Church Worship Devotions: Creating idols - Isaiah 44:17

Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 44:12-17 and Matthew 22:15-22

Isaiah 44:17    From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, "Save me; you are my god."

The absurdity of idolatry is clearly expressed in Isaiah 44. The image is of people working hard in their daily lives and using up all of their skills and energy to produce a metal idol or wooden god. They bow down and worship something that they have created with their own hands. They don’t seem to realize that it is still just a piece of metal or block of wood. The only power that the hand-made idol has is that which is superstitiously conferred upon it by the maker.

Today, we make idols of our gadgets and apps, cell phones and computers. We find it difficult to go through each morning, afternoon, or evening without checking our email, updating our statuses, or texting our friends. We use up more of our energy and time with our digital idols without giving a serious thought as to what this is doing to us emotionally, psychologically, or spiritually. Our hearts and minds are becoming jammed full of trivial messages and our long term memory skills are being hampered. We are all suffering from digital dementia, a forgetting of what’s really important and a diminishing of who we are actually meant to be in God’s eyes.

We laugh at the absurdity of the ancient peoples, who bowed down and worshipped metal and wooden idols, but is the laugh actually upon ourselves? Have we let our progressive gadgets become personal gods and the latest instruments turn into our own lavish idols?

I guess that the challenging questions that we need to ask ourselves are these: how many days in the week can I go without reading or studying God’s Word? How many hours in the day can I go without reading emails or checking my texts?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, some days we live our lives apart from You and end up taking Your grace for granted. We get so obsessed with our communications that we forget about what You are constantly trying to say to us. Forgive us for being distracted; pardon us for making idols out of our cell phones, computers, and stuff. Help us to get back on the path of discipleship that You have planned for each of our lives. 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 (but only after you have fully read, pondered, and studied today’s scriptures) to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest winter drawing. It’s called “Snow Barn” and features an iconic red barn covered in a blanket of snow. If you want to view a larger version, then please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6758069389_d5908acd89_b.jpg

Halftime devotions: Divine Forgetfulness - Isaiah 43:25

Isaiah 43:25    “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

I honestly could not live with myself if I could not go to Christ each day in prayer and ask for the forgiveness of my mistakes and the absolute pardon of my selfish sins. I may be a pastor, but I am also only human, so I will never be perfect in any shape or form. As the legendary coach of the Packers, Vince Lombardi, once said, “ Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”

We cannot be perfect, but we can strive to be better people each day. We can learn a lot more about God. We can work on our weaknesses and build upon our strengths. We can seek God’s blessing, Christ’s forgiveness, and the Spirit’s guidance every day. We can know that we are growing in faith by trying to live as effective and devoted servants of Christ in our congregations, communities, and countries.

God is able to blot out our past mistakes and to presently bless us with His love. And when God forgives us through Christ Jesus, His Holy Son, He promises not to remember, recall, or be reminded of our sins anymore. When God forgives, He forgets our offenses. When He pardons us, He allows us to move on.

Perhaps you have been carrying a major regret from the past for a long time. Maybe you haven’t managed to forgive yourself for a sinful stupid mistake that still haunts you today. It could be that you’ve not known any real peace of mind or heart over an event or deed that you committed recently or long ago. Know this: help is available now and peace can be experienced. Tell Christ what’s truly on your heart and ask Him for mercy. Your prayers will be answered and your sin will be fully forgiven. Just make the time and take this opportunity to make amends with God and be restored to His love today.

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You know us completely and we know that there are no secrets that we can ever hide from You. Pride and fear sometimes keep us from asking for forgiveness. Denial and delusion sometimes cause us to bear our burdens longer than we need. Today, we come to You as sinners in need of salvation, as failures in need of forgiveness. Hear our prayers given humbly and in the power of Your Holy Name. 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 free clip art image for school teachers. It’s called “Teacher’s Welcome.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6746680641_4b4da99685_b.jpg

Church halftime devotions: Coffee House Christians

Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 43:1-7 and Matthew 21:23-27

Matthew 21:23            Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?" 

I went to my usual coffee shop last Sunday morning before church. My wife Evelyn and I get up early to go there, meet a few acquaintances, and quietly prepare ourselves for the busy-ness of Sunday school and worship. We’ve been doing it for a while and it helps us to relax before we get to the church building.

Last Sunday, however, part of our coffee ritual was disturbed because one of the coffee house regulars handed me a sheet with his personal belief statement on it. He knows that I am a pastor, so he felt it was important for him to let me know why he doesn’t go to church. At the top of his statement are these words: ‘Jesus did not intend and never wanted to be worshipped; He wanted to be followed.’

What followed on from that bold statement was a justification of not going to worship or of being a part of church. It was the usual anti-religious argument that I have often heard time and time again on both sides of the Atlantic. Inwardly, my initial reaction is usually ‘if you feel that way about church worship, then why do you feel so guilty about staying away from it?’ Outwardly, I told my coffee house friend that I would read his remarks and write him a reply. I hope to have that ready for next Sunday morning.

My main response will be something like this: Jesus may not have wished to be worshipped, but on the Sabbath, He was always found to be at the local synagogue or Temple worshipping, glorifying, and honoring God. If weekly worship was good enough for Jesus, then why isn’t it good enough for us?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we worship You because You have saved us and restored us to God forever. We glorify You because You conquered sin and vanquished the power of death. We will always praise Your Holy Name, each day on Earth and throughout eternity. In You, we live, serve, and pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing called “Spirit of Pentecost.” It’s an artistic depiction of the Holy Spirit descending to Earth on the First Christian Pentecost. You can view a larger version at the following link:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6745762427_c178bbf176_b.jpg

Church Staff devotions: Chosen Servant - Isaiah 42:1

Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 42:1-9 and Matthew 21:1-11

Isaiah 42:1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations.”

Last night, at our church’s midweek Bible study, we began using some of the material that has been produced by the World Council of Churches for this year’s Christian Unity week. Much of the material has been written by Polish Christians and their theme for this year is ‘Change through Victory.’

Polish Christians have endured a lot of hardship over the last three centuries. Their land has been invaded and taken over many times by their enemies. Through all of the pain and suffering, powerlessness and oppression that the Poles experienced, the Church has still managed to keep faith alive in the hearts and minds of many Polish people.

The initial focus for the study begins with a look at Christ’s role as Servant. Time and time again in the Gospels, Jesus remarks that He came to serve God in the world and not to be served. In fact, today’s prophecy from Isaiah 42 was fulfilled by Christ centuries after it was written. Jesus was, is, and always shall be God’s Chosen Servant, in whom God delights and through whom justice will at last be brought to the nations of the world.

The Polish writers of the study see the role of the Church as being the Chosen Servant of Christ and that all of our programs and ministries, congregations and missions are meant to be the serving vehicles of Christ’s presence in the world. One day, we will gather together in Heaven as one complete body devoid of denominations and divisions, whose only identity will be that of everlasting servants of Christ.

Question for reflection (taken from the study):         In our community, what can Christians of different traditions do better together than in isolation to reveal the Servant Christ?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You served God completely by perfectly living Your Life, and by obediently sacrificing Yourself for our sins. We can never repay the debt that we owe, but we can rejoice in You by serving You both in this world and in the life yet to come. 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, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

You can also read this year’s Christian unity material here.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing called ‘Celtic Spring.’ It’s a stained glass design for a modern Celtic Cross featuring all the colors of a Scottish Spring. Signed limited edition prints are available. You can also view a larger version of the drawing at the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6717914679_f9d8753e34_b.jpg

Church Meeting devotions: 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

Opening Devotions: Knowing - Isaiah 40:14

Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 40:12-17 and Matthew 19:13-15

Isaiah 40:14    Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way? Who was it that taught Him knowledge or showed Him the path of understanding?

I have a simple mantra for my life: God knows what He is doing. As far as I can remember, even in my bleakest of moments, God has always been in control. I’ve suffered from addiction and heartaches; I’ve experienced the death of loved ones and tragedies; I’ve known what it’s like to be hungry and poor, cast aside and ignored. And yet through all of that, God has always known what is best for me.

My approach to the Bible is just as simple: God knows what He has accomplished. And if God says that Jesus is His beloved Son, I simply believe it. And if Jesus says that God can only be known through Him, I simply accept it. God knows everything, so therefore when God sent His Son into the world to die for us, God knew that this was the best possible way to restore us to Him forever.

I don’t question God. I don’t question Jesus. I simply believe and totally accept all that God did through Christ. If someone were to ask me, “How can I live forever”, I will simply say, “Believe in Jesus Christ.” If  I am asked, “Is there life after death”, I will say, “Of course, through Jesus alone.” And if someone were inquire, “Is Jesus the only way to salvation”, I would have to answer, “Yes, because God knew what needed to be done and Jesus was the only person who ever accomplished it completely.”

God knows everything; the question we have to ask ourselves is this: are we willing to trust Him and simply accept what He did through Jesus?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of our souls because You alone completed all that God expected You to do on Earth. You fulfilled the mission that God knew was necessary to restore humanity forever. We praise You for being our Advocate, our Redeemer, and King. 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 Psalm drawing for children. It’s from Psalm 112 and you can view a larger version at the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6651134643_e5a34e5fe7_b.jpg

Superbowl Halftime Devotion: Glorious Things - Isaiah 40:6

Today’s Bible readings are: Isaiah 40:6-11 and Matthew 19:1-12

Isaiah 40:6      A voice says, "Cry out." And I said, "What shall I cry?" "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.”

 Yesterday, I spent the afternoon and evening watching the NFL playoffs. I usually don’t get to see much football in the year, but when the playoffs take place, I try to clear my calendar to watch the games. I like the playoffs because there is a sense of urgency during the games and any one mistake or unexpected play can quickly lead to an intense battle between the teams. Competition is fierce and the level of skill required to win is top notch. Luck sometimes plays a role in the outcome, but usually a team wins because of their focus, commitment, and strength on the field of play.

As I watched the games yesterday, I tried to remember who won last year’s Superbowl. I couldn’t recall the teams involved, so I had to look it up on the internet. It made me realize that Superbowl victory and glory is just a thing of the past. It may be a remarkable achievement when it occurs, but eventually it just becomes another game and set of numbers that will largely be forgotten by the majority of sports fans.

Isaiah’s message reminds us of the same transience of humanity. We may live long and accomplish a lot, but eventually our achievements, glory, and lives will fade away into eternity. We are all like the flowers of the field which blossom for a season and then are gone. Even Jesus picked up on this message when He spoke to His own people six hundred years later: “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!” (Luke 12:27-28)

Jesus was telling His people and us, not to get anxious or focused on worldly things. God provides for our lives and through Jesus, He has also provided for our eternal salvation. We may just be like the flowers of the field on Earth, but we are also the everlasting heirs of God’s Kingdom in Heaven. Jesus has achieved that victory on the Cross at Calvary. His supreme sacrifice will never fade away or be discarded to the history books. His glory is unending and His accomplishment will be praised for evermore.

Question for reflection: What glorious things has Christ accomplished for me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of Humanity, the King of the World, and the Lord of all Creation. You have accomplished the everlasting salvation of our souls through Your perfect life and complete obedience to God. We will praise you forever and serve You cheerfully throughout all of Eternity. 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 digital glass design for a church window. It’s called “Spirit of Peace.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6648678701_338eba88b2_b.jpg

Church Devotions: Fifteen Years of Grace - Isaiah 38:5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, at the beginning of this New Year, we have many hopes and dreams, issues and concerns. Grant us the courage and humility to hand them over to You. Help us to put You at the center of our lives, so that we may follow and serve You all the days of this year. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is John’s latest winter drawing. It’s called “Snowmobile” and features a classic car in the snow under a winter moon. If you would like to view a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6609941245_ec24cdb7a3_b.jpg