All Things - Romans 8 v 28

Romans 8:28   And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)

            We all woke up to a different world today. For some folks, it appears to be a new beginning; for others, it seems like a fearful time. Whatever we feel, the real work of healing begins today and, as I have written and preached for the last couple of weeks, this is why the Church exists and this is what we as Christians are called to do.

            It won’t be easy, but our faith has always had to climb mountains and struggle with society. As Christians, we believe in the Sovereignty of God, so we have to find His purposes and follow His path. If, like the Apostle Paul, we earnestly believe that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, then we understand that God is in control. For some folks, this may not be easy to accept or even see right now, but this is why we are called to be servants of God’s Kingdom, especially here on Earth.

            The future may appear uncertain and insecure for a while, but it has never been held in our hands anyway. God always holds tomorrow in His hands; our role is to ensure that He holds us in His hands today. Or to paraphrase what Jesus once said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow; there is enough to deal with what’s going on today.”

            May God be with you wherever you venture today. May His Spirit abide within you and may Christ always direct your path so that you keep traveling with Him. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

            John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to 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 old crayon/digital drawings called “A New Earth.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: New Earth.

Prayer for Election Day

Almighty God,

Creator of the World,

And Ruler of the Nations,

As our people choose our next leader,

Allow us the presence of Your Holy Spirit.

As we freely elect our President,

Help us to cherish our freedom,

To value our liberty,

And to confidently exercise

Our unalienable rights.

Gracious God,

After this day is over,

When a new dawn begins,

Heal us of all that harms us,

Cure us of all that conflicts us,

And diminish all that divides us.

Keep us united as a free people,

And allow us to share our liberty

To end all poverty,

To promote equality,

To extend our charity,

And to embrace humanity,

Under Your Sovereignty.

In Your Holy Name, we pray.

Amen.

Daily devotions - Back to the Future - Ecclesiastes 1:9

Ecclesiastes 1:9           What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

I drank too much caffeine yesterday, so I ended up being wide awake in the wee small hours of the morning. You would think that I would know better by now, but I like my tea and my coffee, so earlier today you would have found me drawing and googling at 4:30AM.

A friend of mine sent me a link to Google maps. I had forgotten about this amazing site. After clicking on the world map and zooming in on Scotland, I was soon able to “virtually” walk down streets and places in my hometown of Glasgow. This kept me occupied for hours. Eventually, I found myself walking through the hospital grounds where my mum had been kept in a locked ward. As I stood in the street and looked directly at the door to 22B, I could still smell the antiseptic and hear the sounds beyond it. It was a weird feeling and it dredged up a few heart-rending memories that I had suppressed long ago.

For a couple of minutes, I was a child again and I was angry with God. A bitter prayer of “Why?” shot through my soul and then, just as suddenly, I realized that all that pain was in the past where it needed to rest. What happened 40 years ago, need not scar me now. What was done then, need not be experienced again. Today’s writer of Ecclesiastes may not have agreed with that statement, but rather than be pessimistically fatalistic and say that history repeats itself, I now hold on to the wonderful liberating words of God: “Behold, I make all things new!”

As I left my computer and crawled back into bed, I felt a burden from the past had been taken from my shoulders and buried forever. Caffeine may keep me awake, but Christ keeps me alive…J

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we all carry moments and memories from the past that weigh us down spiritually and sometimes depress our souls. We wish that things could have been different and we fear making the same mistakes or going through the same experiences again. Take hold of our lives; free us from the past, and make all things new. In Your Loving 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 drawing is one of John’s ‘Tribute to Vincent’ pictures. It’s called “Moonrise Van Gogh” and is based upon Van Gogh’s Field of Crows painting. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2758/4136822951_b576335e31_b.jpg

Going Global

Audio Version here

Isaiah 49:6 I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
Ephesians 2:17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. (NIV)

I want to thank you for reading these devotions each day. It’s amazing how many people use these scriptures for their daily devotions and meditate on the message. Readers live all over the world and it humbles me to think that other lives are affected by these words. Over the past three years, I have received many kind replies and some thoughtful opinions about what I have written. It frequently amazes me how often a bible verse or a thought relates to your own experiences. That’s the living power of God’s word. That’s the Holy Spirit in action.

I also post these messages on a blogsite called “Heaven’s Highway.” It’s read by pastors and people from churches all over the place. It also contains some of my artwork, archived messages, as well as a novel way of using the internet called “blogachuting.” You can find out what that means by visiting the website at www.glenkirk.blogspot.com.

Last night, I added something special to the blog – it’s an instantaneous translator which translates these messages into French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. It’s an amazing web tool and it means that even more folk can read these daily devotions in different languages. I am astounded by this device, although it does have some glitches – for instance, whenever I write the word “spirit” in English, it translates the word into ‘alcohol’ in some languages. I guess the foreign reader will understand what I originally mean due to the context of the message!

I’ve also added a subscriber to the devotional, which automatically sends the message and artwork to people around the world by email. In recent months, my AOL email has developed some glitches, so this new web tool effectively eradicates that problem.

I guess what I’m trying to express here is that we live in amazing times and the word of God is being spread around the world, to people near and far, in wonderful ways. In the past couple of days, readers from across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Singapore have been reading these messages. In the past, computer users from China, Brazil, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bahrain, and even Saudi Arabia have read these devotionals. One day, by the grace of God, I hope to get to meet them in glory.

So thank you for your support and for sending these messages to other people. What began three years ago as a devotional for elders is now touching lives all over the globe. Isn’t God amazing?

Prayer: Heavenly Lord, we live in amazing times when people from all over the world can be connected to each other almost instantaneously. Help us to use this powerful technology to spread Your word of peace and gospel. Enable us to share Your holy words and sacred Son. In Jesus’ name, we enthusiastically pray. Amen.

Prayers & polling

Romans 15: 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (NIV)

Today is our National Day of Prayer, so a lot of church people will be gathering in towns and cities across America to pray for our nation. Meanwhile, over in Britain, it’s National Polling Day, when the people get to choose who will be their Prime Minister for the next five years. I wonder how many prayers will be said as votes are being cast in polling stations across the United Kingdom.

Both our countries are facing troubled times. We’re involved in a highly unpopular and still indecisive war. We don’t have any clear sense of direction for the future. Most people just want to get on with their lives without too much interference from government, for this is the age of secularism individualism and social anarchy. There is no loyalty to leadership, responsibility, or duty anymore. People are longing to be free to do their own thing, in their own time, and in their own way.

That’s why prayer on both sides of the Atlantic is very important today. We need to stop for a moment and reconsider where we’re headed as a nation, people, and civilization. If we cut God off from influencing our decisions, we are in danger of becoming a godless society where anything goes and everyone loses. If we stop and think about who we are and how we got here, we’ll remember that God, in Christ, has played an important role in shaping our cultures, building our freedoms, and growing our nations. If ever we needed God’s joy and peace before, we sure do need it now. If ever we desired hope for our people, then our desire should be that an overflowing of the Holy Spirit spreads throughout our lands, our nations, and our world.

So, let’s take time to go on our knees before the Lord and ask His blessing on our nations, our peoples, and our world. Ballot boxes and casting votes change leaders, but as Tennyson once said, “More things are wrought by prayer than the world dreams of.”

Prayer: Lord God, You are the Rule of the Nations and the Sovereign of this world. We ask Your blessing upon our peoples and pray that You will grant us the presence of Your Holy Spirit in our lives. Remind us that our first loyalty is to You and Your kingdom. Help- us to live according to Your ways and holy word. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.