Overcoming Fearful Times - 2 Timothy 1:7

2 Timothy 1:7  For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. (NIV)

            We live in fearful times, so many people feel anxious and insecure. We worry about the future of our families, communities, and nations. We wonder if peace will ever come or whether we will ever be safe. The spirit of this post-modern era is full of self-doubt and uncertainty. The 21^st century, which so many of us thought would bring about wonderful solutions for the security, health, and prosperity of the whole human race, has been a great disappointment so far. Perhaps toward the end of this century, we may begin to get it right.

            As a pastor, biblical scholar, and theologian, I find it difficult not to relate the decline in church-going Christianity with the societal increase in fear and anxiety. It seems to me that the opposite fear is faith and the reverse of anxiety is assurance. Christ came to offer both faith and assurance to humanity, so is it too simple to think that the solution to the angst we are currently experiencing actually resides in the form of Christianity we are rejecting?

            I also think this why the apostle Paul encouraged Timothy with the words of today’s highlighted verse. They both lived during anxious, insecure, and deeply disturbing times. Paul offered Timothy the same remedy that I believe we need today: a divine assurance that the Spirit with which God blesses us, can overcome any anxiety, fear, or insecurity through power, love, and self-discipline.

            Wherever you go today, or whatever you face, please know this: God has your back because He fills you with His Spirit first.

Questions for personal reflection

What am I worried about today? Am I willing to let God’s Spirit subdue my fears and overcome my problems?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of our souls and the Champion of our faith. We look to You to lead, guide, and be with us through whatever we have to presently face or endure. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully 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 Spirit drawings. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Spirit.

4 Minute Devotions: Holy Heights

I suffer from acrophobia – a fear of heights. Perhaps if I was a tall person, it might not be so bad. I get dizzy and unbalanced whenever I am up high. Standing on a ledge or a rooftop is very hard for me to do, although if I’m on a ladder, no matter how high it is, I’m okay. Go figure that one out, because I can’t.

I can remember being with a party of children walking up Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain. There is a path that reaches up to the summit. Halfway up the mountain, I happened to look down. That was a big mistake. All of a sudden I found myself rooted to the spot, clinging to the side of the path. The kids thought I was just joking, but the leader of the group knew differently. I was relieved when she decided to cancel the climb due to the ‘inclement weather.’ I think she had seen how white my face had become and realized that I was never going to make it to the top.

Revelation 2:5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.

When the apostle John writes about the Church at Ephesus falling from a great height, he’s talking about the status that the congregation had in the Mediterranean community. It had been established by Paul, so its theological pedigree was second to none. But pride had tarnished the church. The Ephesians were in love with their own achievements and had forgotten about their initial loyalty to Jesus. They admired their own successes, instead of truly glorifying Christ for the blessings He had bestowed upon them. It must have been hard for them to accept this piece of divine criticism, but it was necessary to bring them back down to earth in order to fulfill what Jesus needed them to do.

So, what’s the lesson for today? Whatever we accomplish in our lives originates in the riches of God’s grace. When we are blessed, let’s take time to thank Jesus and honor Him as the provider of our successes.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your Life changed the history of the world in such a way that we all owe our existence to You. Anything that we accomplish with our lives is a direct consequence of Your affect on our entire planet. Remind us of Your importance to all that we are and all that we shall ever be. In Your 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, leave a comment or send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org

Daily Devotions: The Dream

I had a beautiful dream last night which I have kept in my heart all day. I was standing on top of a high hill when suddenly the ground beneath me gave way. For some reason I was sliding down the hill at high speed, headed for a swamp at the bottom. As I reached the swamp, I braced myself for the impact by lifting up my knees to shield my body.

Podcast version here

I started channeling through the water at a fierce rate, but I never got wet. I was afraid that when I stopped moving I would begin to sink into the swamp. Inevitably, I slowed down and felt being sucked under the black water. All of a sudden, and this will sound crazy, two elderly ladies in a flat bottomed boat rescued me. As they hauled me up on to their boat, I felt an amazing peace. Then I woke up.

Bible Verse of the Day

Acts 10:17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate.

The dream puzzled me and I inwardly asked God for an interpretation. This is what I think He gave to me.

The hill represents my strength and pride, ego and arrogance. The quake is God’s way of getting my attention and sliding downhill indicates the poor choices and bad mistakes I have made in my life. The swamp represents death and oblivion. The raising up of my knees indicates a time of prayer and the water, which didn’t make me wet, is my baptism. Slowing down and sinking represents me getting older and experiencing death.

But what about the two ladies on the boat? The boat is the church. The elderly ladies are called Faith and Hope. Now I know that at the moment of my death, whenever it comes, all that I will have left is Faith and Hope…and that will be all that I will ever need.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the gifts of Faith and Hope, which sustain us throughout our lives, and which also take us into Your Eternal presence at the moment of our inevitable deaths. Let them keep hold of us when we are fearful or depressed, vulnerable and all alone. In Your Holy Name, we faithfully and hopefully pray. Amen.

Devotional : Mysterious Island

Podcast version here

How a Jules Verne story captivated the heart of a five year old and helped him to acknowledge Christ as the complete revelation of the mysteries about God.

One of the best movies that I ever saw as a child was called “Mysterious Island.” It was a marvelous adaptation of a book that Jules Verne, the great French science fiction writer, wrote. Verne wrote it as a conclusion of his story of Captain Nemo and his submarine the “Nautilus.” Most people remember that cantankerous character from “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”

In “Mysterious Island,” Nemo sacrifices himself and his submarine to save a motley crew of survivors, who have been marooned on the island, after crashing a military balloon. The island is full of giant monsters and intriguing mysteries. When I saw it for the first time as a five year old, it captivated me completely. It’s one of the few movies that I watch as a re-run on television. It also helps that the special effects were created by Ray Harryhausen, the greatest “stop and go” clay animator in movie history.

Ephesians 1:9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ.

Most of us find mysteries attractive. Whether it’s the plot in a whodunit play or a sequence of numbers in Sudoku, we just love the element of surprise and the satisfaction of a completed solution. When Paul writes about “mystery” to the Ephesians, he’s expressing it in spiritual terms because “mystery religions” were predominant throughout the Mediterranean. People were constantly anxious about life and fearful about death. These “mystery religions” of the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, and Persians promised their adherents and devotees secret messages, signs, and rituals that would expedite their journey to heaven after death. As long as they knew the right words, performed the prescribed ceremonies, and spent their resources at the temple, everlasting life was guaranteed.

But then Christ appeared and, as Paul writes, God made known to us these mysteries through Jesus. The old cultic religions and secret rites were no longer effective or required. All that was necessary for everlasting life was to believe in Jesus. He would guarantee the Way to heaven, the truth about God, and show people the path to eternal life. There was no need to be anxious anymore; there was no need for any other religious beliefs.

Today, we live in anxious times that try the souls of people everywhere. Paul’s message is as relevant now as it ever has been. The mysteries of God are fully made known to us through Jesus Christ. When we accept Him and reject the world, we are given a true and everlasting hope that we can cling to, throughout this life, and into the next.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we have many questions and anxieties, worries and concerns. We experience problems and wrestle with suffering. At times, we can be overwhelmed by fear and perplexed by life itself. During those moments of doubts and worry, grant us faith and assurance. Let us know that our dependence upon You will become our path to eternal life and everlasting love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.