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: 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.

Presbyterian Devotions: Prolonging Our Lives

Proverbs 3:1-2                   My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

A lot of my time lately has been taken up with our church’s Capital Campaign. Every day I am dealing with a new item on what I call the Campaign Trail. It’s a fascinating process, but it also can get very burdensome at times.

The purpose of the Campaign is to prolong the life of the church. We are renewing ourselves for the missions and ministries that are yet to come. Our church has constantly grown because we try to apply God’s teaching to our community. Every week, people come to church to hear more about God’s Word, to seek guidance for their lives, and to be challenged by Christ in ways that will make our world a better place.

We grow because God gives us this blessing. We increase because Christ inspires us. We add to our numbers because the Holy Spirit activates our faith.

When the Campaign is over, the true work will begin. I look forward to what lies ahead for our church because we will have more opportunities to glorify God, praise Jesus Christ, and be led by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:                 Lord Jesus, we thank You for the privilege and blessing of serving You. You take imperfect and unholy people and shape them into a church. You work in our midst and inspire us through Your wonderful words and glorious ways. Thank You for such gracious blessings. In Your Holy Name, we praise and 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: Sending Rain

Matthew 5:45b: He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

It’s been a wonderful summer for growing plants in Tennessee this year. We’ve had plenty of rain and no droughts. It’s a welcome change from what we usually experience and the whole place around Knoxville looks greener than I’ve ever seen it. It also means that I’ve got to mow the lawn more often, but I don’t mind it. It’s nice to see the green grass instead of the usual burned out brown straw that covers my lawn at this time of year.

I also heard someone say the other day that ‘if a person can’t grow tomatoes this year, then they can’t grow them at all.’ It makes me wish that I had planted some at the beginning of the year. Knowing me, if I try to grow them next year, there will be a drought!

I like what Jesus has to say about the sun shining and the rain falling on both the righteous and unrighteous. He’s reminding all of us that God has no favorites and that through His mercy, He showers blessings upon people whether or not they deserve them. We tend to be more judgmental and critical, but Christ is telling us that for grace to be grace, is has to be applied where it is least expected. In other words, God gives every opportunity for souls and spirits to grow under His care. I guess that means that if we cannot grow spiritually under the goodness of His grace, then we cannot grow our souls at all.

Therefore, let’s try to find opportunities of applying God’s grace with the people we meet today. Let’s do it where it’s least expected and totally undeserved. In doing so, we may rediscover the joy of God’s grace that we also don’t deserve.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your words challenge our ways. You show us how God operates graciously in the world. Help us to find opportunities to witness to that great gift and the ability to share it with others. 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: The Wrong Path

Psalm 119:104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

There’s a controversy brewing over an ad that the World Wild Life Fund had commissioned in Brazil. The ad depicts over one hundred airplanes heading directly to Manhattan with the intention of impacting the skyscrapers. Beside the Panda logo is a line which reads: "The tsunami killed 100 times more people than 9/11. The planet is brutally powerful. Respect it. Preserve it."

Many people, especially New Yorkers, are outraged about the ad. With the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks just a week away, it is tasteless and insensitive. If the ad company just wanted to shock people, then they’ve obviously succeeded, but if they wanted to get people to support the World Wildlife Fund, they have seriously gone down the wrong path.

What is it with people these days? Do they have no conscience? Is 9/11 so far removed from our hearts and thoughts that we can mock it like this? I remember that apocalyptic day very well and it changed my life forever. I’m certain that those who lived through Pearl Harbor have kept December 7^th sacred in their hearts and memories, so why can’t we respect and honor those who innocently died on that tragic day in 2001?

One of the important qualities about the Christian faith is that it is meant to show us how to take the right paths in life and avoid the wrong ones. As Christianity diminishes in Western society, it makes me wonder how many wrong paths we will brazenly take over the next 25 years. Will there be no moral boundaries? Will there be no honor or respect? Will humanity just drag itself down into a morass where faith, hope, and love no longer survive?

I honestly hope not, because I think we were created for higher, nobler, and greater things. So my prayer today is that we all return to Christ’s teaching and God’s precepts to show us the way forward and keep us from going down the wrong path.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we appear to be fragmenting as a faithful society and Christian community. We follow our own paths and march to the sound of our own drums. Forgive us for our foolish notions, wasteful ways, and misguided choices. Help us to return to Your words, so that we can we can be restored to God’s love and 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: 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: 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: 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.

Presbyterian Devotions: Mardi Gras or Mighty Grace?

Psalm 97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His Holy Name.

Today is Shrove Tuesday and usually our church gathers this evening for a Pancake Supper. It’s a great time of food, fellowship, and fun. Pancakes and sausages are served to our families, and then we have a sing-along. We often sing old spirituals like ‘O When the Saints,’ ‘Down By the Riverside,’ and ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.’

I love the party atmosphere at the church and I think it’s a much better tradition than the brazenness of Mardi Gras parades and Fat Tuesday fiascoes that take place all over the world. People go overboard and turn the whole celebration into a drunken orgy, instead of taking time to gather together for one last community meal before Lent begins.

A lot of Christians ignore the feast because of the all night partying that is sadly associated with it, but I believe that our families and kids should get the opportunity to experience the religious side of the celebration and show that faith can be full of fun.

Wherever you are today, take time to praise God for the life we have, the food we eat, the friends we know, the families we love, and the faith that we cherish. Mardi Gras then becomes a feast of Mighty Grace, which is something more worthwhile and everlasting than anything that New Orleans, Rio, or anywhere else has to offer this day.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for this day of celebration where we cast off our sins and look forward to Your coming sacrifice. We praise You for the forty days of faith that begin tomorrow with Ash Wednesday and end on Easter. Help us to prepare our hearts and homes to welcome You as our Resurrected Savior and Everlasting Lord. 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: A Loving Handful

John 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

I’m the eldest son in my family and in Scotland that means I would have been given the responsibility of looking after my father’s estate. But because I live in America, that wasn’t possible, and so my Dad entrusted it all to my brother Andy.

Andy did a terrific job with what was entrusted to his care. He saw to all the funeral arrangements, the bills that had to be paid, and all of the hundreds of loose ends that had to be tied up. In fact, Andy did a better job of it than I ever could, and my Dad would have been proud of how he handled everything.

Even to this day, Andy looks after the royalties that are still paid on my Dad’s books. Every year, Andy receives them from the publishers and he carefully distributes them to all of the family. In this way, he honors my dad and does what it fair.

I love the fact that God placed everything into Christ’s hands. He knew that Jesus would fulfill His obligations and complete the task of salvation. God had made promises to His people for thousands of years, and when at last He placed them into Christ’s hands, God was giving Jesus the responsibility of keeping God’s Word. It was an awesome thing to do and we are blessed because Jesus did what was required of Him.

Christ honored God by perfectly accomplishing His mission. And we are the benefactors of that complete trust and obedience. If Jesus had wavered one little bit from His task, we would never have been forgiven by God. If He had left one single thing undone, we could never be restored to God’s goodness, perfection, and holy love. God placed everything in Christ’s hands because He loved Him. And Christ returned that love because He completed all that He was told to do.

Christ’s continues that mission by placing into our hands opportunities, responsibilities, and tasks that both honor God and expand His Kingdom. He does this because He loves us. The question for us today is this: are we willing to return that love by completing all that He entrusts to us?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for completing all that God expected of You when He placed everything into Your hands. We are truly grateful for all that You did, for Your accomplishments have brought us eternal blessings. Empower and enable us to fulfill all that You call us to undertake for God’s Kingdom and His glory. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.