Short devotion: Raiders - Revelation 11:19

 

Revelation 11:19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm. (NIV)

            Evelyn and I went to see “Raiders of the Lost Ark” at the Tennessee Theater in Knoxville yesterday afternoon. I had forgotten what a wonderful film it is. To watch it once again on a big screen was very enjoyable and a great way to unwind after a long and arduous week. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones has always been one of my favorite movie characters, so I enjoyed the whole event.

            The movie never stops or slows down – there’s always something going on. I remember talking to my Dad about it and he said the movie reminded him of the cliffhanger films that he saw as a child. I agreed. The movie has aged well. In yesterday’s audience, there were lots of people who had never seen it. They were just as enthralled as I was. It was a terrific movie theater experience.

            The story is all about a race between rivals who are looking for the lost Ark of the Covenant. The Ark contained the Ten Commandments etched on the original stone tablets, as well as Aaron’s Rod which he used to impress Pharaoh. For centuries, the Israelites used to carry it wherever they were and into battle. At some point, the Ark became lost and archaeologists have been looking for its whereabouts ever since.

            However, the Book of Revelation tells us that the Ark is no longer on Earth. According to today’s scriptural verse, it resides in God’s Heavenly Temple. Searching for the Ark may make the basis for a great Spielberg movie, but it’s a futile endeavor. God has it and we won’t see it again until the end of time when Heaven is opened and the Ark of the Covenant is once more revealed.

            As human beings, we can spend our lives looking for things in all of the wrong places. We can follow our own path, make our own way, only to realize that it leads to a dead end. We can ignore God’s guidance and end up nowhere fast. Or we can follow Christ and discover that faith, hope, and love not only exist, but that they endure forever. Now that’s a treasure worth finding, a discovery worth seeking.

Q: What am I looking for in life? Can God help me find this?

Prayer: Lord God, help us to focus on the things that You want us to experience and accomplish. Keep us from going down the wrong path. Lead us to Your Eternal Kingdom. In Christ’s Name we pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s Pentecost drawings called “SpiritFall.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: SpiritFall.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you want to know what’s happening at the church, please click this link: ErinChurch.

Looking for Jesus - John 6:24

John 6:24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. (NIV)

            Quite recently, I was seeking an old recording of a conversation that some friends of mine had at a radio station several years ago. One of them had just died and I was wanting to hear his voice again, as well as the remarkable story of his life. I hunted high and low in my home, my study, my garage, and church office, but sadly I didn’t come across the CD. I know that it is somewhere safe and I’ll probably discover it when I’m looking for something else. Until then, I’ll just have to rely on the memories that I have of my friend and the good times that we shared.

            At the end of today’s Gospel passage (John 6:22-24), the people are looking for Jesus, but He is nowhere to be found. The previous day, He had miraculously fed 5000 people, which made the crowd want to make Him their king. When they discovered that Jesus had gone, they set out on their boats and sailed up to Capernaum where He usually resided. I’d like to think that they were looking for Christ for all of the right reasons, but I suspect that human nature being what it is, they were mostly looking for more miraculous food.

            This made me reflect on my own search for Jesus. Have I been seeking Him for all of the right reasons, or do I have some selfish desires that I want Him to fulfill? Am I looking to Christ to straighten out my problems, overcome my difficulties, and fix my issues, or I am I just humbly seeking to serve Him because He is my Lord and King? I hope and pray that it is more to do with the latter.

Point to ponder

Am I looking for Jesus to do something in my life or am I seeking to do something for Him?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of our lives and the King of all Creation. We are supposed to be Your servants and faithful followers. Help us to seek Your will in all that we accomplish and experience today. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. You can also email John with your questions, feedback, and thoughts at Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called ‘Jazz4Jesus.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Jazz.

Short Story - Luke 19:1-10

Luke 19:5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (NIV)

            I’ve always been a short person, so I know how Zacchaeus must have felt when he couldn’t see above the crowd to catch a glimpse of Jesus. I’ve been in more than a few places and situations where I have struggled to see what’s happening at a concert, movie, or even church service because of a larger person standing or sitting in front of me. Sometimes I move to the right or left just to find a clear view; on other occasions, I just sigh and sit quietly, choosing instead to listen to what’s going on.

            I don’t know if I would have climbed a tree to get a better view of Jesus, although I have stood on benches and walls to watch parades and other public spectacles. It seems that the wee man was so desperate to see Jesus that he was willing to look ridiculous, after all, it’s usually children who climb trees to get a better view. I can imagine that the people around him laughed at Zacchaeus, diminishing his pride and self-esteem. Perhaps some of them felt like he deserved to be humiliated because he was despised for being a tax-collector and colluding with the Romans.

            I love what Jesus does to restore Zacchaeus’s dignity, as well as his soul. Our Savior does not laugh at the short tax-collector or rebuke him for working for the enemy. Christ doesn’t even ask to come to his house – look at the verse again – Jesus actually insists on going to his home. It’s a wonderful moment of acceptance and Zacchaeus responds immediately by climbing down and welcoming Christ gladly.

            This is an event which is filled with God’s love and grace. It reminds all of us – short, medium, or tall – that Jesus actively seeks to restore us to God’s Kingdom. All we have to do is to welcome Him gladly into our hearts and homes, which is where salvation begins and never ends.

Point to Ponder

Am I willing to let Jesus into my heart? If I welcome Him into my life, how will He change me?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank You for Your grace and acceptance. We know we are unworthy of those blessings, but we are also delighted that You are willing to grant them to us. Enable us to extend this blessing to all whom we encounter today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. You can also email John at Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s tree drawings called ‘Season Finale.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Tree.

Broken Bottles - Matthew 24:35

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

            “My head is full of broken bottles” is an old Glaswegian saying from Scotland that I sometimes experience and express.  To me, it means that I can’t really concentrate on what I need to do and that my focus is all out of whack. It usually occurs after a bad night’s sleep or a stressful time. My mind can’t fix on anything and I’m relatively unproductive until it passes.

            When I go through those moments, Bible verses like the one for today reassure me that Christ is in control and no matter what happens, His words will endure. The older I get, the wiser Jesus becomes. When I am weak, He is strong. When my mind is scattered, He is mindful of me.

            Perhaps you’re feeling something similar today and don’t know what to do about it. Maybe the solution is that sometimes we don’t have to do anything – we just have to allow ourselves to be embraced by Christ and depend on His promises.

Point to ponder

How am I feeling today? Am I letting Christ hold on to me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are there for us in so many different and reliable ways. You know our needs before we ask; You understand our feelings before we express them. Thank You for always being near to us. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest worship bulletin drawings called “Love Your Enemies.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Love.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can find the church’s website at this link: www.erinpresbyterian.org. John and the congregation would be delighted to see you there at any time J

New Year devotion: Year's End - Ecclesiastes 2:17

Ecclesiastes 2:17         So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

            There was a time when I hated my life so much that I just wanted to end it all. Happily, three friends rescued me and I have enjoyed a lot of the last forty years since that dark time. This doesn’t mean that I’m not subject to anxious, troublesome, or depressing moments; like most human beings, I have my up and down times. However, even in a bad year like 2015, I have experienced some sweet and successful moments. The good does outweigh the bad; my joy for life overcomes the pain I have experienced.

            I get the feeling that the writer of Ecclesiastes must have been given practically everything to him on a silver plate. I don’t think he ever knew what hunger, poverty, trouble or pain really were. His observations come across as someone who has too much time on his hands, who never really worked for a living, or who was largely unaware of the struggles that most folks endure. He is like a rich monarch or a pampered celebrity; he fusses a lot when things don’t go his own way. He berates Life because it hasn’t lived up to his expectations.

            I contrast this with the coming of Christ into the world. He has all the privileges, power, and riches of Heaven, and yet He ends up being born to working class parents, in a borrowed barn, lying in a feeding trough. If Jesus had been like the writer of Ecclesiastes, He would have come to Earth on a golden chariot, accompanied by thousands of angels, displaying all of God’s mightiness, power, and sovereignty.

            But Jesus became like us to identify with our struggle, our grasp of reality, as well as our share of pain, toil, and trouble. And because He did this, Christ not only completely understands our hardships, setbacks, and problems, He also wants to rescue us from them for all of eternity.

            So today, let’s embrace this thought: Life isn’t meaningless with Christ – He has a purpose – all we have to do is to accept that we are part of His wonderful plan.

Questions for personal reflection

As I look back over 2015, what problems, struggles, and troubles did I experience? How did Jesus help me to endure, overcome, and learn from them? What do I hope He will help accomplish in 2016?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You walk with us each day and share our struggles and storms. Be near to us at the end of this year, and go before us into 2016. Help us to turn to You constantly for guidance and encouragement, strength and love. In Your Holy Name, we walk and pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to respond to today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s 2015 nativity drawings. It’s called “Mama’s Boy.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Boy.