Short Devotion: Times of Refreshing

 

God grants us forgiveness so we can start again - Acts 3:19

 

Short Devotion: Begin Again - Colossians 1:19-20

 

Colossians 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (NIV)

For some folks, Easter is a special occasion when they feel as though they can start again. The resurrection of Christ gives them a hope of renewal in their lives and becomes the change agent that they have needed for such a long time. Just as the world around them appears to be coming alive, some people feel the same within themselves, so their spirits reconnect to God. They may not realize it at first, but this is the way that God, through Christ, reconciles them to Him. Those who were lost are found again; those who had fallen away are brought back and built up; those who were in despair or darkness are given the love and light that they require.

I don’t know about you, but I need to reset my life, too. It’s been a strange year and one which I hope never to repeat. I’m thankful that God has sustained the good folks around me – my family, my friends, my church folks – but I also feel ready to begin again and start a new journey of faith because I know that all things have changed.

Perhaps you feel the same, but before you or I take the first tentative step, we have to let God reconcile us to Himself first; in other words, God initiates the process and we let Him set the path for our new journey. Change comes to us each day, but the challenge for us is to see which changes God has begun and that we are invited to follow.

Q: How has God changed me through this last year? Where is God leading me now?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being with us each day of this past turbulent year. Let Your fulness fill our souls, allowing our lives to begin again. May we embrace Your Father’s love and receive His blessing of reconciliation. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

Today’s image is John’s latest Easter drawing called Son Dance. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Son Dance.

Pastor John

www.erinpres.org

Short devotion: Sometimes - Acts 20v32

 

Sometimes

Some days, I feel so imperfect, inefficient, and inadequate that I question whether or not God will both accept and forgive me. I’ve made many mistakes throughout my life and sometimes I shudder when I think about the scrapes I got into during my teenage and drunken years. How I managed to survive them is incredulous to me. If it weren’t for God’s grace, I wouldn’t be here now, writing a devotional, trying to connect with other folks who have gone through similar things.

When I start the day with a ‘downer,’ at some point God interrupts my self-pity and usually highlights a Bible verse which I can both ponder and rely upon. This morning was no different: God provided the verse and made me realize that His mercy and grace still abound. Here’s the verse I was given:

Acts 20:32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Just what I needed to read, embrace, and apply. God’s grace is not just for forgiving me, it is meant to help me grow in faith, with hope, and always through His love. It’s perfect for me today, so I hope that it will be very good for you, too. 😊

Prayer; Lord God, You love us completely and Your gracious heart beats throughout our lives. Thank You for Your mercy and grace, as well as Your patience and care. In Christ’s Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

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

www.erinpres.org.

Short devotion: Conclusion - Psalm 51v10

 Psalm 51:10   Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (NIV)

 Have you ever seen the old French film called ‘The Red Balloon’? It was made in Paris a year before I was born and tells the tale of a young boy who is befriended by a red balloon. The balloon and the boy become inseparable and it follows him all over the streets of Paris. The film only lasts about 35 minutes and it has been my favorite movie ever since I first saw it as a young lad.

 The film depicts both happiness and sadness in simple ways and even when a tragedy occurs, there is a wonderful sequence of hope being renewed at the end of the movie. As I write this devotion, I can still see the beautiful conclusion in my mind’s eye. I won’t give it away – you’ll have to watch the movie yourself and be pleasantly captivated by it.

 Sometimes I think that our individual lives are movies that only God can see. He knows all of the things that we have done, the moments that have impacted us deeply, the joys we have experienced and the sadnesses that we still carry. There is nothing hidden from God, so He could be justified in separating Himself from us after death, but instead He wants to give us a beautiful conclusion where we become reunited and restored to Him forever. That’s why King David, in today’s highlighted verse, prayed to God to clean his heart and renew his spirit: he wanted that beautiful conclusion which only God’s grace and forgiveness could bring.

 Perhaps you feel as though you’ve done something bad which will separate you from God. Maybe you have a deep regret about some deed that has put some distance between you and God. If so, then please know this – God can and will forgive you, just ask Him to do so, even now as you read this. As the apostle Paul once wrote long ago: ‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ – Romans 8:38-39.

 Prayer: Lord God, create clean hearts within us and renew our spirits this day. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

 John Stuart

 If you’ve never seen it, you can freely view the movie online at this link: The Red Balloon.

Begin Again - Hebrews 2:18

Hebrews 2:18 Because Christ himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (NIV)

I’ve already broken several of my New Year’s resolutions, so I can’t even keep up with my own standards. Like most of us, I start off with the best of intentions but quickly get distracted or even too comfortable to follow through with my self-imposed promises. I guess I can reset my determination and begin again – hopefully, I will resolve to accomplish all that I want to achieve this year.

Today’s verse reminded me that this is what Christ offers us each day – a fresh chance to begin again. When we fall into temptation and fail to keep God’s commands, Jesus gives us the grace to pick ourselves up and start once more. He doesn’t do this either from a smug and self-satisfied position of knowing that He is perfect; He forgives us because He understands what temptation is like and how prone we are to fall prey to our own selfish and sinful ways.

So, today is a new day. Christ offers all of us the opportunity to begin again. He not only understands our personal struggles, but He is absolutely able to help us let go of our sinful past, acquire His grace today, so we may walk with Him day by day. We are not fallen failures, we are forgiven sinners; we are not cast aside by God, we are embraced by His patient and enduring love.

Application: Allow yourself to be forgiven by Christ for anything you have done. Let this be a new day of restoration in your forever relationship with God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being our Savior who completely understands our struggle to keep God’s commands. Grant us Your grace and show us a better way to live our lives. In Your 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 a Communion drawing for the New Year. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: New Year.

In the Past - Acts 22:4

Acts 22:4 “I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison.” (NIV)

            I sin. You sin. We all sin. There’s not one of us perfect or sinless. We all have deep moments of regret or guilt from our past that we struggle with on a regular basis. To be sinful is to be human; to be perfect is to be Jesus, so none of us will ever reach that divine standard of sinlessness.

            In today’s reading, (Acts 22:1-16) the Apostle Paul is addressing an angry mob in Jerusalem. They believe he is ruining their faith and they want to run him out of town. When Paul is given the opportunity to speak, he lets them know about his history. He is Jewish-born, has been educated by Gamaliel, one of the most renowned Jewish teachers of his day, and he has hunted down and sent Christians to their death.

            What??? Was Paul involved in the persecuting and killing of Christians? The great apostle, who is still revered after almost two thousand years, was a killer of Christ’s people? How on earth did he get the job of being the missionary to the Gentiles? Why should we even read or listen to the words from such a sinful killer of Christ’s followers? Something must be wrong somewhere. God must have made a mistake.

            No, there’s no mistake. It was Jesus who chose Paul on the road to Damascus. It was Christ who turned his life around and appointed him to the task. It was Jesus who decided that Saul the slayer of Christians could become Paul the preacher to Gentiles. Christ changed his life from one of defiance to one of obedience.

            I sin. You sin. We all sin. We all need Jesus to save us from ourselves and to restore us to God’s favor. It’s His perfection that makes us holy. It’s His grace that forgives our past. It’s His mercy that gives us a new beginning and the opportunity to live for God and not ourselves. After all, if this was good enough for Paul, it’s more than good enough for us.

Point to ponder

What is my deepest regret? How can Christ release me from the past?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, even though we were sinners and enemies of God, You still came into the world to die for our sins and grant us the opportunity of forgiveness, renewal, and restoration. We thank You for this wonderful act of grace which still amazes us. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

If you enjoyed this devotion, you can read more in John's devotional e-books like "The Light of Love" which has forty-two devotions inspired by the Gospel of John. You can find the book at this link: 

"The Light of Love."

Today’s image is one of John’s Good Friday drawings called ‘Outside a City Wall.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Outside.

Morning Devotion: A New Day - Isaiah 45:6

Isaiah 45:6      From the rising of the sun to the place of its setting, people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.

            I’m usually awake before each sunrise, so I get to watch the sun’s red glow permeate slowly across the morning sky. It is a peaceful and sacred time which helps me get into the right frame of mind for my daily work. Soaking in a sunrise enables me to embrace the day ahead by allowing me some quiet time to collect my thoughts and plan out my working hours.

            Today’s chosen verse also reminds me that each day comes as a gift from God as another opportunity to praise and serve Him in all that I seek to accomplish. My life belongs to God, so whatever I do should reflect both His goodness to me and my glory of Him. I don’t always get it right, but when I do, I draw nearer to God and deepen my relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. Then, when sunset occurs at the end of the day and I rest my head upon my pillow, I can smile as I pray and thank God for all that I’ve experienced and completed.

            As we embrace this new day, let’s look for the opportunities that God gives us to share our faith with others through Christ’s compassion, care, and love. If we set out to do this, then the people around us may come to know of God as our Living Lord.

Prayer:            Lord God, thank You for the gift of another day. You know all that we seek to accomplish; You understand all that we need to do. Help and guide us to do whatever we can to accept, support, and encourage others, so that we may serve You effectively, positively, and lovingly. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s Easter drawings called “Like a Rolling Stone.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Stone.

Church Growth devotion: Rebuilding the Church - Psalm 102:16

Psalm 102:16           For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in His glory. (NIV)

            There’s a lot of rebuilding that needs to be done in many churches, including our own. The conflicts that we've all been involved in over the last three decades have taken their toll. Worship wars, culture wars, marriage wars, and atonement wars have diminished the life, work, and mission of the Church as Christ’s Bride on Earth. We are meant to be healers in a broken world; sadly, we have become so disjointed, disfigured, and disunited that we are broken, too.

            We need to ask God to rebuild us, one day at a time, and one person at a time. It will not be an easy process because it will require focus, energy, discipline, and commitment. There’s no other way to rebuild congregations or churches. There’s no magic wand, instant success, or easy button to do it. However, it is not insurmountable or unachievable. It can be done and it will be done among those churches who humbly yield to God and sincerely say, “Thy Will be done.”

            Five hundred years ago, the Christian Church faced a similar challenge. The early Reformers like Jan Hus, Martin Luther, and John Calvin knew that the people and priests had to get back to a form of basic New Testament Christianity. It was an uphill struggle – Jan Hus was burned at the stake; Martin Luther was declared an outlaw and hunted down; John Calvin faced death threats on a regular basis. They were successful in growing a new movement and a new church because their message was true to the Gospel. They accomplished much because they remained true to Christ.

            Today, let’s seriously think about reforming our ways and rebuilding the church. Instead of throwing stones at one another, let’s pick up those stones and rebuild our sacred places. Let’s call upon God to give us the grit and determination, as well as the resolve and focus to grow in His goodness, to advance Christ’s Kingdom, and to walk with the Spirit. We can do this. We can embrace this. We can rebuild.

Questions for personal reflection

What must I do to rebuild my commitment to Christ? How can I help others to do the same?

Prayers:         Lord Jesus, we are all a part of Your Church, Your Work, and Your Mission. In recent times, we have wandered away from Your Truth, forgotten Your Way, and have set aside Your Life. Forgive us for tearing down what You have built. Enable us to reform and allow us to rebuild. 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 or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com. John is always interested in your thoughts. And, if you ever find yourself in Knoxville on a Sunday morning, the people at Erin will make you feel welcome and will be delighted to worship with you.

Today’s image is John’s latest Pentecost drawing. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Pentecost.