Forgive Me Prayer

Psalm 37:1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong. (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Forgive me when I fret against those who stridently force their opinions to ban books, or revise history, or ignore injustice.

Forgive me when I get upset with folks who seek to impose their form of righteousness in the name of freedom by canceling our evolving culture.

Forgive me when I get frustrated with others who impale education with their demands and reject the harsh truths of our inhuman past.

Forgive me when I get peeved with those who glorify ignorance and seek to silence critical thinkers with loud voices, hostile threats, and callous words.

Forgive me when I fear the future, dread divisions, and conceal the conflict in my heart.

Forgive me when I see evil but remain silent, or know of injustice but remain indifferent.

Forgive me when I fail to recognize racism where it exists and choose to remain unconcerned about its prevalence in our society.

Forgive me when I live as a Christian in name only, when I should truly live only in Christ’s Name.

 

Gracious Lord, forgive me, challenge me, and change me.

In Christ’s Name, I shamefully pray. Amen.

Remembering the Rainbow - Genesis 9:13

Genesis 9:13 God said: “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

            We live on a beautiful and exceptional planet. As far as we can tell, it’s the only one that can sustain life as we know it. There may be other Earth-like planets in the universe, but this is the only one that we can presently call ‘Home.’ We are dwelling on a precious global jewel filled with an amazing variety of life-forms. We are blessed with an abundance of species that make the Earth a remarkable place. All around us, we find the hallmarks of God who loves to create all sorts of living beings. It is good to feel connected to our Creator who wants us to enjoy His works.

            At the end of the Noah story in the Bible, God reconnects with His beloved Earth and promises never to destroy it. This covenant is something that God maintains as sacred, so we are called and invited to do the same. As human beings, we can be the most destructive life force on this planet, but as children of God we can embrace this holy promise and do whatever we are able to make the world a better place – environmentally and socially, as well as spiritually.

            Perhaps if we were also to remind ourselves of God’s promise to the Earth each time we see a rainbow, we would be constantly inspired to make the changes necessary to bless the Earth with our care and keep it healthy, so that we can pass on a beautiful planet to our children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. As with all of God’s promises, it’s left to us to freely uphold our side of the commitment. Let us hope and pray that we will truly begin to embrace God’s covenant with the Earth.

Point to ponder

What do I love most about the Earth? What am I willing to do to protect it?

Prayer:            Almighty Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, thank You for allowing us the joy of living in Your Creation. Encourage us to sustain this beautiful blessing by taking care of this wonderful planet. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

 Today’s image is one of John’s rainbow colored drawings called ‘Tree of Life.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Tree.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can view the church’s web-page at www.erinpresbyterian.org. Come and join us at anytime J

Short devotion: Fly Girl - psalm 99:3

Psalm 99:3    Let them praise Your great and awesome name - He is holy.

            I've just been reading about Jackie Cochran, who was the first woman aviator to break the Sound Barrier on this day in 1953. She was born in a tiny Southern timber mill town of Muscogee, Florida, just north of Pensacola. The year was 1906 and she was a child of a very poor family, whose humble beginnings she tried to conceal in later years by claiming to be adopted.

           

Originally, she trained to be a nurse, and then a hairdresser, working for years in Pensacola. Eventually, she ended up in New York City, after being hired by a very prestigious salon. In the 1930s, Jackie began flying lessons and was so proficient at it, that she learned to fly and control an airplane within three weeks. She never looked back after that. Flying became her life. She won several special air races that were common at the time, broke many speed and distance records than any other pilot, flew a bomber across the Atlantic in World War 2, and eventually broke the Sound Barrier after being encouraged to do so by her long time famous pilot friend Chuck Yeager.

She did all these amazing things, but hardly anyone outside of aviation knows of her name. If she had died tragically, mysteriously, and young like her contemporary Amelia Earhart, more folks would have known about her. She accomplished much more than Earhart ever did, and could have been NASA’s first woman astronaut if the male participants in the early Mercury and Gemini programs had not objected to a woman being allowed to go through the training. However, her spirit was undaunted by any setbacks. She often spoke of her road to success with these words, "I might have been born in a hovel, but I determined to travel with the wind and the stars."

            In today’s psalm, we read the words about God’s glorious name which is revered and blessed throughout history because of His holiness, greatness, love, and mercy. There is no other god worthy of our worship; there is no other deity deserving of our devotion. God is our Creator whose mighty deeds have never been equaled, and whose works of salvation can never be diminished or forgotten. We bless His name because we are the beneficiaries of what His Only Son Jesus accomplished by His sacrificial death on the Cross. Christ may have been born in a hovel, but God was determined that He should follow a pre-destined path that would enable sinners like us to be embraced by His Spirit on Earth, so that we could at last reach for the stars of Heaven.

Questions for reflection

How grateful am I for Christ’s work of salvation? How do I honor His sacrifice with my life?

(If you would like to read more about Jackie Cochran’s amazing life, visit this PBS link: Jackie Cochran).

Prayer:          Lord God, we thank You for Your mighty and wonderful works of Creation which still amaze and astound us. However, we are infinitely more grateful for the precious gift of salvation that You have bestowed upon us through the life, death, and resurrection of Your Son Jesus. We can never repay the everlasting debt that we owe You, but we can remain eternally grateful by serving You in this life and the next. 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 questions or make comments about today’s message, he’d be happy to receive them via email. Send them to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s attached image is one of John’s latest drawings of a Tiffany lamp. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Tiffany.

Advent devotion: Revering God - Malachi 2:5

Malachi 2:5    “My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name.” 

Reverence is something that appears to be missing in our present world. That’s a pity because reverence is such a wonderful gift to experience. Giving reverence to God means to humble yourself before Him, as well as surrendering to His will and simply choosing to serve Him. There’s a great peace that can come into a person’s soul when, as the psalmist wrote long ago, their ‘delight is in the Lord.’

In midst of our daily stresses, artificial urgencies, and constant pressures, we could learn a lot from the people and prophets in the past who devoted their days to the Lord. It wasn’t always easy, but there seemed to be more satisfaction in sacred things and holy ways. I sometimes wonder if we aren’t ‘gadgetizing’ ourselves to an early grave and a purposeless life simply because we’ve become technologically distracted from the mysteries, wonders, and beauty of God.

As we head into another church year (Advent is the beginning of the Christian calendar), perhaps we should try to recapture the blessing of revering God with our time, our thoughts, and our devotion. It could be the beginning of a new life for each of us…J.

Question for personal reflection

What can I do with my life to make reverence of God a choice and not an inconvenience?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You revered God throughout Your life on Earth. You taught us how important revering God should be in our lives. Forgive us for being distracted with unimportant things and tasks. Help us to reclaim time to honestly and simply revere God. 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, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s 2012 nativity drawings called ‘Emmanuel,’ which features the Holy Family in a snow globe decoration. If you would like to view a larger version, then please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7113/8170459261_03d3204704_b.jpg

John also has signed limited edition signed prints of this beautiful drawing. Just contact him by email for details.

4 Minute Devotions: How Long Will this Go On?

We all go through troubling times and sometimes we feel abandoned by God. During those moments of fear and despair, God is always with us, waiting for the right time to save and deliver us, comfort and embrace us.

Podcast version here

Psalm 13:2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

About two years ago, our wee church went through a time of turmoil that caused me a lot of worry and sleepless nights. The issue affected the well-being of the whole congregation and there seemed to be a heavy atmosphere of gloom and doom amongst us. Worship attendance declined and offerings went down. We lost a handful of members and found it tough to recruit new ones.

The trouble seemed to be never-ending and we couldn’t move forward for a while. All our plans were put on hold and we felt as though we were sliding back. It was a terrible time and most of my prayers included a “How long, O Lord” section in them each day.

But God is good and He works in wonderful ways. Instead of dividing the church, the incident caused us to depend more on God and each other. After two long years, our worship attendance is bigger than what is was before and our offerings are up by 20%. There’s a better atmosphere across the church and we’re spiritually healthier than we ever have been. It took a lot of hard work, wrestling, and patience, but God has worked wonders and empowered us to be more faithful. It has been a hard lesson to learn, but in the end, it is an extremely important one.

Some of the old psalms are about similar times and experiences. God’s faithful people are constantly being spiritually challenged and go through some seriously turbulent times. During those moments of unrest and unease, the people cry out to God for deliverance. They complain about their troubles and bemoan the fact that God does not appear to be doing anything to help them.

Yet in the end, God always shines through. His timing is different from our own, but His timing is always best. We may wrestle with our worries and be afflicted with our concerns; we may feel abandoned by God and outside of His grace; but more often as not, He delivers us; He rescues us; He saves us from despair. We may go through a “how long” experience, and then discover that God is with us every second, every hour, and every day of our troubles. We may let go of Him at times, but God never lets go of us.

Prayer: Lord God, there are times in our lives when we feel impatient, insecure, and anxious. We feel isolated and vulnerable, abandoned and alone. Teach us to depend upon You in ways that will make us better comprehend Your ways. Grant us faith to overcome fear and strength to defeat our sorrow. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Pray Today - Pass Tomorrow?

So long as students have to take exams, there will always be prayer in our schools. But how effective are those prayers? And what if a special written prayer could reduce stress, bring calmness, and help a student focus during the hours of an exam? Would it help the student to pass the test?

The Church of England has come with a novel idea of internet prayers for high school, college, and university students to recite before they enter exam rooms. The prayers are also available for teachers who tend to worry about their students during exams. After all, the outcome of the final grades is also used to measure the effectiveness of a teacher’s ability.

The Rev Janina Ainsworth, chief education officer for the Church of England has stated that the prayers were initially written for student gatherings or school assemblies. With a little tweaking, the prayers could be altered to suit an individual’s needs.

Leaving prayer to the last minute is more like wishful thinking, but taking time to sit down and really pray may help stressed out students calm down and give themselves a better opportunity of making their grades. The peace that passes all understanding may soon become the peace that passes every testing.

The prayers can be found at www.cofe.anglican.org/prayers

Christian Screensaver: Time to Retreat

I'm going on a three day retreat tomorrow in the Cherokee forest...



This is my visualization of my prayer time.

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.

Christian Chameleons, Oh My!

Chameleons fascinate me. I am amazed by their ability to change their colors in order to blend into the background and remain hidden from both their enemies and prey. I think God must have had a lot of fun when He was making chameleons, and I bet you that they were the last animals to get off from Noah’s Ark because they couldn’t find them!

Podcast version here

They are ugly looking creatures, but they have a remarkable talent. I’ve only seen them at the zoo or on wildlife programs, but I would love to hold one in my hands to see if it would change color and match my clothes.

Verse of the Day: 1 Corinthians 9: 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.


When Paul writes about being all things to all men, I picture him as being a Christian chameleon, who could blend into every level of society. His ministry must have been wonderful to experience because he saw everyone as a child of God in need of salvation. In the Book of Acts, we come across many situations where Paul addresses the poor and the powerful, the weak and the strong, the redundant and the rich. He knows within himself that Christ’s message is for everyone, and not just a select few.

I think that the challenge for us as Christians today is to become spiritual chameleons. We have to seize every opportunity to convey Christ’s message, and relate it to the everyday lives of the people we know. I believe that there is nothing worse than a private, personal Christianity which feeds upon itself and never shares the good news. Too many people use their faith to isolate themselves from the world, instead of taking their beliefs into the marketplace.

When we read the Gospels and Paul’s letters, we realize that Christianity is God’s gift to the world. Our gift to Him occurs when we share Christ with others around us. Today, wherever we go, whatever we do, and whosever we meet, let’s try to be Christian chameleons, blending into all levels of society, bringing Christ’s good news and sharing His joy.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You want us to be messengers of Your word and conveyors of Your truth. Help us today to recognize the opportunities You give us for faith sharing, and to fully take them. Give us the ability to blend into every encounter Your love, Your ways, and Your grace. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Stushie's Stuff - 4-minute podcast devotions for busy Christians

Too busy to read your Bible each day? Need a daily shot of spiritual caffeine to get you through the week? Then the "Stushie's Stuff" weekday podcast may be just what you're looking for.

Scottish pastor, John Stuart of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN writes the daily blog called "Heaven's Highway." He's now producing it as a podcast. If you like listening to a genuine Scottish accent and are seeking a faith-journey cappuccino, download his 4-minute thought for the day onto your PC or Ipod. It includes a Bible verse, short commentary, and special prayer.

The RSS feed for the podcast can be found at www.stushie.libsyn.com/rss

BTW, "Stushie" is an old Scottish word which means "to cause a riot or an uproar."

Erin Church devotions: Daniel - An imprisoned pastor in Indonesia

Audio version here

1 Corinthians 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. (NIV)

This morning, I’ve been busy hand writing a card to a pastor in Indonesia. His name is Daniel and he is an evangelist in a country that is predominantly Muslim. Daniel was videotaped earlier this year praying for the local madrassa (Islamic school) and its teachers. His prayer was as follows:

“Father, we pray for the leaders of the madrassa, so their hearts would be open to the Gospel.”

What was the outcome of that prayer? Pastor Daniel and forty other pastors were arrested. Whilst we were all celebrating Easter over here, Daniel was sentenced to five years in prison. I was writing to him this morning to let Daniel and his family know that he is in my heart and prayers. I was writing to tell him that God will bless him for his commitment to Christ and the Gospel.

This is one of the reasons why I have been so hard recently on Progressive Christians in America. They want to dilute the Gospel, and diminish Christ’s message throughout the world. Their desire is harmony and peace between all religions, but at a cost that I am not willing to pay. They denigrate Christ and His ministry by casting aside their loyalty to Him and His Kingdom, worshipping instead their own god. They do this from the comfort of their academic beds and theological ivory towers, whereas pastors like Daniel are languishing in prison for preaching, teaching, and praying the true Gospel.

That’s why it is crucial for Christians in America to firmly hold on to our faith, and not be sidetracked into universalism. We may not be persecuted for our faith in our lifetime, but there are millions of Christians throughout the rest of the world who are enduring unjust punishment and unfair prison sentences just for preaching the Gospel and praying for their persecutors.

(If you would like more information about Daniel, please visit the following website: www.prisoneralert.com)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, protect Daniel and his family and keep them safe each day. Let their faith be strong and enable them to persevere. Release him from this unfair captivity and grant him the courage to continue preaching the Gospel amongst those who guard him, and those who are imprisoned with him. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Erin Church daily devotional: Picking Blackberries in Scotland

Audio version here

2 Corinthians 12:7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. (NIV)

Years ago, I used to go bramble picking with my brothers, usually during the Fall. I think that you call brambles ‘blackberries’ over here. They look like dark colored raspberries and they grow wild in Scotland. They have a bitter sweet taste to them, but you can make a delicious jelly with them, which our mum used to do when we brought them home.

To get to the biggest and sweetest brambles, you have to be willing to fight your way through some really nasty thorns. In order to pick the brambles off the thorns, you cannot use gloves. Inevitably, my brothers and I would all come home with painful thorns stuck in the palm of our hands. So as well as making jelly, sewing our ripped clothes, mum had to be our nurse by removing the thorns with tweezers. In the end it was worth all of the discomfort, trouble, and pain. The jelly she made was delicious, especially on buttered slices of toast.

Paul writes about a ‘thorn in the flesh’ that he experienced in his life. As a preacher, he could easily have become conceited by the amount of power and esteem he was given by his listeners. But God gave him some sort of impediment, which caused him a great deal of discomfort. He does not mention what this thorn was precisely, but it was enough of a problem for Paul to ask God to remove it. God, however, says “no” to Paul’s prayer and so he has to learn to live with it.

Sometimes as Christians, we think that we’re entitled to live our lives free from worries, stress, or attack. We think that just because we follow Christ then our lives should be free from trouble. The advocates of the heretical prosperity Gospel have caused Christians throughout the world to believe that God is a great genie in the sky that supplies all of our wants and removes all of our burdens. But this is not the case. God gives us the ability to cope with our problems and to adapt our lives accordingly. He never promises to remove them, otherwise saints like Paul would never have had to live with their thorns in the flesh.

If you’re carrying a burden in your heart or mind, and it seems like a thorn in your flesh which is always troubling you, take it to God. He may not remove it from you, but He will give you his strength to enable you to cope.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all have thorns in our sides and troubles in our lives. Sometimes we just want them to go away, so that we can live our lives peace and prosperity. Remind us that we have faith in You to help us through those times when we struggle. Grant us the courage to face our fears and enable to cope with the pressures we experience. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Erin Church Devotional : Backsliding in Faith - How to return to God

Audio version here

Jeremiah 3:22 "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding."
"Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.” (NIV)

Recently, our Celtic band Glenfinnan played at a Scots-Irish festival in Dandridge, Tennessee. We performed from the front porch of an old inn, right in the heart of the town. As well as listening to our music, people were walking around the various craft and food stalls, all of which had Celtic connections.

At the end of the street, there was a high hill. It was the back end of the dam wall and it was very steep. Children were slowly walking up the hill carrying sheets of cardboard with them. Once they reached the top of the hill, they slid down it by sitting on the cardboard. It looked wonderful and all the kids were having great fun.

This reminded me of my own childhood days. Just around the corner from my own home, there was a steep hill and we also used to slide down it on sheets of cardboard. There was one major difference from Dandridge. At the bottom of the hill in Scotland were railway tracks. We used to play “chicken” by sliding down as fast as we could to reach the tracks just as a train was passing by. We were young, fearless, and stupid. You wouldn’t catch me doing the same today as I did way back then.

Although sliding was great fun, walking back up the steep hill was agony. It took ages and after a while, it was all too much. No matter how much we looked forward to sliding, we were just too tired to do anymore.

Backsliding in faith can be fun, too. People slack off from going to church or turning up to Sunday School. They want to do something exciting or haven’t got the time to give of themselves to God. They believe that they’ll get back to church soon, but it becomes too much of a chore, too much of a task to organize. Backsliding is no longer just fun; it becomes a feature of their lives.

But God and God’s people are just waiting for them to return. Backsliders are not going to be condemned or criticized, chastised or challenged. Instead, they are going to be welcomed and embraced, encouraged and loved. Instead of backsliding, they are back praising God. Instead of being away, they are shown the Way. Instead of fearing God’s wrath, they receive His grace. Backsliding can be fun, but homecoming is even more wonderful.

Perhaps you’ve been away from church for a while and don’t know how to get back. Don’t worry about it – just walk through the church door, and you’ll receive a hundred thousand welcomes. You’re back where you belong. You’re back in God’s place.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all backslide occasionally and find it hard to return. Faith is such a steep hill at times, so we pray that You will reach down and help us climb it. Grant us the courage to return home to You, so that we may re-experience Your love, grace, and welcome. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Erin Church Devotional - Jesus is Lord - or how being PC ain't being PCUSA

Audio version here

Psalm 69:13 But I pray to You, O LORD, in the time of Your favor; in Your great love, O God, answer me with Your sure salvation. (NIV)

There’s a debate taking place across the Presbyterian Church as to whether or not it is still appropriate to call Jesus “Lord.” The argument goes like this: we are no longer part of a medieval feudal system or a society that depends upon slavery. Terms like “Lord”, “Master” and “King” denigrate people around the world by making them feel subservient and worthless. Instead of being made to feel inferior, we need to know that we are special, chosen, and favored by God, therefore terms like Creator, Friend, and Encourager should be used when we refer to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In other words, we want God to be shaped and molded, created and contained by our descriptions; we want to be treated as equals and not as servants.

At the recent meeting of Mission Presbytery in Texas, a commissioner complained that the use of the word “Lord” should be outlawed across the church because it reeks of Western imperialism. “After all,” the commissioner concluded, “Jesus never used the term to describe Himself.”

This is where Biblical ignorance rears its ugly head: the speaker obviously hadn’t read the following verse:
"You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am." John 13:13

Fortunately, someone was there to remind everyone of that verse. An Hispanic pastor also stood up to say that for some Hispanic communities in South America, the Lordship of Christ is a life or death issue, especially in areas where drug barons or military juntas wickedly rule the community. Christians, who firmly believe in the Lordship of Christ, do everything in their power to confront evil in their community, even if it costs them their lives. And the same could be said for Christians in China, Myanmar, the Middle East, and Africa.

We Western Christians have become so obsessed with political correctness that we have forgotten what it means to pledge our allegiance to Christ. We are creatures of God, called to be servants of the Kingdom and slaves to the Gospel. We are all unworthy, and none of us can claim equality to Christ or God. If the Presbyterian Church keeps following this blind alley, then we’ll end up falling into the pits of despair and desperation. We’ll do anything to woo the world, instead of being wedded to Christ. We’ll sell our souls to the loudest lobbyists, instead of giving our lives to our Lord.

I, for one, am not willing to surrender anymore, or to follow the maddening crowd. Jesus is my Lord. I am only His servant.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach us why we must become subservient to Your ways and words. Release us from our arrogance and sinful pride. Help us to accept our role as servants in Your Kingdom. Give us the courage to stand up against those who would tear You down. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Erin Church devotional: When God says "No."

Audio version here

Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (NIV)

For a while, I’ve been praying hard about something that I think is important and I’ve been trying to convince God of the same. My prayers have been carefully spoken and well thought out. I’ve been looking to God to do what I want and I’ve been disappointed that he hasn’t acted sooner.

A couple of days ago, I stopped praying and started to accept that this wasn’t what God wanted. It was hard to let go, but it was important for me to understand that God decides, not me. Instead of being agitated, I have a great peace. Instead of being disappointed, I am content. God’s purposes stand and he chooses to do as He pleases. His sovereignty is supreme. His decisions are final.

It may be that you’ve praying hard for something, too. Perhaps you want God to do you a favor, get rid of an obstacle, or give you a sign. Maybe you’re tired of asking and frustrated by God’s inaction. I know I was until I realized that God was saying “No.” Perhaps it’s time you also surrendered to His will and let God be God. He decides; we serve Him, not the other way around.

I personally know that it can be hard to yield to God’s sovereignty, but this message may be the vehicle that God is using to tell you, “No; not now, never.” Think about it and when you’re ready, take a leap of faith – let it go.

Prayer: Father God, sometimes we want things to work out in ways that are pleasing to us and for our own personal reasons. Sometimes we try to bend Your will and make You serve us with Your power. Forgive us for being focused on things that will never happen. Pardon us for using our faith to fulfill our own needs. Be with us and comfort us as we let go. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Devotional - Doctrine - a dirty word or a sure way to salvation?

1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (NIV)

Doctrine is a word that we don’t use very often these days. We tend to associate it with the word ‘dogmatic’ and so it has some negative connotations for a society full of free-spirited people. The New Testament Greek word for doctrine is didaskalia which means teaching and learning. It’s not meant to be a negative word – it’s supposed to positively encourage us to learn more about God through the life, ministry and works of Christ.

I’ve been a pastor for over twenty years and throughout that time, I’ve watched society sadly reject Christian doctrine, only to replace it with individual ideas and personal opinions. People who hardly read the Bible make up their own ideas about God. Even church people, who do nothing to grow spiritually, carry around quaint and quixotic superstitions in their hearts and heads. They think that their own ideas are going to save them; they erroneously believe that God will accommodate their self-made teaching and personal doctrine.

The scriptures were given to us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so that we might not depart from the truth. And the proper teaching of this truth relies upon our devotion to Christ and a proper understanding of the scriptures. If we make up our own beliefs, then we have no salvation. God will not set aside His Son in order to accommodate us. That would exalt us and diminish Christ. We would be in danger of making ourselves our own gods first, and then placing Christ at the bottom of the pile.

So, perhaps we all need to really reflect upon what we actually believe. And then we should ask ourselves this tough question: are my beliefs based upon Christian doctrine, or are they something that I have made up to accommodate my personal feelings instead of the Christian faith?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to understand how important doctrine is for our salvation. Teach us Your ways and enable us to learn what is sacred, holy and true to You. Give us the courage to set aside our own ways, in order to let the Holy Spirit fill our hearts and minds with Your ways. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.

Impartiality - or How the socially and politically correct thing is not Biblically correct

Audio version here

Leviticus 19:15 Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. (NIV)

I am terrible about judging competitions. I tend to root for the underdog, instead of dealing with things fairly. In the past I’ve judged Halloween costume contests, cutest pet awards, and cake tasting competitions. A couple of years ago, I even judged a Senior High speech contest and found it difficult not to give higher marks to the kids from rural schools. I wanted to be impartial, but I couldn’t disconnect the kids from their backgrounds. I wanted to make up for the deprivations and disadvantages that the poorer kids had. Instead of judging the presentation and content of the speeches, I gave points for effort. When my marks were compared with the rest of the judges, mine’s were entirely different. I was never asked back to judge the competition again.

The Bible warns us about showing partiality or favoritism. If we decide issues between different parties because of who they are and not what the issue is, then we’re guilty of playing favorites. This is anathema to God and something that we need to really learn. In God’s eyes, there are no favorites – all have sinned and are in need of salvation. He deals with people equitably – on an equal footing – and He expects us to do the same. It may not be socially or politically correct, it is theologically sound. God judges us the way in which we judge others. And if our judgments are poor, slanted, or suspect, then He will deal with us according to our own standards, which could mean that mercy and grace are set aside.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to make better choices, decisions, and judgments in all of our lives. Convict us to be fair and to give everyone, rich or poor, wealthy or working class, impartiality. Teach us the practical wisdom behind such ideals. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.

Offering Gifts

Audio version here ... or here

Matthew 5:23, 24 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (NIV)

Years ago, our church put on a production of the musical “Godspell.” It’s an exciting Broadway show and it tells the story of Jesus through some wonderful songs and very clever skits. It’s largely based upon passages from the Gospel of Matthew and to this day, when I read some of Matthew’s verses, it takes me back to that production.

In my mind’s eye, I can see how we performed today’s verses in the show. We used comical gestures and facial expressions to convey our disapproval of the actor who was trying to present an altar gift, after having an altercation with one of the cast members. It was choreographed and the timing had to be exact in order to get the message across. It worked perfectly each night and we all enjoyed the funny side of the story.

But the real Gospel message isn’t funny. Jesus is being serious here. He wants people to understand that God cares for everyone and that when we have a conflict, disagreement or dispute with family, friends, or other church members, He wants us to sort those things out before we come to church with our gifts, our prayers, and our praises.

It’s a hard thing to do and something that we often set aside. When we go to church, we want God to be on our side, instead of us being on His side. We want Him to address our complaints, instead of having God question our motives. In other words, we don’t want to believe that God won’t accept prayers that are tainted with bitterness or praises that are insincere. However, if we say that we accept the Gospel of Jesus, then we have to live according to His standards and not our own.

So, I guess the challenge for myself and for all of us who are reading or hearing this devotional is this: is there a conflict going on in my life that I need to resolve? Is there something happening now that is causing a division in my home, my heart, my work, my school, or my church that needs to be healed? If there is, then I need to sort it before I come to God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, following You is never easy and accepting Your Gospel is always going to interfere with our lives. You challenge us to reconsider our ways and to review our deeds. You call upon us to heal our divisions and to restore our broken relationships. Grant us the courage to do something about this today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Knowledge

Audio version here ...

2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge. (NIV)

When I first became a Christian over 30 years ago, all I thought that I had to do was believe in Jesus for the rest of my life. I was quite content to be saved and, for the first time in years, I felt a peace inside of me. I didn’t know then that I needed to grow in goodness and knowledge. I thought that once I became a member of the church, my life would settle down and everything would work out.

But as I traveled the spiritual path of being a pilgrim, I soon realized that there is more to the Christian life than faith. Belief in Jesus made me want to share the good news with other people, but in order to do that, I soon discovered that I had to know my Bible. If I just went out into the streets to share my own experience, then I would be preaching the Gospel according to John Stuart. I needed to know more about God. I had to understand more about who Jesus was, and what He was still doing in the world.

So I started to really read the Bible, but I ended up with more questions than answers. I liked some of the Old Testament stories because they reminded me of Sunday School, but there were some cruel passages that I couldn’t understand. The Gospels were really easy to take in, but when it came to Paul’s letters, I found him too severe and narrow-minded. And then, when I started to read the Book of Revelation, it really spooked me. Images of wicked dragons and monstrous beasts, powerful archangels and cataclysmic disasters kept me awake at night. I couldn’t understand and it frightened me. I felt no better than I did before I gave my heart to Jesus.

And then I started to go to a Bible Study on Sunday nights. Donnie the pastor used his knowledge to explain some of the passages I couldn’t fathom. Slowly and surely, I began to see God’s plan for salvation spreading out across the entire Bible. It was a wonderful time of discovery and realization; it restored my faith and brought back my peace in Christ.

Ever since then, I’ve tried to grow in knowledge about the Bible and I love to share what I’ve learned with other people. I would recommend to everybody, who reads or listens to these messages, to become part of a Sunday School class or a Bible study group. It’s a beautiful way to learn more about God; it’s a wonderful opportunity to grow in faith, goodness, and knowledge.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, believing in You is the best decision we can ever make in our lives. But as well as giving us the gift of belief, You want us to learn more about who You are, what Your mission is, and what purpose You have in store for our lives. Help us to find and join a study group or class that will increase our knowledge about God’s mighty acts and Your work of the Gospel. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.

Saving

Audio version here ... or here

Titus 3:4, 5a But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

The most enduring moment in the movie, “Saving Private Ryan” comes at the very end. Ryan, now an old man, is visiting the graves of American troops in France. As he stands before the crosses of his rescuers, he bursts into tears and asks his family, “Have I been a good man?” He wants to know if he has lived a life worthy of being rescued; he needs to know that those who died to save him did not die in vain.

I guess the same question could be asked of ourselves, for we also have been rescued and we owe our faithful lives to the death of one man. Jesus died for our sins and we know that none of us are worthy of this grace. We may accomplish great things in our lives, we may do good things and fulfill lofty ambitions, but none of it counts against Christ’s sacrifice. We cannot do anything to make things even with Jesus. We cannot work our way out of needing His salvation. In the end, we will always owe more to Christ than we can ever possibly give. At the final moment of our lives, it will not be our goodness that will rescue us from oblivion; it will be Christ’s mercy and grace that will pull us through death to eternal life.

This is what being saved means. This is why we hope. This is why we have faith in Jesus.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our lives are made eternal in the precious moment that we give them to You. Our souls are saved forever when we acknowledge You as the Savior of the World and the Lord of our lives. Help us to share this Good News, so that others may not worry about death, but instead they may also glorify Your goodness and experience Your mercy. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.