Encouragement Devotion: Everlasting Blessings - Luke 20:36

Luke 20:36     “And they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.”

I love verses like this from the Bible because they offer an everlasting hope of blessings yet to come. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not wishing for death – life is beautiful – but at the end of all this beauty and wonder, it’s comforting to know that there is something more wonderful yet to be experienced. This is why I am a Christian, and this is why I believe that Christianity offers the best hope of our earthly lives.

To be like an angel and a child of the resurrection is a precious gift that only Jesus can bring. When He spoke to the Sadducees, who did not believe in life beyond death, He did not condemn them for their beliefs. Instead, Jesus attempted to enlighten them in a charming and attractive way. He told them that all are alive to God, even those who are dead, because we all have eternal souls. I recently read a wonderful statement about this: “We are not human beings seeking an everlasting spiritual experience; we are eternal spiritual beings having a human experience.”

As a Christian, I want all of my family and friends, my neighbors and colleagues to live in the eternal blessings of God’s loving presence, so I have to try to share my faith with them. And I am certain that you want those blessings for your loved ones as well. The great news is this: Jesus can show us how to do that in a charming, attractive, and effective way.

Questions for personal reflection

Whom do I dearly love in this earthly life? Have I lovingly shared my Christian faith with them?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, they are people in our lives whom we dearly love and yet they do not truly know You. Help us to share our faith with them in loving and charming ways, so that they may be drawn closer to You and receive Your Gospel in their hearts. 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 about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s latest nativity drawing called “Star Song.” Every year, John draws unique nativity scenes which are used by many Christian groups and churches all across the world. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8328/8075856657_2c44d4c75a_b.jpg

Gospel devotions: Loving Our Loved Ones - 2 Thessalonians 2

2 Thessalonians 2:10b They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 

I have a burden in my heart for much of my family and some of my friends. The burden involves their salvation. I know that I am far from perfect and a sinner of sinners, but sometimes my fear for those I love dearly is expressed in this question: do they love the truth about Jesus, or will they perish because they don’t know Him at all?

A lot of people have what I term ‘a Sunday school notion’ about Christ. They remember His parables and miracles. They recall His birth, life, and death but they never really get to know the Living Christ in their heart, minds, and lives. I hate to think about where they will end up after death, but if they don’t do something with the knowledge that they have of Christ, they will not end up in heaven.

Some people may be thinking, ‘Hey John, that’s very judgmental of you,’ but it isn’t: it’s actually being consistent with what the Scriptures teach us. Those who seem to imagine that as long as they intend to do something about it, but don’t get round to actually believing in Christ, think that God will exempt them from His Final Judgment. That kind of thinking leads to nowhere – except to the gates of hell.

Now I don’t need to be contentious – I’ve had enough theological tussling in my days – but I do mean to be blunt and candid: are their loved ones in your life, just as there are in my own, who know of Jesus and yet they’ve never given their hearts or lives to Him? Then what are we going to do about it?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we have many loved ones in our lives, both kith and kin, who have not yet committed their lives to You. Grant us words and ways that will convince them to personally discover who You really are, so that they will one day experience the everlasting joys of salvation. 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 comment on today’s message, or ask a question about it, please send him an email to him at pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Please also feel free to forward this message to any of your friends and family. Today’s image is an old abstract drawing of John’s called “Crossing Over,” which depicts the journey of the soul passing through the Cross of Christ to Everlasting Life. If you would like to view a larger version of this picture, please click on the following link:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/75/208654420_3eab83b2de_o.jpg

Daily Devotion - Family Gathering - Acts 7

Acts 7:16         Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.

The wee stillborn baby that I baptized last week was buried in his family’s cemetery. Generations of his relatives have been laid to rest in that hallowed place. It was very touching to see his wee white coffin being given its sacred place in such beautiful surroundings. His precious life within his young mother’s womb was both valued and honored by the whole family. At some future point, a little white cross or a stone angel will probably mark where he is resting.

Graves are witnessing sites to previous generations. I know of many families who reunite once a year at family graveyards to honor the past lives of their loved ones. I think that this is a wonderful thing to do, because it keeps the continuity of past, present, and future generations linked together.

When the bodies of Jacob, Joseph, and his brothers were taken back to Shechem, they were identifying themselves as true descendants of Abraham. They were also laying a perpetual claim to the land and fulfilling God’s promises. This is why Moses and the Hebrew children headed back there four hundred years later. This is also why the Jews laid claim to the land and re-inhabited it in 1948. Israel exists as a nation today simply because God’s promises are always fulfilled. Abraham’s foresight in purchasing the land thousands of years ago validates the existence of the Israeli nation today, not just according to the scriptures, but also through Middle East inheritance customs.

In years to come, when Old Mortality catches me, I’ll either be buried or cremated depending upon what my family decides. It would be nice to be laid to rest somewhere that future generations could gather together and say that this is where the Stuarts in America began. However, for me the real reunion and final family gathering that will mean so much more will be that glorious day when Christ gathers His followers to Himself and we become part of that great Christian family of faith, hope, and love in His Kingdom forever. Now that’s a family gathering  I am really looking forward to!

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for the sacred resting places of our people and loved ones. Thank You for the family reunions that take place each year at churches and graveyards all over the world. And we praise You for that coming glorious day when we will be gathered together in the Heavenly realms to be with You and all our loved ones forever. 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 pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing of an old Dutch Windmill in winter. If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1300/4705518404_6b5427a32f_b.jpg

Free Daily Devotions: Beyond Death - Psalm 6

Psalm 6:5 No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?

Sometimes I feel sorry for the ancient Israelites. They didn’t have any real hope in resurrection and everlasting life. They believed that when someone died, the soul went to a place of shadows and, over time, it became a mere shadow itself. Death was something to be dreaded and feared. It meant the end of everything – life, relationships, and faith.

Thankfully, we are New Testament people and the good news of the Gospel means that death does not have the final word. Christ’s victory over sin and death has opened up a door between us and God. Instead of going to the land of shadows when we die, we are welcomed into the Kingdom of Light. Rather than losing our relationships, we are restored to God.

These blessings come to us through Jesus. There is no other way. He is the conduit of God’s everlasting compassion; He is the sole channel of God’s eternal grace. When we fully give our hearts to Him and place our souls into Christ’s hands, we are assured of these wonderful gifts and death no longer has any power to diminish us or our souls. Not only will we remember and praise God from the grave, we will be restored to rejoice with Him forever.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for the giving of Your holy and precious Life, so that we may be given the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of everlasting life. Help us to claim these sacred gifts by the giving of our hearts to You. In Your Saving 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, pleases end him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Daily Devotions: Embracing Eternity

Ephesians 1:19b-21 That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Sometimes we get so preoccupied with what’s going on each day that we forget about the everlasting qualities of our faith. We get so involved in the ‘here and now’ that we neglect to meditate and ponder about our eternal future. We have an immortal King and He grants us everlasting life, so why do we continually get stuck in an earthly rut that is both temporary and fleeting?

Some Christians believe that we shouldn’t become so heavenly minded that we’re of no earthly use, but what if the reverse is also true? What if we become so earthly grounded that we have no use for heaven? Aren’t we making the mistake of believing that life revolves us individually, instead of having Christ at the center?

I wish that more people would take time to think about everlasting life. According to scripture, it will be a time and a place where peace abounds, pain is gone, and God shall wipe away every tear from our faces. Being with Christ forever is a wonderful prospect to me. To hear Him speak, to watch Him rule, and to serve Him forever are precious to me and keep me from being chained to insecurity and doubt, anxiety and depression.

When Paul was writing to the young Christian churches so long ago, he wanted them to understand Christ’s eternal sovereignty. They lived under the rule of the Roman Emperor and had suffered for their faith. Paul was constantly reminding them that Jesus reigned forever, whereas Caesars would come and go. In other words, kingdoms and empires may rise and fall, but Christ’s words endure forever.

I think that Christians should meditate on the everlasting component of our faith. I believe that we should embrace eternity in our everyday lives. Some anti-religious people may call it deluded escapism, but millions of others believe it to be an everlasting hope that gives us a purpose to live our lives in meaningful, faithful, and Christian ways.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of eternal life and for the many ways in which it enriches our spirits and strengthens our faith. Help us to share this wonderful hope with many people, so that they may also experience Your everlasting promises. 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@erinrpesbyterian.org.

4 Minute Devotions: More than We Deserve

God's grace is astonishing. Even although we do not deserve it, He makes us co-heirs with Christ. A short reflection on Romans 8 v 17.

Podcast version here

Evelyn and I had to sign a couple of financial forms the other day, designating our children as co-heirs. I guess we’ve reached that time of life when we have to think carefully about our future. It’s not easy to process internally, because it involves thinking about a time when we will no longer be in the world and our children will continue with their own lives. What we wanted to ensure was that our finances would be shared equally amongst them, should anything ever happen to us.

Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

It’s not a very happy subject for a devotional, but it is an important one. What we leave to our children expresses how much we love them. Now a stewardship orientated pastor would use this lesson to get people to thinking about how much they should leave to the church, as an expression of their love of God, but that’s not what this text is about.

What Paul is describing is the grace of God. Think about it: Jesus does all the hard work of laying down His life for our sins, of giving up everything so that we might be forgiven. You would think that because Jesus does this, He would inherit all of God’s blessings. And yet God’s grace goes beyond that, because He makes us co-heirs with Christ.

Some people don’t get it when they first glance at this passage. They don’t understand how profound a blessing this is. We, who are wretched and unholy compared to God and Christ, become co-heirs of everything that God has to offer. We, who once were sinful creatures, become the joint heirs of heaven, earth, and the whole of creation. It is astounding. It is astonishing. It is amazing.

Prayer: Lord God, we know that we do not deserve Your grace. We perfectly understand how unworthy and unholy we actually are. And yet, through the abundance of Your love and by Christ’s sacrifice, we are destined to become the heirs of everything You have made. This is so remarkable that mere words cannot express our delight. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Daily Devotions: Abundant Life

It’s a question that we all ask at sometime in our lives: “How can I beat death and obtain everlasting life?”

When I was eighteen, I overdosed on tranquilizers and almost died. I was saved by three friends, to whom I will ever be indebted. I spent three days in hospital to get my stomach cleaned out and to check if my organs were still working. What I didn’t realize through my act of stupidity was that I could have permanently damaged my kidneys and other vital organs, which would have meant that I would have unavoidably died days later. Thankfully, and providentially, that did not happen. My life had been spared by the quick action of my friends.

Podcast version here

Through being so close to death, it made me think about Life. I was unsaved at the time, so if I had died, I would have been separated from God forever. I did not know that at the time because I held a kindergarten belief of God in my heart. But when I turned to the scriptures to learn more about God, He startled me with the forthright views of Christ.


Bible Verse of the Day


Mark 10:17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"



I no longer dabble with death or take my life for granted. It’s given me a different perspective from most people. Life is something to be cherished, but it is also a gift of God that shouldn’t be squandered. The purpose of life is to give it back to God. Everything that we accomplish, all of our achievements, and every resource that we own, are nothing compared to the riches of God’s grace and His everlasting love. That’s why Jesus asks the young man to give up his wealth and esteem – for when he is old and dying, he is going to have to give them up anyway.

Health and wealth won’t last forever, but faith and love do. If we want life, real, abundant, and everlasting life then we need to surrender ourselves to God through Jesus Christ. There just isn’t any other way.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, each day You challenge us to give up our lives and place them in Your hands. In other words, You’re asking us to have faith in You by surrendering ourselves to Your Church and Kingdom. Help us to do this willingly and to at last realize that our lives are gifts from God, which we must eventually give back to Him. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.