Presbyterian Devotions: Just Jude

Jude 1:3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

Podcast version here: http://media.libsyn.com/media/stushie/Just_Jude.mp3

Sometimes we think that the original New Testament church was full of people who were completely united and totally happy in their work together for the Lord. Nothing could be further from the truth. Those First Christians struggled to keep the Church alive, not just they were persecuted by the authorities, but because of the tribulations within the Church itself.

Different people had different ideas about what was important to Christianity. Some felt that God’s grace through Christ was unlimited so that they had complete freedom to do anything they liked. If they were immoral or made mistakes, Jesus would constantly forgive them.

But other Christians like Jude, believed that faith in Christ placed obligations and responsibilities on His followers. They were entrusted with Christ’s ministry and mission, which made them personally accountable for their lives, their actions, and their beliefs. Being a Christian was never meant to be easy or cozy. It required persistence in the face of persecution, and resistance when confronting temptation.

Eventually, Christians like Jude won the day and the Church survived. But every generation since then has had to struggle with the same issues. Our faith is not a given. Each generation can squander it by allowing the world to shape the Church’s culture, principles, and beliefs.

The struggle that we fight today is inconsistency and a laissez-faire attitude to what is important for Christians to believe, practice, and accomplish. Jude’s words sound critical and judgmental to us today, but does that make them unimportant or wrong? Are we more interested in a Church that suits our beliefs and is tailored to fit our lifestyle choices, or are we up to the challenge of having Christ mold us?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, these are challenging days and turbulent times for the Church. In every generation, people are called to serve and honor You with their lives. This involves sacrifice and dedication, persistence and determination. Help us each day to keep focused on what You would have us do and accomplish with our lives for Your Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at 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.

Presbyterian Devotions: Saving Grace

Ephesians 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.

‘There but for the grace of God, go I’ was one of John Wesley’s sayings. It was his way of expressing thankfulness to God for mercy, whilst at the same time realizing his own human weaknesses. If it wasn’t for God’s grace, John Wesley felt that he would have been overcome by all sorts of evil and sin.

Recently, I visited with the AA group that meets in our church. My usual Bible study had been cancelled, so I took the opportunity to make a house-call amongst the Twelve Steppers. It brought back memories to me and, as I sat there, I inwardly thanked God for His power and influence over me which kept me from remaining a hopeless alcoholic.

It was also good to see other men who had traveled that road, too. I admired their courage and knew of the struggles they described. It was a really good meeting and the Twelve Steppers are very supportive. None of them are judgmental; and all of them, including myself, began their sharing with the words: “Hello, my name is …., and I’m an alcoholic.”

But the grace of God just isn’t for alcoholics. It’s for all of us. It’s for the busy mother who is worn out looking after her children. It’s for the harassed worker who is trying to meet an urgent deadline. It’s for the school teacher who tries each week to inspire her students to learn something new. It’s for the teenager who is struggling with peer pressure, who wants to do what is right. And it’s for the senior who sees the world changing faster than ever and wonders where the good old days have gone.

The grace of God is for each of us. As human beings we are weak, frail, prone to temptation and apt to sin. No matter who we are or what we’ve done, we all need the grace of God to grant us that divine opportunity to begin again, to take a step in the right direction, and to be lovingly embraced by God. In other words, our lives are rescued from the messes that we create through the love, mercy, and grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

So no matter who you are today or what you’ve done in the past, receive a new beginning through the gracious love of God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we make mistakes in our lives that negatively affect our relationships, spoil our dreams, and sometimes destroy our hopes. We come to You, seeking Your grace to give us the opportunity to begin again and start anew. We know that we don’t deserve this, but that’s why You call it ‘grace.’ Be with us and love us. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: R & F

Luke 24:47 …and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His Name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

It’s hard to preach this kind of message in today’s world. With so many people turning away from the Church, society is beginning to make up its own rules and regulations about what is and isn’t moral. Children who are given no boundaries, for instance, grow up with savage natures. People who have no conception of God, do not see any need for either repentance or forgiveness. The Church itself, which is supposed to be the faithful fence-keeper which keeps the boundaries intact, has sadly diminished its role and responsibility by relinquishing its devotion to Christ.

It’s almost as if we’ve turned back the clock and are living once again in New Testament times. Christians who lived in that world were surrounded by pagan temples, idols, and gods. People were superstitious and fearful, living their anxious lives and expecting disaster to be brought upon them by the wrath of the gods.

But Christianity changed all of that by revealing Christ’s grace, restoring hope into an unhappy world, and showing people how to live their lives positively and productively by adhering to the Christian creed. It didn’t happen overnight because it took about 400 years to complete and many good Christian people sacrificed their lives rather than give up their beliefs about Jesus.

It seems to me that the Western Church is wasting its well earned faith by embracing the world on society’s terms. We give up on the good far too easily and accept the mediocre far too readily. All of us need to repent, to confess that we have allowed the world and all of its distractions to make our faith easier instead of stronger. It’s time to ask Christ for forgiveness for straying away from Him, the Gospel, and God’s Word. The Church needs to re-Christianize itself and de-modernize its mistaken ideas. Instead of merging with the world and emerging as a social Christless institution, we need to re-immerse ourselves in New Testament Christianity and be humbly aware that boundaries do exist. Rather than re-invent the Gospels to accommodate our societal beliefs, we need to return to Jesus and follow Him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we have allowed ourselves to stray from Your path by indulging our feelings rather than securing our faith. We repent of our reckless ways and seek Your forgiveness. Allow us the gift of discernment and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Restore us to Your Kingdom and God’s favor forevermore. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s devotional, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Mourning and Dancing

Ecclesiastes 3: 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

I think I must have conducted about 750 funerals over my 23 years in ministry. When I was a pastor in Scotland I looked after two parishes, so on average I officiated at about 2 funerals a week. I can even remember one busy week when I completed five funerals within seven days. I don’t know where I got the energy to do that, but it was expected of parish ministers all across Scotland.

After the services were over in Scotland, close friends and family often shared soup, sandwiches, and tea at a local hotel or in someone’s home. It was a community gathering and frequently family and guests shared some funny and worthwhile stories about the deceased. Instead of weeping and mourning, people honored the dead by laughing and celebrating. It also helped loved ones begin their process of grief and healing.

It’s no surprise that in the Bible we find these opposites side by side. Weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing all have their special places in our lives, even at funerals. It’s not just a way of coping with loss, it’s also a remarkable fact of the human experience – life goes on around us, no matter what we go through.

The Church of Scotland Book of Worship states it this way in the funeral liturgy: We were not meant for the darkness of death; instead we were created for light and life, and to share these with God forevermore.

I think that’s a beautiful way of dealing with death, finding faith, and eternally embracing God.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank You for the precious gift of life and the priceless blessing of faith. In the midst of our pain and loss, grant us healing and comfort. Throughout those times of weeping and mourning, let us also experience laughter and dancing. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Presbyterian Devotions: Same Kind of Different As Me

It’s one of the best books that I’ve ever read in my life. Even my wife Evelyn, who devours books avidly, was amazed at how quickly I finished this book. Usually, because of my biblical training, I scour each sentence and paragraph for deep and significant meaning. That means it takes me a long time to finish a book. But this one had me so enthralled that I just couldn’t put it down.

The book is called “Same Kind of Different As Me,” and it was written collectively by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, along with Lynn Vincent. It’s a true story about how a young Louisiana sharecropper, who is shamefully mistreated like a modern-day slave, runs away to Texas to escape from poverty, only to end up homeless on the streets of Fort Worth. Decades later, he is befriended by an international art dealer, whose wife wants to seriously help the homeless in her town. She has a vision that one day a homeless man will captivate the entire community, and pave the way for a new mission to be established in Fort Worth.

The story deals with all kinds of issues of class, race, and inhumanity, as well as battles against injustice, poverty, and cancer. Throughout the unfolding of the story, I found myself inwardly laughing and crying, smiling and weeping as the lives and faith journeys of the three main characters intertwined.

It’s an incredible story of friendship, hope, and enduring love. For anyone who wants to know if God still works wonders in today’s world, this is a must read. It’s almost like a modern re-telling of the story of Joseph from the Old Testament. It profoundly affected me and has dramatically changed some of my misconceptions about who homeless people are, and how they should be respected.

I also loved the way this book was written. It has very short chapters and the two leading characters express their journey of faith side by side. Their backgrounds are as different as they could ever be, which makes their encounters more poignant. This is an adventure story about life, faith, and eternal life. When I finished the book, I just thanked God for allowing me to read such a beautiful true story.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for the beautiful stories of faith that still exist in our world today. We praise You that God still works wonders amongst us, through the presence of Your Spirit and the power of Your grace. May our own lives become stories of inspiration, faith, and encouragement to our families and friends. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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Presbyterian Devotions: Blessed Boasting

Galatians 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Podcast version here: http://media.libsyn.com/media/stushie/Blessed_Boasting.mp3

Each year, I have the privilege of taking a part in a lunchtime ecumenical service at the local Roman Catholic church on Good Friday. Seven pastors, ministers, and priests give short 4-5 minute homilies on the Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross. I’ve taken part in this service for about 11 years and it never ceases to amaze me how much the Holy Spirit inspires each speaker.

I love the fact that we all gather together in one sacred place, as one holy church. The Crucified figure of Christ looms above each speaker and adds a pictorial poignancy to what we express. The whole worship service is a solemn reminder of what Jesus endured to save us from our sins. It’s a miraculous moment of mystery when the speakers and worshippers alike sit in awe. The whole place and service makes me feel guilty and sorrowful, absolved and thankful all at the same time.

I love the Cross of Calvary, but I hate what happened to Jesus. I love the freedom He brings me, but I despise my sins which nailed Him to the Cross. Good Friday has a spiritual ambivalence and a bittersweet attachment to my soul. But it fully prepares me for the glorious goodness that I experience on Easter, when I am fully restored to God on Resurrection Sunday. The curse of the Cross is broken by the very first rays of the rising sun, given to us gladly by the grace of the Risen Son of God.

Prayer:
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo! it glows with peace and joy. Amen. (John Bowring)

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.

Presbyterian Devotions: Caledonia

2 Timothy 2:16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

Yesterday, Evelyn and I received a letter from a long-standing friend in Scotland. The writer was informing us of what was happening in the town that we served and ministered to for nine years. She was keeping us up to date on people that we knew, and of events that we once participated in. At the end of the letter, she once again asked us to come back to Scotland. The Scottish people need strong ministers, she opined, because we’re losing our Christian faith.

I’ve watched this happen to Scotland ever since we left. What was once a strong Christian country has become a secular, humanistic nation. Gone are the days of Scottish churches raising amazing missionaries like Mungo Park, David Livingston, Mary Slessor, and Eric Liddel. Instead, the churches are declining and Scotland is sadly becoming a godless nation.

I would love to go back on a mission to rekindle the faith, to replant churches, and to raise a new generation of fearless Scottish Christians, who could win Caledonia for Christ again. But it seems that the line in the sand is being drawn here in America. To me, the United States is the last, great hope of keeping Western Christianity alive.

I believe that godless chatter has made Scotland more and more ungodly. It sounds harsh, but sometimes reality is that way. My work over here is to consolidate faith and strengthen the local church because one day, Christian missionaries may be raised up amongst us who will go over to Scotland to reclaim that precious kingdom for Christ. That is one of my deepest hopes for the future.

So this morning, I humbly ask us to pray for Scotland and its cherished people.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, in the midst of these godless times, raise up Christian leaders and missionaries whose hearts are on fire for You. We pray especially for Scotland and its entire people. We ask that You will send revival to the church, faith to the fearful, and hope to the helpless. Turn the tide of secular humanism and allow that dear nation to rekindle its Christian love and service to Your Kingdom. 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.

Presbyterian Devotions: Garden of Grace

Matthew 26:50a Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for."

Podcast version here

Sometimes when I pray to Jesus, my heart is so full of the many ways in which I have disappointed Him. I’ll remember a harsh word that I’ve recently spoken, or a promise that I’ve cast aside, or even a person that I’ve unintentionally hurt.

I call myself a Christian, but I frequently fail to live up to the high expectations that both the Lord and the world have of His servants. And when my mistakes really burden me, I feel as though I’ve betrayed what Christ should mean to me and I’m sorry for being such a poor example to others.

When I read the story of Judas’ betrayal today, and I reflected upon it, I know that had I been there in the Garden of Gethsemane, I could have walked in Judas’ shoes. His greed and insecurity, his pride and bitterness, his act of betrayal and disloyalty could all have been mine. I feel as though I’ve failed my Lord and I don’t deserve His love.

And then a surprising thing happens: I re-read the scripture and I see an amazing moment of Christ’s grace. He doesn’t condemn Judas, or strike him down dead. Jesus doesn’t convict or judge His betrayer. Instead, He calls Judas “Friend.”

Through this revelation, the grace of God overflows and overwhelms my soul. I can ask for forgiveness and be restored because Christ still calls me, “Friend.” I don’t have to dwell on past disappointments or mistakes. I can come to the Lord humbly and sincerely. I can receive His pardon because He is still willing to accept me as His friend.

Whatever burdens we are carrying; whatever past failures there have been in our lives; whatever mistakes we have made or disappointments that we have created, know this: Jesus can forgive them all because no matter what we have thought, said, or done, He is still wiling to call us “Friend.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all have been Judases in our lives and we are sorry for our sins. Come to us this day and cleanse us of the past. Restore us to Your present favor and lead us towards Your everlasting Kingdom. 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 on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian devotions: Rebel Cry

How a religious rebel kept his faith in the midst of injustice and oppression.

Psalm 138:1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise.

Podcast version here: http://media.libsyn.com/media/stushie/Rebel_Cry.mp3

This is a rebel psalm. It was perhaps written when the Jewish people were exiled in Babylon and found themselves surrounded by images and idols, statues and altars to the mighty gods of the Babylonian empire.

In such conditions, people usually become overwhelmed, but not the guy who wrote this psalm. When he bows down in front of the other ‘gods’, he doesn’t give his heart to them. When he sings praises, he doesn’t offer them to Bel or Nebo. And when he prays, he doesn’t ask foreign idols to intercede on his behalf.

On the outside, he may have looked like any other convert to paganism, but within himself he keeps his faith fully focused on the God of his fathers, the Jehovah of Jerusalem, the Lord God of hosts.

I love this psalm because it encourages God’s people to hold on to their faith in the midst of trying circumstances. This person would be silently praying in schools and public places. He would organize and attend underground churches in China. He would hold on to hope in the midst of a Nazi concentration camp. He would keep the faith no matter who or what tried to take it away from him. This psalm is a sacred poem of a religious rebel.

We may never experience anything like this in our lifetime, but the lesson that we learn from this psalm is the same as that of which Paul once wrote: “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 Jesus, thank You for the courage of some of God’s people whose faith never fails them, even in the midst of tyranny, oppression, and injustice. We pray especially for Christian groups in China that seek to worship You, even though they are constantly harassed, arrested, and imprisoned. Help us to be reminded of the true cost of faith and of the blessings that we freely experience. 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 on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Trying Times

Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Podcast version here:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/stushie/Trying_Times.mp3

To paraphrase Thomas Paine, “These are the times that try the souls of men and women.”

The Stock Market has crashed again and the recession is getting deeper. No matter how many bail outs that our leaders employ, they just don’t seem to be working. We’re now at a 12 year low as far as the financial market is concerned, which means that we’re right back to where we were in 1997. If we follow the same pattern to reach our all time highs, it’s going to take about seven years to make up for the difference.

A lot of people are unsettled and sadly some have become unemployed. Everyone is tightening their belts and reducing costs. For the moment, gone are the days of unlimited credit cards, spending sprees, and buying luxuries. Most folks are doing well with what they have and just glad to be surviving.

In times like these, faith in God becomes a bulwark, an anchor, and a fortress. We need to feel that no matter what we are experiencing, He will help us to endure. That’s why today’s words, expressed and written by the prophet Isaiah 2700 years ago, are highly relevant to what we are going through.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

In other words, no matter what we face, our fears will not overwhelm us and our troubles will not destroy us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, these are anxious times and we all worry about the future. We pray that You will help us endure and support us in the coming years. Remind us also that our lives and our faith are eternally invested in You. Guide us, protect us, and love us. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly 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.