Christian devotion: A Single Day - Zechariah 3:9

Zechariah 3:9             “See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.”

In a single day, Adam took the fruit from Eve and human sin tarnished the whole of Creation.

In a single day, Christ took the cup of wrath from God and human sin was removed from Creation.

In a single day, we are each given the breath of Life to begin a new journey in the world.

In a single day, breath is taken from our lives and we may be given the opportunity to enter into the next world.

In a single day, we are given the offer to believe in Christ who can forgive us and restore us to God’s everlasting Kingdom.

In a single day, we can reject Christ’s offer and fail to be redeemed, leaving us separated from God forever.

In a single day, we can seek God’s grace, be cleansed of our sins, and rejoice in God’s love forever.

In this single day, what will we do?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, all that we have is this single day with which to get things right with God, so that we may be forgiven of our mistakes and restored to His Presence through Your grace. Help us to encourage our loved ones and others to receive these blessings in this single day. 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 traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s latest Communion drawing called “Glasgow Cup.” It’s in the art nouveau style of one of his favorite Scottish artists Charles Rennie Mackintosh. You can view a larger version here: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8118104006_81dd7214e3_b.jpg

Christian devotions: Naughty or Nice? - Luke 6:26

Luke 6:26                   Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

            They are called “Blessings and Woes” in the Gospel of Luke. It’s the Good Doctor’s equivalent of what Matthew wrote in his Gospel when Jesus preached the sermon on the hillside. Most people know the Matthew 5 version; very few have ever read or compared Luke’s version of the same message. Church people tend to want things to be bright and positive, cheerful and light – Matthew supplies that in his record of the Beatitudes. Luke, however, who was a physician, was perhaps more used to thinking in terms of remedies and consequences. His version of what Christ said reads more like a spiritual health warning from God.

            I often struggle with this in the ministry God has given me. There’s a fine balance between preaching, teaching, and writing what people want to hear or read, as opposed to what God wants us to understand. Life is not a game, it’s a gift. Faith is not a spiritual convenience, it’s a constant challenge. The symbol of what we believe in is not a smiley face, it’s a cross. In my humble opinion, Christianity is the hardest faith that anyone can seek to live by; it meddles with our lifestyle choices and interferes with our ideals. Sometimes, as Christians, we have to assertively push back against society and our own community because the wrong ideas and sinful choices are being promoted.

            C. S. Lewis in his wonderful book “Mere Christianity” wrote this: ‘A world of nice people, content in their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world — and might even be more difficult to save.’ Luke’s version of the Beatitudes reminds us that all of our choices have both positive and negative eternal consequences. If we take salvation for granted, we will never be saved. If we live by our own personal creed, as opposed to Christ’s challenging message, we will never see God.

Questions for personal reflection

Where does my faith challenge me most? Do I surrender to Christ’s demands or the world’s ways?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, being a Christian is never easy and we each have crosses to bear. We sometimes think sin is just ‘being naughty’ and faith is just ‘being nice.’ Within our hearts and minds we know that there’s more to life than just being superficial. Teach us the serious differences between sin and salvation, deliverance and damnation, blessings and woes. 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 image is John’s latest waterfall drawing. It’s called “Heavenly Falls.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/7593826054_57a16df2f2_b.jpg

Christian Devotions: Our Redeemer - Isaiah 63:16

Isaiah 63:16     However, You are our Father, even though Abraham does not recognize us or Israel know us; You are our Father, O Lord, and from ancient times Your Name is known as ‘Our Redeemer.’

Sadly, every now and then, some celebrity or famous person loses their life in a tragic or scandalous way. We are all shocked and saddened by this kind of event, especially if the person has died much younger than anticipated. Within days, we are all saturated with breaking news, special documentaries, and television biographies that sometimes unfairly criticize or sully the reputation of the dead person. Media frenzy ensues and the story is big until some other star passes away tragically. Then a new circus begins and the same old cycle of speculation and cynicism continues.

I used to wonder if that kind of thing happened beyond death. Is a person’s whole life totally revealed to everyone in eternity, with all of the shameful secrets and sinful events completely exposed? Are our reputations eternally sullied and our souls punished by God for our faithless and fruitless ways in life? As a teenager, those things used to worry me immensely; as a Christian, I now understand the beauty of God’s grace.

For thousands of years, the One, True, and Living God has been known as ‘Our Redeemer.’ He doesn’t have to, but He wants to redeem us from our sins and rescue us from the sickness of our secrets. In Isaiah’s time, the people thought that because they were so far away from Jerusalem, God didn’t have the geographical power to rescue and deliver them. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah realized that this wasn’t true. God wasn’t limited by time or space; geography or history could not bind or restrict His redeeming power. God didn’t have to, but God was willing to deliver His people yet again.

As Christians, we now know God’s great redeeming love through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. We are delivered from death and saved from our sins through the Cross at Calvary. Whatever we have sinfully done in the past, Christ has completely forgiven for all Time. Whatever shameful secrets have sullied us, Jesus has totally absolved. From of old, we have known His Name: Our Redeemer.

Question for personal reflection

How has Jesus been revealed to me as the Redeemer of my life?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we cannot thank You enough for restoring us to God’s favor by redeeming us with Your blood. We will always be eternally thankful for Your sacrifice on the Cross that has reconnected our souls with God for all Time. Help us to cheerfully and joyfully live each day as thankful redeemed people. 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 John’s latest Spring drawing called “Dogwood Cardinal.” If you would like to view a larger version of the picture, please click on the following link: http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6227/6998552941_3a75f0a757_b.jpg

Superbowl halftime Devotions: Divine Forgetfulness - Isaiah 43:25

Isaiah 43:25    “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

I honestly could not live with myself if I could not go to Christ each day in prayer and ask for the forgiveness of my mistakes and the absolute pardon of my selfish sins. I may be a pastor, but I am also only human, so I will never be perfect in any shape or form. As the legendary coach of the Packers, Vince Lombardi, once said, “ Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”

We cannot be perfect, but we can strive to be better people each day. We can learn a lot more about God. We can work on our weaknesses and build upon our strengths. We can seek God’s blessing, Christ’s forgiveness, and the Spirit’s guidance every day. We can know that we are growing in faith by trying to live as effective and devoted servants of Christ in our congregations, communities, and countries.

God is able to blot out our past mistakes and to presently bless us with His love. And when God forgives us through Christ Jesus, His Holy Son, He promises not to remember, recall, or be reminded of our sins anymore. When God forgives, He forgets our offenses. When He pardons us, He allows us to move on.

Perhaps you have been carrying a major regret from the past for a long time. Maybe you haven’t managed to forgive yourself for a sinful stupid mistake that still haunts you today. It could be that you’ve not known any real peace of mind or heart over an event or deed that you committed recently or long ago. Know this: help is available now and peace can be experienced. Tell Christ what’s truly on your heart and ask Him for mercy. Your prayers will be answered and your sin will be fully forgiven. Just make the time and take this opportunity to make amends with God and be restored to His love today.

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You know us completely and we know that there are no secrets that we can ever hide from You. Pride and fear sometimes keep us from asking for forgiveness. Denial and delusion sometimes cause us to bear our burdens longer than we need. Today, we come to You as sinners in need of salvation, as failures in need of forgiveness. Hear our prayers given humbly and in the power of Your Holy Name. 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 free clip art image for school teachers. It’s called “Teacher’s Welcome.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6746680641_4b4da99685_b.jpg

Inspirational Devotions: Love and Hate - Philippians 2:8

The podcast for today’s devotional can be found at the following link:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/stushie/Love_and_Hate.mp3

Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!

I love the snow; I just hate driving in it. Even though I was born in Scotland and drove through many blizzards on the West Coast at night, when I could barely see a thing, I find that driving in the snow covered streets of the South is much more hazardous. There seems to be more black ice and bad drivers here than I ever experienced back in Scotland, so even when an inch of snow hits our roads in and around Knoxville, it’s deathly dangerous.

I guess it’s because people are just not used to the white stuff falling on the streets each winter. The local authorities don’t seem to be wholly prepared either and yet, we all know that winter comes around every year at this time.

I love being a Christian; I just hate the struggles that I have each day in trying to maintain my faith. Even though I grew up in the Church and have spent much of my life as a pastor, it’s still hard to be the perfect saint that everyone expects. I’m only human after all, so I’m going to make mistakes and at the end of each day, I’ve usually got a whole list of sins to ask God for forgiveness. As each day starts, I begin with the best of intentions; as each day closes, I seek pardon for the offenses I’ve caused and the temptations to which I have yielded.

I love Jesus Christ too; I just hate the fact that He died on the Cross for me. Even though I know He did it to obey God and obtain my salvation, I feel guilty about driving the nails through His hands with my personal sins. I know that I’ll never be perfect and that I’ll need His Cross each day to pin my sins upon Him. I hate that, but at the same time I am also deeply grateful that Jesus saved and saves me from my sins by His humility and obedience which led to the Cross.

Perhaps you are feeling guilty about something you once did or said. Maybe you feel distant from God or separated from Him because of sinful acts and shameful secrets. I hate those things too, but this I love: there is nothing that we have ever done or said that can ever separate us from the love God through our Lord Jesus Christ. If we let Him into our lives and open our hearts to Him, if we accept Him and believe that He has the power to pardon us, then He will grant us forgiveness instantly and immediately, totally and completely.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we love You dearly, but we hate the fact that we caused You to die on the Cross for our past mistakes and present sins. We are humbled by Your humility and are in awe of Your obedience to God. Without Your death, we would have no Life; without Your sacrifice, we would have no salvation. In Your Name, we live and 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 a nighttime scene of the Henley Street bridge in Knoxville. The picture is called “Moon over Henley.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click here: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5249/5322272559_cdb65afa3d_b.jpg

All of John’s drawings can be found on the Web at his art site at http://www.stushieart.wordpress.com/

Signed, numbered and matted prints are available for only $20 each (plus shipping if necessary). They make unique gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and new homes. Just contact John by email and he’ll be delighted to help you.

Daily Devotion: Patiently Building - Mark 15 v 29-30

Mark 15:29-30            Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!"  

A massive digger has just been parked outside of my church study window. The contractors are getting the equipment in place in order to begin digging up the back yard of the church, so that we can lay the foundations of a new extension. A lot of the brush and some of the smaller trees at the back will, unfortunately, have to be dug up and destroyed in the process. This time next year, I’m going to have a completely different view from my office window.

I’m not very good with changes like this and the subsequent upheaval is going to command a lot of my patience. I know that the end results will be worthwhile; it’s just the current painstaking process that causes me problems. In order to build, something has to change. In order to grow, something has to be lost.

When the passers-by hurled their insults at Christ, they had no idea that God was beginning a new creation and that a new faith was being born. The people scorned Christ because it appeared as though He had let them down. They thought He was the Messiah who had come to rid them of the Romans and its Empire. In fact, Christ did do that but it took about 400 years to achieve. The passers-by wanted Christ to do it immediately. They weren’t prepared to wait and obviously thought that when Jesus died on the Cross, His mission and ministry were over.

But in the midst of the painstaking process of death by crucifixion, Jesus was saving the world and establishing His Church. God works in mysterious ways and there’s nothing more mysterious than creating new life in the midst of death. The old ways were being destroyed forever. The rites of sacrifice were over. Jesus laid down His life to the destruction of death in order to bring about pardon and forgiveness, resurrection and restoration to all who were willing to accept His sacrificial death and believe in His power to save them from their sins. He was patiently building salvation.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You destroyed the old ways of religion and gave birth to a new faith on the Cross. We are heirs to that blessing and we praise You for completing the painful process of salvation, so that we may be given the glorious opportunity of being restored to God forever. 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 drawing is John’s latest lighthouse print of the Nubble Lighthouse in Maine, USA. You can view a larger version of the drawing here: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1006/4597010807_503a3fe91d_b.jpg

Free Daily Devotions: Infinite Value - Mark 12 v 16

Mark 12:16     They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"     "Caesar's," they replied.

It’s amazing what some people will pay to own something of a famous person. Earlier this morning, I was on Ebay looking at trading cards. I came across one that is described as ‘the holy grail of sports cards.’ It’s a 1952 autographed card of Mickey Mantle when he played for the Yankees. There are only 29 of these cards in existence and this one is in near mint condition.

The asking price? A mere $115,000. If you don’t believe me, then you can view it here: Mickey Mantle. Not bad for a mere portrait and inscription. I would have to sell half of my house to buy it, so I guess I won’t be adding it to my collection.

When I read this morning’s Gospel passage (Mark 12:13-17), I couldn’t help but smile. I wondered how much the Pharisees and Herodians would have valued the denarius if it had Christ’s portrait and a “Love One Another” inscription on it. They probably would have thrown it back in Jesus’ face. They were looking for a reason to trap Him and make Him look foolish in the eyes of the people, but they ended up with egg on their faces and left bewildered and amazed.

The story also makes me wonder what price I would be willing to pay for my salvation? A denarius? A dollar? $115,000? How much is God’s grace, Christ’s forgiveness, and everlasting life worth to me? Even everything that I own could never be enough to pay for those gifts of infinite value. I need Christ to inscribe the word ‘forgiven’ on my heart. I need His blood to cleanse me of my unholiness. I need Jesus  to sacrificially offer Himself on the Cross at Calvary in order to be completely and eternally saved, and so does everyone else.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, there are many things we own in the world that become valuable possessions and priceless items in our lives. But no matter what we have or even covet, they are nothing compared to our salvation through You. When all of our possessions, money, trading cards, and treasures have turned to dust, Your Cross will outlast and outshine them all. Thank You for the everlasting gift of salvation. We are indebted to You forever. 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 image is taken from John’s Psalm collection. It depicts Christ on the Cross in the style of Van Gogh’s Starry Night. The written verse comes from the 86^th psalm. A larger version of the drawing can be viewed here: Psalm 86.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Blessed Boasting

Galatians 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Podcast version here: http://media.libsyn.com/media/stushie/Blessed_Boasting.mp3

Each year, I have the privilege of taking a part in a lunchtime ecumenical service at the local Roman Catholic church on Good Friday. Seven pastors, ministers, and priests give short 4-5 minute homilies on the Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross. I’ve taken part in this service for about 11 years and it never ceases to amaze me how much the Holy Spirit inspires each speaker.

I love the fact that we all gather together in one sacred place, as one holy church. The Crucified figure of Christ looms above each speaker and adds a pictorial poignancy to what we express. The whole worship service is a solemn reminder of what Jesus endured to save us from our sins. It’s a miraculous moment of mystery when the speakers and worshippers alike sit in awe. The whole place and service makes me feel guilty and sorrowful, absolved and thankful all at the same time.

I love the Cross of Calvary, but I hate what happened to Jesus. I love the freedom He brings me, but I despise my sins which nailed Him to the Cross. Good Friday has a spiritual ambivalence and a bittersweet attachment to my soul. But it fully prepares me for the glorious goodness that I experience on Easter, when I am fully restored to God on Resurrection Sunday. The curse of the Cross is broken by the very first rays of the rising sun, given to us gladly by the grace of the Risen Son of God.

Prayer:
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo! it glows with peace and joy. Amen. (John Bowring)

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.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: No Favoritism

Acts 10:34, 35 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.

It’s a problem for every generation of Christians. How does God treat and judge those who do what is right, but have no knowledge of Jesus? Are they lost forever, or does God give them credit for being good people?

Over the years, I have struggled and wrestled with this. Scripture is absolute when it states that those who believe shall be given everlasting life, whereas those who have no belief shall perish (John 3:16-18). In our cosmopolitan and pluralistic society, those words of John seem to be unacceptable, archaic, and out of touch with the real world. And yet, they were written at a time when the world was just as cosmopolitan and pluralistic as it is today.

When I read Peter’s words this morning, I thought that they might provide the loophole that most of us look for when dealing with this subject. ‘God shows no favoritism’ - not even to Christians? ‘God accepts men from every nation, who fear him and do what is right’ – does this not validate that God accepts all of those who try to do good, no matter what they believe? On the surface, it appears to be that way.

And then, just when I think this serious issue is resolved, Peter adds something to the equation: “You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”

Knowledge of God’s message and the good news (Gospel) of peace through Jesus Christ is required. Universalism is therefore not the answer – knowing Jesus is.

People say that Christianity is dying out and they clutch at straws about salvation. However, there are more Christians in the world today than at any time in the history of our faith. Christ’s message is expanding and more people are being saved each day. The world may cling to its own understanding, but the Christian faith has never altered its message: those who know the Lord will know salvation.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, today there will be many people throughout the world who will turn to You and believe. They will set aside their fears and place their faith in You. They will give up on their doubts and give themselves to you. Thank You for increasing the number of Christians on Earth each day. Help us to do whatever we can to bring other people to You. 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.

4 Minute Devotions: Salvationists

The season of Advent is a special time for salvation…

Luke 3:6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.

Podcast version here

When I was a teenager in Scotland, I worshipped with the Salvation Army. My best friend at the time, George, had joined the Salvationists and was a great trumpet player. He always seemed to have a good attitude, was very dependable as a friend, and worked hard at school. I wanted to be like that, so I went to the Army Hall for a number of Sunday morning meetings.

I liked seeing the worshippers in their uniforms and the worship was amazing. The participants sang enthusiastically and the brass band played along. It was a wonderful experience and I wanted to be part of their community, but to do so I needed to sign the pledge and I just wasn’t prepared to do that at the time.

I guess I wanted to have my cake and eat it, or to put it another way, I wanted to have my beer and drink it. Eventually, I stopped going to services because I knew I was being a hypocrite. It never affected George’s friendship with me. If he was disappointed, I never knew it. He was a true Christian and years later, when I fiercely battled against alcohol and struggled with my faith, George’s example kept me going at times. I could see God’s salvation in him when I was a teenager and it helped me seek Christ later in life.

Advent is a time when we can rediscover Christ. We often think about Him as the holy child in the precious manger, but for those of us who have struggled in life, He is much more than a Christmas card baby. Christ is the Savior of our souls. He is the Chosen One in whom God’s salvation can be seen by the entire world.

If you’re presently struggling with issues in your life and you’re feeling insecure, then please come to Jesus and receive His total reassurance. He has promised us that He will help to carry our burdens and restore us to God’s merciful love. It’s a wonderful blessing and a remarkable opportunity for salvation.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the true Christians in our lives, whose characters and conduct attract us to God’s salvation. Bless them for their understanding and support. Bring us closer to You through God’s amazing love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.