Easter Sunday devotion - Mark 16:1-8

Easter Sunday

Gospel Reading: Mark 16:1-8

Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. (NIV)

            And so Holy Week ends where it had begun – with women carrying perfume to cleanse and anoint the body of Jesus. Throughout this whole week, most of the men have failed Christ but the women have remained loyal, devoted, and courageous. They loved Him dearly and so they wanted to allow Him some dignity in His death, of which the Roman soldiers and religious leaders had mercilessly robbed Him.

            Quietly and faithfully, the women approach the tomb together. They are probably still weeping and supporting each other physically. They know that this is the right thing to do. The ministry and gifts of women are going to supersede the power and brutality of men. They come out of duty, as well as compassion. They come because they are women called by God to serve His Son.

            And then this beautiful moment in the whole of history occurs. The women are told that Jesus is not there, but that He has actually risen from the dead. They are utterly surprised and naturally fearful. They do not understand what has happened, but they have become the first people on Earth to receive this wonderful news. The ministry of Christ continues in the hands of those who loved Him best. Their lives are never the same again and our world is changed forevermore.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Point to ponder

How have women sustained, shared, and advanced the ministry of Christ in my life, across history, and around the world?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we praise You for this special and most glorious day. We thank You for the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life that come through Your grace. And we are also grateful for the love, devotion, and ministry of women in Your Church and throughout the world. In your Holy Name, we joyfully pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Easter drawings called “Easter 2018.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Easter.

A New Hymn for Easter Day by John Stuart

Hail, This Ever-Blessed Morn!

Tune: Humility (Oxford) – John Goss

See in yonder garden tomb,

Gone is all the morning gloom.
See the Holy Son appears,

Promised from eternal years.
Hail, this ever-blessed morn;

Hail redemption’s happy dawn;
Sing through all Jerusalem:

"Christ is come alive again!"

Lo, within a grave He lay,

He who died at Calvary,
He who sacrificed His life,

Stands before the morning light!

Hail, this ever-blessed morn;

Hail redemption’s happy dawn;
Sing through all Jerusalem:

"Christ is come alive again!"

Sacred Savior, all divine,

What a precious love is Thine,
You who came from highest bliss

Down to sinners such as us.
Hail, this ever-blessed morn;

Hail redemption’s happy dawn;
Sing through all Jerusalem:

"Christ is come alive again!"

Reach and teach us, Holy Lord,

With Your Love and gracious Word,

Help us to embrace Your Way

On this new born Easter Day!
Hail, this ever-blessed morn;

Hail redemption’s happy dawn;
Sing through all Jerusalem:

"Christ is come alive again!"

Altered words of Edward Caswall

By John Stuart ©2016

Good Friday Devotion - Dying Faith

Luke 23:44-46                        It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

A lot of the divisions that we have in our churches today usually involve issues about how we live our lives as Christians. For some people, complete loyalty to the word of God is essential. For others, treating everyone as a child of God is of paramount importance. We battle each other constantly about how we interpret the scriptures by what we preach and practice. In other words, both groups use the Gospels as a means of showing us all how to live.

But in today’s scripture, we are not taught how to live. Instead, Jesus teaches us how to die. After enduring agony, suffering, and shame for hours, Jesus is ready to die. Mustering all of His remaining strength, He cries out loudly for everyone to hear: “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.” He completely surrenders Himself to God and unequivocally declares His faith in His Father. He does not mumble or mutter those words. He declares them openly, publicly, and loudly.

It is a complete validation of His life. He has lived it according to His Father’s will. Jesus now yields to death, but does not give Himself over to darkness or oblivion. He places His spirit into God’s hands. He confidently gives Himself over to God with His last dying breath.

One day, there will be an unavoidable moment in our own lives when we will take our last breath. It may be at home, in a hospital, or at a hospice. It could be unexpected, unintended, or accidental. Whatever the case or circumstances, Jesus has shown us how to die.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we don’t like thinking about death or dying. We live our lives fully, doing our best to survive each day by trying to be healthy and happy. But one day, death will come. Help us to be spiritually prepared for that expected or unexpected moment. Come to us at that mysterious time and enable us to surrender our spirit into Your hands. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

 

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

Easter Screensaver: Psalm 36

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens.

Weekend screensaver; Emmaus Bread

The resurrected Christ was recognized in Emmaus through the breaking of bread.



Luke 24:30

Testing, testing...are we on national?

A feast of Easter Slide show

Daily Devotions; Party On

Last Sunday, we had one of our best Easter services ever. A lot of families were in town and it was great to see them sitting together in the pews, praising God for the resurrection of Christ. It was a wonderful worship service. We even had to print extra bulletins and set out more chairs to accommodate the crowd.

Podcast version here

Some people are cynical about the Christmas-Easter crowds that show up to church. I used to be one of them. In the past, I’ve been known to preach a hellfire and brimstone service at Easter, just to make the visitors feel guilty. Thankfully, I grew out of that years ago, so now I just preach the Gospel story and keep to the message that God has planned. People have enough pressure going on in their lives. In church, they need to find that the peace of God, which passes all understanding, is still there to be experienced and rediscovered.

Bible Verse of the Day

Nehemiah 8:10b This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

When Ezra and Nehemiah brought out the Laws of Moses and re-read them publicly in the ruins of Jerusalem, the people thought that they were in for a rough time. Instead, Nehemiah encouraged them to celebrate the day as a resurrection of their faith. He urged them to go home and party with their families, and to share whatever they had with those who had nothing. It must have been a wonderful time of renewal for the Jews, bringing them a new hope to rebuild God’s Holy City and giving them the courage to re-dedicate their lives to God.

I think that’s what Easter brings to some people. They come to church to be with their family, and also to get reconnected to God. They want to go home knowing that God loves them and that Christ has forgiven them. They want to feel welcomed by the church and blessed by His people. And for those of us who have faith, we’re meant to share it with those who have little or none. To me, that is the message of Easter – a celebration of Christ that we don’t keep to ourselves.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for calling many people to church last Sunday. Thank You for touching their hearts and bringing them back to worship You. Continue to affect and influence their lives with Your ways and words. Help us to share what faith we have with all those who have little or nothing when it comes to believing in You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Easter is Earlier, But Sunrise is Later

It’s a funny thing, but with Easter being so early this year and DST changing in March, sunrise is at 7.34am. Usually, an Easter sunrise takes place about an hour earlier, which makes getting out of bed that wee bit harder. This year, however, everyone can sleep in an extra hour and enjoy the sunrise without bleary eyes!

If you’re looking for a sunrise service, why not join Erin Presbyterian Church members, who gather over at the flagpole of Tate’s School of Discovery, at the top of Cedar Bluff, just before it meets Middlebrook Pike. They sing hymns, say prayers, and read Easter scriptures, whilst waiting for the sun to begin its dance across the sky! The school looks out across the Smokies and is a perfect skyline for sunrise.

The sunrise service is led by their Scottish pastor, John Stuart, and begins at 7.25am . It usually finishes around 7.45am. If you’ve never been to an Easter sunrise service, this may be the best year in a lifetime to attend one. And if you like to hear a Scottish accent, this is the place to be!

Everybody is welcome! And if you prefer to come to a later church service, join us at Erin Presbyterian at 11.00am!

Authority: Debunking the Jesus Seminar

There’s a group of liberal theologians who meet together on a regular basis to discuss their ideas about Jesus. They call themselves “The Jesus Seminar,” and their mission is to seek the real, historical Jesus behind the Gospels. They believe that the Gospels have been tarnished with stories and myths, additions and subtractions that the Church produced and tailored over 400 years. By reducing the text to what they believe is its original context, they hope to re-discover who Jesus actually was and present Him to the world.

Podcast version here

The trouble is this: when they come across something like the bodily resurrection of Christ which they don’t believe, they pick and pull at the Gospel narratives until nothing is left. Or if Jesus is being critical and judgmental, they say that this was 2nd or 3rd century Church teaching and didn’t originate from Christ’s mouth. And whenever they come across something that is enigmatic or troubling, they try to reduce the Gospel to something palatable and acceptable to them. In other words, they’re revising the scriptures to suit themselves, in order to reflect their own cultural world view. Rather than accept the truth of the Gospel and the authority of Jesus, they declare that their own research and interpretations are authoritative and exact.


Bible verse of the Day


Mark 11:33 So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."



What the Jesus Seminarians are doing is nothing new. Jesus faced this all of the time. The Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, Greeks, and Romans all questioned His authority. We even have examples of this in the Gospels. On Holy Tuesday, we focus upon the questioning that Jesus faced in the temple courts by the high priests and teachers of the law. They did not recognize His authority either. They wanted to reduce Him and His influence to that of being a backwoods carpenter from the boonies of Galilee, who got above His station and met His match with the theologians and priests in the Holy City of Jerusalem. Doesn’t it all sound too familiar?

The Jesus Seminarians are the Pharisees and Sadducees of our present generation. They seek to destroy the Gospel, the Church, and the Truth about Jesus. They want His authority over our lives to be diminished, and they desire that their own intellect and opinions be exalted above anything that is reported about Jesus in the Gospels.

As for me, I’m sticking with the Jesus that I personally know through the scriptures and especially the Gospels. His authority comes from God and He is the Only Savior that our world needs in every generation. The Jesus Seminarians may babble and squawk till kingdom come; they may stroke their own theological egos and esteem themselves in each other eyes, but when the King of Creation returns, it will be the Christ of the Gospels, and not the theological figment that they have imagined.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, for centuries Your Gospels have enlightened us about Who You were, Who You are, and Who You shall be. Come into our hearts and change our lives. Come into our minds and change our misconceptions. Enable us to rely upon the Gospel Truth and may we share it with the world. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Devotions: Overturning Tables

Podcast version here

There’s an old hymn called “Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild” which a lot of people have bought into theologically. It depicts Christ as being a peaceful, loving guy who wouldn’t dream of disturbing any one’s life or meddling with their lifestyle choices. It’s a child’s dream of Jesus, but the trouble is this: a lot of adults still carry around that depiction of Christ in their hearts and heads.

Bible Verse of the Day

Mark 11:15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.

Jesus was a radical preacher. He didn’t mangle the truth or mess about with God’s Word. When He said something He meant it; and when He sprung into action to confront the religious authorities, He was seriously challenging their comfortable ways. In fact, when He overturned the money tables in the temple, He was making a direct challenge against both the Jewish and Roman authorities. This incident, more than any other, is what would lead to His execution within four days.

A lot of us think that Jesus is a joyful guy, who is just waiting to embrace us on the other side of life. This cozy theology causes us to take Christ for granted and leaves us free to do our own thing. The question that we all need to ask ourselves this morning is this: what things in my life have I exchanged for faith in Jesus? What lifestyle choices have I made that Jesus would radically overturn in order to save me from the coziness of sin?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, this is a tough week because we will be constantly reminded of our sinful ways and selfish choices. We will be made to feel guilty about the bad decisions we have made and the unholy things that we still cling to, which separate us from God. Overcome our stubborn souls and overturn our lives, so that we may truly love, serve, and worship You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Stushie is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee

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.

Holy Week Screensaver: Aztec Tennebrae

Clash of cultures: Aztecs and Christians - death and dying - sacrifice and saving

Weekend Screensaver - Lord of Creation

Christ is King!



Hallelujah!

Weekend Screensaver - Magdalene Morning

Mary Magdalene unexpectedly meets Christ in the Garden of the Tomb




John 20:1-18 to celebrate St. Mary Magdalene's Day

Doubting Your Doubts

Weekend Digital glass screensaver depicting Thomas tentatively reaching out to touch Christ's wounded hand.

Like a Rolling Stone...

Last of the anime type Easter posters

Easter morning - Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!



Death where is your victory? Grave where is your sting?

Just Another Saturday Night?

The healing of the universe and the reconciliation of all creation begun on the night before the Resurrection Dawn.

Something Right

God's plan of Salvation - the sacrifice of Christ, His Holy Son.




A Good Friday poster

Maundy Thursday

On the night in which Jesus was betrayed, He took some bread and wine, saying, "This is My Body; this is My Blood. Take, eat, drink, and remember Me."




Worship Bulletin cover for Maundy Thursday service

Sand Lines

John 10:37 Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does.

It’s time to draw a line in the sand. One of Britain’s newspaper, the Daily Mail, has reported today that the Holocaust will no longer be taught in High schools because it offends Muslims. Islamic religious schools have been teaching for years that Jews weren’t slaughtered by Hitler in their millions during World War II. They have protested so much about this in some regions of Britain, that, in order to keep the peace, the Holocaust is not being taught. This is political correctness gone much too far. This is unbelievable.

In our wee congregation at Erin, we have two special people whose lives were deeply affected by Hitler’s holocaust. Sonja was a child of the Holocaust, whose parents were murdered by the Nazis in a concentration camp. She escaped death as a young child because her parents handed her over to Dutch Christians. Are the British schools going to deny that Sonja’s painful and terrifying experience ever occurred, simply because her personal history offends Muslims?

Bill was a soldier during World War II and he was amongst the first wave of American troops who entered the concentration camps. He saw, smelled and heard the sickening sight of thousands of bodies that had been burned, gassed and mutilated by the Nazi guards. He met with the survivors first hand and saw how scrawny, filthy and skeletal they had become. Are the British schools going to tell Bill it was only a hallucination, a bad dream, even a nightmare?

It’s time to wake up and smell what’s happening to our civilization. For too long we have been tolerant of these intolerant religious fanatics. We are in a war where two sides are struggling to control and triumph over civilization. Are we going to bury our heads in the sand until it’s too late, leaving our grandchildren to be overcome by holy warriors who want to take away our freedoms, liberties, our history and traditions.

If we don’t believe this is happening, then we need to start informing ourselves of what’s really going on. If you don’t like what I’m writing, then try this link for size and read it as your leisure:

Muslims in Nigeria Club Christian Teacher to Death - Obed Minchakpu
Students, extremists stone, beat and burn her after 'desecration' of yet-unfound Quran.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are evil forces in the world today that seek to rewrite history and cross out events like the Holocaust. As we head into Holy Week, remind us of this solemn and somber time, where evil sought to triumph and extinguish Your good. Open our hearts and minds and help us to draw lines in the sand. In Your Holy Name, we fearfully pray. Amen.