Love Wins - 1 Peter 4:8

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (NIV)

This is one of my favorite verses in the New Testament. Being a dour Scottish Calvinistic Presbyterian, I often feel that my depravity, according to both Calvin & John Knox, contaminates my faith and deeply separates me from God. Even though I’m a pastor, I feel miserable about my sins and regret many past mistakes. If it wasn’t for Christ’s love and God’s grace, I doubt that I’d ever feel good about myself, but thankfully, the power of love has the ability to overcome my misery and restore me to God’s favor. Or as the Apostle Peter simply put it: love covers over a multitude of sins.

Perhaps you’re feeling bad about your past or weighed down by a mistake you’ve made. Maybe you feel disconnected to God and not good enough for His love. Please don’t despair – God’s love is the greatest power in the entire universe. You can be loved by God; you will be forgiven and you definitely can start over again. How? – because love covers over a multitude of sins – even those that you have committed.

Application: Forget the past, live in this moment of God’s grace and receive Christ’s love every day for the rest of your life. 😊

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the greatest gift in all of our lives – the love of God that You purchased for us on the Cross. Help us this day to share this amazing love with all whom we meet. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s psalm drawings based on Psalm 73. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm 73.

October 19 devotion - Guilt and Grace

Acts 10:43 Peter concluded, “All the prophets testify about Jesus that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

            Guilt is something that a lot of us struggle with on a regular basis. As we go through life, we carry a lot of baggage, some of which include regrets from the past. This might be something wrong in our teenage years, an old family conflict, a foolish and embarrassing choice, or even a mistake that affected our relationships or careers. Whatever the case, our guilt is usually about something that remains unresolved and unforgiven.

            From its very beginnings, the message of Christianity has always included the gift of forgiveness, which Jesus offers to us in His name. He can do this because God allows Christ to claim us as His own. This means we can be both pardoned and restored to God at the same time. All of the baggage that we carry from past mistakes can be personally removed when we trust Jesus. We also don’t have to go through religious acts of penance or make major sacrifices to appease God. We only have to embrace Christ and rely on Him to keep His word.

            Perhaps there is still something in your life that constantly casts a shadow over you. Maybe there is an unhealed memory that haunts you or a deep regret that weighs you down emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Please know that you can bring those things to Christ in prayer, express to Him your sorrow, and ask Him to forgive you in His name. As soon as you do this, God will forgive you, Christ will release you, and the Holy Spirit will help you to start again.

Point to ponder

What is my greatest regret? Am I willing to let Jesus forgive and heal me of this burden?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You know all that we carry in our hearts and play over again in our minds. You are aware of the burdens of guilt that we carry and the sources of sorrow in our lives. Please help us to quietly come to You to ask for mercy and grace. Hear us now as we humbly pray in Your Holy Name. 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 John an email to Traqair@aol.com. You can also read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s digital glass drawings called ‘Time to Pray.’ If you would like to view a larger version, click this link: Pray.

July 24 devotion - Struggling with Sin

Romans 3:20  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law, we become conscious of sin.

We all struggle with sin. There is not one of us who lives life perfectly, so, in God’s eyes, we are unholy, imperfect, and just not good. We can justify our sins and make excuses for our mistakes, but that just compounds the difficulties in our lives and strains our relationship with God.

Most of us just want to be happy and hope that God understands when we fail Him. We want to be loved and tolerated, accepted and embraced by God, without being challenged or changed. We want our choices to be approved and our lives to be given an A+, but that’s a sinful delusion and selfish way of dealing with life. We are not at the center of God’s great universe; we are not God’s sole focus in the world. We are sinners who do unholy, unworthy, and ungodly things. We are careless creatures who cast God aside when He gets in the way of getting what we desire and living the way that we want.

Thankfully, God knows us better than we actually understand ourselves, which is why He sent us His Son to die for our sins, in order that all things could be redeemed, reconciled, and restored perfectly to Him. Great sinners like ourselves need a Great Savior. Who else but the Holy Son of God can forgive our sins and bring us back to God? In all of the universe, there is Only One; in All of Creation, there is just One Savior: Jesus Christ.

Questions for personal reflection

What are my most repeated sins? How can Jesus forgive me, and empower me to overcome those persistent mistakes?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, forgive our foolish and imperfect ways. Pardon our sinful and unholy words. Challenge our lives and change us for the better. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s Nativity drawings called “Royal Baby.” If you would like to view a larger version of the image, please click on the following link: RoyalBaby

Forgiven Forever - Hebrews 8:12

Hebrews 8:12  “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

            Most of us have regrets – some of them are shameful, while others are still painful. Being human means we are not perfect and make mistakes – and some of those mistakes are bad enough to weigh heavily on our minds for years.

            Today’s verse reminds us that we believe in the God of Forgiveness. No matter how bad we have been or how wickedly we have sinned, God is still willing to be merciful and allow us the opportunity to put the past behind us and begin once more. He also promises to never bring up ever again those sins and mistakes that we regret and have confessed to Him.

            God does this for us because His Son Jesus paid the price for our sins. This is what it means to be redeemed; this is what happens when we are saved. So today, receive and embrace this blessing: God knows all our regrets; He forgives all our mistakes, and He promises to let go of every one of them forever.

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for taking upon Yourself the punishment due for our sins. Your sacrifice allows us to be saved. Your Resurrection permits us to be redeemed. Thank You for such a wonderful gift and everlasting blessing. In your Holy Name, we gratefully and humbly pray. Amen.

Short devotion: Blue Jays - Romans 5:17

Romans 5:17  For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

            This morning when I drove into the church parking lot, I was surprised to see a flock of blue jays hopping on the grass in front of our Fellowship Hall. They were feeding on something, but as there were no berries on the trees, I wondered what they were eating. As I watched a few of them fly away, I saw that they had small white cubes in their mouths. I quickly realized that they were feeding on the Communion Bread from last Sunday morning!

            After each Communion service, our church elders dispose of the extra bread and wine by emptying the cup’s contents on the grass, as well as scattering the small squares of bread on the lawn. Eventually God’s creatures come and feed on the elements – insects, birds, and small animals. Today, however, was the first time that I have seen any of them actually taking Communion!

            Grace is a wonderful gift that we’ve been given through Christ, so that we may dwell with God in His Eternal Kingdom. Seeing the blue jays feeding on the bread crumbs reminded me of the simple way that my Heavenly Father nourishes me with the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation.

            May you experience the richness of God’s grace and the blessing of His goodness today.

Question for reflection

What does Communion mean to me? How have I experienced God’s grace through it?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of grace that You purchased for us through the giving of Your Body and Blood. We know that we do not deserve such a bounteous blessing, so we are humbly grateful for what You have done and what we have been given. 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 Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s Blue Jay drawings. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Blue Jay.

Christian devotions: Divine Gift - Acts 13:39

Today’s Bible readings can be found online here: Proverbs 15:1-11 and Acts 13:36-52.

Acts 13:39       Through Christ everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the Law of Moses. 

            One of the greatest gifts of Christianity is that people, even the wickedest among us, can be forgiven by God. This allows all of us to begin our lives again and make a new start. Many of us have past regrets and have made terrible mistakes. We carry the burden of our guilt within us, and sometimes even punish ourselves for being so foolish, corrupt, and sinful. To be human, is to be frequently wrong. To be forgiven, is to be set free from the past.

            Our beautiful world and wonderful planet is full of broken, guilty, and remorseful people. Much of the disappointments we experience or cause, are deeply rooted in our sinful nature. We all could be better people; we all could make better choices; we all could do better things with our lives.

            Christ gives us a gracious opportunity to begin again, no matter who we are, no matter what we’ve done; no matter what age we are, and no matter what hurt or damage we have caused. He sacrificed Himself for our sins and, as Paul preached long ago, ‘everyone who believes is set free from every sin.’

            Today, I rejoice in the eternal fact that I am forgiven. I hope that you can also receive and experience this greatest of all gifts from God. As the poet, Alexander Pope once wrote: ‘to err is human; to forgive, divine.’

Personal questions for reflection

What is currently my biggest regret? Have I truly asked Christ to forgive me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are our Divine Savior and Gracious Lord. We know the wrong that we have done and the disappointments we have created. Forgive our past mistakes and foolish choices. Allow us the opportunity to begin again and to re-start our lives by being connected to You. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully and humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is 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 one of John’s latest drawings called “Northern Delights.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Northern.

Encouraging Devotion: Needing Grace - Psalm 25:8

Psalm 25:8    Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.

            Sometimes when I sin, I get both angry and disappointed with myself. I get angry because I've let temptation or pride overcome me again; I feel disappointed because I've let down God once more. There are also times when I think that if I wasn't a Christian, my conscience would'’t bother me and I could freely set aside my sins as insignificant mistaken choices. However, as I try to be a follower of Christ, so my sins afflict and convict me constantly.

            The Book of Psalms was written for sinners just like me. I constantly find that King David of old has put into words what I’m feeling or experiencing. He didn't pull any punches or dismiss any of his sins. Like me, he knew that he was sinful and therefore needed God’s forgiveness. Like me, he understood that his sins messed up his relationship with God, as well as those with other people.

            To me, Psalm 25 deals with sin through God’s grace. King David saw God as being constantly patient and consistently willing to forgive sinners, in order to help them start again. God could have condemned David completely and judged him terribly; instead, God allowed David to repent, and then begin again to relearn God’s ways and reapply His truths in the king’s life.

            We all sin. We all feel bad about disappointing God or hurting other people. We all want to make things right and start again. As Christians, we are given this wonderful opportunity to be forgiven through Jesus. His death on the Cross has paid all of our debts; His amazing resurrection has brought about our restoration to God’s favor and love.

            So wherever we are today, let’s take the gracious opportunity to let go of our sinful past, to be released of our constant struggles, and to experience the forgiveness of God and reassurance of Christ. Let’s begin again. Let’s embrace this new day as a new start in the rest of our lives.

Questions for reflection

What sinful things do I constantly do? When I ask Christ for forgiveness, do I also ask for my faith in Him to be renewed?

Prayer:           Lord Jesus, You know us completely and are totally aware of all of our sinful ways. You perfectly know how many times we sin and why we choose to defy, disregard, or disappoint God. Forgive us for our foolish and sinful ways. Restore us to God’s love and favor. 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 ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest stained glass designs. It’s called “Spirit of Communion.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Communion.