Short devotion: Consequences - Proverbs 19:19

 

Proverbs 19:19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again. (NIV)

 When I read this morning’s highlighted verse from the Book of Proverbs, I recognized the godly wisdom behind it. The words were written long ago, but could easily be applied in our present circumstances. Less than a week ago, all of our lives were turned upside down by the hot-tempered rage that was clearly evident in the riot that took place at the Capitol Building. Angry people lost control and tried to tear apart the heart of our democratic republic. It was a horrible scene of hostility and violence that appeared fearfully apocalyptic. It wounded us deeply as a free people and we are now living in the after-shock of that calamitous moment.

 There are consequences for what took place and we need to be resolute in our efforts to ensure that we make the proper response. The Bible seriously cautions us that if we rescue those who have done this, then it will only happen again. Already, the FBI is telling us that armed protests may take place in every State Capital. If we excuse those who have caused this unrest and ignore their actions, we will be dealing with it for a long time and living under the fear that it may happen once more. One thing I learned the hard way as a child in elementary school – if you don’t stand up to bullies, they will continue to threaten you and make your life miserable.

 As I wrote yesterday. I want us to reach a point where we can unify and find some middle ground. However, that does not mean we have to appease those who resort to violence and use strong-arm tactics to coerce us. In fact, we need to be brave enough to call them out and state the truth. If we make excuses for what happened and spread false ideas, we will never heal, or as the Bible put it, we will have to go through the same situation once again. In other words, if we do not learn from history, we will be doomed to repeat it.

 Prayer: Lord God, You have given us solid wisdom from the Bible and in times like these, Your counsel shows us what we must do. Help us to apply Your words and grant us the courage to be resolute. In Your Holy Name. we humbly pray. Amen.

 John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

www.erinpres.org

 

Liberty and Mercy - James 2:12-13

James 2:12-13 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. (NRSV)

Liberty is a big thing in the United States. Many of our folks would defend it at the cost of our lives and when we feel it is being suppressed or encroached upon, we speak out against those who are hindering or harming our right to be free. Our fierce independence is entwined with our liberty, so, therefore, it is not something to be trampled on or carelessly neglected.

However, James the brother of Jesus had a different notion about liberty because he associated it with acts of mercy. His belief as a Christian was that liberty is not the right to do what we want (that’s actually anarchy), it is a God-given, unalienable right which we should freely use to show mercy to others. In other words, because God graciously and mercifully grants us freedom, we should aspire to justly and liberally do the same.

Justice and mercy are the fruits of a free and faithful people. Liberty is not a selfish right we fiercely possess; it is a gracious gift that we as Christians should want to share. When we fail or deliberately choose not to show mercy, we place ourselves under God’s judgment, so we should be very careful about how we express our freedom. If we use it as a weapon to deny others grace, justice, and love, then we are in danger of giving God no other choice but to judge us by our own standards. So, let’s all try to live our lives as Christ once put it: ‘Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.’ (Matthew 5:7)

Application: Do I use my freedom to apply mercy to others, or am I guilty of preserving my liberty solely for myself?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You purchased God’s mercy for us by dying on the Cross even though we did not deserve such a gracious blessing. You freed us from the slavery of sin and selfishness. Challenge our ideas and opinions, as well as our hearts and minds, to not only receive Your mercy but to show the same to all. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings based on the beautiful Micah 6v8 Bible verse. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Mercy.

Free to Be? - 2 Corinthians 3:17

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (NIV)

In today’s society, when we speak about freedom, we normally mean being able to do what we want. We think about it as our personal right to be fiercely independent and woe betide anyone or any institution, authority, or government that gets in our way. Some folks are really aggressive when it comes to defending their rights to maintain their freedom, but what they are really doing is not allowing anything or anyone to interfere with their individual preferences. They might even use today’s scripture or similar verses to back up their claims, especially if they consider themselves to be strong Christians.

However, what the Apostle Paul meant by freedom and what we may mean today are very different. We tend to revise what was once written in order to suit our ‘freedom’ to interpret scripture as we please. But the times and society that Paul was living in were completely dissimilar to what we know today, so in order to correctly understand and apply this Biblical concept of freedom, we need to seriously look at its context.

For a start, Paul was writing to a small Greek congregation that existed in a society full of slaves and conquered people. Most of the churches that Paul wrote to were made up of a diverse population of all classes and ethnic origins. Each believer existed under the totalitarian rule of the Roman emperor; some of the first Christians were wealthy merchants whereas others were the lowliest slaves. This means that when Paul was writing about freedom, he wasn’t expressing it in terms of individual, economic, political, or personal rights; the apostle was writing about a spiritual liberty where believers would be free from the eternal consequences of sin and restored to God’s everlasting favor, so that all of them could serve God faithfully, cheerfully, and above all, freely. Paul was not writing about establishing individual rights or personal preferences; he was encouraging the Corinthian Christians to freely give their lives over to God in order to advance Christ’s mission.

So, this Biblical idea was not a case of doing what Christians individually wanted; it was the spiritual freedom to do what God fully intended for their lives.

Points to Ponder

When I think about freedom is it all about me or God? Do I honestly serve Him freely or just when it’s personally convenient?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach us about what freedom is. Forgive us for aggressively maintaining our personal preferences and individual rights, instead of faithfully serving You freely. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and freely worship God with us on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

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

June 12 devotional - Semper Fi

Acts 21:13       Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

            You cannot fault Paul’s loyalty to Christ. He believed in Jesus completely and was more than willing to lay down his life for his Lord. Many years before this incident, he was blinded on the road to Damascus by Christ, as a means of saving him from his own destructive ways. Paul never forgot that dynamic moment. It changed everything completely for him, which is why he was willing to totally give everything for Jesus. Paul was always willing to be faithful (semper fi) to Christ, even if it cost him his life, which eventually did happen.

            In a couple of weeks, we will be celebrating Independence Day in the United States. It’s a great occasion for communities to display their national pride. US flags will be flying everywhere; special parades will take place in towns and cities; people will be wearing red, white, and blue; families will be grilling in their backyards, and fireworks will go off all over the place into the wee small hours of the morning. It’s a fantastic celebration of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but I wonder how many of us will remember the sacrifices that our Founding Folks made and the lives that were sacrificially laid down, so that freedom could be procured for future generations?

            It’s the same in the Christian Church. Each Sunday is actually an Independence Day celebration because we remember that Christ set us free from the captivity of sin and tyranny of death, through His perfect sacrifice and glorious resurrection. As Thomas Jefferson once wrote in 1774, ‘The same God who gave us Life…also gave us Liberty.’ In other words, the same God who gave us Christ, also set us free forever!

Questions for personal reflection

How much of my life am I willing to give to Christ? How much does He expect of me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You have set us free from our failures, our mistakes, and our sins. You have purchased that freedom for us through the spilling of Your blood and the giving of Your Life. We are unworthy of such a holy sacrifice, but we are also eternally grateful to You for liberating our souls from the bondage of sin and finality of death. May we freely choose this day to serve You and God’s Kingdom forevermore. 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 one of John’s Independence Day drawings. It’s called “Liberty Lights,” and features the Statue of Liberty surrounded by 4^th July fireworks. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7503142478_e8e6283de3_b.jpg

JQA - Psalm 45:1

Psalm 45:1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. (NIV)

            I’m currently reading a biography of John Quincy Adams – my favorite US President. The book is called ‘Memoir of the Life of John Quincy Adams,’ which was written by one of his relatives, Josiah Quincy. The book contains many sections of the speeches and writings of JQA, especially the ones he wrote and gave after he left the Presidency. In my opinion, he was the most intelligent President we have ever had and much of his writing reflects the breadth of his international experiences, as well as his love of classical books.

            JQA was a fierce opponent of slavery and a strong advocate for the liberty of all people, especially where their rights to petition or protest had been suppressed or ignored. When he gave a speech in Congress, his words were often jeered by his opponents, but JQA’s perseverance and great command of language enabled him to strongly express what needed to be changed about how the American people were governed. He fought continuously against the notorious Gag Rule of 1835 which unjustly, as well as unconstitutionally, tabled and silenced any petitions against slavery in the House of Representatives. This disreputable procedure was introduced by James Polk from Tennessee and practiced for nine inglorious years during which JQA constantly railed against it in Congress, at public gatherings, and in the newspapers. Eventually, both his tongue and pen overcame the fierce opposition, leading the way toward ending slavery in the US.

            In this post-modern age of superficial sound bites, snap chat, and jingoism, we need solid speeches, effective writing, and committed leaders to keep us on a path which will advance life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for everyone. JQA fully understood why universal equality was so important because he saw it as an inalienable right given to us by God. As he once wrote, ‘Quench not the spirit of freedom. Let it go forth, not in the panoply of fleshly wisdom, but with the promise of peace, and the voice of persuasion, clad in the whole armor of truth, conquering and to conquer.’

            As people of faith, we have an opportunity to make our congregations, communities, and countries much better places by promoting Christ’s teaching and truth, rejecting what is false and unjust, and writing about or expressing our beliefs in ways that are kind, loving, and full of hope. If we are willing to do these things, then our tongues and pens will no longer be weapons of division and disunity, but will effectively become channels of God’s mercy and instruments of peace.

Point to ponder

What things can I write, say, or do which will promote peace and advance God’s love among my family and friends?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to cherish Your ways and communicate Your love to everyone we encounter today. Keep us from causing division and enable us to promote Your peace. In your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s Psalm drawings based on today’s Bible verse. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm 45.

The Trouble with Free Will - 1 Corinthians 10:23

1 Corinthians 10:23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. (NIV)

            The trouble with both free will and liberty is that we begin to believe there are no boundaries or limits to what we can think, say, or do. We insist on having our own way and protest if anyone infringes on our rights. We govern ourselves and will not let anyone impose restrictions on what we desire to do and woe betide anyone who says otherwise. However, the unintended result is that we end up with a fragmented society where individualism is idolized and social justice is marginalized. We look after number one and everyone else can look after themselves.

            That may be the way our society is going, but if apply the moniker ‘Christian’ to our lives, then we live under the sovereignty of God, so our selfish behavior places us under His judgment. This is why Paul emphasized the need to reflect on our conduct. No matter what we do or what rights we think we have, as Christians our deeds should always be accompanied by two questions: Is this beneficial? Is this constructive?

            Far too often, we see the religious zeal of Christianity which insists on getting its own way and doing its own thing, no matter how unbeneficial or unhelpful it may be. The rest of society looks on us with disdain and wonder why we’ve disconnected ourselves to the Founder of our faith, especially when we omit to show compassion, love, or grace. We can insist on being right instead of being kind, but all we will do is circle our wagons, build a wall, and enclose ourselves in a pit of our own making which will eventually destroy our effectiveness as disciples of Christ and missionaries of His Word.

            So, the challenge that we have before us is this: whatever I seek to say or do today, I need to ask two things as a Christian, living under the sovereignty of God and not my own personal morality: Is this beneficial? Is this constructive?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, remind us that we serve You and not ourselves. Keep us from allowing pride or contempt to overrule our compassion and love. Retell us the story of how Your grace has been applied to our lives and help us to share it selflessly with others. 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 give some feedback on today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

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

Church devotion - The Road to Freedom - Psalm 119:45

Psalm 119:45           I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.

            The Confederate Flag will be taken down in Charleston, South Carolina today, which will be a good thing. As much as I love the South and living among Southern people, racism is still a blight which tarnishes the brightness of this beautiful region.

            For some people, the flag is a symbol of heritage and history. For others, it is an emblem of segregation and injustice. Whatever it was, there is no doubt in my mind as to what it has become: an icon of white privilege and racial oppression.

            Freedom is a fragile gift, given to us by God. It is a blessing that we are meant to share. Liberty, equality, and justice are the three fundamental bedrocks of true freedom, just as hope, faith, and love are at the heart of real and authentic Christianity. Hatred and bigotry, as well as racism and prejudice, threaten our freedom; they are the cruel channels of fear and tyranny, as well as being the devil’s instruments of social and moral terrorism.

            Taking down the Confederate Flag in Charleston signifies the beginning of a long and laborious process of actively ensuring that all people, who are created equal, are treated, respected, and accepted as equals all across this beautiful land. It will take years of courage and commitment, as well as tears of fortitude and faith, to make our nation what we claim and sing it to be: a home of the brave, and a land of the free!

Questions for personal reflection

Am I willing to accept the challenge to truly walk in freedom? Am I ready to make changes in my life that will help to actively create a nation and world that is free?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, we live in challenging and changing times. Be the Rock of our salvation, as well as the Foundation of our freedom. Challenge our ways and change us, too. In Your Holy Name, we freely pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Candle for America.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: Candle.

Independence Day devotion - Semper Fi - Acts 21:10-16

Acts 21:13       Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

            You cannot fault Paul’s loyalty to Christ. He believed in Jesus completely and was more than willing to lay down his life for his Lord. Many years before this incident, he was blinded on the road to Damascus by Christ, as a means of saving him from his own destructive ways. Paul never forgot that dynamic moment. It changed everything completely for him, which is why he was willing to totally give everything for Jesus. Paul was always willing to be faithful (semper fi) to Christ, even if it cost him his life, which eventually did happen.

            In a couple of weeks, we will be celebrating Independence Day in the United States. It’s a great occasion for communities to display their national pride. US flags will be flying everywhere; special parades will take place in towns and cities; people will be wearing red, white, and blue; families will be grilling in their backyards, and fireworks will go off all over the place into the wee small hours of the morning. It’s a fantastic celebration of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but I wonder how many of us will remember the sacrifices that our Founding Folks made and the lives that were sacrificially laid down, so that freedom could be procured for future generations?

            It’s the same in the Christian Church. Each Sunday is actually an Independence Day celebration because we remember that Christ set us free from the captivity of sin and tyranny of death, through His perfect sacrifice and glorious resurrection. As Thomas Jefferson once wrote in 1774, ‘The same God who gave us Life…also gave us Liberty.’ In other words, the same God who gave us Christ, also set us free forever!

Questions for personal reflection

How much of my life am I willing to give to Christ? How much does He expect of me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You have set us free from our failures, our mistakes, and our sins. You have purchased that freedom for us through the spilling of Your blood and the giving of Your Life. We are unworthy of such a holy sacrifice, but we are also eternally grateful to You for liberating our souls from the bondage of sin and finality of death. May we freely choose this day to serve You and God’s Kingdom forevermore. 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 one of John’s Independence Day drawings. It’s called “Liberty Lights,” and features the Statue of Liberty surrounded by 4^th July fireworks. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7503142478_e8e6283de3_b.jpg