July 29 devotion - Talking to Jesus

Revelation 20:14-15   Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (NIV)

            When I first read today’s passage from Revelation, I was a teenager who had rebelled against God and my family. The words shocked me and cast a dire shadow over my soul. I felt quite anxious about the whole scenario depicted in Revelation 20 and fearfully convinced myself that God was waiting to punish me for all of my sins on the other side of death. I felt miserable and alone, unloved and hopeless.

            Instead of making me turn my life around, this frightening knowledge only made me worse. I flippantly cast aside God’s judgment for two reasons. Firstly, I was in denial about my own selfish and sinful ways. Secondly, my self-destructive attitude was summed up in an old saying: “I may as well be hanged for stealing a sheep, rather than a lamb." Defiance and rebellion against God fed my despair. Since God was going to punish me anyway, I might as well just sin as much as I could.

            Thankfully, Jesus saved me from myself, as well as from God’s wrath. Giving my heart to Jesus was the best decision that I have ever made in my entire life. It did not make me perfect, holy, or sinless, but that personal commitment offered me a hope to hold on to, as well as a Savior who has never let me go. Each day, I depend upon Him to accept, correct, and direct me; each day I need Jesus to both forgive and fortify me. Without His grace, I cannot truly find God. Without Christ’s love, I cannot truly live.

            Perhaps you are worried about your future with God. It may be the case that you’ve been burdened with a personal mistake, or a deep regret, or a secret shame which makes you fearful of God’s final judgment. Whatever it is, know this for a fact: it can be forgiven; it can even be forgotten. All it takes is a simple act of faith, a prayer of sincere confession to Jesus. Talk to Him about it and ask for His pardon. He will forgive you. He will save you. He will always love you.

Questions for personal reflection

What sins am I still carrying from the past? When will I bring them to Jesus and ask Him to forgive me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are the Only One who can forgive our past mistakes and bless us with an everlasting future. We carry our burdens too long and ask too little of You. Forgive our pride and resentment, pardon our shame and disappointment. Help us to come to You today, praying for mercy and asking for love. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly 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 drawing is John’s latest digital glass image called ‘Tree of Life.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Tree of Life.

Short Devotion: The Second Death - Revelation 20:6

Revelation 20:6          Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

There’s a second death which preachers don’t often talk about these days because people don’t want to hear or accept it. It takes place after the Final Resurrection when everyone will be brought before God in the Time of Judgment. Those who truly believed in Christ and lived their lives according to His ways will live forever. Those who didn’t won’t and they will experience death a second time.

I hear many people talk about life beyond death, but I never hear anyone talking about death beyond death. Because we’ve forgotten about this coming event, we live our lives as if it doesn’t matter to God. We delude ourselves into thinking that our lifestyle choices have no bearing on what the outcome will be when we die on Earth. But that is a demonic lie which is sending people towards that second death from which they will never escape.

This summer, our denomination made a mistake which I believe will end up ruining the church, but much more seriously than that, will end up sending people to the doom of a second death. Even if I were to preach that a hundred times each Sunday from the pulpit for two years, there would be those who would still say, “That’s only your opinion” or “That’s being narrow minded” or “That’s not what I believe” or “This is the 21^st century, so get with it Preacher.”

We believe that we are so right, and yet we are totally wrong. The Second Death exists and it is the true Church’s mission to help people of all persuasions, life style choices, and beliefs to avoid it. Wishful thinking about the after-life will lead to the Second Death. Only real repentance will lead us to everlasting life. Teaching tolerance may be good for earthly societies, but it does nothing to avert the Second Death. When we tolerate sin, we send people the wrong message and put them on the wrong path to perdition.

Prayer:                       Lord Jesus, we are all guilty of making excuses for our sins and setting aside the Eternal Truths about life and death, life after death, and even death after death. Forgive us for thinking that we are better and more enlightened than the generations of Christians before us. Save us from ourselves! Save us from the Second Death! 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 about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing in his Psalms series. It’s based upon a verse from Psalm 109. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6170833393_3829d1b0e9_b.jpg