm, you could justify those calculations. However, I wouldn’t depend upon them. For you and me, Christ’s Second Coming will occur in the twinkling of an eye, a split second after our death. If we all live to be a hundred years old, then we can work out the math and calculate how much time we have left before we kneel in the presence of Jesus.

That’s why it is so important for all of us to ‘get right with God’ and give our hearts to Jesus. Whether the Second Coming happens today, or tomorrow, or after ten billion tomorrows is not the point. Being ready at that sacred time, and placing our spirits into Christ’s hands is crucially important.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, one day You will return to reclaim the earth as Your holy inheritance. At that time, You will call everyone of us to Your mercy seat. You have been appointed by God to judge the living and the dead, so there’s no escape from that moment in eternity. Grant us the courage to give our hearts to You now, so that we may live with the assurance that our sins are forgiven, our lives are reborn, and our eternal souls belong to You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.