Gospel devotion: Seventy Years Ago - Luke 12:57

Luke 12:57    “Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?”

            Most folks who constantly quote Christ’s words, “Judge not, lest you be judged,” probably don’t know that today’s highlighted verse actually exists in scripture. They usually quote Jesus’s words, so that no one can disagree with their choices. They use His Words as a barrier to dialogue about what is right and what is wrong. In other words, Christ’s saying is used to shore up an amoral and hedonistic society where ‘right’ is individually defined as ‘everything that helps me do what I want to do.’ Conversely, ‘wrong’ is defined as ‘everything that hinders me from doing what I want to do.’

            However, today’s verse adds a new dimension and one which serious Gospel readers know and understand. Judging others may be considered hypocritical by Christ because of the amount of personal sins that everyone carries, but judging what is right is not condemned at all. Evil in our communities, societies, and civilizations needs to be recognized, confronted, and dealt with by followers of Christ. Good Christians become bad witnesses when they know and see something that is evidently wrong, but fail to say or do anything about it. A recent example of this would be the slaughter of the 147 college students in Kenya that happened on Good Friday of this year. Where was the moral outrage? What major voices were raised against this inhumane evil? How much attention was given to this horrifying event by the media?

            Judging what is right is never popular. Seventy years ago today, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by Hitler for speaking out against Nazism, as well as for being involved in the bomb plot to assassinate that monster. Dietrich knew what was right and he courageously condemned Hitler’s evil at a time when the vast majority of German Christians cowered away from such a confrontation. Bonhoeffer’s last words simply expressed his faith: “This is the end – for me, the beginning of life.”

            At some point, we’ll be faced by someone who will express to us those words, “Judge not,” in order to silence any disagreement we may have. Perhaps our response should be this: “Yes, but Jesus also said, “Judge what is right.”

Question for reflection:      Where and when have I heard or seen the words “Judge not” being used? How would Christ’s other words of “Judge what is right” have changed the situation or conversation?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You alone are the King of kings and the Judge of all the Earth. Grant us the gift of discernment to know right from wrong, as well as knowing the right words and right time to say or do what is necessary to confront the evils in our society and times. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor at Erin Presbyterian 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 attached image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called “Kairos.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: Kairos.

Church Meeting devotion: Topsy Turvy Teacher - Luke 9:48

Luke 9:48      Then Jesus said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest." (NIV)

            One of the earliest images of Jesus that most of us have, is usually of Him playing with and surrounded by children. Most church nurseries have pictures hanging on their walls with similar drawings. The best picture that I have ever seen was in an old Scottish Church where Jesus was encircled by children who came from all over the world, all wearing their national and ethnic costumes.

            We may not know it, but Christ upgraded the importance of children through His teachings. In His day, children were usually considered to be of little importance and their fathers had the authoritative right to fully direct their future. Indeed, in some Roman families, the father had the power of life and death over their children for their entire lives.

            When Jesus brought the little child into the midst of the disciples, He was teaching them a lesson about humility as opposed to pride, as well as weakness over strength. As usual, Jesus was turning everything upside down: in God’s eyes a little child was greater than an adult man. Christ was giving power to the powerless and a voice to the voiceless. He was exalting the least, as opposed to glorifying the best.

Question:       Who are the least in our present society? How should Christ’s Church highlight their value in the world?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You constantly challenge us through Your teaching and example. The things and people that we think should be honored and exalted tend to be the very opposite of what You would consider. Help us to see the world through Your eyes, so that we may apply Your perception in all that we would do for You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently 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 John’s latest Palm Sunday drawing called “Palm Cross.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Cross.

Gospel Devotion: Who is Jesus? - Luke 9:20

Luke 9:20 "But what about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God." (NIV)

            For the past fifty years, mainstream Christianity has been involved in what I term as ‘The Interpretation Wars.’ At some point during the 1960s, when every institution was being confronted, challenged, and changed, the Church also faced a return of an old conflict in a new form. The authority of scripture was undermined with the Death of God controversies, only to be countermanded by the Jesus movement. A couple of decades later, inerrant fundamentalism championed society and was immediately confronted by social justice liberalism. These days, we are still dealing with the fallout caused by past theological and Biblical differences; we are still fighting one another in a new phase of the Interpretation Wars where the sovereignty of God is being assaulted by the ascendance of humankind.

            No matter where we are located on the theological spectrum, or in which Interpretation Front we are entrenched in, there is only one crucial question that needs to be debated and answered: who do we say that Jesus is? At the end of our lives, when we are each on the threshold of Eternity, this is the only question that will be important. All of our pre-conceived ideas and life assembled opinions will pale in significance. The only question we will be asked is this: Who is Jesus?

            If Jesus is only an historical religious leader to us, we will have no future. If He is only a teacher of lifestyle morals, we will have no more life. If He is just an ancient person whose real characteristics are lost in the myths of time, we will never live beyond death. But if He is to us the Christ of God, sent to save us from our sins, we will be forgiven, we will be welcomed into heaven, and we will be given everlasting life.

Question: Who is Jesus to me?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You are the King of kings and the Christ of God. You came to Earth to draw us to Your Light and save us from our sinful ways. May we serve You throughout our lives and acknowledge You as our only Savior. In Your Holy and sacred Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently 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 John’s latest Celtic Cross drawings. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Cross.

Daily Devotion: 666 is Just a Number - Revelation 13:18

Revelation 13:18         This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

            I can remember a time in my youth when the number 666 both scared and fascinated me. It was also a season in my life when I was into Ouija boards and communing with dead spirits. I guess that as a teenager, I didn't really have any fear or trepidation that I was dabbling with things beyond my knowledge. It was a dark time in my young days and I am just so glad that I have come away from those negative forces; instead, I have turned towards the light of God and His Son has reclaimed me.

            666 is still a fearful number to many people, but what I've discovered is this: numbers, signs, and symbols only have the power that we place upon them. If that number or, for instance, a swastika, makes us fearful, it’s only because we allow our fear to be maintained by the symbol. If we loathe them instead of fearing them, then both numbers and symbols will have no power over us. Also, if we re-read the Bible verse for today, we will soon realize that 666 represents human evil, or what we call man’s inhumanity to man.

            Love counters fear and hope overcomes despair. If there is a symbol that encapsulates this, then surely it must be the Cross of Christ. Evil, sin, and death were all nailed to that dreadful tree along with Jesus – but He was the only One to come back! This conveys to us the real power of God that is still in the world today – the holy, almighty Spirit of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

            Perhaps you are presently undergoing a time of uncertainty, worry, fearfulness, or despair. Maybe your problems and issues seem insurmountable and threaten to overwhelm your heart, mind, body, and soul. As Jesus would often say, “Fear not, for I am with you to the very end.” In Him, you will find comfort and assurance, courage and hope. Signs and symbols, numbers and beasts will come and go, but, as the old hymn plainly states, the Cross of Christ will tower above the wrecks of Time itself. Through it, we are completely rescued, restored, and renewed, for Jesus will never abandon, forsake, or let go of us, both now and forever.

Questions for personal reflection

What does the number 666 mean to me? What does it mean to Jesus?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, because we are totally human, we are still fearful of things that we do not understand and of symbols that we cannot accept. Help us to know that You are the Lord of All creation and the King of all the Earth, so who or what can make us afraid. Your loving presence is our strength; Your holy Cross preserves and protects us. Be with us this day and grant the reassurance of Your abiding love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s Cross drawings called “First Dawn,” which shows the empty Cross silhouetted against the dawning of the Day of Resurrection. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: First Dawn.

Short Devotion: Keeping It Together - Colossians 1:17

Colossians 1:17          He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

As a boy, I used to love making model aircraft. Most of my allowance was spent on buying small kits of plastic jets or World War 2 aircraft. Sometimes I even purchased model vintage cars, but those were usually very difficult to put together.

Gluing was always a problem, too, because I got glue all over my fingers and sometimes messed up the plastic parts by using too much adhesive. Too little glue meant that the kit would not stick together and gaps were seen all over the model. If I used too much glue, then the aircraft or car became sticky and my fingerprints were all over it. However, most of the time I persevered and felt proud of what I had accomplished when the model was finished.

Years later, I became fascinated with World War 1 biplanes and made many models of vintage aircraft as an adult. I still have them in box somewhere in the attic. If I’m ever blessed with grandchildren one day, I’ll probably bring them down to show and play with them.

I like what Paul has to say about Christ in this first chapter of Colossians. Jesus is the One in whom all things in creation hold together. I like the idea that Christ brings order to chaos and that through Him all of creation is sustained. It makes me feel that although life can be unsettling and confusing at times, Jesus is still here maintaining God’s goodness in the world and throughout the entire universe. That’s the Jesus that I love; that’s the Christ that I cheerfully serve: the Lord of all Creation Who keeps it together.

Questions for personal reflection

Are there current events in my life where I feel I have no control? Am I willing to allow Jesus to keep things together for me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, every day is a wonderful gift, and every moment of our lives are spent under Your watchful care. Remind us that no matter what happens or what we experience today, You are still in control of our ultimate destiny, and that through You all things hold together. 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 or ask a questions about today’s message, please send John an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest winter drawings called “Snow Mates.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3762/11891190784_39ee9cf9cf_b.jpg

Short devotion - Really Good News - Acts 13:38

Acts 13:38       “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”

We all do things that we later regret. We all make mistakes that can’t be rectified. Each of us lives with guilt on our consciences and shame in our hearts. We are human and fallible, prone to failure and imperfection. It’s a sad and sinful part of who we are; none of us are perfect and not one of us is free from sin.

Left to ourselves, we would have no opportunity of being reconciled to a holy, sacred, sinless, and perfect God. The great fact of history is this: we are not left to ourselves. Through Jesus, we can be forgiven; by Christ, we can be reconciled to God.

Some people talk about the Church as being outdated, old-fashioned, and irrelevant, but so long as people are selfish, sinful, and foolish, the Church will never become irrelevant. Every day, hundreds of thousands of people across the world discover Jesus as their Savior. Every night, billions of people ask for forgiveness and seek His favor. In the eternal scheme of things, the world is already outdated and will become old-fashioned and irrelevant beyond the gates of Heaven.

With Jesus as our gracious Savior, today is the continuing first day in the rest of our eternal lives. That’s what I call really good news – now let’s go out and share it with other people…J

Questions for personal reflection

What has been the gravest mistake of my life? How has Jesus forgiven me?

 Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of the world and the Holy One to whom we belong. Our past mistakes are completely forgiven. Our future hopes rest in Your Kingdom. Help us to share the goodness of Your love and forgiveness to others around us. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully 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 from a new series of church banners that John is currently designing. This drawing is called “Banner 01.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8115/8706417998_4c1a0953e9_b.jpg

Short devotion: Sunday Blessings - Exodus 20:8

Exodus 20:8  “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”

            Setting aside a Sunday for worshiping is becoming harder for post-modern people. We try to cram in as much as we can each weekend, especially when our families are young. We want to have wonderful times together, sports to experience, and places to go. Every year, we get busier and lose the positive impact that keeping a Sabbath can bring. We are not meant to be hurrying here, there, and everywhere; we are created to enjoy God’s wonderful works and to praise Him for Life itself.

            Some people think that Sundays were set up by the Roman emperor Constantine as a means of controlling the masses of folks all over his domain, but Christians had actually been meeting for worship on Sundays for two centuries before Constantine was born. Early on Sunday mornings, followers of Jesus met together to re-experience the very First Easter. Christ’s Resurrection was celebrated and the people basked in the blessings that God bestowed upon them through Jesus. Their worship centered upon their faith in the Easter Story – that Jesus had died for their sins and that God had raised Him from the dead.

            I wish that people would make Sunday morning worship a priority in their lives, not because I want them to be strictly religious but because of the wonderful blessings that can be experienced when we give of ourselves to God by devoting that sacred time to Him. Each Sunday in church brings to each of us an opportunity for increasing our faith, expanding our knowledge, and deepening our relationship. And, at the end of our lives, when everything is said, done, and experienced, it is only our relationship with God through Christ that will survive.

Questions for personal reflection

What does Sunday mean to me? How do I put God at the center of that sacred day?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are the Christ, the Living Son of God, who died for our sins and rose again to be eternally with Your Father in Heaven. We have been blessed by Your obedience and saved by Your sacrifice. Help us and encourage us to honor You on Sundays by worshipping You alongside of Your people, just like the First Christians. 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 or ask a question of this message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest psalm drawings. It’s a Messianic interpretation of a verse from Psalm 132. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8363/8402950009_b3fba5c1e9_b.jpg

New year Devotion: Who Do You Think You Are? - John 8:53

John 8:53       “Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

Of all of the questions that are asked in the Bible, this is the most crucial. When the religious clerics ask Jesus, “Who do you think you are?” they are confronting what they believe to be is His effrontery and impertinence before God. We tend to ask the same type of question of a misbehaving child or an ‘uppity’ person.

The question is seriously important because of the answer that Jesus gives. He claims to be the Son of God and that His Father glorifies Him. This was blasphemy to the Jewish authorities, which is why they seek to stone Jesus at the end of this encounter. However, His answer is very important to our salvation. If Jesus is telling the truth, then He is the One to whom our beliefs, worship, and lives belong. If He is telling a lie, then our faith is false and our hopes of forgiveness with everlasting life are unfulfilled, unsubstantiated, and unreal.

That’s why Christian evangelists are right when they challenge us to accept Christ completely. It is all or nothing. There is no compromise, or no middle ground. Jesus is either all that He says He is or, as CS Lewis once stated, He is a delusional madman. There is no in-between.

As we enter this New Year, we need to have our thinking and faith challenged. Being a committed Christian is one of the hardest things to achieve in life. It’s unpopular and anti-cultural. It is crazy to the world and cumbersome to the real believer. It’s not something that can be lightly adhered to, or casually carried in our hearts and minds. Jesus is either the Holy Son of God, glorified by His Father and truly worshipped by His people, or He is not. The choice, as always, is ours to freely choose or cast away.

Questions for personal reflection

Who does Jesus think He is? Do I think the same of Him?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You constantly challenge us to live our lives as committed Christians, who witness to Your Sovereignty and Power in the world today. Strengthen our resolve and build up our faith, so that we may solely rely upon Your Words and Spirit to guide our hearts and minds. In Your Holy and exclusive Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one John’s latest Epiphany drawings called “Visitation.” If you’d like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8351/8331526125_acf804947a_b.jpg

Christian Devotions: being a Christian - Luke 12:57

Luke 12:57  (Jesus said)        “Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?”

There’s a lot of talk these days about Christians being too judgmental. We’re criticized for trying to live according to Christ’s words and sometimes those accusations sting us personally. Consequentially, some people of our faith are afraid of appearing to be judgmental in the eyes of others, so they’ve stopped making judgments altogether. Instead of being the leaven in society in order to change the world for the better in God’s eyes, we’ve become stale. We would rather be respected by others in society, instead of respecting Christ’s own words. We want to be considered broad minded and open rather than following Christ’s sacred and singular way. And even when our church pastors or Christian teachers mention this, we close off our ears, hearts, and minds to any questioning of our choices or to those suggestions that we are walking on the wrong path.

Jesus also had to deal with this in His own day. He was frustrated by the lack of judgment His people were making with regard to their faith and everyday choices. They could work out what kind of day it was going to be by looking at the color of the sky in the morning, but they couldn’t discern that Christ was among them, challenging their ways, and confronting their choices. Even though the signs of the Messiah were all there before them, they didn’t accept Jesus as the Anointed One. They wanted Him to be shaped according to their plans, their needs, and their beliefs.

“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?” Jesus frustratingly exclaims. In other words, you know what is right, so what is stopping you from choosing it?

Being a 21^st century Christian and living a cosmopolitan world is difficult, but who ever said it was going to be easy? When faithful people judge what is right, the world is always going to complain that we are narrow-minded and spiritually closed: yet isn’t that why Christ was crucified? He was totally misunderstood, became unpopular, and was finally executed for daring to judge what was right – perhaps this is why we find it so hard to do the same.

Questions for personal reflection

What makes me a Christian? How different is my lifestyle from my non-Christian peers?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You have called me to be a Christian and to judge what is right. Help me not to be fearful of my peers when they attack my faith or ridicule my religion. In Your Holy Name, I 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 traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is a Good Friday crayon drawing of John’s called “Passover.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5259/5394517049_ef741c1bdf_b.jpg

Gospel devotion: Archie the Engineer - Luke 9:2

Luke 9:2         Jesus sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

            Archie was a great preacher and many of the young people in Glasgow, Scotland that I knew in the late 1970s were drawn to Jesus through his straightforward, no-nonsense style of preaching. He was a heating engineer by trade and originally worked in the great Glasgow shipyards on the Clyde. He was skilful at his job, so eventually he set up his own firm and became quite successful. At some point in his life, he met Jesus and gave his heart to the Lord.

            Like most people who go through a dynamic conversion experience, Archie wanted to tell everyone about Christ. He became a part-time preacher at the Gospel Club that I attended each Wednesday evening.

            I can still see and hear him preaching about God’s Kingdom with a confidence and strength that came from the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life. As he preached his message, Archie held a large Bible in his hands and often flicked through its pages, quoting book, chapter, and verses to back up his Gospel message. His strong clear voice and candid preaching reached into the hearts and minds of my friends, as well as me. At the end of the meeting, new souls were saved and old sinners were changed. To all who heard him, Archie exuded Christ’s authority and preached with the power of the Holy Spirit.

            When Jesus sent out his disciples to other areas during the winter season, He gave them His power and authority to preach the Gospel and heal the sick. It must have been a remarkable time for His faithful followers, as well as the people in that region. Lives were changed, sicknesses were cured, and souls were saved. It was really the beginning of Christ’s Church in the world.

            The world still needs powerful preachers and healing miracles today. Instead of being distracted and divided by the devil, Christianity could empower people with hope and heal the brokenness of humanity. If we would open our hearts and minds to being revived by the Holy Spirit instead of reviling one another, this entire planet could be saved within a couple of generations. The challenge that we all have today is this: are we willing to set aside our theological woes and simply work for Christ?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You know what the world really needs and what Your Church needs to do. Help us to reclaim our faith, renew our commitment to You, and revive our spirits. May we preach with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, as well as healing the world through Your Loving Way. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the Scottish pastor at 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 African drawing called “Sunset Parade.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7267/7778524948_dd17801487_b.jpg

Pentecost devotion: Thrown Down - Mark 13:2

Mark 13:2       "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; each one will be thrown down."

It was a shocking thing to say, but Jesus said it any way. When He declared that all the great Jerusalem buildings, including the Temple, would be thrown down, He was prophesying about an event that would occur almost forty years later. It was shocking because Jerusalem had just been through an architectural renaissance of its city. The great buildings and the new Temple were proudly admired by the Jews. Some of their national prestige had been restored by these new worship centers and edifices. Jesus was spoiling the celebrations and puncturing Jewish pride.

At His trial, Christ’s words would be used against Him and bring about His execution by both the religious and political authorities. His words would be treated as both blasphemy and treason, causing Him to be arrested, tortured, and painfully executed.

Sometimes I wonder if Jesus would say the same about our own structures, edifices, and policies. Maybe we have taken great pride in building up a Church that doesn’t have long to exist. Perhaps we are pinning our pride to a system that is ready to crumble, or a theology that will take us down a dead end. This is why it is important to focus on the Holy Spirit at this time of Pentecost. What is He saying to us? What is He working towards? What is He asking us to do?

After Jerusalem and its great buildings were torn down in AD70 by the Romans, Judaism was reformed by the rabbis at Javneh in AD93 and Christianity emerged as a new faith. Perhaps then, we should be asking ourselves this question: if our church buildings and structures were to collapse within a generation, how would our faith reform and what new ways to Christ would emerge?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the Foundation and Corner Stone of our faith. Build our people into churches of compassion, truth, and mission. Give us the understanding to see the Way ahead and help us to embrace the Holy Spirit as He reshapes, reforms, and renews Your Church on Earth. In Your sacred 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 Pentecost drawing called “Spirit on Fire.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7077/7251220410_933cbb13fa_b.jpg

Halftime devotions: Coffee House Christians - Matthew 21:23

Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 43:1-7 and Matthew 21:23-27

Matthew 21:23            Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?" 

I went to my usual coffee shop last Sunday morning before church. My wife Evelyn and I get up early to go there, meet a few acquaintances, and quietly prepare ourselves for the busy-ness of Sunday school and worship. We’ve been doing it for a while and it helps us to relax before we get to the church building.

Last Sunday, however, part of our coffee ritual was disturbed because one of the coffee house regulars handed me a sheet with his personal belief statement on it. He knows that I am a pastor, so he felt it was important for him to let me know why he doesn’t go to church. At the top of his statement are these words: ‘Jesus did not intend and never wanted to be worshipped; He wanted to be followed.’

What followed on from that bold statement was a justification of not going to worship or of being a part of church. It was the usual anti-religious argument that I have often heard time and time again on both sides of the Atlantic. Inwardly, my initial reaction is usually ‘if you feel that way about church worship, then why do you feel so guilty about staying away from it?’ Outwardly, I told my coffee house friend that I would read his remarks and write him a reply. I hope to have that ready for next Sunday morning.

My main response will be something like this: Jesus may not have wished to be worshipped, but on the Sabbath, He was always found to be at the local synagogue or Temple worshipping, glorifying, and honoring God. If weekly worship was good enough for Jesus, then why isn’t it good enough for us?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we worship You because You have saved us and restored us to God forever. We glorify You because You conquered sin and vanquished the power of death. We will always praise Your Holy Name, each day on Earth and throughout eternity. In You, we live, serve, and pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing called “Spirit of Pentecost.” It’s an artistic depiction of the Holy Spirit descending to Earth on the First Christian Pentecost. You can view a larger version at the following link:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6745762427_c178bbf176_b.jpg

Daily Devotion - Family Gathering - Acts 7

Acts 7:16         Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.

The wee stillborn baby that I baptized last week was buried in his family’s cemetery. Generations of his relatives have been laid to rest in that hallowed place. It was very touching to see his wee white coffin being given its sacred place in such beautiful surroundings. His precious life within his young mother’s womb was both valued and honored by the whole family. At some future point, a little white cross or a stone angel will probably mark where he is resting.

Graves are witnessing sites to previous generations. I know of many families who reunite once a year at family graveyards to honor the past lives of their loved ones. I think that this is a wonderful thing to do, because it keeps the continuity of past, present, and future generations linked together.

When the bodies of Jacob, Joseph, and his brothers were taken back to Shechem, they were identifying themselves as true descendants of Abraham. They were also laying a perpetual claim to the land and fulfilling God’s promises. This is why Moses and the Hebrew children headed back there four hundred years later. This is also why the Jews laid claim to the land and re-inhabited it in 1948. Israel exists as a nation today simply because God’s promises are always fulfilled. Abraham’s foresight in purchasing the land thousands of years ago validates the existence of the Israeli nation today, not just according to the scriptures, but also through Middle East inheritance customs.

In years to come, when Old Mortality catches me, I’ll either be buried or cremated depending upon what my family decides. It would be nice to be laid to rest somewhere that future generations could gather together and say that this is where the Stuarts in America began. However, for me the real reunion and final family gathering that will mean so much more will be that glorious day when Christ gathers His followers to Himself and we become part of that great Christian family of faith, hope, and love in His Kingdom forever. Now that’s a family gathering  I am really looking forward to!

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for the sacred resting places of our people and loved ones. Thank You for the family reunions that take place each year at churches and graveyards all over the world. And we praise You for that coming glorious day when we will be gathered together in the Heavenly realms to be with You and all our loved ones forever. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully 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 drawing of an old Dutch Windmill in winter. If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1300/4705518404_6b5427a32f_b.jpg