Weighting - Isaiah 40:31

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength – Isaiah 40:31

Easter was different yesterday. Usually, it’s the busiest Sunday in local churches. Fanfares and feasts, handbells and hymns, crowded sanctuaries and Christ-centered services are all part of the worship at many congregations. So, yesterday was different – most of us stayed at home and watched online services, produced by church members and pastors to help all of the people have a holy day.

And it worked. We were more focused on what happened on the First Easter instead of worrying about what’s going on now. We heard the Resurrection narrative and met Christ in a way that some of us have never contemplated before. Christ came across the bandwidth of our phones, laptops, PCs, and TVs in ways that months ago we never dreamed of happening. Jesus joined us in our homes and quietly quarantined Himself in our hearts.

I think that when we look back to this time, we may see something sacred happening to the Church. Instead of harassing ourselves with holy busy-ness, we will have rediscovered the forgotten path of spiritual awareness. I don’t know about you, but I feel more connected to God this morning than I have in the past – usually, on the Monday after Easter I’m totally exhausted and need to rest. This year, I feel recharged and I’m eager to begin a new journey of faith. This mandatory waiting time has become a meaningful ‘weighting’ time where God has added depth to my spirit and purpose for what remains of life.

I guess that today’s verse from Isaiah perfectly describes what I hope many among us are feeling: They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

Q: How did Easter affect me spiritually yesterday?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, yesterday we met You risen from the dead; today, we greet You among us as we wait now; and tomorrow, we’ll still be following the path that You have newly created within and around us. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Gospel Devotion: This Is Love - 1 John 4:10

1 John 4:10    This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

            I like to read what the Apostle John has written about faith. Whether it comes from his Gospel writing, his letters, or even the Book of Revelation, John had the gift of writing something succinctly and directly. He was usually not confrontational like Paul; he just wanted people to receive Christ’s message through the power of love.

            His description of love in today’s verse shows us what God did to prove that He truly loved us: God sacrificed His own Son to atone for our sins. Think about it: the Creator of the Universe gave up what was the most precious thing to Him – His own Son – in order to rescue the vilest sinners in the Universe – human beings. I cannot fully fathom why God would do such an awful thing to save us; it just doesn’t make sense. Instead of sacrificing Jesus, God could have destroyed everything that He made, and then have started again, making sure that sin never came into the equation at all. That would have been the easy way out, but God has never been One for taking things easy.

            The hardest thing that God could do in order to save us and restore creation, was to sacrifice His loving, precious, and dearest Son. Only a God who was loving and just could have done that; a capricious demiurge would have backed away from such a terrible sacrifice. True love is not just about embracing, accepting, and encouraging – true love always includes sacrifice, selflessness, and surrender. For love of us, God surrendered His Son to our demented depravity in order to deliver us from ourselves, our sins, and our deaths. For love of His Father, Jesus gave up His life to ensure our salvation, to overcome evil, and to honor God. It sounds crazy to us, but there is a deeper love involved here than we could ever imagine, know, or experience for ourselves.

            As John wrote long ago: This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

What more could God ever do to show that He loves us completely?

Prayer:                        Lord God, we can never fathom the depths of Your amazing and almighty love. To sacrifice Your sinless Son for despicable sinners like us is incomprehensible for us to fully understand. All that we can simply do is gratefully and humbly accept Your remarkable grace and unequalled love. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing called “Surfing Style.” To view a larger version, click on the following link: https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3670/14082073517_ceeae46cc7_b.jpg

Free Devotions: Which is Easier? - Matthew 9:5

Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 22:9-16 and Matthew 9:1-8

Matthew 9:5    Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 

Which is easier: to say, ‘I’m a Christian,’ or to actually be a Christian?

Wow! That second statement hits me right at the heart of my heart. I can say I’m a Christian all day long, but if I don’t practice what Christ preached, doesn’t that make me a hypocrite? It’s so easy to fool myself into thinking I’m a good person, doing good deeds, thinking positive thoughts and not doing anything bad, but is that just a delusion? Am I fooling myself, but not the people who know me best or the God who knows everything?

It would be very easy to point out other people who are not Christians. It would be less difficult to unlovingly label other people as outcast and strangers, hypocrites and heathens; but to honestly call myself a Christian? Is that my call to make or does Jesus do it for me?

Today has been a quiet day of self-reflection, meditation, and reconnecting with Christ. I seem to be at a spiritual crossroads where I must seriously ponder what God wants me to do with the rest of my days. I want to be totally committed to Christ, but that would involve a lot of challenges and changes. On the other hand, I want life to be easy as a church-going Christian teacher and preacher, but is that what faith is all about?

Over the years, I’ve watched Christian people of all ages fall into a religious routine that is soul-less, meaningless, and faithless. They don’t do it deliberately; it just happens day by day, week after week, year after year. They get so cozy with God and buddy with Christ that they believe everything that they say, do, or even think is okay with God and totally acceptable to Christ. That’s when it becomes easier to say, “I am a Christian,” rather than actually be one.

I don’t want to get comfy with Christ or cozy with God. I don’t want to just say “I’m a Christian,” I really want to live as one. I know it’s not going to be easy, or that the path ahead will be smooth, but I would rather walk in His ways for the rest of my days.

How about you?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You did not promise that following You would be easy; in fact You told us to pick up our crosses and then follow You. Help all of us this day to make the right choices that please, honor, and glorify You alone. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing. It’s called “Whale Play” and features a humpback whale surfacing on the sea. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6105/6336468229_058c5a5e5d_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: Face to Face - Hebrews 12 v2

Hebrews 12:2              Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Years ago, I visited a famous Roman Catholic Basilica in Spain. It sat on a high hill and there were many steps leading up to the church. It was a beautiful medieval building and I was impressed by the architecture on the outside. As I approached the vast wooden entrance doors, I wondered what it would look like on the inside.

When I stepped into the massive sanctuary, I was shocked. Instead of a high cathedral like structure, I suddenly realized that I was in a very dark ante-room, where I was confronted by a spot-lit statue of a bloody Christ on the Cross. I was almost face-to-face with the statue and because it was so totally unexpected, I was absolutely breathless. The image of Jesus was staring at me directly and I was stunned. I felt two things at the same time: an overwhelming pity for Christ’s suffering and complete shame for my sins which crucified Him. It was both an awe-full and wonderful spiritual moment. I will never forget it as long as I live.

When the writer of Hebrews encourages us to fix our eyes upon Jesus, he is trying to get us to focus on Christ as our Savior. The world has many distractions and when we lose our attention on Jesus, we empty our spirits and weaken our souls. The strength of our faith in Christ depends upon how much time we actually pray to Him and ponder on His ways. If we are too busy to do this as Christians, then we are just too busy. We need to shed some of the dross that distracts us from fixing our eyes upon Jesus and begin living our lives according to His Love.

So the challenge for us today is this: when am I going to make time to focus on Jesus?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we complicate our lives with trivial matters and miss many opportunities to increase our awareness of Your Spirit in the world. Help us to appreciate the time You grant us as a daily gift, and use it to draw closer to You, Your words, and Your ways. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of my 2011 Easter drawings. It’s called “Passover.” You can view a larger version of the drawing at the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5259/5394517049_ef741c1bdf_b.jpg

Lent devotion: Growing Godliness - 1 Timothy 4

1 Timothy 4:8             For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come

Tomorrow, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and people all over the world will be thinking about what they can give up throughout the next six weeks. For some, it will be chocolate, candies, or desserts. For others, it may be red meat, fatty foods, or high calorie dishes. Still others may give up bad habits like smoking, drinking, or gambling. However, isn’t the whole point of Lent about trying to prepare ourselves spiritually to receive Christ, but not necessarily as thinner or healthier people?

So what about doing something positive for Lent instead of just giving up on something negative? What about growing our godliness instead of healthiness? What about cultivating the spiritual side of our lives instead of just looking after the physical frame we belong to?

How about setting aside time to read the Bible instead of Facebook? What about taking time to really pray instead of winging it each day? What about asking God to guide our future and show us what He wants for our lives, instead of taking Him for granted and automatically asking Him to bless our choices, our decisions, and our plans?

That would be a Lent worth keeping. That would be enriching our godliness and growing our faith. That would be worthy of our time and Christ’s ways.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, as we begin the Fast of Lent, show us new ways to grow godliness in our lives. Help us to see what is eternal and everlasting within us. Enable us to focus upon increasing the fruits of the Spirit each day of Lent. Draw us nearer and closer to You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Lighthouse drawings. It depicts a silhouetted Venetian lighthouse at sunset on the Greek coast. It’s called “Katapausis,” which is the Greek word for “Sabbath Rest.” You can view a larger version of this drawing at the following link:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5095/5484353176_e200186e6b_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: Still Amazed

Psalm 66: 5 Come and look at what God has accomplished; how awesome are His works in our behalf!

John Calvin called them ‘the attestations of God’s witness to the world.’ Today we would call them natural wonders, divine intervention, or even great escapes.

One of the challenges that Christians have in this world is how to show other people where God is actually present and working in their lives. Skeptics tend to think that we spiritually sugar coat the truth and wear Rose of Sharon colored glasses. Our reality is seemingly skewed by our stubborn hold on a two thousand year old faith, which has entered into the realm of religious myth and fabricated fable for modern day beings. The world of Wii, Guitar Hero, Twitter, and Facebook has no need for charming parables or a ghastly Gospel where blood and tears, broken limbs and bread redeem the world. If God has any awesomeness left to impress upon the present generation, then He’d better do it through cyberspace, ipods, and anime. A sacred text is no longer needed, but a wicked ability to text while driving would be a major plus.

And yet sunrises and sunsets still attract us. Glorious mountains and the greenest of valleys captivate our souls. Christmas still touches something good even within the least religious among us, and Easter annually fills us with new life, new beginnings, and new wonders.

We may become distracted by the latest gadgets and are constantly obsessed with the latest trends, but God still walks and works among us, testifying to Himself in the most commonplace of natural events – the hearing of birdsong in the quiet of the morning, the rippling rhythm of a mountain stream, or the rushing of waves crashing on to craggy rocks – they all witness to the power and glory, creativity and activity of a God who still cares for His creation and seeks to heal a broken world.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we call You the Son of God because Your words and ways reveal to us the grace, peace, and love of God. We seek those divine blessings in each of our lives, for we pursue happiness and contentment, satisfaction and harmony for our souls. Instead of being restless, help us to be restful. Instead of being distracted, help us to become attracted. Instead of always doing, enable us to become beings. 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 pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is called “Sunrise Communion.” The artist is also John Stuart, the author of this blog. To see the original drawing on the web, visit the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/3378486522/sizes/l/in/set-72157614915206379/