Presbyterian Blogs: Storm Stiller - Mark 4:38

Mark 4:38       Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" 

I’ve only once had an anxiety attack in my life and I hope that I never ever go through it again. It happened years ago when my family and I moved into our new home in Knoxville. I suddenly realized that we had just taken on a thirty year mortgage for a house, in a strange city and foreign land, with absolutely no guarantees about the future.

I also felt bad for my wife and two daughters who had given up everything to come to America with me. They no longer had their own family or friends, their cousins or their comrades to support them. They needed me to be there for them, but I was so engrossed in my work that I failed them. Instead of having faith and being reassured, we were all afraid and resentful. This went on for a few weeks and then I had my panic attack.

I couldn’t breathe one day and my heart raced ahead of itself. My mind was a whirl and I honestly thought I was dying. It lasted about a minute but it felt a lot longer. By the time it was over, I was as white as a sheet and drenched in cold perspiration. It was a horrible experience and I would not wish it upon anybody.

Looking back, I can see that my main problem was a lack of faith in Jesus. I was relying upon my own strength, instead of seeking His support. He had brought all of us to the other side of the Atlantic for a whole host of reasons that are still being fulfilled today in all four of our lives. The storms that I experienced were self-created. Christ was in the heart of them, ready, willing, and able to still the storms and calm the waves. It took me a while to see it, but I now understand: Christ’s presence is real and all that truly matters is that He is here.

Perhaps, like the disciples of old, you are going through a stormy patch and troubled waters. Maybe life is hard and your problems are overwhelming your spirit. Know this: Christ is with you in the midst of all your anxieties and all of your cares. He can, and He will, still those storms.

Question for personal reflection

What fears and issues am I currently facing? How have I asked Jesus to help me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, Your powerful presence is what our lives constantly need. We are human and frail, fearful and anxious at times. When we are weak, we need You to be our strength. When we fall, we need You to lift us up. Lord Jesus, guide our lives and calm our storms. 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 called “Stars over Ireland” and it features the Liffey Bridge in Dublin at night time. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6844586504_7af66c66e8_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: Our Redeemer - Isaiah 63:16

Isaiah 63:16     However, You are our Father, even though Abraham does not recognize us or Israel know us; You are our Father, O Lord, and from ancient times Your Name is known as ‘Our Redeemer.’

Sadly, every now and then, some celebrity or famous person loses their life in a tragic or scandalous way. We are all shocked and saddened by this kind of event, especially if the person has died much younger than anticipated. Within days, we are all saturated with breaking news, special documentaries, and television biographies that sometimes unfairly criticize or sully the reputation of the dead person. Media frenzy ensues and the story is big until some other star passes away tragically. Then a new circus begins and the same old cycle of speculation and cynicism continues.

I used to wonder if that kind of thing happened beyond death. Is a person’s whole life totally revealed to everyone in eternity, with all of the shameful secrets and sinful events completely exposed? Are our reputations eternally sullied and our souls punished by God for our faithless and fruitless ways in life? As a teenager, those things used to worry me immensely; as a Christian, I now understand the beauty of God’s grace.

For thousands of years, the One, True, and Living God has been known as ‘Our Redeemer.’ He doesn’t have to, but He wants to redeem us from our sins and rescue us from the sickness of our secrets. In Isaiah’s time, the people thought that because they were so far away from Jerusalem, God didn’t have the geographical power to rescue and deliver them. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah realized that this wasn’t true. God wasn’t limited by time or space; geography or history could not bind or restrict His redeeming power. God didn’t have to, but God was willing to deliver His people yet again.

As Christians, we now know God’s great redeeming love through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. We are delivered from death and saved from our sins through the Cross at Calvary. Whatever we have sinfully done in the past, Christ has completely forgiven for all Time. Whatever shameful secrets have sullied us, Jesus has totally absolved. From of old, we have known His Name: Our Redeemer.

Question for personal reflection

How has Jesus been revealed to me as the Redeemer of my life?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we cannot thank You enough for restoring us to God’s favor by redeeming us with Your blood. We will always be eternally thankful for Your sacrifice on the Cross that has reconnected our souls with God for all Time. Help us to cheerfully and joyfully live each day as thankful redeemed people. 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 John’s latest Spring drawing called “Dogwood Cardinal.” If you would like to view a larger version of the picture, please click on the following link: http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6227/6998552941_3a75f0a757_b.jpg

Easter devotion: Fact or Fantasy? - Matthew 27:64

Matthew 27:64            “So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

 

This last deception will be worse than the first.

Do we realize that if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then all of our faith is a tragic lie and inhumane deception? Millions of people will have lived and died for their faith in Christ, but if He was not resurrected, then their lives and deaths will have been in vain. In my opinion, to actually be a Christian is to put all of your belief eggs in that one basket of faith; to be a disciple of Christ means that you truly have to believe that He rose from the dead.

The relevance of our faith all comes down to that one fact in history. If the resurrection never occurred, then Christians could be called the most stupid people in the whole universe. However, if the resurrection did occur, then the converse is actually true - Christians are the smartest people who have ever existed because their faith in Jesus will prove to be the most successful and eternally rewarding belief that has ever been given to humanity.

So, the question of faith seems to be this: either Jesus was deluded and Christianity is the biggest deception in history, or Jesus rose again and our mission is to broadcast that Good News to our families, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, neighbors, and even strangers. The choice about what we do with the Resurrection is ours; the challenge of its truth comes solely from God.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, as Christians we believe that You are the Savior of the world because You died for our sins and rose from the dead. We thank You for Your mercy and forgiveness. We praise You for Your glorious resurrection and heavenly ascension. We eagerly anticipate Your Coming again. In Your Holy Name, we expectantly pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Christ drawings. It’s called “The Baptism” and is a crayon drawing of Christ being baptized in the Jordan with the Holy Spirit descending upon Him. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6924951609_4fc7a8a94e_b.jpg