4 Minute Devotions: Everything We Need

This is one of those blessed verses that we all need to read and hear during uncertain times. Peter reminds us, in a cheerful way, about the grace of God and how He uses His divine power to sustain our needs.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

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Most of us worry about our future, and with the stock market crash, some of us have lost substantial amounts in our savings. Others of us are working for businesses that are teetering on the edge of liquidation. And there are some of us who are getting ready to go out into the marketplace, to look for or start a new job. In times like these, faith becomes a priceless commodity through the promises that God makes in the Bible.

Peter states that God has given us everything that we need for life. It’s not everything that we want, but it is all that we need. As we get through this recession, we may come out of it as more thrifty people. We may have a better understanding of what is necessary for our lives, and what are luxuries. It may be tough on all of us for a while, but God’s promises are always fulfilled. His divine power has given us everything we need for life. That’s an assurance that God will sustain His people through these times.

But God also adds a blessing to this promise. Peter talks about being given godliness through our knowledge of God. In other words, as we experience God’s blessings, we increase our understanding of who God is; and as we grow in understanding, we become more confident of His assurances, blessings, and promises. Having faith in Christ and knowing who God is, gives us tenacity, strength, and wisdom for the years ahead. People without faith are left to get through these times on their own. People with faith are carried and supported by God to better days, better times, and better, more meaningful and purposeful lives.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life.

Prayer: Lord God, we are all subject to fears and worries, anxieties and concerns, especially about the future. We thank You for the blessings of Your words and the promises of scripture. Assure us that Your presence and power is all that we need for life. Help us to share this message with those who need to be most reassured throughout these times. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: A Loving Handful

John 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

I’m the eldest son in my family and in Scotland that means I would have been given the responsibility of looking after my father’s estate. But because I live in America, that wasn’t possible, and so my Dad entrusted it all to my brother Andy.

Andy did a terrific job with what was entrusted to his care. He saw to all the funeral arrangements, the bills that had to be paid, and all of the hundreds of loose ends that had to be tied up. In fact, Andy did a better job of it than I ever could, and my Dad would have been proud of how he handled everything.

Even to this day, Andy looks after the royalties that are still paid on my Dad’s books. Every year, Andy receives them from the publishers and he carefully distributes them to all of the family. In this way, he honors my dad and does what it fair.

I love the fact that God placed everything into Christ’s hands. He knew that Jesus would fulfill His obligations and complete the task of salvation. God had made promises to His people for thousands of years, and when at last He placed them into Christ’s hands, God was giving Jesus the responsibility of keeping God’s Word. It was an awesome thing to do and we are blessed because Jesus did what was required of Him.

Christ honored God by perfectly accomplishing His mission. And we are the benefactors of that complete trust and obedience. If Jesus had wavered one little bit from His task, we would never have been forgiven by God. If He had left one single thing undone, we could never be restored to God’s goodness, perfection, and holy love. God placed everything in Christ’s hands because He loved Him. And Christ returned that love because He completed all that He was told to do.

Christ’s continues that mission by placing into our hands opportunities, responsibilities, and tasks that both honor God and expand His Kingdom. He does this because He loves us. The question for us today is this: are we willing to return that love by completing all that He entrusts to us?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for completing all that God expected of You when He placed everything into Your hands. We are truly grateful for all that You did, for Your accomplishments have brought us eternal blessings. Empower and enable us to fulfill all that You call us to undertake for God’s Kingdom and His glory. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: Beginnings

In the beginning, this New Year was made by God. His will sustained the Earth as it revolved on its axis and continued to orbit the Sun. As midnight struck across our planet in the different time zones, God’s Word and Will kept the Universe in being, whilst the people of our world celebrated the beginning of 2009.

In the midst of all our festivities, we may have been too preoccupied to thank the Founder of our feast. Some of us may have whispered short prayers for our families, our friends, our work, and our prosperity. We may have quietly voiced our fears and insecurities to God in a glancing thought; or we may have left words of grief, regret, and disappointment unspoken.

Genesis1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

Whatever we may have felt at midnight, this morning sees the beginning of a new day. As the sun rises in the East, a new dawn is ushered in quietly, naturally, and routinely. At the start of this day, we are reminded that both in the Old Testament and New Testament light is given a prominent place. The darkness of a chaotic cosmos is enriched with the goodness of a star-filled universe. And the desolate darkness of fearful and finite humanity is given the faithful and everlasting light of Christ.

As we set aside 2008, we either gladly or reluctantly let go of the past, in order to begin a new journey. We place both our fears and faith into God’s Hands; we let in the light of Christ to heal our hearts and help our hopes. We step over the threshold of a New Year, looking for God to guide our way and let Jesus join us on this fragile, wondrous, and personal journey that we call Life. We pray that in the beginning of this year, God’s Word will continue to sustain the universe, this world, and our spirits.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank You for sustaining the Earth and for continuing life on this little planet. As we enter this New Year that we call 2009, we seek to place You at the center of our days, experiences, and events. Be with us in the midst of the blessings or banes that will come our way. Strengthen us for the ordeals and tasks that lie ahead. Grant us faith and patience, perseverance and fortitude throughout this holy and sacred, unique and unknown year. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: Star Struck

Taking out the garbage on cold winter night can be an amazing experience.

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Psalm 89:6 For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?

I love winter nights. Last evening, as I was wheeling the garbage bin to the front yard, I looked up at the sky and was immediately overawed. Thousands of stars were dazzling like beautiful diamonds and even although it was very cold, I just stood there like a schoolboy, gaping and gazing at the glittering constellations. No matter how often I see them, I am totally amazed. I guess that the right phrase is ‘star struck,’ but it has nothing to do with the movies.

My neighbors must think I’m crazy. They probably hear me trundle out the bin to the street and then watch me from behind their blinds. “There’s that loony Scotsman, standing in the street again, looking up at the sky. Has he never seen the stars?” If I could answer them, I would say, “No, I haven’t.”

You see star gazing is a bit like sea watching – the sky is always different and constantly changing. I see a new sky each night when I stop to look upwards. What happens at that moment will never ever occur again. To the casual observer, everything looks the same, but to a star gazer like me, there’s always something that is different.

One thing remains constant though, my thankfulness to God as I am overawed by the whole experience. If the winter sky looks so expansive, wonderful, and astounding, what must God be like? That’s why a verse like today’s has great meaning for me; each time I look at the stars I think: what can compare to God in the skies above? What is most like God across the stellar heavens?

I feel full of wonder, and that’s what makes God wonderful to me. He can take a weekly routine chore and turn it into something totally amazing.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for creating the universe and for filling it with stars. Thank You for the wonder and awe that they inspire. Continue to touch our hearts and souls with Your Creative powers. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: Divine Separation

How could God let go of Jesus all of those Christmases ago?

Psalm 113:5, 6 Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

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I find Christmas absolutely amazing. And it’s not just because of the great music, the beautiful lights, or the glorious glitter. I find it amazing because it’s a celebration about the Lord of All Creation stooping down to our level, to leave His Holy Son amongst us. The whole event is a commemoration of an amazing sacrifice by God.

What God did way back then, would be like me taking my daughters, when they were babies, and leaving them on the dirty streets of Calcutta. I couldn’t ever do it because my fatherly love would not want to abandon them and I would feel the need to protect them. And that’s precisely what makes Christmas so wonderful to me, when I realize how much love God truly has for the whole world that He was willing to let go of Jesus.

Years ago, when I first came to live in the United States, my eldest daughter Lynsey went to her first overnight camp. We were just in Knoxville about ten days and felt totally cut off from our families back in Scotland. We were on our own and it just didn’t seem right that our eldest would be spending time away from us so soon. Lynsey felt the same separation anxiety and just after midnight I had to go and bring her home.

We were emotionally exhausted and weary as we journeyed home. I didn’t know it, but I was driving on the wrong side of the road. Suddenly, I saw headlights in front of me and heard the blaring of a car horn. Seconds later, we were involved in a head on collision. Thankfully, no one was injured but Lynsey and I were both emotional wrecks.

These days, Lynsey is a graduate student living hundred of miles from home. We may be separated geographically, but we are very close. It makes me wonder if that’s the kind of relationship that God maintained with Jesus throughout His life. God may have let Christ go to Earth that First Christmas, but They still carried each other in their hearts.

As I stated before, Christmas is amazing. And each year, I like to believe that God and Jesus stoop down to look at the Earth and celebrate this grand season with us.

Prayer: Lord God, most of us cannot comprehend what it took You to let go of Your Holy Son and leave Him to the mercies of the world. Even though You loved Him dearly, You never protected Him from what the world and people like ourselves eventually did to Him. That level of love and sacrifice is amazing to us and we are truly thankful for Your sacrifice which brought us salvation. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: Striped Pajamas

The Boy in Striped Pajamas is a new Holocaust movie with some very important messages about raising children.

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Deuteronomy 11:19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

I went to a free screening of a new movie the other night. It is called “The Boy in Striped Pajamas.” The story is about two boys who are separated by the electric barbed wires of a concentration camp. One boy, called Bruno, is the son of the Commandant of the camp. The other boy, Schmoel, is the son of a Jewish watchmaker.

It’s a very sad movie and the ending is heartbreaking. I left the theater stunned. I don’t know whether or not to recommend it to anyone. It’s not a feel good movie at all, although it does have many important messages to impart.

For instance, several times during the movie, Bruno is being taught by an old fascist teacher. He’s being indoctrinated into the Nazi party line. Bruno resists this because of his friendship with Schmoel. Bruno’s sister, however, becomes infatuated with Nazism and begins to change her personality. It’s a good lesson about how impressionable children actually are. They can be molded, manipulated, and brainwashed at an early age. They are learning machines, especially between the ages of 8-12. What influences them during those years usually shapes their character for years to come.

That’s why it’s very important for parents to be parents to their children, and not friends. If we set no boundaries, we only end up raising savages. Children need boundaries because the world that they will grow up into has some serious boundaries.

This lesson also applies to the Church. When we teach our children faith in Christ, we’re giving them strength for the future and hope for what lies ahead of them. If we neglect to share our faith with them, they will lose their connection to God. Sadly, too many adults end up becoming addicted to tobacco, sex, drugs, or alcohol simply because they feel spiritually empty and cut off from God. If we can teach them to have faith at an impressionable age, then we may save them from some of society’s ills.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our children are precious gifts in our lives and community. Help us to share the joy of our faith with them, so that they may grow nearer and closer to You throughout their adult lives. Keep us mindful of the cultural persuaders that would undermine Your influence over them. Help us to help our children avoid them. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: Baker's Van

Sometimes, when I pray "Give us our daily bread," it reminds me of a Scottish baker I once knew.

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Matthew 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.

Every day, around 10.30AM, the bread man used to arrive in our street. He drove a large van that had a walk-in counter at the back. He tooted his horn twice and everyone in our street knew that he had arrived. During the summer, when I was on holiday from school, my mom usually gave me a note, written on the corner of an old envelope, with our order: one plain loaf and a packet of potato scones.

As I entered the baker’s van, I could smell the beautiful aroma of freshly baked bread, sugared donuts, and buttered scones. The shelves were full of different breads and cakes, as well as various candies and chocolates. It looked absolutely heavenly to me, and I often wished that my parents had the money to buy the whole van.

The baker was a tall bearded man with a cheery smile. He took my mom’s list and placed the goods on the counter. He knew that we didn’t have much money, but he always treated us as if we were the most important customers on his route. He asked how my mom was doing and then he checked our items in his credit book. We always settled up at the end of the week when my father was paid.

On Saturday mornings, I would take another list, on the corner of an old envelope, with the money that we owed the baker. I felt important as I handed him over the money and received the change. He would hand me the plain loaf and potato scones, and then he would smile as he added in a few donuts to the package. This was Saturday, when our family had money!

Sometimes, when I’m praying the Lord’s Prayer, I remember those days of the Scottish baker when I say the words: ‘give us our daily bread.’ It reminds me that God’s grace is something that we all get on credit. At the end of our lives, we can never repay what we owe to God, which is when Christ steps in to pay the ransom for our souls. And just when we think that would be enough, He adds something sweeter to the whole divine package: everlasting life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your love and grace through which our lives are truly blessed. We depend upon You each day to guide and lead us, comfort and sustain us. You are our Daily Bread and the Bread of Eternal Life. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: 9-11 Reflections

Seven years later, 9-11 still haunts me.

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I always find this day difficult. The horrors of seven years ago never seem to go away. It was an uncanny moment and it still seems surrealistic to me. I still can’t believe that religious fanatics would kill all those innocent people in the Name of God. It defies logic. It defies humanity. It defies faith.

John 11: 21Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

I’m also transported inwardly to the hospital room with David and Linda. David was dying of cancer and Linda was crying fearfully. On one side of David’s bed, we were helplessly watching his vital signs flat lining. On the other side, a muted TV was showing the Twin Towers ablaze and collapsing. I have never felt so powerless in my life and, for the first time, I understood Martha’s blunt statement: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

As has become my custom, I visited David’s grave this morning and talked to him for a while. I miss his quiet ways and wry sense of humor. I miss his private faith and personal devotion to God. I miss his friendship and sharing lunch with him, every now and then.

I dwell upon the inevitability of my own mortality and how it might come. I thank God for the friends I have known and promise once again not to waste a moment of my life. I think about how time moves on and realize that the old oak tree, which once stood near David’s grave, is no longer there. Everything changes and I have, too. After seven years, would David know the pastor and person I have become?

And then, just as I am sighing and getting ready to leave, I see that a new sapling has emerged beside the trunk of the old tree. Death does not have the final say. Life emerges out of loss and faith overcomes fear. The Lord is here with the two of us where heaven and earth, humanity and eternity, mortality and immortality meet.

I am both resurrected and renewed.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are always with us, even when we feel distance from You. Thank You for Your presence which lifts and carries us throughout our lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: One Church

I have ministered to churches in Scotland and the United States. What would happen if we all became one congregation?

2 Corinthians 7:4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

I have been fortunate to serve three great congregations. I know of other pastors who have not enjoyed even serving one church successfully. I sometimes wish that I could merge all three – Maybole West, Fisherton, and Erin into one large congregation – a mixture of Scottish ingenuity and American innovation. It would be a wonderful witness to the world and a great encourager of faith to the Scots-American community.

Both time and tide separate all three of us from doing this, so the faithful individuals in each Presbyterian community – Maybole, Dunure, and Knoxville – have to carry on the work of the Lord alone. Then I start to read some of Paul’s letters to faraway churches that he had served, and I suddenly realize that the bridges of faith remain connected despite the distance and time difference.

Through these devotionals, I get the opportunity to minister with people of many congregations. I take great pride in the faithfulness of those who read these messages and pass them on to relatives, friends, and other church members. Our joy together, through the internet, knows no bounds or geographical limits. Even my youngest daughter in Tabora, Tanzania is part of our cyberspace fellowship!

I guess what I’m trying to say is this: we are all serving the Lord in His Church and that together we fulfill what’s called the communion of saints in the Apostles’ Creed. I have every confidence that the work we are doing for Him – in Scotland, USA, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Tanzania or wherever – both glorifies and pleases Christ. One day, we will all be together in heaven; at the moment, we are scattered because the Lord needs us to faithfully witness to our own communities. It’s His special way of getting His holy work done.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we live in different communities and yet we belong to One Church. We face different situations, but we share One Faith. Toda,y we pray for one another and ask that You will bless the congregations that we each serve. They are full of good and faithful people; they have the potential to fulfill wonderful and great things for You. Bless us all as one Family of Faith, serving One Lord forevermore. In Your Holy Name, we joyfully 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.

4 Minute Devotions: Dogmatic Dinosaur

If we accept Christ and His teaching, can we adopt a world view that all religions are equal and bring us to God?

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Titus 1:9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Some people wonder why I get bent out of shape when it comes to teaching and preaching Christianity. Why can’t I just evolve like the rest of the world and accept different ideas from different cultures, giving other religions and faiths the respect they deserve? Why can’t I acknowledge that there are many ways to God and that Jesus is only one of them? Wouldn’t it be much easier on myself if I would just let go of my dinosauric doctrines and outdated teachings?

Like Paul, I am the chief amongst all sinners and cannot claim to be perfect in any way. So why do I ‘self-righteously’ insist upon the uniqueness and exclusivity of Christ? What makes me think that I have it all right and the rest of the religious world is totally wrong?

I struggle with this and wrestle with my doubts. At times, I would like to capitulate and be all things to all people, as Paul once suggested. But if I did that, it would be insincere and hypocritical. It wouldn’t be me, and if I cannot be true to myself, how on earth can I remain true to Christ?

Let me put it this way: if Christ is only one way to salvation, then He is a liar, a charlatan, and a cheat. He Himself states “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” If there are other ways, other doors, and other rooms to be eternally with God, then Jesus has lied across the centuries and Christianity is a false religion. So for me, it all boils down to this: Christ is who He insists that He is, or He is the biggest liar in the Universe.

My own experience of Jesus is this: His promises are true and He is true to His words, therefore I cannot accept that other religions can find salvation through their understanding of what God is. If that makes me a dogmatic dinosaur in the world’s eyes, then so be it. I stand alone in Christ, I can do no other.

If you’re having trouble with accepting this, please take time to read one of the Gospels. Each time you read Christ’s own words, ask yourself these questions: does Jesus mean what He says, and if He does, what does that mean for me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our world is so different from New Testament times. We have more information about other people and their religions. We have more access to other religious ideas and thoughts. Please show us the truth about God and help us, in this religiously diverse world, to know what You would have us accept, express, and do. 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 comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

4 Minute Devotions: Solomon's Candy

Pessimists like Solomon, try to negatively diminish our faith and deaden our spirits. Christ is the perfect antidote to depressing thoughts.

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Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.

Do you get the feeling that someone must have swiped Solomon’s candy when he was a baby? I don’t know about you, but reading Ecclesiastes is sometimes like listening to too many Leonard Cohen songs; you eventually can’t take any more depressing thoughts and you need to get out into the world to enjoy life again.

In this passage, Solomon sounds like so many atheists today: there is no hope, there is no point, and there is no purpose to life. Instead of being magnificently created creatures that are expected to enjoy God’s creative wonders, we are, according to Solomon, destined to become dust. Instead of holding on to the assured hope that Christ has paid the price for our sins and brought us eternal life, we’re all headed to the gloom and doom of oblivion as far as atheists are concerned.

I don’t know about you, but I reject Solomon’s pessimism and atheistic angst. I experienced the Living Christ long ago in my life and I have seen too many faithful, inspiring moments in other peoples’ lives to make me want to throw in the existential towel that Solomon is waving. Life is all about faith, not fads or fashions; it’s all about eternal hope, not hopelessness or helplessness.

Solomon, like Leonard Cohen, might be handy to have around during those moments of loneliness, self-doubt, and morbidity that we all experience, but you wouldn’t expect either of them to be the life and soul of the party when it comes to celebrating our faith in Jesus. He lifts us up with joy and leads us to a higher plane and a greater life than we could ever dream or imagine.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Living Hope for our broken world and the Light of Joy for our inward darkness. You reach into the depths of our souls and transform our weary spirits with Your mercy, grace, and love. Create within us new hearts and help us to reach out to others with our faith. In Your Holy Name, we joyfully pray. Amen.

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

4 Minute Devotions: Ablazing Grace

1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire;

My very first Pentecostal experience occurred during an evening worship service in Glasgow, Scotland. A group of my Christian friends had heard about the new charismatic movement and we wanted to see what happened at Pentecostal meetings. The worship music was loud and lively. The prayers were long and tedious. The scripture readings were read from the Authorized Version, and the whole service seemed to be a blend of the old and the new. The preacher preached passionately and we all felt it would be time to go home soon. We were totally unprepared for what happened next.

During the preaching, someone stood up at the front and started to heckle the preacher, or at least that’s what it sounded like to us. Within a couple of minutes, people in the congregation were standing up all over the place, babbling forcefully. It was amazing in a weird way and when some people in the pews next to us started to speak in tongues, a few of the girls in our group became hysterical and wept uncontrollably.

I had no idea what was happening. There didn’t seem to be any control and at first, I thought the people were bewitched. Eventually, everything was quiet and the pastor began to interpret what had been spoken through the tongues.

Although I was uncomfortable with the whole process, I recognized the Spirit’s fire in the people. They were spiritually ablaze for Christ and their worship of Him was passionately sincere. Since then, I have experienced the same process, although I have never used it in the ministry God has called me to fulfill. In fact, it’s been many years since I have let myself be fully taken over by the Spirit in that way. It makes me wonder at times if I am guilty of putting out the Spirit’s fire in order to conform to my Calvinist ways.

I think we all need to be passionate about our belief in Christ and allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the Spirit from time to time. There are so many things about God that we don’t fully understand and there are many ways of being open to the bidding of the Spirit, including speaking in tongues. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to publicly speak in tongues among my church family and Christian friends, but I also would never undermine anyone’s right to experience and vocalize the same.

Perhaps if we would allow the Spirit to work more in our hearts and minds, we would accomplish more for Christ and God’s Kingdom. I am so glad to be part of a church that is not blown about by current trends or fashionable fancies. All that we achieve and accomplish at Erin is through the work of the Spirit, to the glory of Christ Jesus. If it was ever anything else, it would be time to pack up and leave.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, You are wild and untameable, uncontrollable and without boundaries. You come and go as You please, seeking to fill hearts with Christ and churches with God’s presence. Permit us to experience this privileged presence and guide us all in God’s way. In Christ’s Holy Name, we 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 Pentecost drawings called "Let the Fire Fall." if you would like to view a larger version, click this link: Firefall.

4 Minute Devotions: Clearing the Way

God helps us to overcome obstacles and can clear the way ahead in our lives, so that we may serve Him fully and faithfully. A short reflection on Isaiah 57 v 14.

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They’ve been working on the main road next to my subdivision for over three years and they still haven’t finished it. It’s only about a mile long, but there are some nasty bends to negotiate, so the contractors are trying to straighten them out. They also had to widen the road for the amount of extra traffic, so that involved moving a lot of houses back about twenty yards from the original road. I don’t know when they will finish it, but one day it will be completed and there will be no more traffic cones, gravel or obstacles to drive through. It will be a joyous day for the commuters in my area when it is all completed.

Our church is also going through some major improvements and renovations. We’re just getting started with a long process of modernizing the church for the 21st century. It will take a while to complete and there will be some obstacles in the way ahead, but once everything is completed, the church will be ready for the next generation of ministers, leaders, and members to carry on Christ’s work in this community. It will also be a joyous day when the scheduled work is actually completed.

Isaiah 57:14 And it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."

I like the idea of God building up His people and removing all obstacles in their way. That gives me a lot of hope in these troubling times when the Christian Church appears to be losing ground and dividing itself. The cultural obstacles and the obstinate rocks of division will one day be removed by God and Christ’s work will be completed. That will be a joyous occasion when all of God’s people can freely proclaim Christ as their King and pledge their total allegiance to Him as their Lord.

Perhaps you are currently experiencing some obstacles in your own life. They might arise through illness or worry, trouble or heartbreak, disappointment or loneliness. Know this: God has enough power to remove those obstacles that are in the way of enabling you to fulfill your life for Him. One day the road will be clear and you will move on freely, knowing that God is up ahead of you, preparing the way.

Prayer: Lord God, there are obstacles in all of our lives that prevent us from joyously experiencing life as it is meant to be. Whether those obstacles are self-created, made by others, or caused through troubling circumstances, we pray that You will graciously remove them from our lives. Be with us now and prepare the way ahead. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to send him some feedback on this devotional, send an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

4 Minute Devotions: Stoning Jesus

Should we as Christians give up some of our sacred beliefs about Christ in order to accommodate other peoples' beliefs?

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Last week, our General Assembly in its own way, tried to begin the peace process between Christians, Jews, and Muslims by discussing a statement that calls upon all of us to worship together in order to live together. The writers of the statement put forward the belief that we all serve the same God, so we should be able to find a common thread in our faiths.

Peace is a worthy cause, but not at the cost of spiritual appeasement. We don’t worship the same God. We believe different things about God and because of that, Christians need to be aware of the forces of cultural universalism that are creeping into our faith.

John 10:36 What about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?

Take this incident from the Gospel of John. Jesus is about to be stoned by the Jews because He claims to be God’s Son. Even to this day, the Jewish people do not believe it and the Muslims get very upset about this claim. Both of those faiths believe that Jesus is a great teacher or prophet, but nothing more than that. And when we ascribe divine status to Jesus as being equal to God in the Holy Trinity, both groups still call that blasphemy. If Jesus was alive and walking about the streets of Jerusalem and Mecca making these claims, he would either be assassinated or stoned to death.

Now some people think that this is not such a big deal, after all, isn’t world peace worth giving up some of our sacred beliefs in order to live together in harmony? But the trouble is this: if we settle for saying that we all believe in the same God, then we are cutting Jesus out of the whole deal. We are no longer Trinitarian Christians; we have just become deists. Jesus is no longer the Christ, the Son of God, or part of the trinity. He is just another Good Teacher; He is just another prophet.

I don’t know about you, but I owe everything to Jesus and I will not undermine His authority in order to worship with my neighbors. He is everything to me and I cannot allow myself to theologically stone Him to death in order to accommodate other people’s beliefs. That is apostasy to me and we should all be wary of it. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Lord of the Universe. Anything else just won’t do, no matter how we try to rationalize it. As Christians, either Christ is First and Last, or He is nothing at all.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, the world wants us to get along in order to keep the peace in the world. We call You the Prince of Peace, but we forget that title means the creating of peace between us unholy sinners and the perfect holiness of God. As the Son of God, You are able to intercede on our behalf. As the Christ of Calvary, You shed Your blood to cleanse our souls. If we are to remain true to You, we cannot give up Who You are and what You have accomplished. Grant us the courage to remain faithful to You, especially when we are pressured to give up Your exclusive Titles and Divine Rights. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

4 Minute Devotions: Plugged In

Spreading the Gospel is God's way of sweetening the world. Paul describes Christian witnessing as a fragrance pleasing to God and attractive to others. A short reflection on 2 Corinthians 2:14.

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My wife Evelyn likes to use those plug-in air fresheners all over the house. Each month, we buy new ones that smell like southern peaches, mountain air, or fresh fruit blossom. These air fresheners spread a sweet fragrance all over our home and Evelyn delights in them. It’s just one of those special things that makes her feel at ease when visitors call.

2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

In the Old Testament, the sacrifices were proclaimed as having odors that were pleasing to God. In the New Testament, no such sacrifices were necessary because Jesus gave His life for our sins. The Gospel itself became the sweet smelling fragrance that pleased God, as knowledge about Christ was spread throughout the Roman Empire. We continue that process today when we share our beliefs with other people.

The world itself would be a much sweeter place to live in, if we as Christians spent more time spreading the Gospel through what we do and say. Our faith would be much more pleasing and acceptable to other people, if we would honestly practice what Christ preached centuries ago. That way Christ’s ministry and God’s Kingdom would become a pleasing fragrance around the world. Instead of having people rebel against and totally reject Christianity, more people would be attracted to Christ and be willing to give their hearts to Him.

So, wherever we find ourselves today, let’s try and be plugged into Christ’s ways and ministry. If we were more self-aware of being His servants and disciples, we would become more effective as ambassadors of the Gospel and messengers of God’s Word.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we want to please You by leading attractive lives that bring others to You. We want to be productive servants of Your Kingdom and effective messengers of Your Gospel. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at 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.

4 Minute Devotions: An Old Lie

We all tell lies and have to deal with the consequences. I still am bothered about a lie I told my High School sports coach 35 years ago in Scotland.

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When I was in High School, I belonged to the sprint relay team. It was an honor to be chosen and I loved running around the bends of the 400 meter track. The coach that we had was superb. He was a great encourager and a wonderful teacher. We excelled as a sprint team because of his positive coaching. We all wore gold vests which he gave us, representing the colors of our High School. I cherished mine and kept it, instead of handing it back in at the end of the season. Our coach was so successful, he was promoted as an assistant principal at another school.

The next season a different coach arrived. He was severe and a disciplinarian. He took the joy out of our accomplishments and I eventually left the sprint team. During athletics practice one day, he caught me wearing my cherished gold vest. He grabbed me by the arm and told me to take it off. That’s when I told the lie. I insisted that my mother had purchased me the vest at a sports shop in Glasgow. The coach scrutinized the label and, sure enough, the tag belonged to the shop that I mentioned. He looked me in the eyes and then dismissed me. My lie had me kept me safe. He couldn’t prove it otherwise.

It has been thirty five years since I told that lie and it still bothers me today. I wish that I had told the truth. I wish that I had given back the vest. I wish that I could erase this from my past. I’d even thought about sending money to the school to buy vests for a whole sprint team, but the school was closed and demolished years ago. A subdivision has been built over the running track, so I have to live with my lie.

Hebrews 6:18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.

I am so thankful that God never lies. He keeps His Word. He fulfills His promises. He remains faithful to us, even although we are unfaithful to Him. When the Good Book reveals to us that God is forgiving, merciful, and gracious, it really means it. And when Jesus is described as being the Truth, Way, and Life, it’s not a lie. These things encourage me to try to be a Christian. Where I fail, God succeeds. When I am weak, He is strong. When I feel lost, He still guides.

Prayer: Lord God, we all have regrets, make mistakes, and even tell lies. We are sorry for the disappointments we cause and the hurts that we create. Forgive us of all our sins and allow us to begin again. Grant us Your mercy and grace, Your love and compassion. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

4 Minute Devotions: The Quiet Life

Paul urges us to lead a quiet life, minding our own business, and working with our hands. It's a Christian pipe dream, because the world always invades our space. In China, a Christian businessman has been arrested for national security reasons because he was letting other Christians worship there. The crime is punishable by death.

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1 Thessalonians 4:11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you.

It sounds like the ideal way to live a Christian life. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all just get along together? Leading a quiet life and minding my own business seems like an idyllic way of existing. No squabbles, no arguments, no worries, and no concerns. Just keeping your head down, working at your business, and getting on with life. It would be heaven on earth.

But then reality invades my world and I realize that this is just a Christian pipe dream of Paul’s. Life is far from quiet and is in fact much too noisy. No matter how hard I try to mind my own business, someone always says or does something that affects me. And often, when I go to do my work, something occurs which changes my schedule and I have to set aside the projects I wanted to accomplish. I would love for Paul’s Utopia to exist, but unless I joined a silent monastery in a far off place, I’m never going to accomplish it.

I’m also reminded that Christians around the world don’t have it so easy either. Take Alimujiang Yimiti for example. He was quietly working at his business in Uyghur, China in September last year, when Chinese government officials closed it down. They stated that he was using his business as a cover for “preaching Christianity among the Uyghuri people.” Four months later, Alimujiang was arrested and accused of “subversion of the national government and endangering national security.” This crime is punishable by death. Ali has been in prison for six months awaiting trial.

So much for just living a quiet life and working with your hands! Ali became a Christian more than ten years ago and has been an active member of the growing Uyghur Church.

We Westerners get so upset in our churches when things don’t go our way, but I really wonder what we would do if we were threatened with arrest for national security reasons just because we are Christians? The things that are perhaps important to us pale into insignificance when we put them beside what Alimujiang and thousands of other Christians in China are enduring.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all want our lives to be smooth and trouble-free. We want our needs to be met and our desires to be fulfilled. Sometimes we forget that our wishes and ways are not what You ask of us. Sometimes we need to be reminded that faith isn’t a leisure pursuit or a group activity; it’s a serious life commitment and one that others are being imprisoned, tortured, and even killed for, across the world. 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 comment on today’s message, please send him an email to: pastor@erinpresbyterian.org

4 Minute Devotions: Holding on to Hope

My daughter Lauren flies out to Africa this weekend on a three month mission to help orphaned children in Tabora, Tanzania. It will be a time for all of my family to keep our hope in the Lord.

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Tomorrow, our youngest daughter Lauren flies out to Africa for three months. She is excited about the whole adventure ahead of her, whereas I don’t think I’ll get a whole night’s sleep until she’s back home.

Lauren has been planning this for a whole year. She wants to do something that will make a difference in the lives of the least. She will be working with the orphaned children of Tabora, Tanzania. Their parents have all died of AIDS, so Lauren will be tutoring, supporting, and leading a summer program to help these young people.

I am proud of what Lauren seeks to do because I know that within myself, I could not do it. I think if I ever got there, I would want to stay forever and help them the rest of my life. Perhaps Africa is Lauren’s calling of the heart, just as America has been mine.

Psalm 31:24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

This summer, my family may be spread all over the world. Evelyn’s mum is ill and it may turn out to be a terminal condition. If that happens, she will fly out to Glasgow to be with her for a while. This could mean that I’ll have a daughter in Virginia, one in Africa, and a wife back in Scotland all at the same time. It will be a strange feeling and the first time that all four of us have been separated from one another.

But, as our kids sing at church, God’s got the whole world in His hands, so I reckon He will be holding on to my family wherever they are and whatever they are doing. It will be a time to remain strong in faith and take heart that God is doing what He knows best. We all have our hope in the Lord, so no matter what happens, He is with us.

Prayer: Lord God, our lives never stand still and we undergo many changes, transitions, and transformations. Throughout those times, Your constant love and watchfulness over us comforts, strengthens, and encourages us. Thank You for never letting go of us, even during those trying times when our grasp of You is weak. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

PS Lauren has her own blog page about the journey. You can find it at
http://www.theroadtoafrica.blogspot.com/

4 Minute Devotions: Just Stories

Some people say that the Gospels are just mere stories. Peter, however, declared that they were eye witness accounts of what truly took place in Christ's lifetime. Our challenge today is this: do we accept Peter's testimony?

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I love making up stories, especially for the children of our church on Sunday mornings. I guess I started telling stories for my brothers late at night when we were kids. Three of us shared the same bedroom and each of us had to deal with my mother’s insanity in different ways. At night time, sleep never came easy for any of us, so I would tell stories to my younger brothers and eventually they would sleep peacefully. I can’t really remember what any of those stories were about – it all took place about forty years ago – but those storytelling skills have stayed with me, which is why I enjoy giving the kids sermon during worship.

Some people believe that the Gospels are just made up, and have become stories that people must accept or they will experience the Church’s wrath. Eckhart Tolle in his book, “A New Earth” makes such a complaint. He writes about the Bible being a collection of stories with morals within them that are imposed upon the readers or hearers. What he is trying to do is to undermine the value of the Bible and diminish the faith of Christians.

2 Peter 1:16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

Peter, in his second letter, faced similar opposition, which is why he reminds his readers that the events he relates about Jesus were not just stories, but eye witness accounts of what actually happened. Peter insists that he was there when Christ was transfigured. It is not a magical story, which is meant to charm the listener; it is an actual reporting of what truly happened.

Tolle may wish that the Gospels were mere stories so that he can pursue his own misguided philosophy. Peter, however, was willing to die for what he knew to be true, so for me, his testimony has more authenticity than anything Tolle can make up.

The question for all of us today is this: are the Gospels mere morality tales to help us through life, or are they God’s truth to lead us to eternal life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your life is so different from all others and Your messages are meant to challenge our lives and change our ways. Some voices in the world would have us believe that Your teaching, Your existence, and Your purposes are just mere myths. Help us to hold fast to Your ways and keep us from falling into the temptations of unbelief. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Have you ever dreaped a wall? Dreap is an old Irish word which means to climb, and the action required by dreaping is to run as fast as you can towards a wall, leap high into the air, and try to catch the top of the ledge with your fingers. You then hold as hard as you can and pull yourself up over the wall. It takes a great deal of effort and if you miss holding onto the wall, your fingertips end up with friction burns.

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Dreaping walls was a summer sport for Scottish children. Gangs of kids roamed the streets looking for a high brick wall, where the bigger kids delighted in showing off their dreaping skills. Shorter kids like me had to put up with ridicule and scorn, humiliation and sore fingers until we grew taller.

The best dreaping walls were usually situated next to churches and the biggest one where I lived was a high wall attached to St. Monica’s Chapel. It was a beautiful whitewashed wall, which was pebbled from top to bottom. This meant that it was a double agony wall – if you missed the dreap, then as you slid down the wall, the pebbles would cut across your fingers and face. Dreaping the chapel wall was always considered to be a double-double dare. Failing the dreap would be embarrassing; leaping the dreap brought a whole lot of honors.

In all of my boyhood, I only once managed to dreap the chapel wall and I sat upon it triumphantly, gloating at my friends who couldn’t do it. But my success was short lived. The old Irish priest at St. Monica’s spotted me on the wall and he shouted with enough papal authority to knock me off my perch. He might have scared the living daylights out of me, but he could not dent my pride. I had dreaped the chapel wall and no one could ever take that from me.

Psalm 18:29 With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.

I guess that the writer of Psalm 18 was also used to dreaping walls, although in this case I think he’s poetically talking about obstacles in life. His faith is such that he knows God will help him to overcome his problems and get through his worst experiences. It’s that kind of simple faith in God which helps many of us through the crises in our lives. Things may appear to be insurmountable and we wonder how we will get over them, but God is willing to reach down and help us, to carry us over the obstacles that come our way.

Prayer: Lord God, we depend upon Your grace each and every day of our lives. We especially need You in distressing times and those moments when our problems seem to overshadow everything that we try to do. During those worrying times, we ask that You will help us to overcome our troubles and lift us out of despair. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.