Presbyterian Devotions: In Christ Alone - Matthew 5:20

Today’s Bible readings: Isaiah 13:14-22  & Matthew 5:17-20

Matthew 5:20                         For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

It’s an essential tenet of the Reformation: justification by faith, not by our works. We cannot earn our way into heaven. We cannot complete a certain number of good deeds or accomplish a predetermined amount of perfect choices to get us through the pearly gates. Our good works are the fruits of our faith, but not one of them gets us into heaven.

That authority is given to Christ alone. Only He can decide whether or not we will be allowed into God’s everlasting presence. There is nothing that we can do on earth to ensure that we will be welcomed in God’s Kingdom. Only Christ can open the gates; only He can restore us to God.

This is why Christianity is a missionary faith. It’s not a private, personal spiritual lifestyle. We are all supposed to engage and confront the world, especially against those who lead people astray with their false ideas, incorrect opinions, and wayward theologies. We are all sinners, separated from God by our daily choices, imperfect ways, and wrong decisions. The gap between us and God is unbridgeable by anything that we could try to build. In Christ alone, we have a Savior. Only in Jesus, we have salvation, only he can bridge that gap. He died for our sins so that we might be offered the opportunity to be fully forgiven and completely restored to God.

His Crucifixion was no accident; it was predetermined. His sacrifice was no aberration; it was intended. His death was not unfortunate; it was providential. And His resurrection was no myth; it is the most profound reality in the history of the universe.

The gospel message is simple: Jesus died for our sins and if we believe in Him, we will be granted life beyond our own deaths. There is no other way; there is no other truth; there is no other life, save that of Christ, to bring us back to God.

Prayer:                       Lord Jesus, Your own words say it all: we cannot enter heaven unless our righteousness is perfect. We know that we are imperfect and unrighteous, therefore we have no hope of entering God’s Kingdom unless we pin that hope upon Your Cross. Forgive our pride, our indifference, our faithlessness, and our stubborn refusal to accept Who You are, What You have done, and All that You have promised. 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 or ask a question, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest Fall drawing. It’s called ‘A Glimpse of Heaven,’ which depicts the famous Glade Creek Grist Mill in Babcock State Park, West Virginia. If you would like to see a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6119/6278216565_0e22a63fea_b.jpg

Elders Devotions: Simon Said - Mark 15 v 21

Mark 15:21     A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.

When John Mark wrote his Gospel, it was about 40 years after Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection. He was writing it for a new generation of believers who had no first hand experience with Jesus. These new followers needed to have the stories of Christ written down, so that they could spread the Gospel through preaching from the dictated text.

Sometimes in Mark’s Gospel, we come across important one-liners that would have meant something special to his readers. Today’s verse is such an example. Simon of Cyrene is identified as being the Cross Carrier for Christ. At the same time, John Mark mentions Simon’s two sons Alexander and Rufus, which leaves us with a question: why did Mark think it was important to include their names?

We don’t know exactly, but most scholars agree that Alexander and Rufus must have been minor celebrities in the Young Christian Church. This could also mean that Simon of Cyrene had been profoundly changed by the whole enforced Cross carrying incident. He must have seen something special in Jesus, which made him become a follower too. And he passed this faith on to his two sons, Alexander and Rufus, who were widely known to Mark’s readers of the Gospel.

I take heart in this because it reminds me of how sacred the story of Christ actually is, and that we are each called to pass on what we know to the next generation. When the Roman soldiers forced Simon to carry Christ’s Cross, they didn’t know that they were setting in motion a new wave of faith for the next generation. The challenge that faces us today is this: how are we expressing the Gospel and Christ’s presence in our lives in order to generate real faith to the next generation?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, our faith in You is not private or personal, nor is meant to be confined to ourselves. You call upon us to take up Your Cross and share the Good News with others. In particular, You need us to effectively express and communicate our faith to the following generations. Grant us opportunities and give us the words to do that great work in our congregations, churches, and communities. 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, pleas send me an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest lighthouse print of the picturesque Carantec Lighthouse in Bretagne, France. A larger version can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/4588350454/sizes/l/

Good Friday Presbyterian Devotion: I Thirst - John 19 v 28

John 19:28     Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." NIV

If you were to ask about forty households over in Tazewell, just outside of Knoxville, what they would like for Easter, they would probably answer you with two words: clean water.

It seems so unreal to me that we have people living on our doorstep in the richest nation in the world who still do not have clean running tap water. You would think that with so many progressive technologies in the world that we would have solved this problem in East Tennessee long ago. And yet, despite having an amazing 21^st century technology corridor in Oakridge, there are still families within a forty minute drive of the ORNL who have water systems that belong to the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Clean water, more than anything else in this nation of ours, should be a human right. In fact, clean water should be a human right throughout the entire globe because more people die each year from dirty contaminated water than from any disease, sickness, war, or natural disaster. Water is a basic necessity for all of us. Without water, we cannot live.

When Christ is dying painfully on the Cross, He is losing blood at a remarkable rate. It is seeping out of His body and gravity is painfully pulling it down to the foot of the Cross. He is dying horribly in the noon day sun. The heat is intolerable and the pain is excruciating; Jesus has become badly dehydrated and so He thirsts.

But Christ is also aware that he is dying, so what is the point of expressing His thirst. Does He want to temporarily relieve His agony, or is this another subtle temptation from Satan to try to get Jesus to use His power to quench His thirst, just as the Devil had tried to get Him to make bread out of stones at the beginning of His ministry? What better time for Satan to tempt Christ as He is suffering terribly on the Cross. I can even hear the Devil whispering in Christ’s ear: if You are the Son of God, then turn your salty blood-stained tears into cool refreshing water.

But Jesus will not succumb to this temptation either. He thirsts, but not for a cool sip of cold water; Christ thirsts for God. He thirsts for that living water, that eternal relationship, that everlasting bond between Himself and His Father in heaven. The Cross will not break that bridge and death will not overwhelm His hope. When Christ says “I thirst” I believe He is actually saying to God: I want more – I want more of Your presence in my life – I want more of Your love – I want more of being with You beyond death.

One life with one death is not enough for Christ. He wants everlasting life, so this is the most amazing prayer in all of human history: when Christ says “I thirst” He is asking God to open up humanity to the promises and experience of everlasting life. And if God relents and gives this to His Only begotten Son, then how can God refuse to give it to Christ’s people? This is the moment when humanity breaks through into the realms of eternity. Because Christ thirsts and asks for more, we who believe in Him, are given the same glorious and eternal opportunity.

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we thirst for You and Your righteousness in our lives. We thank You for enduring the Cross and for providing us with the opportunity of everlasting life. We know that we do not deserve such amazing love. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully and 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: Holy Week Hell

Mark 9:49       Everyone will be salted with fire.

I recently watched an animated version of the classical poem Dante’s Inferno. It depicted all of the excesses of medieval man’s imagery of hell. Souls were tormented and demons were diabolically cruel. The sign above the gates of hell told the whole story: “Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here.”

These days, not many people believe in hell. They see it as an invention of religious fanatics who used it to control society, especially when the Church seemed to be all powerful during the Middle Ages. Post modern people reject such a notion, after all, why would a loving, creative, and gracious God permit such a hateful, destructive, and cruel place to exist?

The problem about hell for me is this: Christ believed it existed and He willingly died for us in order to save us from hell. If I deny hell’s existence, then I reject Christ’s beliefs. If I reject what Jesus said, then how can I be sure of my salvation? As usual, there’s no compromise. Either Christ told the truth or He lied.

Holy Week sees the end of Lent and the beginning of Christ’s passion (suffering) for the world. At the end of the week, He overcomes sin and death, and even hell. Hope is not abandoned, but it abounds. In Jesus, we can have the joy of salvation and the promise of heaven, but only if we accept Him as our One True and Only Savior.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, not one of us is comfortable with the existence of hell. We want to cast it aside and think about something pleasant. However, hell was real to You, so who are we to question Your words and ways, Your message and truth. Teach us this week that You can save us from hell and restore us to heaven. 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 one of John’s 2010 Holy Week drawings. It’s called “Bloody Sunset” and depicts Christ on the Cross outside of the walls of Jerusalem. You can view a larger version of the drawing here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/4471998398/sizes/l/

Presbyterian Devotions: A Prophetic Psalm

Psalm 22:7-8              All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

 "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."

It’s amazing to think that Psalm 22 was written centuries before Christ died on the Cross, because many of its verses are teeming with prophecies about Jesus’ experiences at Calvary. Today’s passage, for instance, is a prophecy about those who mocked Jesus at the foot of the Cross. They added to His injuries by raging against Christ. As it states in both the psalm and the Gospels, they hurled insults against Him culminating in a mocking accusation of “He trusts in God; let God rescue Him!”

It must have tormented Jesus to hear those hurtful words from His own people. He had spent three years trying to draw them closer to God through grace, love, and peace. But the mob gathered at Calvary didn’t want to hear “All you need is love.” They didn’t want a Messiah who forgave their enemies. They didn’t want a leader who brought about change through helping the weak and healing the sick. They wanted a Christ who obliterated their enemies; they wanted a Champion who would kick the Romans out of the Promised Land.

And so, when Jesus failed to live up to their expectations, they turned against Him and mocked His powerlessness as He agonizingly died upon the Cross.

In some places and with other people, Christ and Christianity still face those torments. Atheists despise us and blame Christianity for all of the wars in the last two thousand years. Advocates of progressive change try to diminish our relevance and message by equating our Faith with other religions. Or they mock our Faith by revising and rewriting history in order to exclude the influence that Christianity has had upon Western Society and throughout the world.

But as long as Time exists and people remain on this planet, Christ’s words and ways will endure, despite the challenges and criticisms of our Faith. The Cross did not end Jesus’ global ministry; it actually began there. The Calvary mockers may have died 1900 years ago and turned to dust, but the Spirit of Christ endures and His mission remains.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for Your power that prevails and Your words that will not go away. Thank You for enduring on the Cross so that the penalty for sin could finally be paid. Without You, our world would not be the same. With You, we have a hope that continues throughout eternity. In Your Holy Name, we 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 or offer feedback, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Forsaken, but not Forgotten

Psalm 22:1      My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

There was a time in my life when I actually felt forsaken by God. It happened when I was a teenager. My Mom had just had another schizophrenic meltdown and the paramedics came to take her away in an ambulance. As usual, she was violently cursing and out of her mind. Our neighbors were at their windows – some praying inwardly while others were shaking their heads. I felt so embarrassed, angry, and saddened all at the same time. I feel to my knees and started to weep in front of my Dad and siblings.

“Why is this happening to us?” I wailed. “Why doesn’t God do something to stop it?” It was the lowest point in my teenage life and that despair set me off on a self-destructive course of alcoholism and addiction.

Decades later, I can still feel that pain but I also know that God was there in the midst of all my family’s distress. He heard the cry of my heart and I feel that because of the suffering our family endured, I can help people better in the middle of their own crises.

Perhaps you are going through some trouble today, or you feel isolated and vulnerable, or there is some pain in your life that is deeply affecting your relationships with others and God. From my experience, I believe that God is at the heart of your trouble, walking with you and willing to help you get through this.

We all can feel forsaken at times, just like Jesus on the Cross when He quoted these words, but we are never hopelessly abandoned by God. He is with us always, planning what lies ahead and preparing for better times.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You knew the depths of despair on the Cross at Calvary. The suffering and shame that You endured connected You to the painfulness, weakness, and fearfulness of humanity. We look to You to help us carry our crosses and bear our burdens. We need You to walk beside us and embrace us with love, patience, healing, and compassion. 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 - Good Friday - Dying Faith

Luke 23:44-46 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

A lot of the divisions that we have in our churches today usually involve issues about how we live our lives as Christians. For some people, complete loyalty to the word of God is essential. For others, treating everyone as a child of God is of paramount importance. We battle each other constantly about how we interpret the scriptures by what we preach and practice. In other words, both groups use the Gospels as a means of showing us all how to live.

But in today’s scripture, we are not taught how to live. Instead, Jesus teaches us how to die. After enduring agony, suffering, and shame for hours, Jesus is ready to die. Mustering all of His remaining strength, He cries out loudly for everyone to hear: “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.” He completely surrenders Himself to God and unequivocally declares His faith in His Father. He does not mumble or mutter those words. He declares them openly, publicly, and loudly.

It is a complete validation of His life. He has lived it according to His Father’s will. Jesus now yields to death, but does not give Himself over to darkness or oblivion. He places His spirit into God’s hands. He confidently gives Himself over to God with His last dying breath.

One day, there will be an unavoidable moment in our own lives when we will take our last breath. It may be at home, in a hospital, or at a hospice. It could be unexpected, unintended, or accidental. Whatever the case or circumstances, Jesus has shown us how to die.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we don’t like thinking about death or dying. We live our lives fully, doing our best to survive each day by trying to be healthy and happy. But one day, death will come. Help us to be spiritually prepared for that expected or unexpected moment. Come to us at that mysterious time and enable us to surrender our spirit into Your hands. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.