August 17 devotion - A Prayer for Today

John 7:6-7 Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.” (NIV)

Lord Jesus,

These are complicated times

Which try our souls,

Test our spirits,

And conflict with our faith.

The specter of hatred

Has overshadowed our land,

And the confusion of evil

Has frightened our people.

We have lost the path

That promotes peace,

And have fallen from the way

That leads to love.

Lord Jesus,

We need Your Spirit to guide us.

We need Your words to save us.

We need Your ways to mend us.

The Spirit of justice and liberty

Weeps over our land,

Our leaders, and our people.

We know that we have sinned

By allowing ignorance, intolerance,

And injustice to divide us.

Lord Jesus,

Forgive our false ideas

And foolish notions.

Protect us from ourselves,

And the pain we cause

Through pride, self-righteousness,

And indifference.

Give us the courage

To denounce evil,

And disavow ourselves

From prejudice,

Chaos, and hopelessness.

In Your Holy Name,

We pray. Amen.

Blessed Beatitudes

An updated version of the Matthew 5 Beatitudes

Blessed Beatitudes

Happy are those who are spiritually empty,
for they shall be filled with the fullness of God’s love.
Cherished are those whose loss is painful,
for they will be supported by loving friends.
Respected are those who seek to be humble,
for they will make the Earth a better place.
Empowered shall be those who long for justice,
for all their prayers will be fully heard.
Favored are those who act graciously,
for they will be embraced by the grace of God.
Truly loved are those who are simply sincere,
for they will know God’s faithfulness.
Anointed shall be those who strive for peace,
for they display the heart of God.
Encouraged shall be those who suffer for what is right,
for all God has, will be given to them.

John Stuart, September 2017

June 2 devotion - Prayer Poem

Please feel free to use or share

Luke 9:6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

Lord Jesus,

We are desperate for good news.

All over the Earth, there is turmoil,

All over the planet, there is confusion.

We long to hear good news

Instead of

Bombings that bewilder us,

Hunger that horrifies us,

War that worries us,

Pollution that poisons us,

And Disease that destroys us.

Lord Jesus,

We are desperate to be healed.

All over the Earth, there is a sickness,

All over the planet, there is brokenness.

We long for healing

From all

Hatred that harms us,

Bigotry that belittles us,

Ignorance that injures us,

Tyranny that terrifies us,

And Sin that separates us.

Lord Jesus,

Grant us good news

And fill us with healing.

Give us

Peace that protects us,

Hope that helps us,

Joy that joins us,

Faith that forgives us,

And Love that lifts us.

In Your Holy Name, we pray.

Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at this link: www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Love is the Key - A Response to the Brussels Bombings

1 Corinthians 16:13-14          Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.

            Today’s tragic news from Brussels, Belgium, probably caused most of us to either despair or get angry. We feel sorry for the innocent victims and their heartbroken families; we also feel disgust and outrage by those who committed such a despicable, wicked, and inhumane crime. It’s hard to accept that people would do this in the 21^st century; it’s very difficult to accept that the culprits are expressing their loyalty to God through such horrific events. The sweetness of religion becomes rancid when it is mixed with hatred; the godly gift of faith becomes demonized when it is blended with fanaticism. God weeps, Christ weeps; Allah weeps, as do all the angels in heaven. There is no goodness in ungodliness; there is no holiness in horror.

            When I read Paul’s words from today’s chosen verses, they struck me as being completely relevant about today’s tragic events. How we respond as Christians to terrorism actually reflects how devoted we are to Christ’s work on Earth. If we remain angry, then the devil wins. If we do nothing, then evil triumphs. Love is, and always has been, the key to overcoming this kind of incomprehensible violence. As Paul expresses it, so should we respond:

By being on our guard to protect people as best as we can;

By standing firm in our faith, to embrace all people as best as we can;

By being courageous in the face of terrorism and not succumbing to our fears;

By being strong together, knowing that most people on this planet seek to live in peace;

And by doing all that we can to show, share, and inspire love in our communities and across the world.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we pray for the heartbroken people of Belgium and those around the world who are personally affected, injured, and grieved by this terrible tragedy. Surround them with Your Love and enable us to support them in this hour of devastation and destruction. May Your Spirit move within all our faith and non-faith communities to seek the higher ground of respect, peace, and love. In Your Holy Name, we dearly pray. Amen.

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

Lifestyle devotion: High Anxiety - Psalm 139:23

Psalm 139:23  Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

            Anxiety is part of being human. We all experience anxious moments in our lives; we all go through times of intense worry and deep concern. Our anxiety may be about our health, our family, our work, or our resources. We may constantly worry about what people think or how we appear, who we are or what we do. We may even perhaps be deeply concerned about our community, our nation, and even our world. No matter who we are, we will experience anxiety at some point; no matter what we accomplish, we will have worrying times.

            Psalm 139 is one of the most intimate psalms ever written. The author expresses his intense relationship with God, which he believes began even before he was born. The intimacy of God is almost claustrophobic; there is not one area of the psalmist’s life that God doesn’t fully know or completely understand. This comforts the writer because he deeply relies upon God to help him throughout his entire life. God has always been there for the psalmist; his belief in God is personally defined by the deep abiding presence of God all through his days.

            If, as I have stated before, anxiety is a part of being human, then so is our spiritual capacity to pray to God. Over 90% of the world’s population pray to a Higher Being, so in the midst of the world’s difficulties and crises, a lot of praying must continually be going on.

            As Christians, we focus our faith on Jesus Christ and look to His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us through our anxious times and troubled moments. We rely upon God in much the same way as the ancient psalmist, but we experience our deep intimacy with God through our Savior’s grace and love. We turn to Christ to seek His wisdom and guidance. If we worry too much, then we are praying too little. If we are anxious too long, then we are making Jesus too small. The solution has always been the same: to let Christ search our hearts and bring peace to our anxious thoughts.

Questions for personal reflection

Am I presently anxious about some issue or personal crisis? Am I willing to really pray to Jesus about it?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You know us completely and understand our present circumstances. You see the critical times that we experience and offer us Your grace and guidance to persevere with our problems and overcome our issues. Help us to set aside some real prayer time to be intimate with You, to express our concerns, seek Your solutions, and follow Your ways. 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 make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

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

Devotion on Prayer: Praying Persistently - Luke 18:1

Luke 18:1      Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

            Like many other Christians, I pray all through the day. Sometimes I pray when I’m driving my car; at other times I pray when I’m sitting at my desk, or lying on my bed. My thoughts and prayers cover all sorts of subjects, people, issues, and requests. And whenever I’m going through a difficult time, or perhaps a family member is, or even a church member, I pray continually for help, healing, and wholeness.

            I try to be persistent in what I pray. If a friend of mine is really ill or going through a hard time, I constantly ask God for mercy and grace, guidance and goodness to come into that person’s life. I try not to give up, not because I seek to pester God with my requests, but because I know that God has the power, grace, and love to bring about healing, restoration, rescue, and renewal. Prayer is both a great privilege, as well as a powerful gift, so I really try hard to focus on what I am actually asking God to do.

            All of my prayers have been answered. Sometimes the answer is “Yes.” At other times, the answer can be “No,” but usually the answer is “Not now, not yet.” So I continue to pray thankfully, faithfully, and persistently. It doesn't make me holy or saintly; instead it keeps me connected to God and seeking His guidance. It makes me realize that I am a creature and He is Creator; I am a servant and He is my King.

            Today’s parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) was told by Jesus so that His followers would continue to use prayer as the vehicle of their requests, as well as the channel of their direct connection to God. Prayer keeps our faith activated, as well as joining our spirits to Jesus. Persistent and sincere prayer maintains our hope for healing and sustains our strength in Christ.

Questions for reflection:    How often do I pray? What do I frequently pray to God? How does God answer my prayers? How do I respond to His decisions?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, thank You for teaching us how to pray faithfully and effectively. Keep us connected to You through the spiritual experience of focused prayer. Be with us and bless us this day. 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 make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s new woodcut type drawings called “Night Lights.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Lights.

Christian devotions: Get Real, People - Luke 12:11-12

Luke 12:11-12            "When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."

We don’t really know what religious persecution actually is in Western Society. We tend to exaggerate the unpopularity of our Christian beliefs into something that isn’t true. We are not being physically attacked, imprisoned unjustly, or tortured for our allegiance to Christ. In fact, most of society totally ignores us; we’re no longer relevant and most people pay no attention to our whines and complaints.

Now this isn’t true in other places, nations, and societies around the world. Christian people are being beaten, imprisoned, oppressed, and killed for their beliefs. They are being persecuted; for instance, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in Iran has spent years in prison for refusing to teach his children the Islamic faith. He’s been sentenced to death, but when the rest of the world protested, his sentence was reviewed. He’s still in prison, on the equivalent of Iran’s Death Row. His lawyer is now also in prison and new charges of rape, insurrection, and high treason have been made against Pastor Youcef. He’s enduring real persecution, so when I read about Christians over here in the United States getting really upset about the banning of prayer in schools, displaying the Ten Commandments, or marketplace nativity scenes in malls, I really wonder what Pastor Youcef would have to say. He’d probably shake his head in disbelief and state something like “Get real, people. This is not persecution.”

If we as Christians want to become influential again in society, then we have to stop whining. After all, who would be attracted to a faith community that just wanted to get its own way all of the time? We seem to forget that the symbol of our faith is a wooden cross and not a silver spoon.

Question for personal reflection

Are my ways Christ’s ways? Do I cheerfully express my faith to others, or do I forcefully impose it on others?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, teach us the difference between paranoia and persecution. Give us a passion to express our faith through works of compassion. Keep us from turning minor inconveniences into major upsets. Help us to win souls for Your Kingdom instead of selfishly whining about the world. 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 a photo of Pastor Youcef. Please continue to pray for his release, as well as for the safety of his family and friends.

Christian devotions: I Like Bread - Luke 11:3

Luke 11:3 Give us each day our daily bread.

I like bread. I like it a lot. Whether it’s the bread that I toast in the morning, the sandwich that I eat for lunch or in the roll that I may have with dinner, my conclusion is the same: Bread Rules! When I was growing as a teenager, I could sometimes eat half a loaf loaf at night with butter and jam. I don’t know how my folks afforded it, but there was always bread in the pantry for all of us hungry Stuart kids.

In Scotland, there is something called a plain loaf which is a doughy loaf of sliced white bread. At each end of the loaf is a thick slice which is either called the ‘heel’ or the ‘outsider’. In our house, getting the outsider was an extra helping, so we took it turns to receive it. Whenever it was toasted, covered in butter, and put on a plate, I felt as though I was feasting like a king. As I am writing this, I can still experience crunching through the dark crust and tasting the texture of the bread. As a poor kid, from a large family, living in a deprived area, white bread was my staple diet. Eating the thick crunchy heel was a wonderful blessing that meant a lot to me.

When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray, He instructs them to ask God to give them their daily bread before they ask Him to forgive their sins. He wants them to rely upon God to sustain them first and then forgive them second. It’s not that forgiveness is less important than meeting their needs; it’s just that Jesus wants them to be grateful first and then seek God’s mercy.

Sometimes I need to remember that lesson. Frequently I feel guilty about my mistakes, so that when I talk to God in prayer, I reel off a list of sins in order to seek His mercy first. I forget to be grateful and thank God for His daily goodness; instead I focus on being forgiven in order to make me feel good. Perhaps if I changed my prayers to concentrate on thanking God first, then I would not dwell upon how much I disappointed Him again.

Questions for personal reflection

What are the daily gifts in my life for which I should be grateful to God? Are my prayers more about me or God?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for teaching us how to pray and for drawing our attention to the daily blessings and needs that God provides. Keep us from being self-centered or ungrateful. 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 a bulletin cover design for Communion drawn by John based upon Christ’s own words, “I am the Bread of Life.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3560/3770073328_9c57843113_b.jpg