Pentecost devotion: Traditional or Transitional? - Acts 15:8-9

Acts 15:8-9      God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith.

Acceptance is currently a big issue in the lives of many churches around the world. It involves a serious review of what is acceptable to the 21^st century Christian community. It’s an important component of who we are and how we effectively witness to the wider world around us. Every generation has to wrestle and struggle with this; every congregation has to work through these tough issues.

Sometimes we get so busy defining the rules and regulations that we neglect to see where the Holy Spirit is actually working in our communities. We get so caught up in the theological civil war that is going on, that we forget about the healing work that the Holy Spirit is ministering to a much greater broken world.

This is not new or unique to our current generation. It happened in the First Century in Jerusalem where the Christian Church was initially started. The fifteenth chapter of Acts reveals to us the dilemma between Traditionalists and Transitionalists. Some Jewish Christians insisted that all male Gentile converts needed to be circumcised. Others, like Paul and Barnabas, fiercely argued that Christianity had progressively moved on from adhering to Jewish traditions.

Eventually, it was Peter who settled the dispute which threatened to divide and destroy the Young Church. Instead of looking back to the past or seeking a new paradigm, the Big Fisherman reminded everybody to look for the Holy Spirit and to seek to come alongside wherever the Holy Spirit was working among the people. Grace and salvation, acceptance and mission were meant to be discovered, encouraged, and supported wherever, whenever, and however the Holy Spirit chose. It was not a matter of keeping up with tradition; it was essential to keep in step with the Holy Spirit.

As we celebrate Pentecost this coming Sunday in our churches, congregations, and Christian communities, we should ask ourselves these important questions: where is the Holy Spirit working in my community? How can I serve alongside the Holy Spirit in my community?

Prayer:            Holy Spirit, help us to seek Your Presence in our communities. Enable us to truly know Your works and to support them fully. Grant us a new spirit of discernment and give us the courage to face the challenges and apply the changes that we need to embrace and employ. In the Sacred Name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called ‘Caingis.’ Caingis is the Gaelic word for Pentecost, so the image features the Holy Spirit descending to Earth at dawn beside a Celtic Cross. If you would like to view a larger version, then please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7432/8724021938_12912b6f54_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

Pentecost devotions: Journey of Joy

Today's Bible reading: Genesis 11:27-32

Genesis 11:31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.

Last Sunday morning, after the worship service, we held a special ceremony to re-dedicate the church bell. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful event. We took time to remember one of our dearest elders and friends, as well as delighting in the official opening of the new site for our church bell.

The church bell goes back to the founding of our congregation and is the oldest artifact that we possess. For almost seven generations, it has been used to call the faithful to worship on Sunday mornings. It has been heard by Scots-Irish immigrants of the late nineteenth century. It proclaimed the ending of both the First and Second World Wars. It remained with us throughout the turbulent sixties and seventies, and now it has been restored in the 21^st century to a beautiful location next to the front entrance. All being well, it will outlive the present congregation and, who knows, it may one day herald the Second Coming of Christ to the Earth.

The story of the first Erin congregation is similar to the biblical account of Abram and Sarai. The Erin people also left the land of their birth and journeyed thousands of miles to settle in a place of promises. With hard work and determination, true grit and a focused faith, they carved out a living and eventually settled here in Knoxville, Tennessee. They called their new church ‘Erin,’ which is the ancient Gaelic word for Ireland. They planted a congregation and sewed seeds of faith which are still bearing fruit today. Just like the patriarchs of old, their work has been rewarded and their faithfulness has been blessed. The journey of joy continues; the mission of Christ goes on.

Questions for personal reflection

How has the faith of past generations influenced and affected me? What am I doing with that faith today in order to ensure that it will be passed on to future generations?

Prayer:            Lord God, you are the Maker of Time and the Shaper of History. You have raised up generations of faithful men and women to serve the continuing ministry and constant mission of Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You for allowing us to be a part of Christ’s work on Earth. 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 comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called “Spirit-2012.” Its creation involves paper sculpting, wax crayons, and a scanner. If you would like to view a larger version, please click here: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/7217562558_43d588ee31_b.jpg

(It’s also available as a t-shirt at John’s CafePress website at http://www.cafepress.com/stushietees )

Devotions: God Will Find You - My New E-book!

I've just published my new Kindle e-book of devotions entitled "God Will Find You." I believe it's the best one I've written and the formatting is terrific.

As well as fifty devotions, the book contains a lot of my artwork. Each daily devotions comes with a suggested Bible passage to read and a question for personal reflection.

The book can be used at any time of year, but it can be especially read between Easter and Pentecost. Kindle is now available as a free app for most mobile devices, PCs and Macs.

Enjoy the book!

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

Daily Devotions: A Pentecost Spirit

Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (NIV)

Almost thirty years ago, I visited a university town in Spain called Valladolid (pronounced 'baya-dolith). It was originally a castle town and had some beautiful medieval buildings, cathedrals and colleges all over it. I was there with a friend of mine who had once trained to be a priest. We were visiting his old haunts and he introduced me to a lot of good Spanish people.

One evening, we went to a school building, where many people gathered together for prayer. Handicapped persons, people in wheelchairs, and all sorts of sick people were at the meeting. We sat in a circle, and the priest, who was leading the group, began to pray. Other people followed him and then I spoke my prayer. It was in English because I didn't have enough Spanish to put a sentence together. After I prayed, the priest interpreted and re-prayed my prayer. Once he had finished, a holy hush fell upon the room, and then, suddenly, people began singing in tongues.

I had never experienced anything like this before. It was beautiful and everyone, even those who were sick or sitting in wheelchairs joined in. The sound was like a hundred songs being sung at the same time, with different melodies and rhythms, but they harmonized perfectly. Then things began to quieten down, and after another time of silence, people started to go home.

It was a profound experience and one that I have never encountered again. The only explanation I can give is that the Holy Spirit descended upon all of us, and gave us a great gift of angelic song that evening. One glorious day, I hope to sing like that again, in the heavenly halls of glory, with millions upon millions of people and angels.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for sending the Holy Spirit amongst us and for giving Your Church a wonderful source of comfort and counsel, guidance and love. Fill our hearts with Your Holy Spirit and lead us by His presence in our lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: Ablazing Grace

1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire;

My very first Pentecostal experience occurred during an evening worship service in Glasgow, Scotland. A group of my Christian friends had heard about the new charismatic movement and we wanted to see what happened at Pentecostal meetings. The worship music was loud and lively. The prayers were long and tedious. The scripture readings were read from the Authorized Version, and the whole service seemed to be a blend of the old and the new. The preacher preached passionately and we all felt it would be time to go home soon. We were totally unprepared for what happened next.

During the preaching, someone stood up at the front and started to heckle the preacher, or at least that’s what it sounded like to us. Within a couple of minutes, people in the congregation were standing up all over the place, babbling forcefully. It was amazing in a weird way and when some people in the pews next to us started to speak in tongues, a few of the girls in our group became hysterical and wept uncontrollably.

I had no idea what was happening. There didn’t seem to be any control and at first, I thought the people were bewitched. Eventually, everything was quiet and the pastor began to interpret what had been spoken through the tongues.

Although I was uncomfortable with the whole process, I recognized the Spirit’s fire in the people. They were spiritually ablaze for Christ and their worship of Him was passionately sincere. Since then, I have experienced the same process, although I have never used it in the ministry God has called me to fulfill. In fact, it’s been many years since I have let myself be fully taken over by the Spirit in that way. It makes me wonder at times if I am guilty of putting out the Spirit’s fire in order to conform to my Calvinist ways.

I think we all need to be passionate about our belief in Christ and allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the Spirit from time to time. There are so many things about God that we don’t fully understand and there are many ways of being open to the bidding of the Spirit, including speaking in tongues. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to publicly speak in tongues among my church family and Christian friends, but I also would never undermine anyone’s right to experience and vocalize the same.

Perhaps if we would allow the Spirit to work more in our hearts and minds, we would accomplish more for Christ and God’s Kingdom. I am so glad to be part of a church that is not blown about by current trends or fashionable fancies. All that we achieve and accomplish at Erin is through the work of the Spirit, to the glory of Christ Jesus. If it was ever anything else, it would be time to pack up and leave.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, You are wild and untameable, uncontrollable and without boundaries. You come and go as You please, seeking to fill hearts with Christ and churches with God’s presence. Permit us to experience this privileged presence and guide us all in God’s way. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome :)

Today's image is one of John's Pentecost drawings called "Let the Fire Fall." if you would like to view a larger version, click this link: Firefall.