Daily Devotion: Comfort and Care - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Today’s readings:

Judges 5:10-18          

2 Corinthians 1:1-7  

2 Corinthians 1:3-4    Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

The best ministries that I have seen in all of the churches that I have served, have always been those connected to compassion and comfort. Apart from worshipping God and bringing people to Christ, I think that these ministries are very important to a church’s effective witness to the community where it resides. How we apply what we are taught is a valuable way of encouraging others to experience God’s love. What we do in the eyes of the wider community is always more important than what we dictate.

            Congregations that have this compassionate capacity are great at being supportive to their extended church families and friends. I am constantly amazed and humbled at the goodness of ordinary people doing extraordinary deeds in times of illness, grief, and stress. They do this because they care; and they care because God has helped and comforted them. It’s a beautiful way of showing Christ’s compassion; it’s a wonderful method of sharing God’s presence.

            If you get the opportunity to be a channel of encouragement, care, and support today, take it and help someone else. Your compassionate words and comforting presence may be the very things that they need to hear and feel right now. Your Christian love and sincere support may be the conduit of God’s comfort in the midst of their troubles.

Questions for personal reflection

Is there someone that I know who is undergoing some trouble today? Am I willing to support and help that someone?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You showed compassion and comfort all throughout Your ministry on Earth. Help us, as Your followers, to give the same kind of help and support to those with troubles today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask a question or make a comment about today’s message, please send him an email to: traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s latest Communion drawing called “Sunrise, Sunset.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5494/10322159433_2f6342e432_b.jpg

Free Devotions - Intervention - James 5:20

James 5:20     Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

“Don’t be judgmental!” “Only God can judge!” “You Christians are always judging others.”

If I had a dollar for every time that I’ve heard or read that somewhere, then I’d be a rich person today. People want to live their own lives and make their own choices, but when a pastor, a church member, or a faithful Christian points out the foolishness or danger of such decisions, they’re often met with those kinds of aggressive answers.

Now people can say what they want against Christians, but Christians do have a responsibility of helping and encouraging people to change their lives, especially when their life style choices are self-destructive, sinful and selfish. The world may criticize Christians for being judgmental, but in many cases Christians are actually displaying discernment and trying to help sinners turn from the error of their ways. It may not be popular, but sometimes Christian intervention stops a person from further injury, addiction, or isolation.

I know that for me it took Christ’s intervention and real supportive Christian people to enable me to overcome my alcohol addiction. They knew that I was an alcoholic, even although I would not admit it to myself. But rather than say or do nothing, my Christian friends held me accountable for my foolish decisions and eventually enabled me to win my battle against drinking alcohol. I may have thought that they were judgmental at first, but when I overcame my addiction I realized how much their tough love, confrontational care, and true discernment of my self-inflicted situation had challenged and changed me.

Christians should not be afraid of being called ‘judgmental’ when dealing with self-destructive sinners or sinful behavior. Sometimes God places us in-between those people – family & friends especially – and the negative consequences of their selfish choices. Intervention is not easy to do or maintain, but if it is successful (as in my case) then it does indeed save the sinner from death and covers over a multitude of sins.

Perhaps there’s someone in your life who’s near and dear to you but their lifestyle decisions are drastically affecting their relationships, work, and future. Evil triumphs and addictions destroy when good people say and do nothing. Don’t be afraid to speak out and ask the Holy Spirit to grant you the right time, place, and words to say what needs to be said. In years to come, that very same person you are confronting may truly thank you for turning his or her life around.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we let the world diminish our gifts of discernment because we don’t like to be thought of as being judgmental. You however dealt with people straight-forwardly and candidly when it came to confronting sin. Help us to help those who need to be challenged in order to change. Grant us the presence of Your Holy Spirit in our lives to lovingly and compassionately intervene. In Your Holy Name, we steadfastly 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 image is of a poster that I designed with regard to overcoming alcoholism. It’s entitled “Alcoholic Aurora” and depicts empty drinking glasses against the back ground of the rising sun. The message reads: “ALCOHOLIC AURORA – when the Sun rises and your spirit doesn’t.”

You can view a larger version of the poster here: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1292/1071957099_1c477987be_o.jpg

Lent devotions: Deserving Our Good - Proverbs 3:27

Proverbs 3:27             Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.

How do you know who deserves your good? It’s a strange question to ask, but it’s one that a lot of churches are asking these days.

In Knoxville, many churches subscribe to what’s called “Charity Check.” It’s an online service which provides information on people who ask for help. It lets churches see how much a person or a family has received from different local congregations over a period of 3-5 years. Sometimes the charity given amounts to thousands of dollars. This alerts the church to two things: a) that the person is in a long term serious situation or b) that the person is actually milking the system.

In both cases, the good given depends upon the circumstances. Money may be requested, but sometimes advice is only given. In the cases where charity abuse is suspected, the request is declined. That might sound harsh or judgmental, but it’s actually good stewardship of available money. Most Christian agencies work this way – our congregations are at long last beginning to catch up.

So, who deserves our good? Those in crisis; those who are vulnerable; and those who have a real need. It’s up to us to use the gifts of discernment and the information available to make sure that the money which is collected and distributed is given to those who have a genuine need, and not those who are driven by greed.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You once stated that the poor are always with us and that we should do for them whatever we can. Help us to help the real poor and grant us the discernment to do this wisely, compassionately, and faithfully. In Your Holy Name, we 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 image is one of John’s Psalm series. It depicts a verse from Psalm 70. If you would like to see a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3377/3524347556_7a6e6fea63_b.jpg

Free Daily Devotions: A Lovely Place - Psalm 84 v 1

Psalm 84:1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!

We’re in the midst of a major renovation at Erin Church, so the whole place is anything but lovely! The parking lot is caked in wet red clay; the church parlor has been sealed off due to dust; chairs and equipment are stored all over the place, and some of our classes, programs, and projects are on the back-burner until the construction is completed. Everything is in a state of chaotic un-loveliness, so this whole year will be a washout as far as I am concerned.

We’re looking forward to Easter, though, because by that time the downstairs Fellowship Hall should be completed. If it is, then we’ll hold our annual Easter breakfast in it and celebrate the rebirth of the church. That promises to be one of the most meaningful resurrection Sundays our congregation have ever experienced.

In the ancient past, holy temples and sacred buildings were thought to be the dwelling places of God’s Spirit, but because we’re New Testament people, Christ has taught us that God is within us. We are meant to be the lovely dwelling places of God, exhibiting love and peace, grace and compassion to the world.

I hope that when the building renovations are completed at Erin, we will begin to focus on the spiritual renewal and Christian renovation of the hearts and minds of our people. It’s all very well having updated facilities that look great, but God is meant to dwell within us, not the bricks and mortar. So I guess the challenge for us all is this: what must I do to make God’s dwelling within me a lovely place, so that others may be attracted to Christ and His love?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, sometimes people cannot see You because we get in the way. Forgive us for causing others to miss who You are because of the mistakes that we make. Help us to open our hearts and minds, bodies and souls to Your Holy Spirit, so that we may become the lovely places and loving people that God requires. 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 comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is from John’s psalms art project. It is of Psalm 84 v 3 – ‘Even the sparrow has found a home.’ You can view a larger version of the drawing here: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/3674099670_617ddcdeda.jpg

Daily Devotions: This is Church

Luke 14:11     “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

I am constantly amazed at the faith that is practiced by our young family members and especially the moms at our church. Their calls to compassion and effective ways of ministering to each other is wonderful to watch and humbling to experience.

Take yesterday, for instance. A young mom was involved in a serious car accident. Within hours, our church young moms were mobilized. One of them, who was also preaching at another church, organized the prayer chain in the congregation. A couple of others got on Facebook and soon had people all over the country (and beyond) praying for the young mom who was in critical care. Another young mom, who has just successfully completed surgery and treatment for breast cancer, headed over to the hospital to sit with family. An army of volunteers is rallying together to support, comfort, and care for the entire family.

When I visited the young mom in hospital this morning, she was looking and feeling a lot better than I had expected. The power of prayer, the presence of support, and the love of her friends has helped her immensely. Her road to recovery may be slow, but with the outpouring of Christian love that she has received thus far, it will be a successful one. Faith is not just a bunch of beliefs and religious ideas for our young families, it is an active part of who they are and what they do. I am so proud of what they have accomplished and so grateful of what they can still achieve.

The gift of humility is seen through these acts of loving-kindness. The families are not doing this for themselves or to score religious brownie points with God. They have undertaken this special ministry because they have responded to God’s call for help. It’s wonderful to see such Christian love in action. It’s amazing to watch so many volunteers step up to the plate. This is Church.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for the many people who will do their utmost today to help those in distress, in trouble, or in need of care. Thank You for the healing strength of our churches and for the gifts of kindness that will be freely, lovingly, and humbly bestowed upon those who are injured, ill, or insecure by people of faith. Thank You for these strengths and blessings. 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.