Presbyterian devotionals: My Eyes Have Seen - Luke 2:30-32

Luke 2:30-32              “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

I have seen God’s salvation in the lives of other people, as well as my own. I have seen addicts turn their lives around and their families restored. I have seen people healed of various illnesses and injuries, and have watched them continue to enjoy life. I have seen the work of many churches across various cities, towns, and villages seeking to support the weak, love the lost, and embrace the hopeless. I have seen the work of missions and missionaries among the poorest of people and in the most deprived communities on Earth. In all of these places and among all of these people, I have seen the continuing ministry of Christ and God’s unending work of salvation.

The prayer of Simeon of old is still relevant in today’s world. All over globe, Christians are working for the Lord to bring salvation to anxious persons and healing to broken hearts. Life is a constant struggle for most people on this small planet, but Christ’s work, words, and ways still manage to bring light and love, as well as hope and healing to billions of human beings in hundreds of nations.

The prophecy that Simeon expressed in the Temple courts is still being experienced today. If we open our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our hearts to receive, we will notice what God is truly doing among us. Christ’s light reveals to us the redemption, renovation, and restoration of lives throughout the Earth. We only have to be open to His Spirit; we only have to be willing to serve Christ in order to see.

Questions for personal reflection

Where is God at work in my life, community, and world today? How may I help Him?

Prayer:             Lord Jesus, You are the Light of the world and we look to You for everlasting hope and eternal life. You came into this planet to restore us to God through mercy and forgiveness, grace and love. Thank You for these priceless gifts and infinite blessings. In Your Holy Name, we 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, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest stained glass design. It’s based upon windows that he saw as a child when living in tenements in Glasgow, Scotland. The drawing is called both “Halfway Up the Stairs” and “Glasgow Rose.” If you would like to see a larger version, click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8158/7458512986_9fc4bdf206_b.jpg

Presbyterian devotionals: A Good Movie - Luke 2:17-18

Luke 2:17-18              When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Whenever I see a good movie, I like to share my delight with other people. I do it because I want them to enjoy a similar satisfying experience. My wife Evelyn and I enjoy going to the movies on a regular basis and it helps us to relate to one another. Some of our first dates, before we got married, consisted in going to the movies, so I guess we’re still sustaining that mutual interest and bond that we share together.

Faith is supposed to be like that, but because of keeping common courtesies and retaining social boundaries, we’re not so inclined to share our faith with others. We’ll readily tell people about a good book, great movie, or riveting new television series, but when it comes to relating about an ‘ah ha’ moment in church last Sunday, we’ll probably keep it to ourselves and inwardly reflect on it.

It’s a shame that we do that because all sorts of people in our world, which is such a broken place, need to hear about God’s presence still being felt in today’s church. They want to know that God still reaches into the hearts and minds of believers. They want to hear that in the midst of all the fear, anxiety, and confusion around us, God is still in control. When the shepherds went back to the hills after seeing the baby Jesus, they were singing, rejoicing, and exuberant about the Good News they had personally experienced. As they told their story to everyone they encountered, the people that they met were amazed.

Wouldn’t the world be a wonderful place, if we allowed ourselves to share our joy in the Lord?

Questions for personal reflection

What makes me delighted to be a Christian? How can I share this with other people in my life?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are God’s Gift to the world and we are joyful because You are constantly with us. Help us to joyfully share the Good News of forgiveness and salvation with others. Prevent us from keeping the blessings of the Gospel to ourselves. 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 digital glass Psalm drawings (Psalm 24). He has been tentatively invited to present and display some of his Psalmic art in Dallas, Texas this Fall. If you would like to view the Psalms art project online, please click on the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/sets/72157603288751629/

Presbyterian devotions: Created to Be - Luke 1;30

Luke 1:30       But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.”

Every day I try to please God, but I know that at some unguarded daily moment, I’m going to say or do something wrong that will both displease Him and disappoint others. I could justify my mistake by shrugging my shoulders and saying, “I’m only human. What do you expect?” but that would be doubly sinful. If I want to find favor in the eyes of God, I need to confess my sin and makes reparations for my mistake.

Being humble does not come naturally to me and I guess if everyone was to be truly honest, they would say the same. I read a poster this morning which stated something like: ‘I do not seek God to make me what I want to be; I want to become what God created me to be.’ It’s a profound thought and something that I really need to write down and carry with me each day.

When the angel Gabriel visited Mary, he told her about God’s plans for her young life. She was to become the mother of God’s Son, just as He had created her to be. Mary could have rejected this blessing, but instead she accepted this special calling and humbled herself before God by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

It’s an amazing moment in the history of our faith. A young woman yields to God’s Holy Spirit and, in doing so, sets in motion an event and produces a life that will change the world forever.

Questions for personal reflection

What has God created me to be? How can I fulfill His purpose for me today?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, Your mother Mary humbly accepted the divine role and sacred responsibility of bringing You into the world. Without her obedience, our faith history would not be the same. Today, we each seek to fulfill Your calling in our lives in order to serve and please You. 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.

Today’s image is John’s latest wildlife drawing called “Cheerful Chickadee.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7224/7373844830_2ce5af2fdf_b.jpg

Genesis 9:13 “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the Earth.” 

Like most people on Earth, I love seeing rainbows. The colors are always fantastic and the whole experience is mystical, especially when the bow arcs across a dark gray sky and then gradually disappears as the rains move on. Sometimes a double bow will appear and once I saw three bows together. That always thrills the child within me and I feel blessed to having seen something naturally beautiful. I know that there are scientific reasons why rainbows occur and it all has to do with the refraction of light against droplets of rain. Whatever the cause, I still stop to look at rainbows and experience the wonder of it all.

I also understand the covenant that God made with the Earth when the first rainbow was produced after the Great Flood. That promise was made not just with people, but the whole of life on Earth. This tells me that God greatly cares for all of Creation and not just human beings. We are just one species of many creatures on Earth and God loves them all; after all, who among us doesn’t love the things that we have created and crafted with our own hands? Don’t we also sit back, enjoy, care for all that we have made?

Next time I see a rainbow, I will delight in its short existence and thank God for such a blessing. I will also remind myself that the rainbow is not just for me, but for every living creature under its vibrant arc.

Question for personal reflection

Where do I find God’s promises being fulfilled in my life? 

Prayer:        Lord God, thank You for the wonder and beauty that rainbows evoke in our hearts and minds. We also praise You for the Promise of sustaining the Earth with Your blessings and grace. We are grateful to be living on and enjoying a planet with an amazing variety of living things. Help us to help You take care of it all. In Your Holy Name, we 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, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. 

 Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings. It’s called “Pentecost Power” and is a stained glass design of the Holy Spirit descending to the Earth. Symbols of flames and the rainbow permeate throughout the drawing. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7224/7200604314_e1352d502e_b.jpg

Presbyterian devotions: Sacred Seeds - Genesis 1:11

Genesis 1:11   Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 

For the first time in years, I’ve planted some seeds in a box and am hoping to grow perennial flowers that I enjoy. The plants are nasturtiums and lupines. They are both different kinds of plants. The nasturtium is a Chinese creeping plant with beautiful orange and yellow flowers. Butterflies are attracted to them and when the Fall comes, they’ll probably be covered in a host of caterpillars. The lupines are tall plants which attract honey bees. They are usually white, pink, and lavender blue. If they grow successfully, they will constantly re-seed and eventually cover a large area of my front garden.

I need to look after the seedlings in order to give them a strong chance of growing and developing into mature plants. If I neglect to water them or if a late frost gets to them, they will soon die. Every day I keep an eye on them and so far I am delighted with their progress. Hopefully, I will be able to plant them outside in a month’s time and watch them bloom all summer long.

I am constantly amazed at Creation. God’s imagination, artistry, and skill are all around me and I feel both humbled and privileged to enjoy the wonders of His natural works. I like to think that when God first created plants, flowers, and trees on this planet, He not only saw that they were good but that He was absolutely delighted and thrilled with His own work.

Within each of us, God plants seeds of faith that have the potential to bear fruit and multiply through the sharing of our beliefs, the worshipping of Christ, and our participation in His ministry in our own communities and throughout the world. God’s work never stops growing because He is actively involved in the Church’s mission. Our task is to discover where our faith can best be used to bear fruit and where our Christian beliefs can blossom among the people we love, work with, and encounter.

Question for Personal reflection

Where does my faith in Christ produce the most fruit for the future?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for creating the Church in the world and for allowing us to be participants in Your mission. Help us to rely upon You to guide our thoughts, ways, and deeds so that we may produce fruitful works that glorify You and attract other people to 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. John is always delighted to read your comments and to receive feedback.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Smoky Mountain Sunset.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/6926536366_3bd793f073_b.jpg

John’s drawings can also be found on his art website which you can view at www.stushieart.com.

Elders devotions: Missing the Point - Mark 15:31

Bible Passage: Mark 15:25-32

Key verse:      Mark 15:31     In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can't save himself !”

I cannot begin to imagine both the humiliation and hurt that Jesus must have felt as His own people hurled insults and mocked Him. Their words and curses must have felt like rocks and stones violently impacting His heart and soul. The physical pain of crucifixion must have been awful, but the mental torment and spiritual agony that He also endured must have been absolutely sickening.

Jesus had spent three years helping and healing His people. He taught them about God’s love and mercy. He preached to them about changing their ways and receiving abundant life. His message was challenging and radical, but His mission was about redemption and restoration. Unfortunately, His people missed the point, so instead of embracing Him, they executed their Christ.

Sadly, this is still going on in Christ’s churches today. Some of His own people will miss the point by making up their own ideas about who He was, and of what Jesus does in the world today. Even with so much information about Christ, His life, people, and community freely available to us today, there will still be those who will mock Him with their misconceptions and insult Jesus with their ideas. Holy Week will come and go, but they will not be one step closer to Christ because they will have missed the point of His Passion entirely.

Questions for personal reflection

How has Christ’s death affected my life? What has He done to challenge and change me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, the point of Your Passion is at the heart of why we are Christians. You died for our sins, so we must come humbly to You to ask for mercy and forgiveness. Sometimes our pride gets in the way, or we take Your grace for granted. Help us to make this week holy in our lives by taking time to serve, honor, and glorify You for all that You accomplished on the Cross. In Your Sacred 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 Holy week drawing called “Christ Nouveau.” It’s a depiction of Christ Crucified in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the great Scottish artist who inspired Frank Lloyd Wright. If you would like to view a larger version of the image, please click here:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5072/6897826374_c074c38fbc_b.jpg

Presbyterian devotions: Holy Week - First to be Saved

Bible Passage: Mark 15:8-15

Key Verse:      Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.         Mark 15:15 

Did you realize that Barabbas was the first person that Jesus died for? Think about it. Barabbas is released by Pilate and Jesus takes his place. Barabbas is a terrorist who has probably killed his share of Romans. He led an unsuccessful revolt resulting in his capture. He was scheduled for crucifixion; instead Jesus takes his place.

I wonder if Barabbas stayed in Jerusalem and watched what happened to Jesus. The chances are that he didn’t. He probably left the region as quickly as possible, thanking his lucky stars and hiding somewhere safe. We never hear about him ever again, so he perhaps took his undeserved freedom and fled into obscurity.

Justice was denied that day in Jerusalem, but grace increased. Jesus, the peace loving, faithful prophet died in the place of a murderous religious fanatic. God’s Holy Son took the place of a wicked human being. Because we focus so much on the Cross and Resurrection, we miss this most poignant moment of the first Holy Week.

The point that I’m making is this: if Jesus could die for a person like Barabbas, then hasn’t He also died for people like us?

Question for personal reflection

Do you think that Barabbas was ever personally grateful to Christ for dying for him? Are you grateful for the same thing?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You died for each one of us, taking upon Yourself the unholiest of our sins and the vilest of our deeds. You died in place of us, so that we may be completely forgiven and eternally restored to God. How can we ever thank You? How can we show You our appreciation? We give our hearts to You, as well as our lives, to the glory of God. In Your Holy Name, we humbly and 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.

Today’s drawing is one of John’s latest Holy Week images. It’s called “Cup of Salvation.” If you would like to view a larger version of the picture, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7268/6894799260_642eda84fe_b.jpg