Christian devotions: Storm Stiller - Mark 4:38

Mark 4:38       Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" 

I’ve only once had an anxiety attack in my life and I hope that I never ever go through it again. It happened years ago when my family and I moved into our new home in Knoxville. I suddenly realized that we had just taken on a thirty year mortgage for a house, in a strange city and foreign land, with absolutely no guarantees about the future.

I also felt bad for my wife and two daughters who had given up everything to come to America with me. They no longer had their own family or friends, their cousins or their comrades to support them. They needed me to be there for them, but I was so engrossed in my work that I failed them. Instead of having faith and being reassured, we were all afraid and resentful. This went on for a few weeks and then I had my panic attack.

I couldn’t breathe one day and my heart raced ahead of itself. My mind was a whirl and I honestly thought I was dying. It lasted about a minute but it felt a lot longer. By the time it was over, I was as white as a sheet and drenched in cold perspiration. It was a horrible experience and I would not wish it upon anybody.

Looking back, I can see that my main problem was a lack of faith in Jesus. I was relying upon my own strength, instead of seeking His support. He had brought all of us to the other side of the Atlantic for a whole host of reasons that are still being fulfilled today in all four of our lives. The storms that I experienced were self-created. Christ was in the heart of them, ready, willing, and able to still the storms and calm the waves. It took me a while to see it, but I now understand: Christ’s presence is real and all that truly matters is that He is here.

Perhaps, like the disciples of old, you are going through a stormy patch and troubled waters. Maybe life is hard and your problems are overwhelming your spirit. Know this: Christ is with you in the midst of all your anxieties and all of your cares. He can, and He will, still those storms.

Question for personal reflection

What fears and issues am I currently facing? How have I asked Jesus to help me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, Your powerful presence is what our lives constantly need. We are human and frail, fearful and anxious at times. When we are weak, we need You to be our strength. When we fall, we need You to lift us up. Lord Jesus, guide our lives and calm our storms. 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 drawings called “Stars over Ireland” and it features the Liffey Bridge in Dublin at night time. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6844586504_7af66c66e8_b.jpg

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!

Lent Devotions: Faith for Life

Matthew 27:1  Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. 

Today in Iran, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is awaiting execution. He was found guilty of apostasy by an Iranian Sharia Court because he converted to Christianity from Islam and preached the Gospel. His appeal was rejected and the rest of the world is waiting to see if the Iranian government will carry out the sentence. A good and godly man may die unjustly for believing in Christ and applying his faith.

C.S. Lewis once said, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”  Our faith is not a cozy system of beliefs, it’s a costly one. Christians all over the world are losing everything – family, homes, churches, careers, and even their lives – for sharing the same beliefs that we possess. The difference is that our beliefs tend to be influenced by our life-style choices; for others like Youcef, their beliefs involve the choice between life and death.

When the decision was made by the chief priests and elders to have Jesus executed, did they ever regret what they chose to do? Christ’s death did not put an end to His ministry; it only expanded it beyond Jerusalem and out into the whole world. They thought that they were saving their own religion, but in historical reality, they were giving birth to a brand new faith which would eclipse their own.

As we focus upon Christ and His mission throughout Lent, let’s also remember that the persecution of His Church still takes place in other lands. May we never take our faith for granted or look for it to be comfortable.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we have open our hearts to You and call ourselves Christians. At times, we bear an uncomfortable cross and find that our faith confronts our most cherished choices. Help us to be aware of the cost of our beliefs and keep us from compromising Your sacred commands. 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 drawings based upon the PCUSA symbol. It’s entitled “A New Day.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7186/6857135507_2823395f41_b.jpg

Lent Devotions: Lent Begins at 40 - Isaiah 51:11

Isaiah 51:11    The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Millions of Christians around the world will attend worship services to have the sign of the Cross placed upon their forehead using the ashes of last year’s Palm branches. They do this as an act of penance, beginning a forty day journey of humility and contrition, in order to prepare their hearts and souls, bodies and minds for Holy Week and Easter.

It’s also a time when self-importance gives way to a focus upon God. Self-centered sin is cast side, to be replaced with a deeply spiritual awareness of who Jesus was, is, and ever shall be.

Lent begins at 40. The ashes represent sorrow and shame. The forty days are symbolic of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness just before He began His incredible three year journey of preaching, teaching, and healing. The whole season of Lent is meant to bring us closer to God by aligning our thoughts and acts, our words and ways with those of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. If we are successful in maintaining this focus, then Holy Week and Easter will become incredible too.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, as we begin this forty day journey of Lent, be with us step by step and day by day. Allow us the blessing of Your presence and guidance over everything that we think, do, or say. 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 a bulletin cover designed by John for Lent and/or Holy Week. It is called “Purple Reign.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7050/6913397537_14e0996d59_b.jpg

Lent Devotions: Forsaken, but not forgotten

Psalm 22:1      My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

There was a time in my life when I actually felt forsaken by God. It happened when I was a teenager. My Mom had just had another schizophrenic meltdown and the paramedics came to take her away in an ambulance. As usual, she was violently cursing and out of her mind. Our neighbors were at their windows – some praying inwardly while others were shaking their heads. I felt so embarrassed, angry, and saddened all at the same time. I feel to my knees and started to weep in front of my Dad and siblings.

“Why is this happening to us?” I wailed. “Why doesn’t God do something to stop it?” It was the lowest point in my teenage life and that despair set me off on a self-destructive course of alcoholism and addiction.

Decades later, I can still feel that pain but I also know that God was there in the midst of all my family’s distress. He heard the cry of my heart and I feel that because of the suffering our family endured, I can help people better in the middle of their own crises.

Perhaps you are going through some trouble today, or you feel isolated and vulnerable, or there is some pain in your life that is deeply affecting your relationships with others and God. From my experience, I believe that God is at the heart of your trouble, walking with you and willing to help you get through this.

We all can feel forsaken at times, just like Jesus on the Cross when He quoted these words, but we are never hopelessly abandoned by God. He is with us always, planning what lies ahead and preparing for better times.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You knew the depths of despair on the Cross at Calvary. The suffering and shame that You endured connected You to the painfulness, weakness, and fearfulness of humanity. We look to You to help us carry our crosses and bear our burdens. We need You to walk beside us and embrace us with love, patience, healing, and compassion. 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.