Daily Devotions: A Real Promise - Genesis 8:22

Genesis 8:22   (God said) “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

I am not a scientist so I have to trust what the environmentalists tell me about what’s happening to the planet. I also don’t fully understand what global warming may or may not be, so I have to depend upon them to let me know the truth. If they have a political agenda or an ecological philosophy to push, no matter what the facts present, I wouldn’t know because I am no expert in their fields. It’s all a matter of trust and faith, good will and wise conclusions.

I’m a theologian and a biblical scholar, so when I read in Genesis that God says everything will be okay on this planet so long as the Earth endures, then I trust that His promises are true. Throughout my life, I have never known of God breaking His Word, so I can readily accept that thousands of years ago, when He stated that the agricultural and weather cycles on Earth would persist, as long as the Earth endures, then it will always be the case. I realize, however, that these cycles will only continue so long as the Earth herself is sustained. If we destroy the planet by abusing the environment then those cycles, upon which all life on Earth depends, will be absolutely ruined. In other words, we don’t have to worry about God bringing the world to an end – we can manage that tragedy all on our own.

Question for personal reflection

­How can I faithfully serve God through cherishing the Earth and protecting its environment?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the King of all Creation and we best serve You when we look after others and the world that we live in. Help us to recycle our faith through sharing it with others, as well as combining our resources with other Christians to renew and value the Earth. 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 one of John’s latest digital glass drawings. It’s called “The Bright Morning Star.” If you would like to view a larger version, click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6997700470_2e5fe82c6e_b.jpg

Free Bible Devotions: Countdown - James 5:8

James 5:8       You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 

Sometimes I wonder what James might have written if he had known that after almost 2000 years, we’re still waiting for the Lord to return? Would he have changed the urgency of his message? Would he have not mentioned it? Or would he have not bothered to write anything at all?

It’s a dilemma that Christians in the 21^st century of our faith have to wrestle with. It’s a question that makes some church people uneasy, because of the apparent delay. Surely God would have allowed Christ to return before now, so what’s keeping Him from ending Time? Is there still something that needs to be done? Are there still people and places on this planet that need to be saved?

Maybe we’re thinking in temporal terms instead of eternal ones. Years, centuries, and millennia may have passed since Christ was born into the world, but that’s not even the blink of an eye in eternal terms. Millions and billions of years may pass before Christ returns; humanity may colonize the Solar System and travel to other galaxies before Jesus makes His long heralded appearance, but in the eternal scheme of things that would not even be a blip on the cosmic screen. After all, if Eternity is eternal, then millions of billions of zillions of years could pass by and there would still be an infinite amount of years to be with God. I think this is summed up best in the old hymn ‘Amazing Grace:’

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we’d first begun.

So, is the Lord’s Return near? Well, it’s certainly two thousand years nearer than when James wrote his letter. It will also take place for each one of us the second after we die, so I guess it’s only a lifetime away for all of us. In that sense then, James’ words are highly relevant to every individual on this planet who lives today. Within 120 years, we will all be dead, so for this current generation of people, including the babies who have just been born as we are actually reading this, the countdown to Christ’s Return has already begun.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, whether Your Return to Earth is five seconds away or five million years from now, the truth of the matter is this: we need to be ready. We will either fall at Your feet on Earth in our lifetime, or we will come face-to-face with You the split-second after we die. Help us to be patient and to carefully prepare our hearts and minds, bodies and souls for that sacred moment in Time or in Eternity. In Your Holy Name, we expectantly wait and patiently pray. Amen.

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

Today’s drawing is one of John’s digital glass pictures of Christ’s Ascension into Heaven. It’s a simple drawing, essentially depicted to help children imagine the process. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click the following link:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/3551992426_68ddc730b0_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: Watching Balloons - Acts 1 v 10

Acts 1: 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

Have you ever released a helium filled balloon and watched it float up into the sky? I have done this several times in my life and have been captivated by the balloon’s flight. As it climbs skyward up into the clouds, the balloon gets smaller and smaller. Eventually it is just a mere dot and then it disappears entirely. You end up with sore eyes because you try to see the balloon as long as you can without blinking. One final blink and the balloon is gone forever.

I think that’s how the disciples experienced Christ’s Ascension. They kept looking intently up into the sky because they didn’t want Him to go. So long as they could see Jesus, they knew that they weren’t alone. As He disappeared into the clouds, they must have felt anxious and isolated, fearful and alone.

Suddenly, two angels appeared beside them and gave them words of comfort. “Jesus will comeback in the same way.” In other words, Christ would return to them one day. That restored hope to the disciples. And as if that wasn’t enough, they were also given the promise of the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They didn’t know what this would involve, but Jesus had spoken of this before, so the disciples must have felt that this repeated promise confirmed the truth about what the two angels were telling them: Jesus would come back.

Almost two thousand years later, we are still waiting for that promise to be fulfilled. The Holy Spirit has come and established the Church on Earth, but we still await that glorious day when Jesus will arrive from the sky and be among us again – this time forever.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we await Your Arrival on Earth and yearn for that Day when You will restore all things to God and Time will be no more. We pray that we will be ready to receive You and be willing to do Your Holy Bidding as Your everlasting servants in God’s Kingdom. 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 one of John’s digital glass drawings called “Balloon Fest.” You can view a larger version of this online at the following link: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1161/1454659083_7548f6c333_b.jpg

Free Devotions: Happening Now - Mark 13 v 8

Mark 13:8       Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

We had an earthquake about 20 miles away from Knoxville this morning. I think it registered about 3.3 on the Richter scale, so there wasn’t really any damage although some people at the epicenter were a bit shook up with the noise. East Tennessee gets about 10 small earthquakes each year, but they are hardly noticeable to the population. I guess we forget that we live right next to the Smoky Mountains, which were created by earthquakes millions of years ago.

There’s seems to be a lot of turmoil in the world right now: the Icelandic volcano, the Chinese earthquake, and wars in various places. You can’t help but feeling that we’re on the threshold of something big, new, and mysterious. Jesus did warn us long ago that these were the signs of His imminent Arrival. Perhaps we’ve grown so used to being without His physical presence and living our lives in our own fashion that we’ve put the thought of His Second Coming to the back of our minds.

Maybe it’s the caffeine in my system right now, but I get this uneasy feeling that we should be preparing for something, after all today could be the beginning of the End.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, help us to use this day as a means of getting our hearts and minds, our lives and souls in touch and attached to You. Remind us that life is fleeting and that we are given the blessing of everlasting life through You alone. Show us that each day is a gift of grace and a time to prepare for Your Return. 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.

Daily Devotions: Christmas Singalong - Hosea 6 v 3

Hosea 6:3        “Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

At this time of year, I usually tune my car radio to a station that plays Christmas music all day long for the month of December. I like the old familiar songs that I grew up with. Most mornings, you’ll find me crooning to Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Andy Williams as I drive to church. The songs get me in a great frame of mind and even when interstate traffic is slow, I just enjoy more time to sing along with my favorite performers.

Christmas is all around me on my journey. I see festive signs, Christmas trees, and seasonal sales everywhere. I laugh at some of the billboards and smile at church notices. I watch people hurry and scurry over at the mall. I even have a child’s delight when I see bright colored Christmas lights and lawn decorations when I head back home in the evening.

I love this time of year, but I also remember that Christmas has not come, and that this is actually the sacred time of Advent, when Christians everywhere are supposed to be focused on the Second Coming of Christ. I ponder quietly and wonder if I am prepared for that amazing event. I switch off the Christmas music and turn on my heart to pray.

Will Christ come again this year?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, I think You also enjoy the bright lights, joviality, and festivity of Christmas. People everywhere appear to love this time of year for different reasons. I hope and pray that they will also quietly stop and think about You, Your Teaching, Your Life, and especially Your Return. 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 John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. He loves to receive your feedback.

Daily Devotions: God's Timeline

2 Peter 3: 4     They will say, "Where is this 'coming' He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."

Podcast version here

Every now and then, I have to remind myself that Christ can return at any minute. I often take it for granted that the world will continue indefinitely and that the seasons will come and go, just as they usually do each year. But then I remember that I am a Christian first and a citizen of this world second. The Earth will not last forever and when Christ appears, human history will be over.

I get so caught up in my own routine and my own wee world that I forget about God’s intentions and Christ’s promises. The ultimate reality is the eternal reality and my ways, my words, and my works are just mere blips on God’s timeline. He is center of the Universe; He is the real thing.

It sounds cliché to some, but perhaps today is the Day when Christ will come back. Am I ready for such a cataclysmic event? Or will I just put it to the back of my mind and trivialize it, so that I can focus upon what’s in front of me and what’s happening now?

Within me, a quiet voice is saying: “Time marches on, John, but not forever.”

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, forgive us when we unintentionally set aside the thought of Your Return. Pardon us when we are so selfishly focused upon ourselves, that we forget about Your words, Your ways, and Your works that are still to come. Help us to remember that we serve You and await Your arrival on Earth. In Your Holy Name, we expectantly 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.

4 Minute Devotions: Shock and Awe

A pastoral friend of mine suddenly died this morning and I am deeply saddened by it. He was about the same age as me. We used to meet for lunch on a regular basis as a part of a small group of pastors. My other peers are just as shocked as I am. He was such a good friend to all of us, and we’re all going to miss him.

Podcast version here

When death hits us like that, it can give us a jolt of reality. It reminds me of my own mortality and makes me question my own readiness for meeting the Lord suddenly. I don’t want to get morbid here, but it’s something that we all shouldn’t leave till it’s too late. Being prepared to come face to face with Christ is the most important thing in our life. And no matter when our death comes, it’s always too soon.

Bible Verse of the Day

Revelation 22:7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

That’s why I admire the first century Christians. They lived with the imminence of Christ’s Second Coming among them. They firmly believed that Christ’s return was just around the corner. They hoped it would happen in their own lifetimes and were ready, willing, and able to serve the Lord at a moment’s notice.

I don’t think that the same can be said for our present generation. After two thousands years of waiting, we will be totally shocked when Jesus re-appears. And yet, as I’ve written somewhere before, Christ’s Second Coming will happen for all of us the split-second after our deaths. One moment we’ll be passing over as the result of an accident, at home, or in a hospital bed; the next second we’ll hear the blare of almighty trumpets and suddenly realize that Christ has already come. That’s why we need to be ready here and now, because if we leave it to there and then, it will be too late.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for taking You for granted and putting Your imminent Return to the back of our minds. We are sorry for disrespecting You and we ask that You enable us to properly prepare our hearts and souls for Your sudden arrival in the world. In Your Holy Name, we wait and pray. Amen.

Erin Church Devotions: Monkey Puzzle

Audio Version here

Have you ever seen a monkey puzzle tree? They are also known as Chilean Pines and come from the Andes regions in South America. They prefer a cold, wet climate so you see a lot of them in Scotland. I guess some intrepid Victorian explorer brought the seeds back home with him and they started to flourish in Scottish gardens.

I think that they are beautiful trees and love seeing them around the world. I know that there are some in Virginia, but I’ve not come across any in Tennessee. They make beautiful ornamental trees when they are young, but as they grow older they reach massive heights. The leaves on the tree are packed tightly together and look like cacti. I suspect that they were called monkey puzzles because South American capuchin monkeys would have a hard time getting to the top to eat the tree nuts.

Some verses from the Bible are like that. Take today’s for instance:-

Luke 18:8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

It’s from a parable about prayer and justice, which seems to conclude when Christ teaches His listeners that God hears those who persevere in prayer. But then Jesus tags on something completely different. He challenges the people by asking ‘will faith be found on earth when He returns?’

What does Jesus mean by this? You would think that people who persistently pray have faith and those who uphold justice would be godly. Why is Christ not expecting much faith on the earth when He returns? This is one of those verses that I wish Jesus hadn’t uttered. It just makes my head go round and round in circles.

And then a light goes on: it’s a lesson for all of us not to get too preoccupied with our needs or to be overwhelmed by the woes of the world. If we are too focused on the here and now, we will disregard what’s to come and forget that, as well as having earthly experiences, we also can have an eternal life with Christ. So I guess instead of trying to make everything perfect in the world, we should be willing to wait for that perfection when Christ eventually arrives. If we concentrate too much on what happens here, we end up having faith in ourselves; but if we hold on to that sacred hope that when Christ returns peace and justice, blessings and happiness will be ours, then we will be constantly looking forward to that precious time. And if we do that, then Christ will indeed find faith on earth when He at last returns.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we constantly talk to You about our needs and seek justice throughout the world. Help us to do whatever we can to make this world a better place, but also remind us that perfection and peace, justice and true enjoyment will only come to all the earth when You arrive. Be with us and bless us as we wait to serve You forever. Amen.

The Statue - Interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

Daniel 2:31 "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue-an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. (NIV)

When I was in fifth grade, or Primary 7 as we called it back in Scotland, a Bible exhibition came to Glasgow. I think it was run by the Philadelphian Bible Society in Britain. It was fascinating because many of the exhibits were models of buildings and places in the Old Testament. Our teacher used to read to us every morning from the Bible before our other lessons began, so I guess he thought that by taking us to the Bible exhibition, our class would be able to visualize the events recorded in the scriptures.

I can remember one large model of this statue from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. It was made up of all the different parts – gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay. Beside the model was a hand-written interpretation of what it represented – the Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, and the British Empire – all of them were indicated on the model. It meant that the feet of clay represented the modern age and that the rock, which was thrown at the statue, symbolized Christ’s return. He is known as the Rock of Ages, so the person who interpreted the story historically at the Bible exhibition, was expressing to everyone that the end of Time would soon be fulfilled.

I couldn’t get to sleep that night because I was afraid that Jesus would come back whilst I was sleeping and that I would be condemned for all of my sins. It preyed on my mind and affected my whole being. During the day, I kept looking up at the sky and at night time, I shivered myself to sleep. It was hard to hold on to my faith in Jesus because I was afraid of Him. It was a very frightening time in my young life.

Almost forty years have passed since I was at that exhibition. Throughout that time, my faith has changed, so instead of fearing Christ’s return, I look forward to that moment. I know that I have committed a great many sins since being a child, but I also know that I have a Great Savior whose grace is amazing and mercy is limitless. I may have feet of clay at times, but Christ is my solid Rock, my sole Redeemer. His forgiveness sustains my faith; His love gives meaning to my life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, one glorious day, just like today, You will return to reclaim the earth as Your own, and to restore God’s ways in this world. Help us to prepare our hearts for that beautiful moment and to build up our faith, so that we may lovingly and effectively tell other people about Your Gospel. As You give us opportunities to relate our beliefs, help us to do so in ways that are convincing and compassionate. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

A Thousand Generations

Audio version here

1 Chronicles 16: 15 He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations. (NIV)

They say that a new generation is born about every 20-25 years. This may mean that in any given century, four to five generations of one family are born. In the twentieth century, my grandfather was born in 1907; my father came into the world in 1926; I was born in 1957, and my first daughter’s birth took place in 1986, so I guess the statistics are right.

Now here’s something that will blow your mind. If God guarantees His word for a thousand generations, then it means that 20,000 – 25,000 years may pass before that promise is fulfilled. That’s a lot of centuries and an enormous amount of time.

So, what does it mean for us? Well, if civilization is fifteen thousand years old, then it may mean that we still have ten thousand years to go before Christ will return. If Biblical civilization is only seven thousand years old, then Christ may not come for another 18,000 years. And since Christianity is only two thousand years old, it could be that the long awaited Second Coming of Jesus may be as much as twenty three thousand years away!

It all sounds crazy and fantastic, and I guess if you take a literal interpretation of David’s psalm, you could justify those calculations. However, I wouldn’t depend upon them. For you and me, Christ’s Second Coming will occur in the twinkling of an eye, a split second after our death. If we all live to be a hundred years old, then we can work out the math and calculate how much time we have left before we kneel in the presence of Jesus.

That’s why it is so important for all of us to ‘get right with God’ and give our hearts to Jesus. Whether the Second Coming happens today, or tomorrow, or after ten billion tomorrows is not the point. Being ready at that sacred time, and placing our spirits into Christ’s hands is crucially important.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, one day You will return to reclaim the earth as Your holy inheritance. At that time, You will call everyone of us to Your mercy seat. You have been appointed by God to judge the living and the dead, so there’s no escape from that moment in eternity. Grant us the courage to give our hearts to You now, so that we may live with the assurance that our sins are forgiven, our lives are reborn, and our eternal souls belong to You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.