Fisher Folk Faith - Mark 1:17

Mark 1:17       “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (NIV)

            For the first nine years of my ministry, I was privileged to serve in a Scottish fishing village called Dunure. It was situated on the West coast of Scotland, overlooking the Firth of Clyde, which is the waterway to the Irish Sea. It’s a picturesque village with an old ruined castle that once owned by the powerful Kennedy clan. Quite recently, Season 3 of the popular Outlander television series has just been filmed down at Dunure harbor.

            The fishermen and their families taught me a lot about faith and ministry. They were very supportive but were also willing to let me know when I made mistakes. Their hard work and determination gave me many insights into courage and endurance; their faith and family ties helped me to understand the strength of being a community in both good and adverse times.

            When Jesus called the fishermen to be His first disciples, I think He knew that their tenacity and loyalty, as well as their candid and honest outlook on life, would bless His ministry and continue His mission long after He was gone. Christ may have given them a new calling to find, fish, and gather people to God’s Kingdom, but their own skills and determination would ensure the future successes of the Christian faith. In fact, we are indebted to those Galilean fishermen for the faith we embrace today, just as I am indebted to the Dunure fisher-folk for teaching me many lessons about life and ministry which I still practice years later.

Point to ponder

Who taught me about the Christian faith? What lessons of theirs do I still practice today?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we thank You for the calling of the disciples and especially the fisher-folk who supported and encouraged You throughout Your ministry. We also praise You for the success of their mission to the larger world and the blessings of faith that are now ours today. Grant us opportunities to share our Christian beliefs with other people in our own lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s crayon drawings of Dunure. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Dunure.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. The church website can be read at this link: www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Daily devotion: Global Gospel - Colossians 1:28

Today’s Bible readings can be found at these links: Isaiah 47:1-9 and Colossians 1:21-29.

Colossians 1:28          Christ is the one we proclaim, cautioning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

            The Church exists to serve Christ and to let the world know about Him. We are meant to be servant-story tellers, who proclaim the words, works, and ways of Jesus through what we say and do. For almost two thousand years Christians have traveled all over the world to bring the Gospel to other people. Many wonderful miracles and effective missions have taken place over the centuries, causing billions of people to give their lives to Christ.

            We live in amazing times because we now don’t have to send anyone anywhere. Our technology carries the Gospel to people in other places, lands, and cultures. It’s a fantastic way of communicating Christ’s love to other folks. For instance, I send this message via Facebook to other Christians across the globe who are connected to the World Council of Churches. Each week, I receive messages, comments, and emails from folks in Africa, Asia, and South America. It’s wonderful to be part of a worldwide community of faith; it’s beautiful to see how God’s word inspires other folks.

            So the challenge for all of us today is this: how am I going to proclaim Christ to other people? How will I use the amazing technology at my disposal to spread the Gospel?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we live in wonderful times. We can communicate instantly with other people in other nations across this entire planet. We pray that You will give us opportunities to spread Your Gospel using our devices in effective, compassionate, and loving ways. In Your Holy Name, we serve and pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Please feel free to share this message. You may also send John feedback via email to Traqair@aol.com.

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

Opening Devotion: Son Light - Matthew 5:16

Matthew 5:16           In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

            Quite recently, Evelyn and I had our front yard re-landscaped. The bushes were overgrown and the whole yard needed a major makeover. I’m not much of a gardener, so we hired two people to do the work. They labored for two days. On the first day, they dug out the old bushes and trimmed the trees. On the second day, they planted some new bushes and flowers, and mulched the whole area. We were both very pleased with the results.

            We also purchased some small white fencing to ‘prettify’ the whole garden, which looked terrific during the day. At night-time, however, something was missing. We bought solar powered globular lights and placed them in the mulched area. They were perfect! Their additional lighting has brightened the whole garden and added to our delight.

             I personally love the additional fact that the solar lights don’t need to be switched on, or have their bulbs replaced. They build up their energy during the day from the sun’s rays, and at dusk they turn on by themselves, giving the garden some extra charm. It makes the whole place look attractive and is very pleasing to the eye.

            As Christian people, we are supposed to reflect the love of Christ through our daily deeds so that others may be attracted to God. If we build up our faith resources through daily contact with the Son using prayer and scripture reading, then we will have the potential to make good choices and become better witnesses for Jesus. At times, the world around us can be a dark and frightening place, but with Christ’s light shining from His people, the world can be transformed into a place of healing and help, light and love.

Questions for personal reflection

How do I recharge my faith in Christ each day? How do I display His light through my daily deeds?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You are the Light of the world and we are called to reflect Your brilliance through our deeds and choices, faith and lives. Help us to seek better and more consistent ways to reenergize our spirits and deepen our connection to You. Grant us opportunities this week to be compassionate and loving disciples of Your words and ways. 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 or ask questions, please contact him by email at Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s crayon drawings called ‘Lamp.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Lamp.

Gospel Devotion - The Real Thing - Revelation 14:6

Revelation 14:6           Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language, and people.

            Do you remember that old Coke commercial which begins with one person on a hilltop singing “I’d like to teach the world to sing.” By the end of the advert, hundreds of people in different national costumes, and of all races, have gathered together to sing and drink coke. It was one of the most successful ads ever made and people bought into the idea of One Harmonious World, while conveniently forgetting that the actual message behind the commercial was for one brand of soda to be purchased everywhere on Earth. It was very clever and very sublime at the same time. It preached a message of equality, while it simultaneously invoked worldwide capitalism. Whoever created the ad was certainly worth all of the salary that he or she was getting.

            In the Book of Revelation, the idea of one world is expressed through the eternal gospel being proclaimed everywhere on planet Earth. As it states in today’s verse, every nation, tribe, language, and people will have the Gospel proclaimed to them in the Last Days. This represents the mercy of God, for He gives everybody the opportunity of hearing and receiving the Good News of Jesus Christ. No one is coerced to accept the Gospel, but everyone is given the opportunity to hear it. In other words, God’s sees the unity of humankind through the ministry of His Son Jesus Christ.

            This is why Christianity remains a missionary faith, even in a cosmopolitan world. The mission of our faith is to reach people everywhere with the Gospel. We do this through preaching, teaching, and proclaiming, as well as through education, medicine, and support. Through what we say and do as faithful Christians, other people may be attracted to Christ. By all that we proclaim and present in our congregations, other people may be drawn into Christ’s Church. The life, work, and ministry of the Church has one great assignment – to proclaim the eternal gospel to those who live on the Earth – to every nation, tribe, language, and people.

            Our role in this great task is to be messengers and proclaimers of Christ. The people around us and closest to us see the Gospel through us. Our personal mission is to lead them to Christ because, in some cases, there will be no one else in their lives to do this.

Questions for personal reflection

As a Christian, who have I brought nearer to Christ? Am I willing to proclaim the Gospel to my loved ones? Do I actually know what the eternal Gospel is?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, our Christian faith is never meant to be private or personal, exclusive or introverted. We need to remember that someone else in our past brought us to You. Take away our fears of embarrassment about sharing the Gospel. Grant us the courage to share our faith in those precious moments and gracious opportunities that You create in our lives. In Your Holy Name, we 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 email him at Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s bulletin cover drawings, based on a verse from Luke 14. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Bulletin.

Gospel devotion: All Over the World - Colossians 1:6b

Colossians 1:6b          All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.

Every day someone somewhere gets to hear the Gospel for the first time and responds positively to it by opening his or her heart to Christ. It’s amazing to think that after almost two thousand years, Jesus’ words and ways are still relevant to someone in need of Him. In my own lifetime, I have experienced this for myself, as well as seeing hundreds of others discover the same. It’s a beautiful event in anyone’s life and, so long as churches continue on Earth, the Gospel will be preached throughout the world.

Some days I envy the Apostle Paul. He personally saw so many church start-ups that his soul must have been constantly overjoyed with hope. No matter where he visited or wherever he was being held as prisoner, he could both see and hear that the infant Church was growing all over. It must have been a remarkable age, but those kind of start-ups are not limited to the past. Christianity is still the greatest faith on Earth and in places like China and Africa, it is growing faster than ever. By the end of this century, there could be more Christians in China than Communists; I even think that the changes we are beginning to see over there, have their roots in Christian beliefs.

So, wherever you are today and whatever church you serve, know this: you are part of a worldwide movement that is still growing all over this planet because people are still hungry for the Gospel and are still turning to Christ for their answers to life itself!

Questions for personal reflection

How is my church connected to Christians around the world? What can I do to support and strengthen those connections?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for never ever giving up on the world. Thank You for Your amazing words, works, and ways that continue to change lives across this planet. Enable us to do whatever we can to continue Your mission in our communities and throughout the Earth. 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 traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Communion drawings called “Blood and Tears.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5479/11700133064_691aca8bcc_b.jpg

New Year devotion: Serving God - Ephesians 6:7-8

Ephesians 6:7-8          Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

We all have good intentions at the start of the New Year. We think about what we would like to do and accomplish, and maybe even dream about making fresh starts and fulfilling our long-term goals. It’s a great time of year to think about the future rather than dwell on the past. As we cross over this new threshold, we all hope for something good and significant to happen in our lives. It could be the birth of a whole bundle of blessings; it could be the start of something special.

            As a pastor, I like to use this time to seriously contemplate what God wants me to do with this year. I think about the path that the congregation is taking and try to work out how I can enable and encourage the good folks to find new ways and opportunities of supporting the church and serving Christ in our community. Each year is different from the past and God usually adds new folks, new missions, and new ideas to the whole process. It’s a large part of my ministry to see that God’s chosen people are placed in positions to be effective servants of Christ. If I can manage to do that well, then God’s work will be glorified and the congregation’s ministry will flourish.

Question for personal reflection

Do I feel called to a special ministry and mission in my congregation and community? Am I willing to talk to my pastor about it?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we are all blessed to be Your servants. We each have unique backgrounds and gifts that are useful to Your continuing ministry. Help us all to pray about where You want us to serve You in our churches and communities. 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 ask a question or make a comment about today’s message, please contact him by email at traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest winter drawings. It’s called “Winter Cardinal,” and it features a beautiful red cardinal perched on a winter branch during snowfall. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5525/11634466773_6186ee6629_b.jpg