Holy Week Devotions for Kindle

For the past three years, I've written a special daily devotional book for Holy Week. Each book contains poems, prayers, and devotionals exclusively written by me. I wrote them for Christian folks who may be too busy at work, school, or other places to join in the traditional services and masses that take place during Holy Week.

The books can be read on a daily basis, which helps the reader cultivate a sense of the sacred in her or his life during Holy Week. The following books are all available for those interested in Holy Week devotions.

 

Holy Week Devotions: Saving the World

Last year I wrote a Holy Week devotional book to enable busy Christians to keep every day sacred. The book was enjoyed by many people and so I’ve decided to write another one for 2014.

            

Each day is divided into three separate parts: - a short morning devotion, a mid-day prayer, and an evening poem of reflection. There is also a different art image for each day to help the readers meditate. By the end of the book, Holy Week should become more meaningful to everyone who undertakes and completes this journey.

            

God bless you all.

               

  John Stuart

           Pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church

            Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

            traqair@aol.com

Holy Week Devotions: First To Be Saved - Mark 15:15

Bible Passage: Mark 15:8-15

Key Verse:      Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.         Mark 15:15 

Did you realize that Barabbas was the first person that Jesus died for? Think about it. Barabbas is released by Pilate and Jesus takes his place. Barabbas is a terrorist who has probably killed his share of Romans. He led an unsuccessful revolt resulting in his capture. He was scheduled for crucifixion; instead Jesus takes his place.

I wonder if Barabbas stayed in Jerusalem and watched what happened to Jesus. The chances are that he didn’t. He probably left the region as quickly as possible, thanking his lucky stars and hiding somewhere safe. We never hear about him ever again, so he perhaps took his undeserved freedom and fled into obscurity.

Justice was denied that day in Jerusalem, but grace increased. Jesus, the peace loving, faithful prophet died in the place of a murderous religious fanatic. God’s Holy Son took the place of a wicked human being. Because we focus so much on the Cross and Resurrection, we miss this most poignant moment of the first Holy Week.

The point that I’m making is this: if Jesus could die for a person like Barabbas, then hasn’t He also died for people like us?

Question for personal reflection

Do you think that Barabbas was ever personally grateful to Christ for dying for him? Are you grateful for the same thing?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You died for each one of us, taking upon Yourself the unholiest of our sins and the vilest of our deeds. You died in place of us, so that we may be completely forgiven and eternally restored to God. How can we ever thank You? How can we show You our appreciation? We give our hearts to You, as well as our lives, to the glory of God. In Your Holy Name, we humbly and thankfully 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 latest Holy Week images. It’s called “Cup of Salvation.” If you would like to view a larger version of the picture, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7268/6894799260_642eda84fe_b.jpg

Holy Week Devotions: Final Footnote - Psalm 22:1

Bible Passage: Psalm 22:1-5

Key Verse:      My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?                      Psalm 22:1

Every year our church has an actual sunrise service at a beautiful private school campus in our town. On a good morning, you can see for miles and the Great Smoky Mountains are perfectly silhouetted on the horizon. A couple of weeks before the service takes place, I go to the US Navy website to get the actual time of sunrise, so that I can let our people know when to gather at the school’s flagpole.

When I looked at the time this year, I got a terrible shock: Easter sunrise is at 6:10AM. I thought that this was a bit early, but the US Navy has never steered me wrong, so I accepted the time and let everyone know when to gather at the school. I pictured us all arriving with tired unwashed faces, unkempt hair, and yawning all the way through the singing, prayers, and gospel readings.

Fortunately, our church choir director re-checked the timetable and noticed the footnote at the bottom: Add one hour for daylight time, if and when in use.

The actual time of Easter sunrise is 7:10AM! As Bugs Bunny would say: what a maroon!

Because I didn’t read the footnote, I got the time wrong. Coincidentally, the same thing happens with Psalm 22. When we read those first words being spoken by Jesus from the Cross, we think that God has abandoned Him and that Jesus is painfully separated from God. To be forsaken by a parent is a great emotional loss to anyone, and so we interpret Christ’s use of this scripture as a way of expressing His complete despair and sadness of being isolated from God.

But we haven’t read the footnote, which comes in the last verse of this psalm: ‘They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn-- for He has done it.’ – Psalm 22:31

Jesus is not bewailing the fact that He has been abandoned by God; He is actually singing a song of salvation where God delivers His people for all time! It’s not about being forsaken and isolated; the Cross is about being saved and restored to God.

Question for personal reflection

How has Christ’s death become a blessing for me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You won the battle of good versus evil, life versus death, and sin versus obedience when You died on the Cross. You sacrificed Yourself for us; You obeyed God perfectly and completely. You knew that His plan of salvation for humanity succeeded. We will be eternally grateful to You for this Supreme Sacrifice which eternally restores us to God. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving our souls and bringing us back into God’s gracious Kingdom. In Your Holy 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 image is John’s latest Good Friday drawing of Christ being crucified. It’s called “Outside a City Wall.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7027482543_2af1a2c5f8_b.jpg

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. 

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

Holy Week Screensaver: Aztec Tennebrae

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

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.