Jesus At The Door - Revelation 3:20

Revelation 3:20 Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. (NRSV)

Christ’s message to the church folks in Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22) is not very complimentary. Jesus complains about their lackadaisical and laid-back attitude to being involved in the work of their congregation. They had become lukewarm because they took God’s grace for granted, so Jesus expressed His disappointment with the church. It must have been a hard message to receive and one that probably offended a number of Laodicean folks at that time. They wanted to be encouraged for their effort, not rebuked, even if it was only a meager one.

The good thing about the passage is that Jesus wasn’t willing to give up on them. In fact, He was ready to personally get involved in each of their lives. Today’s highlighted verse describes Christ as standing outside of the door of the church, or even each individual’s heart, just waiting to be welcomed back into the congregation and the personal lives of each church member. It’s a beautiful image of how God’s grace actually works – we are always offered it when we least deserve it.

The good folks in Laodicea must have heeded Christ’s message because, 1900 years later, the church still exists there today. It is an example of how the truth about our faith can actually help re-motivate ourselves, if especially if we are honest about our casual approach to our personal commitment to Jesus and His Church. In these uncertain times, we need to grow our faith in order to use our faith to overcome our fears, anxieties, and worries.

Point to ponder: Have I distanced myself from God? Am I willing to let Christ back into my life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know everything about us and how faithful we actually are. Help us to re-evaluate our spiritual lives especially during these trying and unusual times. Encourage us to open our hearts, homes, and churches to Your gracious presence. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship at the church or online each Sunday at 11:00 AM. No matter who you are or where you are, you are very welcome 😊

Today’s image is an old drawing of John’s called ‘Sunrise Communion.’ If you want to view a larger version, please click this link: Sunrise.

Come to The Table - Revelation 3:20

Today’s Bible readings can be found here: Psalm 22:1-15 and Revelation 3:14-22.

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. (NIV)

            Our church recently decided to set its overall theme for the coming year as “Come to The Table.” It’s a great idea and one which all of our people, teams, ministries, and missions can embrace, experience, and express in wonderful, effective ways. We are all looking forward to seeing how each team and ministry work this into their regular tasks and projects. By the end of the year, we hope to have grown in worship, discipleship, fellowship, and faith.

            As I was reading and reflecting on today’s New Testament passage, it struck that the very first invitation of asking someone to come to the table should be given to Christ Himself. In fact, in today’s highlighted verse, Jesus encourages us to do that. He says that if we open the door (of our hearts and spirits), He will come in and eat with us. In other words, Christ will come to the table where we are dining and join us for a meal. It’s a beautiful picture of our Savior which shows us that He is ready, willing, and wanting to be a participant in our lives, a faithful friend in all that we seek to do.

            So, to initiate our theme, we can all invite Jesus to come to the table of our lives, our faith, our church, and our homes. He will be delighted to do this – all we have to do is open the door and enjoy the meal together.

Point to ponder

Where is Jesus in my life? Am I willing to invite Him to come to the table?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, come to the table of our lives and join our celebration. Enable us to enjoy Your company, to listen to Your conversation, and to share spiritual food with You. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on any Sunday morning at 11:00 AM. Like Jesus, you’ll be made very welcome 😊

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

Christian Devotions: Sacred Secrets - Colossians 2

Colossians 2:2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.

Paul is exactly right – Christ is the mystery of God. I recently heard someone say that a secret is a truth that is not fully known, but a mystery is a truth that cannot ever be fully known. This means that whoever Jesus truly is, only God will know the complete truth. There is something deeply personal and solemnly sacred between God the Father and God the Son, and even when we dwell with them in eternity, we shall never truly know the infinite depths of their love for one another.

For some people that may sound discouraging because they want to know everything about Christ, but the heart of the matter is this: we will only know of Jesus what God wants to reveal to us about Him. Because we are sinners, we are shown a great grace from God in being allowed to know Jesus from history and from our personal experiences. But that grace, amazing though it is, actually has limits, and there will be things about Christ that will remain eternally mysterious to even the best of His followers.

Does this mean that God is holding back and keeping something of Christ for Himself? The simple answer to that is: Yes. Being a loving parent allows you to treasure things, events, and experiences about your children that you cherish and keep close to your heart. I believe that God is the same: He loves Jesus proudly and personally, faithfully and fiercely, infinitely and mysteriously.

When Paul was writing to the Colossians about the church in Laodicea, he was encouraging them to cherish and remember their commitment to Christ. As young Christians, they wanted to know everything and they were thirsty for the word of God to change their lives. Somehow, they took a wrong turn and ended up following a false gospel spread by elite evangelists who claimed, with fine sounding sermons, that they knew sacred secrets about Christ. They wanted to manipulate the people by claiming to be the chosen mentors of the great mysteries of Christ, (much like some popular novelists exploit their naïve readers by suggesting that the Church has many secrets that only a privileged few know or understand). Paul was warning his own readers not to be captivated by these speakers or secrets; instead he urged them to remember their initial experience with the Spirit of Christ in their hearts when they had truly heard and accepted the Gospel.

So today, let’s reflect upon how we became Christians in the first place. And then let’s look forward to that cherished time in eternity when we will know Christ face to face.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have entered our hearts and claimed our souls for all of eternity. Your words have affected us deeply and Your teaching has changed our lives forever. We praise You for these blessings and we are truly thankful to Your Glorious Father who sent You into this world. 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 one John’s latest Smoky mountain prints called “Spring Falls.” If you would like to see a larger view of this drawing, please visit the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5129/5350070427_01e9f1b652_b.jpg



If you would like a signed and matted copy of the print, contact John by email. Only 25 are available and cost $20 plus shipping if necessary.