Sunday Shorts: The Gift

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

            Every day, I pray for my family, for those living here in the United States and those across the world. I ask God to bless and protect them, to guide and to support them, to love and cherish them. It’s a ritual I go through each morning and whether or not I’ll see or hear from them that day, they’re in my prayers, on my mind, and in my heart. No matter what they’re going through or how they are feeling, I know that God is with them and that comforts me.

            The most important part of my daily prayer takes place at the end. I ask God to give them opportunities to draw closer to Him and accept Jesus as their Lord in Savior in their lives and hearts. I want them to know the love of God and the price that He decided to pay so that all of them could be favored and forgiven, renewed and restored to God’s Kingdom. I pray this, not just because I want them to know that they are not alone, but I believe it’s what God wants for them, too. This is why He sent His Son to the Earth long ago to reach out to humanity and gather us safely from the chaos, confusion, and commotion that we all experience in our lives. You see folks, God didn’t create us to be fearful or lonely; He made us to be thankful and loved.

            I hope that you understand this devotion and these prayers are also for you, your families, and your loved ones. Jesus gave everything so that we can gain everything about God that is everlasting. Our lives on Earth may be finite and the years go by too quickly, but God cherishes us so much that He wants our lives and love to continue beyond our time on this planet. God doesn’t want us to perish at all, but to gain everlasting life.

Point to ponder: Do I know God loves me?

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for creating us to be loved and not to be alone. Help us to reach out to You today and receive the blessings of Your acceptance and eternal love. Enable us to overcome our doubts and fears so that we may cherish the gift of Christ and receive His peace in our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. In His Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Love Wins - 1 Peter 4:8

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (NIV)

This is one of my favorite verses in the New Testament. Being a dour Scottish Calvinistic Presbyterian, I often feel that my depravity, according to both Calvin & John Knox, contaminates my faith and deeply separates me from God. Even though I’m a pastor, I feel miserable about my sins and regret many past mistakes. If it wasn’t for Christ’s love and God’s grace, I doubt that I’d ever feel good about myself, but thankfully, the power of love has the ability to overcome my misery and restore me to God’s favor. Or as the Apostle Peter simply put it: love covers over a multitude of sins.

Perhaps you’re feeling bad about your past or weighed down by a mistake you’ve made. Maybe you feel disconnected to God and not good enough for His love. Please don’t despair – God’s love is the greatest power in the entire universe. You can be loved by God; you will be forgiven and you definitely can start over again. How? – because love covers over a multitude of sins – even those that you have committed.

Application: Forget the past, live in this moment of God’s grace and receive Christ’s love every day for the rest of your life. 😊

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the greatest gift in all of our lives – the love of God that You purchased for us on the Cross. Help us this day to share this amazing love with all whom we meet. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship each Sunday at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s psalm drawings based on Psalm 73. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm 73.

True Love - John 16:27

John 16:27    No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. (NIV)

            We live in a world where many people believe that God loves everyone, therefore, we can do whatever we want and God won’t mind. Sadly, it’s the biggest misconception that good folk have, and may even be a questionable idea which promotes a teaching of false assurance. It’s very easy to embrace this impression because none of us are comfortable with the notion that some folks are not loved by God. Even as a pastor, I struggle with this one but when I see the consequences of a carefree, casual approach to faith – moral anarchy, self-indulgence, and narcissism -  I question the veracity of such a popular misconstrued philosophy.

            As usual, when I get perplexed about this, I look to the Gospels and try to focus on what Christ actually taught, as opposed to common misunderstandings of what He said and did. In today’s passage (John 16:16-33), I am intrigued by Christ’s remark that God solely loves the disciples simply because they love and believe in Jesus. As a parent, I can understand this – whenever I see my daughters in the company of good and reliable friends, I love those friends dearly for loving my daughters. I think God, as Christ’s Father, felt the same way about the disciples who truly loved, believed, and supported Jesus. This, in turn, causes me to ponder on the whole idea: does God truly love us when we faithfully love and believe His Son?

            If this is the case – and remember, it comes from Christ’s lips – then doesn’t the Church do a disservice to Jesus, as well as to the world, when we dilute the faith by presenting it as a vehicle for being nice to others rather than being true to God? As I see congregations dwindling in mainline Christianity, it makes me wonder if our one-god-fits-all message has lulled us into a false sense of security and sadly doomed many people, including our own loved ones, into being separated from God forever for not truly loving and believing in His Son.

Point to ponder

Who do I truly believe that Jesus is? Is this what God expects me to believe?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, Your words often challenge us and Your ways confront our choices. Open up our hearts and minds to Your Gospel. Help us to read Your life story and teachings carefully, so that we may live our lives by loving You faithfully. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. If you would like to communicate with John, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s psalm drawings based on Psalm 149. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm149.

Encouraging Words - Cheeky Sparrows - Matthew 10:29

Matthew 10:29           Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. (NIV)

            One of the simplest delights that I had during my childhood days in Scotland, was the feeding of sparrows in my backyard. It didn’t matter what time of year it was, or what kind of stale bread I threw to the birds, flocks of cheeky little sparrows would descend upon the morsels. I loved to watch them hop and bounce around the bread, as well as seeing them play tug-of-war with a large crust. In the saddest of times and gloomiest of days, they always cheered my heart.

            I like what Jesus had to say about sparrows. I think He must have enjoyed watching them, too. Those little playful birds were observed by God, Who even knew if one of them fell to the ground. This reveals to me both the compassion and pleasure that God has for His Creation and the creatures within it. And, as Jesus stated long ago, if God cares so much about common sparrows, how much more does He care about us?

            Perhaps you are going through a bad time, feel really stressed out, or are deeply disappointed. Maybe you’re anxious about the future, worried about someone else, or concerned about present difficulties. Please know this: God is watching over you and cares so much for you. Be assured of His presence in your life; know that He has your best interest in His heart.

Point to ponder

What burdens am I carrying today? Am I willing to let God carry me with them?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You said that we are worth so much more than sparrows. You constantly told Your people of God’s real and amazing love. In the midst of our setbacks and problems, enable us to be embraced, supported, and upheld by God. In Your Holy Name, we gladly pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s bird drawings of a Chickadee. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Chickadee.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can view the church’s website at www.erinpresbyterian.org.

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.

Creation devotion: Constantly Amazed - 1 Kings 8:27

1 Kings 8:27   Solomon said, “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!”

            God often amazes me. In the littlest things like a blade of grass, I see His handiwork. In the vastness of space and the colossal starry sky, I recognize His hallmarks of creation. In the people I love, I see His image constantly before me. In the work of the church I serve, I watch for His ways. Every day is a special gift from His goodness, so no matter how I feel, what I am experiencing, or what I face, I still find sacred seconds in which He just plainly and truthfully amazes me.

            My mind cannot contain the infinite wisdom and boundless glory that is God’s. My heart overflows with His love because it cannot be kept personally within me. He makes me glad to be one of His creatures and He makes me proud to be a child of His. I know that I do not deserve such goodness and love, or His compassion and mercy, but I am joyful at knowing these beautiful blessings. Sometimes my heart is fit to burst with God’s overwhelming love; in those sacred moments, I wish that the whole world could be filled with the same feelings.

            Ages ago, when King Solomon had completed the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem, he knew that God could not be contained with the bricks and mortar of a mere building. However, Solomon understood the symbolism of God’s dwelling with humanity and felt humbled by God’s favor on his people. It must have been a glorious and sacred day for all of God’s people.

            The older I get, the more that I realize that because God is gracious, He allows His Spirit to reside on this paltry planet we call Earth. Humanity does not deserve such a blessing because of our broken and sinful ways, but the love of God persists in the midst of all the evil in the world. We are still His people. We are still His children. We are still loved and never alone.

The infinite God abiding in a finite planet – this is what constantly and will always amaze me.

Questions for personal reflection

Where do I see God’s handiwork around me today? When do I feel His love in my life?

Prayer:            Lord God, You have created the entire universe with its vast array of galaxies, solar systems, stars and planets. You have also made the tiniest of things like atoms, cells, seeds, and people. Thank You for the wonders of creation that are all around us, which constantly amaze us. And we especially thank You for Your deep and abiding loving presence which will always gladden our hearts and give meaning to our lives. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s Psalm pictures which depicts God as Creator. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Psalm 115.