Church Meeting devotions: Divine Gift - Acts 13:39

Acts 13:39       Through Christ everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the Law of Moses. 

            One of the greatest gifts of Christianity is that people, even the wickedest among us, can be forgiven by God. This allows all of us to begin our lives again and make a new start. Many of us have past regrets and have made terrible mistakes. We carry the burden of our guilt within us, and sometimes even punish ourselves for being so foolish, corrupt, and sinful. To be human, is to be frequently wrong. To be forgiven, is to be set free from the past.

            Our beautiful world and wonderful planet is full of broken, guilty, and remorseful people. Much of the disappointments we experience or cause, are deeply rooted in our sinful nature. We all could be better people; we all could make better choices; we all could do better things with our lives.

            Christ gives us a gracious opportunity to begin again, no matter who we are, no matter what we’ve done; no matter what age we are, and no matter what hurt or damage we have caused. He sacrificed Himself for our sins and, as Paul preached long ago, ‘everyone who believes is set free from every sin.’

            Today, I rejoice in the eternal fact that I am forgiven. I hope that you can also receive and experience this greatest of all gifts from God. As the poet, Alexander Pope once wrote: ‘to err is human; to forgive, divine.’

Personal questions for reflection

What is currently my biggest regret? Have I truly asked Christ to forgive me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are our Divine Savior and Gracious Lord. We know the wrong that we have done and the disappointments we have created. Forgive our past mistakes and foolish choices. Allow us the opportunity to begin again and to re-start our lives by being connected to You. 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 or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Northern Delights.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Northern.

Advent Devotions 2015: Love Came Down Among Us

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The devotions can be used on a personal basis, with a small group, at church staff meetings, or even for special family devotions.


You can view and purchase the e-book by clicking the following image. Enjoy !

Church devotion: A Chosen Instrument - Acts 9:15

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.”

            I am very wary of pastors and people who dismiss the teachings and letters of the Apostle Paul, usually because they disagree with what he has written about Christianity. Modern day folks may not like what he expressed 1900 years ago, but they conveniently reject him all too easily, forgetting that Paul himself was chosen by Christ, as God’s chosen instrument, to take the Christian faith beyond Judea and the Jewish faith.

            Paul’s critics seems to think that their own ideas are either better or equal to his own. I have yet to come across any one of them who has advanced the Christian faith as effectively as Paul did. God did not just choose him arbitrarily; God selected Paul for His own divine purpose of seeing the Gospel being preached and the Church being planted all over Europe, even at the very heart of the Roman Empire.

            In my opinion, this means that Paul’s teaching and writings are full of important messages, lessons, and purposes for Christians, no matter where they live, what church they belong to, or in whichever century they exist. If we commonly say that God doesn’t make mistakes, then the choosing of Paul was not an error either. The apostle’s life and letters should be very important to every one of us, especially if we call ourselves ‘Christian.’

Questions for personal reflection

Do I take the teachings of Paul seriously, or am I apt to dismiss his ideas as outdated and irrelevant? Why did God choose Paul in the first place, and how has that decision affected me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, when You confronted Paul on the Damascus Road, You were setting into motion a major movement in the history of Your Church. Without Paul’s conversion and his teachings, much of who we are as Christians today would not be possible. Remind us that You deliberately chose him to carry out God’s divine purpose, and that selection has even affected us today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Church devotion: Cost of Faith - Acts 7:40

Acts 7:40         They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’

            Today’s passage from the Book of Acts (Acts 7:35-47), contains some of the things that Stephen spoke to the High Priest in Jerusalem , when he was put on trial for preaching Christianity. The charges made against him included accusations that he spoke blasphemous words against God and Moses. He was, therefore, taken before the High Priest, just like Christ, to answer those charges.

            Stephen defended himself by re-telling the story of the ancient Hebrew people under the leadership of Moses. Using scripture, he showed how fickle the people of God had actually been, and that they had also historically rejected Moses, which led to the casting of the idolatrous golden calf. Stephen must have hoped that his words would cause the religious authorities to truly reflect on the past and acknowledge that the Jewish people had wandered from the truth. If he could have convinced them, then he would have helped them to understand that Christ had come into the world to redirect the Jews toward God. Unfortunately, instead of guiding them to a better awareness of God’s plan of salvation, Stephen incurred the wrath of the High Priest and incensed the people, who stoned him to death.

            Last week, at the Umpqua Community college in Oregon, ten people were murdered, just for being Christians. They were shot in the head for simply declaring their belief in Christ. We usually hear of this kind of inhumane brutality in other lands and from past centuries. It has shocked us all and perhaps has made us more aware of the true costs of our Christian faith. It’s sad to think that such a terrible and tragic thing could happen in our land, and yet, every year, about 100,000 Christians lose their lives across the world for simply holding the same beliefs that we so casually carry in our hearts and minds.

            So today, let’s think about how deep our faith in Christ actually is, and ask ourselves this question: do I try to live my life for Christ and is He worth dying for?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, when we think about Christian martyrs we conjure up images from past centuries, instead of in our present world. We conveniently forget that our faith often challenges the wickedness of the world, and so our people become easy targets across the nations. Help us to remain faithful to You. Let Your Holy Spirit comfort and be with those families in Umpqua and elsewhere, who are dealing with such a painful and unjust tragedy in their 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 ask questions or make comments about today’s devotion, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called ‘Beyond the Cross.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: BTC.