Presbyterian Devotions: A New Path for a New Year

Ephesians 4:26b         "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry”

At every wedding to which I have the privilege of conducting, I usually quote this verse from Ephesians. I say something like: “Each day do two important things – firstly say “I love you” to one another and secondly, never let the sun go down with anger or bitterness in your hearts because life is too short to hold grudges against each other.” After the wedding service a couple of guests usually come up and complement me on the practical advice that I’ve offered to the newly married couple.

There’s a lot of wisdom in what Paul had to write long ago. I try to practice what I preach, but sometimes I fail and allow grudges to ruin my week with my wife, my children or even my friends. I carry the burden of emotional pain and hold on to my hurt for too long. Instead of letting go of the trivial past, I nurse my troubles and pander to my bruised feelings.

With the coming of a New Year, there is always a golden opportunity to let go of past pain and instead to let God heal my hurts. I can begin again and throw off previous disappointments, broken promises, and harsh words. I can forgive myself and others through Christ, but only if I choose to let Him. I can start the New Year with an act of faith and allow myself and others a clean slate.

If I can do this, then surely you can too?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, at the threshold of this New Year there are many positive possibilities and fresh starts. Help us to embrace Your guidance and goodness, Your love and laughter, Your mercy and grace. Rid us of our anger and disappointment. Heal our hurts and subdue our hostilities. Grant us peace and a new path for a New Year. 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 one of John’s last drawings for the year. It’s called “Star Messiah” and depicts the baby Jesus in the Bethlehem manger. If you would like to view a larger version of this drawing, please visit the following link:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5167/5284738336_e85c5b850f_b.jpg

Presbyterian devotions: Christ's Chosen One - Ephesians 4 v 19

Ephesians 4:19           Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. 

The trouble with Paul is that he knows humanity so well and bluntly speaks the truth. He could have written today’s verse a couple of seconds ago because it’s highly relevant to the issues that the Church and our society are currently facing. We seem to have lost our sensitivity to God and instead we indulge in our sensuality. Instead of being fully devoted to Him, we are desirous of fulfilling our own pleasure.

Let’s be honest with ourselves: we are all contaminated by the brazenness of our culture. We view things we should never see. We act out scenarios we should never do. We tolerate sexual idolatry and excuse it as artistic, sophisticated, and modern. In short, we fall far short of what God expects and end up expecting Him to accept our sinful lifestyles and embrace our selfish whims.

The older I get, the odder the world seems. Traditional values are treated disrespectfully and the Word of God is woefully described as being outdated, hypocritical, and irrelevant. Even so called church people, who hardly ever open or read their Bibles, seem to believe that their own opinions, ideas, and tolerances trump God’s advice, guidance, and truth. Paul is berated as being hostile, homophobic, and hypocritical by Christians who could not walk two paces in his shoes. They honestly and arrogantly believe that they know better than Christ’s Chosen Apostle simply because they live in the here and now as opposed to living in the way back then.

I shudder to think about God’s wrath which will come as a complete shock to this present generation of ungodly people. They will not know what hit them and will never understand why they are so completely wrong. Unless they make time to repent, they will never be released from the cultural weeds that are choking their spiritual sensitivity and replacing it with ungodly sensuality.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, how dare we diminish the writings of Paul; after all, he was Your Chosen Apostle. Forgive our Biblical ignorance and spiritual arrogance. Reclaim our souls and restore our minds to Your ways, Your works, and Your words. In Your Holy Name, we fervently 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 one of John’s latest winter drawings. It’s called “Edinburgh Blizzard” and depicts the world-famous castle and Princes Street during the 2010 snowstorm. If you would like to view a larger version, please go to the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5282150038_e7aeb19b56_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: Fulfilling Our Calling - Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4:1             As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 

As per our usual custom, our family went to the movies on Christmas Day. We’ve done this for several years because we enjoy the atmosphere at the picture house, as well as the blockbuster of a movie that we choose to see.

This year, we chose “The King’s Speech,” which is definitely not a blockbuster but it may win more than a few Oscars. It’s about the story of King George VI of Britain who suffered from a terrible stammer. Each time he was called upon to make a public speech, his stuttering took over and ruined his presentations. When his older brother abdicated the British throne, George was thrust into the forefront of the British Empire and had to make many broadcasts. When war came to Britain in 1939, King George had to rally the nation. Without the determination of his Australian Speech therapist, the new king would never have been able to do this and the encouragement that the British public needed in the darkest days of war would never have been accomplished.

The movie is fantastic and I heartily recommend it to everyone. There is some cussing involved but it’s used to express the utter frustration that the king experiences with his stammer.

King George fulfilled his calling to which he was appointed. He never chose to do this, but when called upon to lead his people, he put duty first and set aside his own preferences. He was one of the most beloved rulers that Britain has ever known and his own daughter Elizabeth epitomizes all that was best in him, as well as her devoted mother.

We are all given a calling in this life. We may not be called to be kings and queens of the nations, but are we expected to live our lives as heirs to God’s Eternal Kingdom. This means that as Christians our lives are meant to be significantly different from those around us. Our faithful calling is Christ’s vehicle to a fallen world and a faithless culture. If we set aside Christ’s desire for us in His work, then all that we accomplish in this life are our own preferences instead of the purposes that God has in store for us.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we are all different and individual. Our backgrounds, cultures and influences over our lives are as varied as we are. Yet with all of our differences, You call us to that one sameness in You. Help us to cast aside our preferences and to carry with us Your purposes each day. 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 John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest winter scenes. It’s of the famous Glade Creek Grist Mill in Babcock State park, West Virginia. You can view a larger version of this drawing here: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5279354020_7a844bb3b2_b.jpg

(John’s images are available as signed, matted & numbered prints. If you would like one ($20 each, plus shipping) just send John an email.

Christmas Prayer for Our Troops

Almighty and Everlasting God, as we celebrate the birth of Your Son in this world and experience the peace He has to offer us today, we remember our troops at home and abroad who dedicate their lives to protecting our people on this planet.

We are sorry that war is still a part of our lives and that we call upon our young people to risk their lives for us, putting themselves in harm’s way for our freedom. We pray that You will enable us one day to put an end to war and truly experience peace on Earth, so that our Christmas celebrations will be full of joy.

We pray for our troops stationed both here and abroad. We ask that You bless, protect and preserve them wherever they are located. Help us to let them know how much we truly appreciate their service and give us opportunities to care for, encourage, and embrace them.

We pray for their families this Christmas who suffer from separation and distance at this time of year. Surround them with good friends and strong families. Be near to the wives, daughters and mothers, husbands, sons, and fathers who miss their loved ones.

We also remember those who have been wounded in action, who are recovering at home or in Veterans’ hospitals. We pray for their healing, recovery, and tender care. We especially remember those who are permanently injured whether emotionally, mentally, physically, or neurologically. May they be deeply cared for and honorably respected.

We pray for our military leaders and Commander in Chief who need to make tough and unenviable decisions. We pray that You will grant them guidance and discernment to act upon the fresh challenges to peace that occur around the world.

Finally, we pray for those service families who have an empty chair at their Christmas tables that will never be filled. In the midst of their loss, surround them with caring friends and loving people. Let the real sacrifices that they have made, and still sadly experience, be humbly honored and deeply respected by all of us. May we cherish the freedom that our troops have accomplished through the giving of their lives.

Hear us now as we silently pray for those who serve our nation today and as we quietly remember those who have actively served and sacrificed in the past.

Silence – lighting of red, white & blue candle.

In the Name of the Holy One Who made the Supreme Sacrifice for the world – Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Presbyterian Blogs: Double Decker Deliverance - Psalm 119:65-72

Psalm 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. 

 

Believe it or not, Psalm 119:65-72 is my favorite scripture from the Old Testament. When I first became a Christian in 1977, this passage had a wonderful affect on me and I have never forgotten what it meant for my life.

I was sitting on the top of a double decker bus at the front seat. It was my favorite position on the bus because I always enjoyed the view it gave me of the city of Glasgow. As I journeyed into work, which took about 25 minutes, I sometimes read from my Gideon’s pocket edition of the Bible. These used to be given out to 5^th grade classes in elementary school to every student before the days of political correctness and atheistic militantism.

Anyway, I was reading through the psalms consecutively and reached Psalm 119. I didn’t know that it had all those verses in it, so I read it slowly section by section. When I reached verses 65-72, I felt as though God was speaking to my spirit, especially verse 67: Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. 

You see, I knew that I had gone astray in my teenage life and had rejected God. It was only when He afflicted my soul and constantly pestered me spiritually that my life began to turn around completely. When I read those words for the first time, I wanted to weep and laugh out loud at the same time, but being on a bus full of Glaswegians during the morning rush hour stopped me in my tracks. Instead, I underlined those verses in my Bible and have kept them written in my heart ever since.

We all wander from God at times and wonder how we’ll ever get back to being in a daily relationship with Him. God may afflict our conscience or our spirit relentlessly until we have no choice but to totally surrender to Him. From experience, let me tell you that it is both humbling and wonderful to finally let God be God in life. He changed mine in absolutely amazing ways; if you let Him, I know that He can do the same for you.

Prayer:                        O Lord, there are times when we wander from Your words and allow ourselves to be sinfully led astray from Your Son. We seem to separate our souls from Your Presence and distance our spirits from Your influence. But You relentlessly pursue us and afflict us constantly with Your loving, patient ways. Grant us the courage and the will to turn back to Your Son and be restored to Your everlasting love. In Christ’s 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, or if you have questions, please send John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Broadway Lights.” It depicts a busy night-time scene from New York City. You can view a larger version of the drawing here:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5090/5239799418_a5ec22450b_b.jpg

(John has a limited number(25) of signed and matted prints of this drawing available. The cost is only $20. If you would like one, please email him at the same address as above)

Presbyterian Devotions: Christmas Losses

Psalm 119:50              My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. 

Christmas can be a hard time for people who have lost their loved ones to death, especially if it occurs during the month of December. I can remember when my own Dad died in December of 2002. It was in the midst of all the preparations for Christmas and my heart sank because of my loss. I saw all of the decorations and listened to all of the carols, but my heart could not experience most of the joy. It was a sad time of year for me and even though years have passed since his death, I still feel part of my grief at Christmas.

However, like the psalmist of old, I also feel the comfort that God offers through His promises. Death does not have the final word and, through the shared hope of faith in Jesus Christ, my losses turn into victories and my grief can be transformed into gladness.

I know that the emptiness of grief is still there, but as time goes by, it is gradually being replaced with a fullness of Christ’s love that can overcome any joylessness that I temporarily feel. He is born within me each Christmas, so I renew and rededicate my life, my loved ones, and also my losses to Him. Jesus is my Comforter and Savior, Hope Bringer and Healer, my Shepherd and Lord.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, some of us are going through sad times and our hearts are heavy because of the losses that we still experience. We know that You weep with us and carry our cares. Help us to place our pain into Your palms and give over our emptiness to Your full embrace. 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 a winter scene from John’s hometown of Glasgow, Scotland. It depicts snow falling on Sauchiehall (socky-hall) Street. A larger version of this “Snow on Sauchie” can be found at the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5251919500_14a1397bf8_b.jpg

Presbyterian Blogs: Prisoner for Peace

Psalm 118: 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. 

In three days time, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded. Instead of going to a major political leader, the prize will be awarded to a humble winner. His name is Liu Xiaobo and at the moment he is languishing in a Chinese prison. The Communist Chinese government is absolutely livid about this choice and will not attend the ceremony. The Chinese have also persuaded 19 allied nations to boycott the Peace Prize award in Norway.

Liu Xiaobo has been in prison for two years. His crime was to publicly advocate for many freedoms and civil rights that we in the West take for granted. Among those precious protested rights was that of religious freedom. Despite announcing to the world years before the Beijing Olympics that it was going to release religious prisoners and allow people to worship whatever religion they freely chose, the Chinese government has never fulfilled those assurances. When Liu Xiaobo protested before the Games, he was quickly arrested, speedily put on trial, and sentenced to eleven years for being a dissident. Now the Chinese government is embarrassed because the world knows of its false claims.

For many years I have advocated for the religious rights of the Chinese people through my sermons and writings. I feel that the Christians in that land are presently the bravest souls in Christendom. What they endure from the oppressive authorities is something unheard of here in the West. We are so casually cozy in our faith that we find it very difficult to understand or even accept what is going on. Chinese Christians, especially those who meet in unregulated house church groups, face prejudice, intimidation, and harassment on a regular basis. Despite these challenges, the Chinese church is growing immensely and one day Communism will be overthrown, just as it was in Eastern Europe during the 1990s. My personal hope is that I live long enough to see this; I also hope that Liu Xiaobo and his family get to see that liberating moment in their lifetimes too.

When the psalmist writes of not putting our trust in princes, he is referring to whatever branch of government presides over a particular country. Princes and governments can be frivolous and ambivalent with the rights of their people. Our unalienable rights as human beings, however, come from God, so no matter what rights are denied by authoritarian governments or totalitarian dictators, freedom and liberty, especially of conscience, speech, and faith, will always be given to us by God and not from capricious governments.

On Friday, I will say a prayer for Liu Xiaobo and his family. He deserves this award and I hope that it will bring about his early release.

Prayer:                        Lord God, we thank You for our unalienable rights which come from You. We pray for freedom to be experienced throughout the world. We know that many people suffer at the hands of their leaders and the caprice of oppressive governments. Help us to trust in You and to joyfully experience the freedom of faith that You have bestowed and blessed us with. In Christ’s 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 one of John’s 2010 Winter Wildlife drawings. It features a grey wolf in winter. If you would like to see a larger version of this please click on the following link:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/5191026618_86fe27d279_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: Where is the Joy?

Galatians 4:15a What has happened to all your joy?

Centuries ago, when there were no electric lights, people would bring their own lamps to evening events at their churches. Whenever a night time worship service was held, families would sit together in their own designated pews and one member would be the keeper of the light or holder of the lamp throughout the service.

The whole church would be lit up as people thronged together to worship God, but if a family was missing their pew would not only be empty, there would also be an area of dimness in that part of the church. Everyone would know who was missing and the church elders would seek the family out during the next week to see if illness or injury had kept them away from worship.

If people stopped coming to church altogether, then those areas of the sanctuary would be dim and dark. The worship at the church would carry on, but there would always be a joyless darkness in that pew until the family came back or a new family replaced them.

I’ve been a pastor for almost 25 years and throughout that time I’ve seen a number of families and friends come to and go from church in both Scotland and the United States. When the joy of worship and the gladness of faith dwindle in the soul of a person, it is sometimes very difficult to rekindle the light of Christ that once was there. That’s when Advent and Christmas give our churches great opportunities to reach out to families and friends, who have been missing from worship for a while, to welcome them back into the faith community. If we are truly glad to see them and reach out to them in a positively sincere way, then perhaps the joy of faith will be rekindled in their lives.

So let’s reach out and invite the people that we know in our communities to come and rediscover the joy of the Good News through the Christmas services, songs, and opportunities that we offer in our churches at this wonderful time of the year.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the Joy Bringer to the whole world and there are people in our lives who need to reconnect with Your Holy Spirit. We pray that You will give us many opportunities to invite them to worship You this Christmas. Help us to reach out to them and allow them to reach back to You. 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 one of John’s latest drawings. It’s called “Winter Walk” and it depicts a snowy street scene from a city in Poland. You can view a larger version of this drawing at the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5219973282_9606857501_b.jpg