Elders devotions: Peace Like a River - Isaiah 48:18

Isaiah 48:18    If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 

I love singing the old spirituals that the African slaves once composed. In spite of the suffering, inhumanity, and injustice that they experienced, they had a deeper faith in God than most of the people of their times. They knew what it felt to be humiliated and oppressed, harshly treated and cruelly kept. Despite those terrible and terrifying experiences, they held on to a truer relationship with God that many of us today will never know.

Today’s verse reminded me of the spiritual “I’ve Got Peace like a River.” It’s a simple song which expresses a simple steadfast faith in God. Both the song and the Bible verse were written during times of oppression for both the Jewish people in Babylon and the African slaves in America. They depict an absolute trust and complete assurance in God to rescue and deliver both communities. In both circumstances, freedom comes through an inner faith which cannot be destroyed by the whip or wickedness. God’s people are liberated by His enduring love. Both races are rescued by their Redeemer.

Sometimes I wonder if our faith would be able to survive similar circumstances. We are blessed with many freedoms, wonderful opportunities, and great advantages compared to those two historical communities. Is our faith real or only convenient? Could we endure persecution and pain, injustice and calamity?

I hope that we will never be tried or troubled in those ways, but I also fervently hope that if ever we do, we will dearly hold on to God and find that inward pervasive peace that does indeed flow like a river.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we have been greatly blessed by God throughout our days. Our faith is rarely tested and our beliefs are hardly ever beleaguered by injustice or inhumanity. We are fortunate to live in a place and at a time when we feel safe and secure. Help us to use these blessings to support other people in need, as well as other Christians in distress. 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 or ask a question about 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 “Amid the Winter Snow” and features the Cades Cove Church, in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, covered under a blanket of snow and glistening in the light of a winter moon. If you would like to see a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6828228349_28319f48f3_b.jpg

Presbyterian devotions: I AM - Isaiah 45:5-6

Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 45:1-7 and Matthew 23:1-12

Isaiah 45:5-6  I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. 

How clear does God have to be? What more does He have to say that will convince the world that He is God alone? How long will we go on thinking to ourselves that this does not matter?

The scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, are consistently clear about God’s exclusiveness. If we believe otherwise, then from where did we garner that belief? Certainly not the scriptures.

Maybe we have to seriously think about our world view and personal philosophies again. Maybe we’ve got it wrong and God, as always, has it right.

Prayer:                        Lord God, You are almighty, unique, and exceptional. There are no other gods. Give us the courage to surrender our hearts and minds in faith to You alone, instead of giving in to the ways of the world. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently 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 of the beautiful Northern Lights. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6773836733_67954361dc_b.jpg

Elders devotion: A Believer's Catechism - Matthew 20:28

Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 41:17-24 and Matthew 20:20-28

Matthew 20:28            “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Why did Jesus die? To save us from our sins.

Why do we need to be saved? Because God is holy and perfect and cannot abide sin; our sins separate us from God, so if we die in sin, we will be separated from Him forever.

Why can’t we save ourselves? Because we are not perfect or holy. We are human and sinful, selfish and proud, greedy and faithless, self-centered and conceited. Our sins are many and our good deeds are too few to purchase salvation.

What did Jesus mean when He said that He came to give His life as a ransom for many? Jesus was telling His followers that only He could pay the full price for our salvation. Without His perfect and supreme sacrifice, the ransom that God demanded would never be paid.

What did Jesus mean by ‘many?’  Not everyone will be saved. There will still be those who will choose to die in sin. There will still be those who choose to reject Jesus. There will still be those who will not repent of their sins, so they will never be restored to God. Jesus died for all, but not all will be saved.

How can I be saved?  Completely believe in Jesus and fully accept His words. Sincerely repent of your sins and seek His forgiveness. Respect Him as Your Savior and serve Him as Your King. Then you will know the joy and experience the blessing of being eternally saved by Christ.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we come to you as sinners needing to be saved, as followers seeking forgiveness, and as servants searching for Your blessing. Forgive us of the past. Reclaim us at this present time. Restore us eternally to God. 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 my Good Friday drawings from last year. It’s called “Death by Dali” and is my crayon version of Salvador Dali’s ‘Christ of St. John of the Cross.’ The original painting hangs in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery of my hometown Glasgow, Scotland. If you would like to see a larger version of my drawing, click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5061/5630260156_4cd6a2e7b5_b.jpg

If you would like to view an image of Dali’s original painting, please click this link: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/museums/FullSizeMuseumPhotos/ac_id/87/image_id/361/imageno/1

Presbyterian Blogs: Blind Teachers - Matthew 15:14

Matthew 15:14            “Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

I take my role as teaching elder very seriously. We’re living in an age where people make up their own ideas, live their own ways, and expect Jesus to rubber stamp their principles, opinions, and choices. As soon as anyone questions that, they turn off listening and turn away. Their reaction is nothing new and Jesus had to deal with it all of the time. No matter who or what opposed Him, He just obediently stayed the course and fulfilled all that God wanted of Him.

Yesterday, I was reading a pile of tripe that someone had made up in order to justify his lifestyle. Jesus was misquoted a number of times and the ideas that were expressed couldn’t be found in the Bible anywhere. In the comments section, screeds of folk were applauding the writer and, at the same time, heavily criticizing those who held traditional Christian beliefs. This morning, when I read today’s Gospel passage (Matthew 15:12-20) I couldn’t help thinking that people are being led astray by blind, populist teachers. How many will end up in the ditch of damnation who knows, but perhaps some will truly return to what Christ actually said, taught, and lived instead of what people re-imagine Him to have said.

It’s not popular, but I intend to stay the true course. I’ll be criticized as being narrow-minded, self-righteously stubborn, and theologically obstinate. Some will even accuse me of saying that I’m always right and everyone else is so completely wrong, but that’s not what I’m writing even here.

Christ is always right and His teaching is absolutely true. I take my role as teaching elder seriously. If I don’t teach what He truly said, then I’m being deliberately, rebelliously, and sinfully wrong.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, open our eyes to Your Truth and keep us from being blinded by the world. Remind us that our faith has never been popular and that Your ways are constantly being discredited by blind teachers, wrong interpretations, and anti-Christian beliefs. This Christmas, allow us the time to truly reflect upon our own ideas and opinions. Sift out the ones that are wrong and strengthen those that glorify 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 John’s latest drawing. It’s called “Trotting Along.” If you would like to view a larger version, then please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6551826543_f243250798_b.jpg

All of John’s drawings can be found on his art website at www.stushieart.com.

PCUSA devotions: The Second Death - Revelation 20:6

Revelation 20:6          Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

There’s a second death which preachers don’t often talk about these days because people don’t want to hear or accept it. It takes place after the Final Resurrection when everyone will be brought before God in the Time of Judgment. Those who truly believed in Christ and lived their lives according to His ways will live forever. Those who didn’t won’t and they will experience death a second time.

I hear many people talk about life beyond death, but I never hear anyone talking about death beyond death. Because we’ve forgotten about this coming event, we live our lives as if it doesn’t matter to God. We delude ourselves into thinking that our lifestyle choices have no bearing on what the outcome will be when we die on Earth. But that is a demonic lie which is sending people towards that second death from which they will never escape.

This summer, our denomination made a mistake which I believe will end up ruining the church, but much more seriously than that, will end up sending people to the doom of a second death. Even if I were to preach that a hundred times each Sunday from the pulpit for two years, there would be those who would still say, “That’s only your opinion” or “That’s being narrow minded” or “That’s not what I believe” or “This is the 21^st century, so get with it Preacher.”

We believe that we are so right, and yet we are totally wrong. The Second Death exists and it is the true Church’s mission to help people of all persuasions, life style choices, and beliefs to avoid it. Wishful thinking about the after-life will lead to the Second Death. Only real repentance will lead us to everlasting life. Teaching tolerance may be good for earthly societies, but it does nothing to avert the Second Death. When we tolerate sin, we send people the wrong message and put them on the wrong path to perdition.

Prayer:                       Lord Jesus, we are all guilty of making excuses for our sins and setting aside the Eternal Truths about life and death, life after death, and even death after death. Forgive us for thinking that we are better and more enlightened than the generations of Christians before us. Save us from ourselves! Save us from the Second Death! 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 or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing in his Psalms series. It’s based upon a verse from Psalm 109. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6170833393_3829d1b0e9_b.jpg

Presbyterian Bloggers: Expecting the Unexpected - Revelation 8:5

Revelation 8:5             Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

This week’s earthquake in Virginia took a lot of people by surprise. People felt high buildings shake and thought it was another terrorist attack. The Washington Monument cracked and was shut down. The National Cathedral in DC suffered millions of dollars of damage. It was completely unexpected and lots of people were left frightened and stunned.

Records, however, show that earthquakes have taken in this region before. In fact, if you look at a map and check out the North Eastern seaboard terrain, you soon realize that earthquakes have been happening in this region for millions of years. Everyone was caught by surprise this week because of a false notion that large earthquakes take place on the West Coast and not the Eastern Seaboard. We have fooled ourselves into believing that the whole region was off limits to substantial seismological activity.

We are good at deluding ourselves biblically too. Take some of the passages in Revelation. We hardly ever think about them and cast them aside as ancient mythology. We reckon that it’s been almost 2000 years since the apocalyptic prophecies were written, so why do we need to bother about them now?

However, we also casually forget that we are almost 2000 years nearer to the day when these events will occur. Just like the “unexpected” earthquake in Virginia, the Lord will return one day and angels will hurl hail and fire which will burn up a third of the Earth. Will we look at one another in deep shock and surprise if it happens in our lifetime? Will we sadly remember that this “unexpected” return was not so unexpected after all? Will we continually live our lives as if these cataclysmic events will happen only after we’re dead and gone?

If we honestly think about it, everyday has the potential of being our last day on Earth. The serious question that we need to ask ourselves is this: will it also be our first day in Christ’s Everlasting Kingdom? The gift of free will still applies, so the choice of where we end up eternally is still ours to make on this side of Life.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, prevent us from fooling ourselves about Your Second Coming. Keep us aware and alert to the signs of the times and the Biblical warnings that You have given to us. Help us to stay focused on our faith in You and enable to attract our loved ones to You before it is too late. 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 or ask questions, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image John’s simple stained glass design of Christ’s Return. It’s called “A New Earth.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3084/2432537217_e82364bff8_b.jpg

Presbyterian devotions: Is Life a Game of Chance? Ecclesiastes 9:11

Ecclesiastes 9:11 I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. 

Do you ever play games of chance? I’m not talking about betting on horses or playing casinos. I’m talking about those games that we all see at the fairground or a theme park. The ones I like are skeeball and trying to flick the quarter on to a glass table. Sometimes I win; most of the time I lose, and the stall owner knows this when I put my dollars down to play the game. The other one I like is the claw that you see in stores. I’ve won a lot of stuffed animals over the years and I can remember almost emptying a machine in Scotland before the store owner asked me to leave.

According to Solomon, life is a game of chance with no rhyme or reason to what goes on. His conclusion is to eat, drink, and be merry because tomorrow we may die. It makes me wonder that if Solomon knew Christ, would he have changed his philosophy?

As a Christian, I believe that Christ has a plan for my life and every other Christian under the sun. I believe that Jesus still cares about the world and that His ministry is still effectively taking place across this planet. I believe that hundreds of millions of people will do good things in His Name today that will go unreported, unrecognized, and unvalued. And I believe that life is not a game of chance; it is a predetermined journey which will end in Christ’s Triumphant Return when the gift of everlasting life will be awarded to His followers.

Today can be the first day in the rest of our eternal lives if we surrender our hearts and submit our spirits to Christ. Chance has got nothing to do with everlasting life; it has everything to do with Christ.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, Your life and ministry were planned long before You came to Earth. Everything was predetermined by God and You fulfilled all that God wanted and needed You to complete. Our lives have been potentially predetermined by You and there is a purpose for our existence. Help us to be aware of what You want and need us to complete in order to continue Your ministry and mission. In Your Holy Name, we wait and pray. Amen.

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

Today’s drawing is John’s latest chess prints. It’s called “End Game” and features three old men playing chess in the park on a cold winter’s day. If you would like to see a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6084/6047493889_86ca7e5e66_b.jpg

PCUSA devotions: Living a Hard Life - Proverbs 17:3

Proverbs 7:3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.

We say that we believe in God, so why do we live as though He doesn’t exist?

Sometimes I wonder if we really have faith or if we’re just playing at being Christians. It’s getting more difficult to distinguish between the lifestyle choices of believers and unbelievers. Apart for going to church on Sundays (and some have even given up on that), what makes us different from the people in our neighborhood or workplace? Is Christianity something that we adhere to even when it’s unpopular, or is it something that we carry around in case an emergency crops up? Is God at the center of our lives or do we just bring Him in when the going gets tough?

I believe that we as Christians are being tested not by the world, but by God. It’s almost as if we’re being given one last opportunity to get things right in this generation before the Lord actually returns. Believing in God, going to Church, and living as Christians was once part of the same package; these days, people believe in God without going to church, and people go to Church without living as Christians. In other words, it’s far easier to say that we are Christians than to actually live as one.

By the way, I include myself in this: being a Christian is the hardest thing to do in life and if our faith isn’t being truly tested day after day, then we’ve either forgotten what God demands of us through Christ, or we’ve managed to shape Jesus into who we want Him to be.

So I guess the question for all of us today is this: how can I start to truly believe in God and stop living as though He doesn’t exist.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, the Holy Scriptures challenge us day after day. We resist changing into what You want us to become and yet, we too easily reshape our lives into what the world desires of us. Forgive us for being poor witnesses of the True Faith. Grant us the courage to rethink commitment to You, and remold our lives in ways that are pleasing to You alone. 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 my ‘digital glass’ designs based upon a verse from Psalm 85. In August 2011, Duke Divinity School is using this image for its annual church conference. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please visit the following link: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/3704016750_70147e967d_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: The Great Lafayette - Proverbs 16:25

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. 

One hundred years ago today, the Empire Theatre, which stood in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland, accidentally caught fire after a kerosene lamp was tipped over. The scenery was quickly set ablaze and most people escaped the flames.

During that week, the Great Lafayette, a German magician who was also Europe’s highest paid performer at the time, had brought his travelling mystical show to the theater. At first, he escaped the fire but then decided to go back through the flames in order to rescue his horse. Lafayette never made it and when the fire was eventually put out, the authorities found his body in the ruins. He was buried in one of the city’s cemeteries, along with his little dog which also perished in the blaze.

Lafayette tried to rescue his animals, but it was a decision that cost him his life. It was an act of courage, mercy and kindness, but was also one which ended up killing his famous career and taking away of his life. He probably thought that he was doing the right thing at the right time, but turned out to be the most fatal mistake of his life.

This week our denomination will do away with biblical ordination standards and be less circumspect about who become our elders and pastors. Instead of a national standard, we will have different boundaries established by different presbyteries and local sessions. Rather than follow biblical ethics, we will be guided by cultural conditions which ultimately will lead to a libertine church that the Father of Presbyterianism, John Calvin, sought to avoid.

Some people, younger than me, believe that this is the right way for the church to proceed in the 21^st century and the right path to follow. Only time will tell, but if Biblical history is anything to go by (and I believe it does), the Church will decline overall and it will only be a call to revival that will ultimately save it from itself.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, these are troubling times and our churches are experiencing a lot of emotional and spiritual turbulence. Keep us from following paths that lead us into dead ends. Help to find Your Way in the midst of all of our confusion. In Your Holy Name, we fervently 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 my Easter Window for 2011. It features four drawings that I created for Holy Week. If you would like to see a larger version of the drawing, please visit the following link:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5147/5651268701_f8c5f048aa_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: Angels to Help Us - Hebrews 1:14

Hebrews 1: 14             Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

I think it was Billy Graham who wrote in his excellent book “Angels” that when it comes to singing God’s praises in Heaven, former sinners who are saved will sing more loudly and joyously than any of God’s angels. The reason is simple: we, who are redeemed sinners, will have more to sing about.

I don’t know what you truly think about angels, but I like what is written here in Hebrews. Angels are sent to serve those who are saved. I don’t know what form that takes, but I must admit I have sometimes been in some unpleasant situations and serious accidents where I thanked God for watching over me, as well as my family and friends.

I also believe that because we are saved, the world feels threatened by our witness and so sometimes it’s hard to be a Christian in society. Whenever we stand up for what is right, we are called ‘judgmental.’ Whenever we seek justice for the powerless, we are berated for being political. And whenever we state that Christ is the only person through whom we can obtain everlasting salvation, we are called ‘narrow-minded’ and intolerant.

That’s where the protection of God’s angels is important. The devil may try to diminish the truth and effectively squash our faith, but there are angels around us who are doing battle for us each day, to help strengthen our spirits and bolster our confidence.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for the angels around us who serve us in many ways each day because we are saved by You. Thank You for their protection and presence, their influence and encouragement. Bless all our loved ones this day with the same divine help. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

(If you would like to look at Billy Grahams’ great book on angels, please click on and visit the following link:

http://tinyurl.com/3q7j263 )

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 wildlife drawings. It’s called “Butterfly Banquet” and features a butterfly feasting on a marigold. If you would like to see a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5224/5578139112_00aa478d99_b.jpg

John also has a limited number of 8x10 prints of this picture available. If you’d like one, contact him by email for more information.

Presbyterian Blogs: After 25 Years - Proverbs 9 v 16

Proverbs 9:16             "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.

After almost 25 years in pastoral ministry, I’ve reached several conclusions and one of them is this: sometimes theology and theologians are full of bunk!

I’ve watched more than a few of my peers, both here and in Scotland, get so isolated in their theological ivory towers that they become too heavenly to be of any earthly use. They immerse themselves in theological obscurities and wallow in weird causes. They become armchair pastors, seeking the secluded safety of their studies and end up idolizing their own ideas. They make no difference in the world and add nothing to their parishes. They are deified drones who live off the resources, contributions and hard work of the parishioners.

They want to be respected for their profession, but have no idea how to lead. They want to write theological tomes instead of reading people’s faces. They want their name to be recognized instead of remembering the names of people at church. They would rather be teaching at a seminary instead of a small church group. They are ambitious and dangerous. They lack true judgment and usually end up losing their faith.

The Church suffers because we allow these selfish seekers into our parishes and presbyteries, our structures and our systems. They are like locusts who devour the people and who lead the simple-minded astray. They don’t believe that Jesus is the Only Savior of the World and they deride grass roots parishioners for being narrow-minded. They have a pre-Copernican attitude about their academic understanding: everything revolves around their ideas – even God must circle their theological globes.

As Presbyterians, we pride ourselves into being deep thinkers about our faith. Lately, though, we have allowed priestly parasites to feed upon the faith of our people. We need to be more circumspect about what churches we belong to and what leaders we choose – at any level. We would do well to seek out places of worship by what Calvin referred to as the marks of the True church – a church where the Gospel is truly preached and the sacraments are carefully administered.

Maybe this wasn’t the devotion you needed today, but sometimes we all need to read and hear things we don’t like in order to grow spiritually. Our broken world needs a healthy church, not a broken one. In order to bring healing to this suffering planet, we need to begin to seriously heal ourselves from within. Wishful thinking and good intentions will only lead us to hell; true believing and faithful living will help us to attract more people to Christ and Heaven.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, these are trying times for the Church and it gets harder to distinguish between true leaders and false prophets. It’s easier to keep our heads down in order to maintain  the peace, but evil triumphs when good people do or say nothing. Grant us the courage to stay faithful to Your words and ways. Raise up strong committed Christian leaders who live according to Your truth and abide by Your words. Forgive us of this generation, who have been led astray by our own understanding and who have failed to keep Your commands and faith. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently 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. Your feedback means a lot to him.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Spring drawings. It’s called “Tulips and Daffodils.” You can view a larger version of the drawing at http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5293/5572859545_c40a716a9c_b.jpg

Signed limited edition 8x10 prints are available from John. Contact him by email for more information.

Presbyterian Devotions: The Next Battle - Titus 1:9

Titus 1:9          He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Do you get the feeling that Paul was on the offensive when writing to Titus? When I re-read this passage, I realized that Paul wasn’t holding back or pulling any of his punches. He’s totally committed to Christ and completely concerned about the church. He’s making Titus understand the serious nature about the current conflict that the New Testament church was experiencing. For Paul, everything is black and white, wrong or right. There’s no middle ground; no room for compromise; no negotiating with the opposition.

As our current denomination sinks lower into a quagmire of its own making, I’m beginning to think that dialogue and conversation are at an end. The ordination debates which are bedeviling our presbyteries have been going on for thirty years. If, after three decades of in-fighting and the loss of 33% of our membership, we cannot see that we are going against the Holy Spirit, then dialogue is no longer of any value. The die has been cast and the numbers will soon be in. Those who seek to get their own way, rather than God’s way, can celebrate all they like, but know this: the conversation is over.

The next battle, and perhaps final battle, is going to take place over the unique Lordship of Christ. Universalism is creeping into our churches and some people, as well as pastors, no longer hold to the essential Reformation tenet that Christ is the Only Savior of the World. They say things to conceal it like: ‘we cannot limit God to what He can do’ or ‘God’s grace knows no boundaries’ or ‘we cannot fully know what God decides.’

In other words, Christ’s role as Savior is set aside and His Cross only offers limited atonement. Jesus is diminished and other religions are given equal respect. The fact that the First Christians were surrounded by many religions and hundreds of pagan gods and yet they still maintained that Christ was the Only Way, Truth, and Life will pale into insignificance in a worldwide religious rush to embrace one another spiritually, worshipfully, and religiously. Any Way, any Truth, and any Life will be acknowledged, tolerated, and accepted as our beloved denomination finally surrenders to appeasement and apostasy.

The conversation is over. The battle is at an end. The war to win wayward souls back to Christ has just begun.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, Your Church has been constantly attacked from within, even from the early days when Paul was teaching and preaching. After this ordination battle is over, Your unique Lordship will be under attack. Help us to learn from this battle to remain resolute, faithful, and true. Grant us the courage to stand up, speak out, and to state unequivocally that You are the One and Only Savior of and in the world. In Your Holy Name, we adamantly 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 from one of my Holy Week images from 2010. It’s called “Son Down” and depicts Christ Crucified at Calvary. You can view a larger version of this image at the following link: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2704/4442496002_fab6cfb6ac_b.jpg

Top Presbyterian Blogs: A Timely Reminder - Proverbs 6:23 & John 14:6

Proverbs 6:23 For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life.

Somehow this verse from Proverbs reminds me of Christ’s great saying: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6)

It reminds us that in the midst of the unknown and uncertainties, Christ is our lamp, our light to show us the way to live our lives, so that we may one day enter God’s everlasting kingdom.

It reminds us that Christ’s teaching is all the truth that we need to know in our lives. If we follow His commands and apply His teachings, we will be content and know that we are doing what God wants of us.

And it also reminds us that by allowing Christ’s Life to influence our own, He will not only accept us, He will also correct us so that we will not stray from His embrace, His encouragement, and His empowerment to challenge our ways and positively change our lives.

Isn’t it wonderful that Christ is our reliable Guide, True Teacher, and great Lover of our souls?

Prayer:             Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last. Amen    Charles Wesley

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 John’s latest drawing in his “Bonnie Scotland” series of prints. It depicts the beautiful West of Scotland coastal town of Oban, which is also the Highland capital of Scotland’s Gaelic speaking people. The initial print of this drawing (#1 of 25) is currently being auctioned on Ebay. If you would like to view the details and see a larger version, please click on the following link: http://tinyurl.com/48uj8da

Top Presbyterian Blogs: Passing It On - 2 Timothy 1:14

2 Timothy 1:14           Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

In the midst of the present theological wars, it’s very easy to become weary with Church World. We never seem to have any peace because someone or some group somewhere wants things to be different, relevant, and post-modern instead of keeping things sacred, divine, and eternal. I know that I am struggling with this and so are many in the congregation that I serve. Christianity is a hard faith to truly practice and live by in today’s society.

I also find it intriguing that when Paul is writing to Timothy, he is urging him to guard the faith. This is only about 30 years after Christ was crucified and resurrected. With a faith so freshly born and the gospel so newly written, you would think people would be more secure with what they believed. However, it seems that the New Testament Church was also divided and so, to sustain Christ’s Peace, second generation Christians like Timothy had to maintain guardianship over the essential tenets of the new faith.

I heard a pastor once preach that if no one in the present generation shared the faith or spread the gospel, then within four generations Christianity would die. I don’t know if that’s true because it’s never been truly tested, but it does lay an onus on every Christian to pass on the faith to the next generation. What makes it all the harder is that we have to do this on Christ’s terms, and not our own.

So today the challenge is this: to whom, in the next generation, have we shared our Faith?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, sometimes we forget that the Christian faith is not a private or personal matter. You called upon Your followers everywhere and in every time to go out into the world to share the Gospel. Forgive us if we have failed to live up to that challenge. Help us, in the life time that we have left, to faithfully share Your Good News with the upcoming generations. 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 Psalm drawings. It depicts a verse of Psalm 102. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please visit the following link:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5292/5519117740_cf1a7fa46f_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: Tainted Past - 1 Timothy 1

1 Timothy 1:13           Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 

It’s hard to imagine that Paul, the great hero of the New Testament church, was once a blasphemer, persecutor, and violent man. This must have been part of his testimony when preaching to the Jewish communities and Christian churches located in the Mediterranean coastal towns. Both groups would have known about his reputation and could have rejected him because of his past – the Jews saw him as a traitor; the Christians suspected him of being a spy.

Paul didn’t hide his past either. It was an important part of who he was. He referred to his past because people would see how much he had changed. His testimony brought glory to Christ for the changes that He had wrought in Paul’s life. Before meeting Christ on the Damascus Road, Paul thought that he knew everything about God and had served Him faithfully. After personally encountering Jesus, Paul’s life was never the same.

The question that we should ask ourselves today is this: how has my life changed since I came to personally know Jesus?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, just as You did to Paul, You come into our lives to challenge our ideas and change our ways. Things are totally different when we give our hearts to You. Help us to make those changes real, lasting, and effective. Let our living testimonies bring glory 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 or ask a question about it, please send John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s drawing based upon the famous Sinai Icon of Jesus. He calls it “Christ Icon.” If you would like to view a larger version of this image, please click on the following link:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5255/5457191479_6bdca8084f_b.jpg