A Real Citizen - Acts 22:28

Acts 22:28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. (NIV)

(Reading about Paul’s ancient rights as a Roman citizen in today’s passage stimulated these thoughts which I think need to be expressed, read, and pondered.)

Twenty-five years ago, our family came to Knoxville for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. We had always wanted to see America, so when we were given the opportunity of swapping pulpits for six weeks with a pastor in South Knoxville, we jumped at the chance. Little did we know that God was moving in mysterious ways and turning our vacation into a lifelong vocation.

In 2002, Evelyn and I became naturalized citizens, and our daughters were granted this honor two years later. It was our way of saying, “thank you,” to the many people who had welcomed, befriended, and supported us at Erin church. It also gave us the wonderful privilege of being able to vote in national elections for the very first time, as well as living freely under the liberties granted to us by the Constitution. Even though we were not born here, our citizenship gave us the same rights as all who were.

Recently, though, those blessings seem to have changed and we wonder if we are now second-class citizens. Immigrant-citizens like us are now cautious about speaking out about injustice or criticizing government policies. We are inwardly fearful of expressing our right of free speech in case it interferes with our citizenship status; we are silent because our accents are a dead give away that we come from somewhere else other than the United States. This saddens me deeply because our family happily became citizens almost two decades ago. People like us are now afraid of being told to ‘go back to our own country’ simply because we may disagree with what’s happening in America today.

Last week, Evelyn and I were in Washington D.C. for a short trip. We visited all the wonderful places in and around that remarkable city – the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol Building, Arlington Cemetery, Mount Vernon, and even stood outside the Whitehouse. We also went to the National Archive Museum to look at the actual Declaration of Independence, as well as Lincoln’s handwritten Emancipation Act. Those are sacred documents which every American citizen – born or naturalized – should see at least once in their lives. We both came away from seeing those manuscripts with a sense of awe, but also with a brand-new determinism to be patriotic Americans and speak out against injustice, corruption, and intolerance wherever and whenever we come across them. We are, after all, citizens of the United States and have equal rights to do this as real Americans, which is how God truly blesses America.

Point to ponder

What rights of citizenship are most sacred to me? What rights from God are given to everyone?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are just pilgrims passing through this world until we reach Your Heavenly Realm. Remind us that we all belong to You, so we should treat one another with the same love and grace You personally grant to us. In Your Holy Name, we freely and faithfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the Scottish 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, no matter who you are or where you’re from. 😊

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

Bible devotion: Tennessee Pharisees - Luke 14:11

Luke 14:11    “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

            A strange thing happened in the Tennessee legislature this week. The House passed a bill declaring that the Bible should be the State Book, giving it special status just like the State Bird, State Song, State Flower, etc. An ex-pastor, who is now a politician, proposed this bill. It was accepted by the majority and will now proceed to the State Senate, and then to the Governor’s desk for signing, if it passes there.

            To me, this is a pointless exercise of fundamentalist posturing which will be fruitless and successfully challenged on the grounds of its unconstitutionality. It’s a banal bill and a ludicrous law which only taints Tennesseans as stereotypical backward, bible thumping hillbillies whose ornery ways castigate the forward thinking and future planners for our beautiful State.

            All of you know me. I love the Bible – its stories and teachings, history and poetry, messages and tenets. I try to live by Biblical standards, but also fail miserably as a sinner. The Bible is God’s Word for me and I read it daily for guidance, sustenance, and inspiration. To make it the official book in Tennessee degrades the Bible to a tawdry and subservient political level, where crafty representatives and wily politicians will use it to promote their own self-righteous, sacrilegious, and charlatan ways. I thought that the Pharisees no longer existed; it seems that they are alive and well in the Tennessee legislature. Instead of acting humbly and showing love, the House representatives are exalting themselves and religiously oppressing others – something that both Jesus and the US Constitution strongly and accurately oppose.

Question for reflection:      What does the Bible mean to me? How do I apply its teachings with my life?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You warned Your people constantly about self-righteous leaders and oppressive lawmakers. You confronted their hypocrisy and often challenged their misdirected and foolish ways. Enable us to freely, faithfully, and even constitutionally resist those who would try to use their religion to humiliate others and exalt themselves. In Your Holy Name, we sincerely pray. Amen.

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

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

D-Day Devotion: Overlord

Genesis 17:8   The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."

Today is the 70^th anniversary of the commencement of ‘Operation Overlord,’ otherwise known as the Battle of Normandy which included ‘Operation Neptune,’ or the D-Day landings. Over 12,000 allied planes were involved in the battle, along with 7000 vessels. Initially over 160,000 American, British, and Canadian troops assaulted the beaches and fought valiantly in order to secure the coastline. By the end of Operation Overlord, the Allied Forces incurred almost 250,000 casualties but also managed to inflict 400,000 casualties on the Nazi troops. Within a month, 1.3 million Allied troops of many nations had landed on French soil and the Liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation earnestly began.

When I look at old newsreels of the young men wading through bloody waters and trying to get past enemy fire, I wonder what they must have been thinking and feeling. Most of them were aliens in a foreign land, fighting and dying on strange shores, giving up everything so that the whole world could have peace. Those who survived do not readily speak of those horrifying days. They must have seen, heard, and experienced terrifying times. They put their lives on the line for foreign people and for generations that were still to be born. In my book, they are the greatest heroes who ever fought and died for all of the freedoms that I experience today.

God’s ancient promise to Abraham was also fulfilled on D-Day and throughout the year of battles that took place after that historic and monumental event. The Jewish people, without European Liberation, would have been remorselessly and totally eradicated by the Nazis. God could not and would not allow that, which is why I believe the Hand of God was also evident in the Battle of Normandy.

Today, let’s give thanks to God for our freedoms, but also let’s take time to pray for and thank those veterans among us who, as young men and women, put their lives on the line for the entire world.

Prayer:            Lord God, we praise You for the success of Operation Overlord and we remember the price of our freedom. We honor those who gave up everything, so that we may retain our civil rights and human liberties. Bless those veterans who are still with us. Comfort them as they recall within their hearts and minds the hell that they experienced in battle in order to win freedom for the Earth. In Christ’s 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.

Devotion for D-Day

Genesis 17:8   The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."

Today is the 68^th anniversary of the commencement of ‘Operation Overlord,’ otherwise known as the Battle of Normandy which included ‘Operation Neptune,’ or the D-Day landings. Over 12,000 allied planes were involved in the battle, along with 7000 vessels. Initially over 160,000 American, British, and Canadian troops assaulted the beaches and fought valiantly in order to secure the coastline. By the end of Operation Overlord, the Allied Forces incurred almost 250,000 casualties but also managed to inflict 400,000 casualties on the Nazi troops. Within a month, 1.3 million Allied troops of many nations had landed on French soil and the Liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation earnestly began.

When I look at old newsreels of the young men wading through bloody waters and trying to get past enemy fire, I wonder what they must have been thinking and feeling. Most of them were aliens in a foreign land, fighting and dying on strange shores, giving up everything so that the whole world could have peace. Those who survived do not readily speak of those horrifying days. They must have seen, heard, and experienced terrifying times. They put their lives on the line for foreign people and for generations that were still to be born. In my book, they are the greatest heroes who ever fought and died for all of the freedoms that I experience today.

God’s ancient promise to Abraham was also fulfilled on D-Day and throughout the year of battles that took place after that historic and monumental event. The Jewish people, without European Liberation, would have been remorselessly and totally eradicated by the Nazis. God could not and would not allow that, which is why I believe the Hand of God was also evident in the Battle of Normandy.

Today, let’s give thanks to God for our freedoms, but also let’s take time to pray for and thank those veterans among us who, as young men and women, put their lives on the line for the entire world.

Prayer:            Lord God, we praise You for the success of Operation Overlord and we remember the price of our freedom. We honor those who gave up everything, so that we may retain our civil rights and human liberties. Bless those veterans who are still with us. Comfort them as they recall within their hearts and minds the hell that they experienced in battle in order to win freedom for the Earth. In Christ’s 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.

Lent Devotions: Peace Like a River - Isaiah 48:18

Isaiah 48:18    If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 

I love singing the old spirituals that the African slaves once composed. In spite of the suffering, inhumanity, and injustice that they experienced, they had a deeper faith in God than most of the people of their times. They knew what it felt to be humiliated and oppressed, harshly treated and cruelly kept. Despite those terrible and terrifying experiences, they held on to a truer relationship with God that many of us today will never know.

Today’s verse reminded me of the spiritual “I’ve Got Peace like a River.” It’s a simple song which expresses a simple steadfast faith in God. Both the song and the Bible verse were written during times of oppression for both the Jewish people in Babylon and the African slaves in America. They depict an absolute trust and complete assurance in God to rescue and deliver both communities. In both circumstances, freedom comes through an inner faith which cannot be destroyed by the whip or wickedness. God’s people are liberated by His enduring love. Both races are rescued by their Redeemer.

Sometimes I wonder if our faith would be able to survive similar circumstances. We are blessed with many freedoms, wonderful opportunities, and great advantages compared to those two historical communities. Is our faith real or only convenient? Could we endure persecution and pain, injustice and calamity?

I hope that we will never be tried or troubled in those ways, but I also fervently hope that if ever we do, we will dearly hold on to God and find that inward pervasive peace that does indeed flow like a river.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we have been greatly blessed by God throughout our days. Our faith is rarely tested and our beliefs are hardly ever beleaguered by injustice or inhumanity. We are fortunate to live in a place and at a time when we feel safe and secure. Help us to use these blessings to support other people in need, as well as other Christians in distress. 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 or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest winter drawings. It’s called “Amid the Winter Snow” and features the Cades Cove Church, in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, covered under a blanket of snow and glistening in the light of a winter moon. If you would like to see a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6828228349_28319f48f3_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: Bannockburn Day - Psalm 60

Psalm 60:12    With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.

Today is Bannockburn Day in Scotland. On the 24^th June, 1314, the Scots defeated the invading English army at a place called Bannockburn and firmly established their independence. Robert the Bruce was the King of Scots and his fearless leadership won the battle for the outnumbered Scots. Bruce was the military leader who followed in the footsteps of William Wallace (Braveheart).

For ten years after the execution of William Wallace, Robert the Bruce labored hard at getting the Scots ready to win their independence. Just like George Washington centuries later, Bruce lost minor skirmishes but when it came to the one crucial battle of the War for Scottish Independence, he outwitted the English forces at Bannockburn and won the day. Ever since then, the Scots have celebrated the battle and their independence.

On the deciding day of the two day battle, the outnumbered Scots advanced on the English but before they commenced fighting, the whole army knelt in prayer. Edward II, the English king, was reported to have been surprised by this and mockingly said, "They pray for mercy!"

"For mercy, yes," one of his attendants replied, "But from God, not you. These men will conquer or die."

It seems strange to ask God for providence and mercy on the battlefield, and yet when men are faced with the prospect of death in war, prayer is what they often resort to. In Western history, the winning of battles actually helped to expand Christianity. A victory was often interpreted as God’s favor through Christ, no matter how bloodthirsty or gory the battle might have been.

These days, we pray for the safety of our troops and still ask for God’s blessing and guidance in the midst of our wars. We look for justice and peace more than overwhelming victory and the complete annihilation of our enemies. We want Christ’s peace to be truly promoted, as opposed to that militaristic religious righteousness which only festers future divisions and engenders wasteful wars.

Prayer:                        Lord God, we thank You for the liberty and independence that we experience in our lives today. Sadly, we recognize that much of our freedoms were given to us through the battles that our people fought in the past and by the lives that were laid down in defense of our nation. Help us not to take our liberties for granted and remind us to pray for wisdom for our leaders and safety for our troops. In Christ’s Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on John’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is of a statue of Robert the Bruce on the field of Bannockburn. You can read more about the battle at the following link: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Battle_of_Bannockburn

Daily Devotions: The Tank Man of Tiananmen Square

Psalm 147:6 The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

 It was the most courageous act that I have ever seen in my life. It took place twenty years ago today in the Chinese capital of Beijing. A young student was standing in the middle of Tiananmen Square in front of a gigantic military tank. It was the modern equivalent of David and Goliath and the whole world waited to see what would happen. Would the Chinese authorities listen to the protests of the students? Would the liberties and freedoms that the young people protested for, be made available to them?

 Sadly, the students were massacred and the world did nothing. As usual, the United Nations made a formal complaint and there was some talk of sanctions. But it came to nothing and China, as it has done for a long time, got away with human rights violations. Even today, on this twentieth anniversary of that remarkable historical event in the annals of human dignity and freedom, the corrupt Chinese authorities are clamping down by removing dissidents away from the Square and ignoring the rights of the anguished families who lost loved ones. They are also limiting internet access, so that their citizens cannot read any material about worldwide commemorations of this day.

 So much for the Chinese Government’s promises of allowing their people civil liberties to formally protest against the corruption of their leaders. So much for the commitment that was made during last summer’s Olympic Games which hypocritically portrayed China as a modern freedom loving nation. People are still being oppressed, imprisoned, violated, and executed in China and what does the world do? It turns a blind eye for fear of annoying this despicable and dishonorable dragon.

 Today I will be praying for the humble people of China. I will ask God to sustain them and to cast their wicked government to the ground. I will pray for Christian pastors in Chinese prisons and for their families to be protected. I will honor the memory of the Tank Man of Tiananmen Square, who faced up to his oppressors and showed the world that human beings have an unalienable right to be free.

 Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You stood up to the corrupt authorities in Your own time and confronted both the political and religious hypocrites who were oppressing Your people. It cost You everything.

Remind us that we as Christians are called not only to follow You but to confront evil and injustice in the world. Give us the courage to speak out and against those governments of China, North Korea, and Myanmar who control their citizens through acts of terror, fear, and oppression. In Your Holy and Powerful Name, we pray. Amen.

 If you want to see what actually happened on that historic day, visit the following Youtube video.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ToqbHQXg2c

 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. He’d love to hear your thoughts on this very important anniversary.