September 8 devotion - Texting

Matthew 11:19         “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”

            Traffic on the interstate to church this morning was very busy, so I had to be doubly alert about the vehicles around me. I hoped that the other drivers were doing the same until I noticed that the car behind me was getting very close to my own. From my rearview mirror, I could see the cause – the young woman behind me was busy texting as well as driving. No doubt she thought that she was multi-tasking and that her message was very important. Unfortunately, she was causing me to speed up and the drivers around her to do the same. She didn't know it, but she was also weaving in her lane. Thankfully, no accident occurred, but if she keeps doing it then one day she will probably cause a terrible crash.

            In today’s highlighted verse, Jesus said that ‘wisdom is proved right by her actions.’ Throughout my life, I have found that to be the case, especially in Church world. The wisest people that I have known have usually been focused faithfully on ministry or mission, or have regularly participated in worship, study groups or classes.

            Much of what I do is in the preaching and teaching realm of Church world. I can’t make people do the right faithful things, but I can offer them Christ’s words and God’s guidance. However, much like the young woman who thought that she can text and drive at the same time, some people are going to do what they want to do and believe what they want to do believe. The trouble is this: they are potentially going to lose their salvation by doing their own thing, going their own way, and believing what they want to accept.

            ‘Wisdom is proved right by her actions.’ If God offers salvation to those who truly believe in Jesus, would it not be wise to do something about it now, on this side of eternity? Almost saved, as the old preachers used to say, is the same as not being saved. Almost getting it right has the same consequences of getting it totally wrong. As our young people would say: YOLO – You Only Live Once – which is absolutely right, but it also comes with this caveat: you only have this opportunity to be saved by Jesus before death; after we die, even Christ cannot change things.

Questions for personal reflection?

Am I saved? If not, what am I going to do about it?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, Your teachings in the Gospels are mostly about making the right decisions in different circumstances and ultimately about making the One Great Choice to be saved by You. Enable us to diminish our pride, so that we may humbly accept You as our only Savior and Lord. In Your Holy Name, we 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 my latest paper sculpted drawings called ‘Caledonian Soul.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Cross.

Dog Ears - Proverbs 26:17

Proverbs 26:17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own. (NIV)

Sometimes the Bible makes me laugh out loud, especially with some verses from the Book of Proverbs. It’s full of common-sense wisdom which, at one time, must have been based on real events. Take today’s highlighted verse, for instance. Some foolish person must have been seen grabbing a stray dog by the ears and ended up becoming a victim of their own stupidity. I can imagine the barking and biting that went down as the dog fought back against its assailant. Whoever initially did this hopefully learned a hard lesson that he would not repeat.

This also reminded me of how easily we all get caught up in social media conflicts when we cannot resist throwing in our two cents worth of opinionated replies to posts that we disagree with or don’t like. I wish that I could say that I am able to resist the temptation, but there are some days when someone writes something that I don’t accept and, before long, I get caught up in a war of words, ideas, and beliefs. Perhaps if I changed my profile picture to a fierce looking dog with big ears, I might be able to save myself from my own stupidity!

The Bible is a great book full of knowledge and wisdom that can be applied in so many different, but still relevant ways. Maybe if we meditated more on God’s Word each day instead of checking up on the latest posts and replies on social media, we could avoid the pitfalls and conflicts that we each foolishly create. On my laptop, I have taped a reminder of this which reads: “Don’t react to negative posts on Facebook; respond positively to the good ones!” In other words, don't grab a stray dog by the ears 😊

Q: Have I written something positive on social media today? Have I complimented someone else for doing this?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, remind us that we actually witness to You in all that we write or reply to on social media. Keep us from stirring up or stoking conflicts and instead help us to encourage those who add positive thoughts and worthy posts to our screens. 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 Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called ‘Spirit 2019.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Spirit.

Wise Ways - Proverbs 9:7-8

Proverbs 9:7-8 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. (NIV)

We live in a dark age where brazen people publicly mock others and unabashed folks hurl abuse at anyone who crosses them. It’s been going on for a long time, but in recent years the emergence of social media like Facebook and Twitter has spawned massive amounts of intolerance, ignorance, and hatred on a scale that we’ve never seen before. Millions of people are being misled into thinking that to be strong and successful, they have to be strident and forceful. They follow the shameless example of their heroes, celebrities, sports stars, and leaders. Sadly, even faithful Christians and good church folks fall under the influence of such charmers, charlatans, and dubious characters. Instead of filtering our ideas and beliefs through Christ, we end up allying ourselves to false ideals and idolize the loudest insulters in our society.

As Christians, we are called to follow Christ and embrace His wisdom in our lives. If we are no different – which is what the word ‘holy’ means - from the rest of the world, then we have failed to be true disciples. If we jeer at our opposites and cheer when our ‘heroes’ kick them as they’re down, then we’ve forgotten who Jesus is and what He fully expects of us. His teachings of ‘turning the other cheek’ and ‘loving our enemies’ are not pious metaphors; they are spiritual commandments which are meant to differentiate us from manipulators and mobs, fearmongers and falsehoods.

In today’s highlighted verse from the Book of Proverbs, we are given great guidance and wisdom which we can actually embrace and practice in our lives. If we hate being criticized for mocking others then we are the saddest fools in Christendom; however, if we humbly receive godly rebukes, then we display spiritual maturity and great wisdom, making us effective witnesses to Christ’s forgiveness, grace, and love.

Point to ponder

Am I guilty of following celebrities and crowds instead of Christ? Am I willing to receive His critical teaching and apply His gracious ways to others?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive our arrogance, especially when it blocks or blinds us to Your merciful ways and loving teaching. Rid us of our self-deceit and open our eyes to Your understanding. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

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

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

Short devotions: Discerning Disciples - Proverbs 1

Proverbs 1:5   Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.

One of the greatest gifts that God can bestow upon His people is that of discernment. It’s very rare in today’s world because it involves the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend that which is usually obscure. We are so used to being visually and audibly stimulated by our communication and media technologies that we have forgotten how to be discerning.

I believe this is why we have so many people who are faith seekers rather than committed believers. They have lost the ability to discern God’s ways and cast aside His words. They want to be different instead of holy; they want God to fit in with their beliefs instead of allowing their lives to be shaped by His will. Instead of discerning what the Holy Spirit wants for the world, they want their desires to be met, fed, and upheld.

So the challenges for all of us today are these: are we willing to listen to God and learn what He wants for the Church in the world? Are we ready to receive the true gift of discernment and get our guidance from His Word?

Prayer:                        Lord God, sometimes we foolishly cast aside Your words and ways because we are prejudiced towards our own understanding. Teach us again the holy truths that You have given to us across the centuries and contained in the sacred scriptures. Keep us from false hopes and biased beliefs that will set us against Your Holy Spirit. In Christ’s 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 or ask a question about it, please send John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest 2011 Holy Week drawings. It’s a worship bulletin cover for a Tenebrae Service. He calls it “Maundy Grail.” You can view a larger version at the following link:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5016/5483480751_5a14f671b8_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: Anxious Living

I was reading the other day that film director and actor Woody Allen cannot sleep at night because he suffers from an anxiety about death. He’s an atheist and he can’t come to terms with the fact that his death means the end of all his accomplishments. When asked about death, he says: “The trains all go to the same destination. They all go to the dump.”

I pity him because he’s such a talented and creative person, and you would think that such creativity would help him to see beyond himself. But he has chosen not to believe in God, so he walks around his apartment at night time fretting about death.

For me, faith is real wisdom because it gives us an understanding that we are not the center of everything and that there is a structure, order, and a plan for the universe. God’s creativity is all around me, so I can look at the Smokey Mountains and see His grandeur; I can listen to birdsong in the morning and hear God being praised; I can be in the company of good friends and Christian people and experience God’s presence. Life is good. Death may come, but life goes on eternally.

Proverbs 15: 24 The path of life leads upward for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave.  

The writer of Proverbs knew what he was expressing when he wrote today’s verse. Those who are faithfully wise go onward and upward in life; those who are foolishly miserable end up digging graves for themselves, or just get on board trains that are heading to the dump.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of eternal life and the hope of things to come. Thank You for sacrificing Yourself, so that we may live forever in the embracing love of God. Help us to help others discover this divine happiness. 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 comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.