Thanksgiving Devotion: A Tale of Two Gifts

Zechariah 12:10         “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”

John 1:14       The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

The older I get, the more I need God’s grace in my life. Decades ago, I thought it would be the reverse. I believed then that I would by now have worked out all of my flaws, failings, and mistakes because I would be older, wiser, and more mature. The reality is a whole lot different: I get set in my ways, whine for the good old days, and feel out of place. Ecclesiastical curmudgeonary and dinosaurial drudgery can best describe me at times. I was born in the 1950’s, raised in the sixties, and formed in the seventies. I’m a 20^th century man living in a 21^st century world. I know how I would like things to be but there’s no going back; in order to accommodate a new bold world, I constantly need an old beautiful gift: grace.

The two Bible verses for today were written hundreds of years apart, but they express God’s remedy for a broken world in almost the same terms: ‘grace and supplication’ and ‘grace and truth.’ In the Old Testament, God’s patience and mercy were appealed to through the means of sacrifice and supplication. In the New Testament, the Supreme Sacrifice had already been made, so the opportunity of God’s patience and mercy were given through this truth: Jesus is the Savior of our sins. In the past, grace was a means of being granted the permission to approach God; now grace through Christ means that we can not only approach God, but we may also abide with Him forever.

Grace: an ancient, blessed, and beautiful gift from God granted to us today (and for all time) through Jesus Christ our Lord and King.

Question for personal reflection

How many times have I needed God’s grace this week?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You were given to us to become the ultimate sacrifice and universal Savior of the world. By Your obedience and death, we have been given God’s grace and life. We will always be truly thankful for Your wonderful gift. In Your Holy Name, we humbly and gratefully 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 of him, please send an email to Traqair@aol.com. John is always delighted to read your comments and answer your questions.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Nativity drawing for 2012. It’s called “First Family” and is currently being used by churches in the United States, Switzerland, and England for their Christmas advertizing campaigns. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8132931651_2e0cee43a8_b.jpg

John has signed 8x11 prints available. Contact him by email for details.

Session devotions: Fifteen years of Grace - Isaiah 38:5

Today’s Bible readings: Isaiah 38:1-8 and Matthew 18:1-9

Isaiah 38:5      “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.’” 

Last week, I wrote that Hezekiah was my favorite king in the Old Testament. This second incident from his life, which is recorded in the Bible, let’s you know why I like him. Hezekiah was given bad news from the prophet Isaiah about his impending death and so he did what his people had done for generations – he lay down and turned his head to the wall, surrendering himself to Death.

But Hezekiah was only human, so he also tearfully prayed to God for help, in the hope that things would be changed. It’s the same type of moving moment that Charles Dickens would use with his famous fictional character Ebenezer Scrooge. God sees Hezekiah’s humility and is moved by his tears. Events are changed and grace is given. In fact, Hezekiah is granted fifteen more additional years to his life and God confirms this with a miraculous sign involving the Sun and shadows.

One day in Heaven, I hope to walk with Hezekiah and ask him about that miraculous day. I want to hear how he felt and then give glory to God for such amazing grace. In my lifetime, I have seen similar events with people who are cancer survivors or heart surgery patients. They have a better understanding of what life is about and usually have a greater appreciation for the extension of their own lives. It’s a wonderful gift given by God through the skills and knowledge of surgeons, doctors, and nurses.

This week, we have each been given another year. We do not know what lies ahead of us but we all hope to experience God’s grace during it. If we place our lives into His hands at the beginning of this New Year, we will know one thing by the end of it: He is always in control.

Question for reflection:          What parts of my life do I truly have to give over to God and wait for His grace?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, at the beginning of this New Year, we have many hopes and dreams, issues and concerns. Grant us the courage and humility to hand them over to You. Help us to put You at the center of our lives, so that we may follow and serve You all the days of this 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 John’s latest winter drawing. It’s called “Snowmobile” and features a classic car in the snow under a winter moon. If you would like to view a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6609941245_ec24cdb7a3_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: A Tough Passage - Hebrews 6:4-6

Hebrews 6:4-6            It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 

The biggest crowd in the year gathers at churches all over the planet on Sunday morning. Easter draws more people to their local congregations than at any other times of the year. People seem to understand what the Christian faith is all about and use Easter as a means of getting their lives right with God in order to create a fresh start.

It’s like the Day of Atonement and New Year’s Day all rolled into one. People need to be forgiven and seek that special absolution that only Easter can bring. They also want to be given another chance, another God blessed opportunity to begin again. Some people call this cheap grace, but others know it to be a divine gift of God’s mercy and love.

But what about today’s passage? Doesn’t it convey the idea that repentance and absolution, forgiveness and mercy are only given once to the born again or enlightened believer? The writer of Hebrews clearly states that there is no ‘do over’ or mulligan given to those who claim to be Christians. We either get it right the first time when we give our hearts to Christ or we miss the opportunity for salvation. Once saved does not mean always saved. According to this passage of scripture, we can lose everything that we once gained if we return to sinful ways, because in doing so, we shamefully crucify Christ again.

It’s a tough passage of scripture to take in and understand. It makes me worry about my own salvation and also all of those Christmas and Easter Christians who seem to take Christ’s grace for granted. Are we all just deluding ourselves and expecting Jesus to forgive us no matter what, or are there limits to His Grace after all?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we know that we fall short of Your expectations for us. Each day we sin in the same old ways and fully expect You to understand, pardon our mistakes, and put up with our sinful habits. We seem to be missing the point because You only forgive us in order to challenge our ways and change our lives. Keep us from taking this gift of grace for granted. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Holy Week drawings. It’s called “Death by Dali” and it is based upon Salvador Dali’s famous painting “Christ of St. John of the Cross.” If you would like to view a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5061/5630260156_4cd6a2e7b5_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: A Great Savior

Hosea 14:4 I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.

Podcast Version here:

Sometimes when I make mean mistakes or selfishly sin, I think that God is deeply disappointed and angry with me. I find it difficult to approach Him with the right contrition and sincerity, so I end up wondering if I will be forgiven. I don’t feel worthy enough to be saved or good enough to be pardoned, and sometimes a darkness overwhelms my soul. It’s a frightening thing to fear God and to think that He will harshly judge me.

And then, just as I need it most, the Spirit leads me to a biblical verse which turns out to be a wonderful promise of God’s grace in action. Even as a pastor, I need to hear God speak to my soul. And He does today through these wonderful words of Hosea. It’s as if God is saying to me: “I will heal your waywardness and love you freely, for my anger has turned away from you.”

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the movie, ‘Amazing Grace.’ It’s all about William Wilberforce, the great anti-slave trade opponent who gave his life seeking to abolish slavery throughout Britain and her colonies. In one scene from the movie, Wilberforce is seen talking to John Newton, the slave trader turned preacher. Newton is agonizing over his sinful past and despairingly expresses his deep regrets. At one moment, he is almost overwhelmed with his past wickedness. Then he boldly declares: “I know two things – I am a great sinner and that Christ is a Great Savior.”

We all carry burdens of past mistakes and each of us have moments when we feel our guilt before God. But His grace through Jesus Christ is so almighty and complete, that all our sins can be forgiven, our past burdens can be relieved, and our future hopes can be restored. We just need to come to Christ in prayer to receive these wonderful blessings.

Prayer: Father God, we know that we offend, disappoint, and anger You with our sinful ways and selfish choices. We confess to doing stupid things and making serious mistakes. We seek Your mercy and forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice and grace. In His Name, we humbly 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.