Church Staff Devotions: Alaskan Hummingbirds - Psalm 91 v 4

Psalm 91:4      He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 

I just watched an amazing video on Youtube this morning. A man was feeding hummingbirds from his hand in Alaska. Now first of all, I didn’t realize that hummingbirds went there. I thought it would be too far north and too cold. Every year, they fly 2,500 miles from Mexico to Alaska which in itself is astounding. How on earth those tiny little birds fly such a distance is beyond me.

Anyway, the man was taking pictures of hummingbirds at a feeder when he noticed that some of them were flying towards the red strip on the strap of his camera. It made him wonder that if he put red nectar in his hand, would the birds be attracted and feed from his palm? The results are remarkable to watch.

The wee birds rest on the man’s hand and those of his children. They feel safe and secure, knowing and feeling that no harm will come to them. The hummingbirds feed constantly and their birdsongs seem to express their delight.

I think that’s what the psalmist was trying to communicate when he penned the words “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.” He writes of the security that faith can bring and he expresses his complete confidence in God. No matter what he faces, he will be secure beneath the feathers of God’s wings.

That’s a message that we all need to hear. Some of us are perhaps currently experiencing difficulties and crises that make us wonder where and when they will end. Knowing that God holds us securely in the midst of our trials can help us endure our troubles and give us hope for the future. As Jesus Himself once said, “Come to me, all of you who are heavy burdened, and I will give rest for your weary souls.”

Prayer:             Lord Jesus, You completely know everything that is going in our lives. We place You at the center of all that we are enduring and ask that You lovingly hold us and keep us safe. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Today’s image is John’s drawing of a hummingbird feeding. If you would like to see a larger version, please click the following link:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2787/4400739464_fbcc5af539_b.jpg

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to leave feedback on today’s message, please make a comment in the comments section or send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

You can also view the Alaskan hummingbird video at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUEZkwJulBY&feature=player_embedded

Church Meeting Devotions: Practicing His Preaching

Mark 7:29        Then Jesus told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter."

           

This is an unusual story and an unlikely miracle from Jesus. It appears at first that Christ is reluctant to help the woman because she is a Gentile. She has to persist in order to get Jesus to do what she wants. This begs the question:  If she had been Jewish, would Jesus have treated her differently?

But I believe that there is a lot more to this event than just ‘He said, she said.’ Jesus’ credibility is on the line and His authenticity as a preacher is being challenged.

If you look back to the passage of scripture before this (Mark 7:17-23), you’ll see that Jesus had been preaching about what was clean and unclean. He was quite specific about what was holy and unholy, which meant that He was going against the traditional kosher values of His community. This was radical teaching as far as most of the Jewish clergy were concerned. It separated Jesus from His religious peers and must have upset more than a few people.

And yet in this incident, Christ seems to be following the traditional line that all foreigners were unclean and therefore unworthy of God’s blessings. The arch traditionalists would have been delighted at His initial response to the woman, but if Jesus had  left it there and didn’t heal the Syrophonecian woman’s daughter wouldn’t He have been guilty of hypocrisy, of not practicing what He Himself had only just preached?

As usual, there’s a lot more to this passage than we realize at first. I think Jesus highlights the lack of compassion that just keeping to the letter of the Law engenders. He has to go above and beyond the Law in order to help this woman and that, my friends, is what Christianity is all about.

I also think that Christ would have healed the young girl, but that the Syrophonecian woman showed that she was willing to beg for help, no matter what the cost was to her pride. This really impresses Jesus because it is an act of faithful submission and genuine prayer.  She doesn’t take Christ for granted and she fully relies upon Him to help in her time of greatest need.

We all come to Christ in prayer on a daily basis, but how many times do we take His blessings for granted? Perhaps the lesson that we all need to learn, especially during Lent, is to humbly approach the Lord with our personal requests.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You ask us to seek You in prayer and to sincerely ask for guidance and help, forgiveness and healing. Sometimes we take You for granted because we are too busy to be humble and in too much of a hurry to wait. Forgive us for being self-focused. Help us to humbly pray. In Your Holy Name. 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 some feedback, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Church meeting Devotions: More Than Being Saved - Psalm 9

Psalm 9:18      But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

When I first became a Christian, I thought that my mission was to ensure that the world was saved. Being born again had such an impact upon me that I wanted other people, my family and friends, to experience the same spiritual awakening and dynamic change. To be saved meant more to me than anything because I knew that without Jesus intervening in my life, I would have ended up as an alcoholic on skid row. Jesus changed my life completely, so I expected that everyone else would want the same.

It’s been almost thirty three years since I have had that wonderful experience and although I am truly thankful for being saved, I now know that it’s not what the Kingdom of God is all about. If that was the case, I could rest upon my spiritual laurels and live the rest of my life without any changes. Being saved is extremely important in the eternal scheme of things, but what I do with that salvation is crucially important with regard to being a saved Christian in the world.

Christ didn’t ask us to become His disciples just to look after ourselves. He called us to God’s Kingdom so that we could go out into the world to right the wrongs, heal the brokenness, and support the needy. Faith is a wonderful gift for the believer, but faithful works are precious gifts to the world. If we think about what’s currently happening in Haiti, we know that the people who are suffering over there don’t need a bunch of Christian groups telling them that they must be saved. Instead, they need to be shown the loving kindness, tender care, and compassion of the Kingdom of God.

The Haitians are looking to survive this terrible catastrophe. As Christians, we can build the Kingdom of God over there through acts of support rather than brow-beating them with the Bible just to add numbers to the ranks of people being saved. This is what makes it crucial to the growth of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Faith alone saves an individual person; faith and good works saves the world.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of the World and the Healer of the Nations. You bring the Kingdom of God into our hearts through our salvation, so that we can take that precious gift out into the world through acts of love and compassion. Help us to do what we can to help the needy, support the poor, and care for the perishing, so that God’s Kingdom may be effective and restorative in the world today. 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.

Church Meeting Devotions: Enduring Forever

Post-modern idealism is heretical.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

I was reading an article yesterday on what has been called post-modernism. It’s a trend that has been affecting our society since the 1990’s. Post modern people think everything is relative and that there are no certainties anymore. What one person experiences, thinks, and believes is just as important, valuable, and truthful as what the next person experiences, thinks, and believes. The hope is that if enough people adopt a post-modern attitude then we will be able to solve all of the conflicts, divisions, and disunity in the world. In other words, an enlightened post-modern humanity can become its own Savior.

And that’s precisely the trouble with this kind of thinking. Christ becomes redundant. He is no longer the Savior of the World, but only another religious teacher. We replace Jesus with our own philosophical and cultural ideals. We idolize humanity and discard the divinity of Christ.

It’s called ‘heresy’ which is a word that post-modernists abhor. How can anyone be called a heretic, they protest, when no one knows the absolute truth? And when people like me write about the insidious nature of heresy in our church, culture, and society, we’re accused of being narrow-minded, arrogant, and insensitive to this post-modern phenomenon that is circulating around the world.

But here’s my two cents on the whole issue: the World has constantly sought to diminish, dilute, and discard God’s Word. Jesus was crucified for His absolutist ideas and uncompromising teaching. The First Christians were persecuted and martyred for their unconditional beliefs and unwavering loyalty to Christ. Do we honestly believe that we know better than those who walked and talked with Jesus? Are we saying that our post-modern views are more valuable than Christ dying on the Cross?

The Word of God, as the writer of Hebrews states, is living and active. It cuts through our post-modern idealism and narcissistic society. It penetrates our self-absorption and disturbs our one world philosophies. It challenges our cherished ideals and upsets our self-centered 21^st century sickness that heretically separates us from God. We don’t like it; we fight against it; and we defiantly won’t embrace it.

But when post-modernism has turned to dust, God’s Word and Christ’s Gospel will remain. And so long as the wheel of Time turns, people of all ages, cultures, languages, and races will come to Christ and accept Him personally as their Lord and Savior. Heretics may come and go, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Christ of History and the Savior of the World. Kingdoms may rise and fall, ideas and philosophies may emerge and diminish, but Your Gospel and God’s Word endures forever. Forgive us for embracing false ways and preserve from allowing heresy to harm our faith. 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.

Church Meeting Devotions: Peer Pressure

(It's getting harder to preach the Gospel these days - even in the Church, of all places!)

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved.”

Podcast version here

I’m having a tough time relating to my peers. It’s always been hard because I didn’t go to an American seminary, so I’ve no class fellowship to identify or connect with. I also was brought up in old-school Presbyterianism, so my Scottish Calvinist background doesn’t help me get close to my progressive Presbyterian associates.

At times, I feel like a fish out of water and I wonder if my family and I would have been better staying in Scotland. And then I remember that I am called by God to be here, so there must be a reason that I am constantly crying in the wilderness and feeling out of place.

I’m a Gospel preacher by trade. I owe everything to Jesus and because of that I’m not willing to give up on His ways, His teaching, or His Lordship. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect by any means, but I believe that Christ is. And I fervently believe that everything which the Old & New Testament reveal about Christ is completely true, unchangeable, and unarguable.

There’s a lot of pressure put on Christian people to give up part of their beliefs by equating Christ with Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, or even Krishna. Religious people are all part of one theological soup that tastes of God. The Gospels are just another batch of sacred documents which tell us tales about a great teacher called Jesus. Other religious documents from all over the world are supposed to be just as insightful, instructive, and important about showing us how to find God.

I’ve even got peers, who are Presbyterian pastors, who don’t believe in the Resurrection, nor do they think the Gospels are trustworthy. They follow their own path and sadly they take other people with them down a dead end.

When Peter the fisherman stands up fearlessly in front of the Sanhedrin and boldly declares that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved,” I believe him. He’s just a fisherman from Galilee, putting his life on the line, and courageously preaching the Gospel. He’s out of place in Jerusalem. He’s crying out for Christ in a theological wilderness. He’s declaring the divine truth and does not care what his peers, elders, and leaders believe. Peter has given his life, heart, and soul to Christ. He can do nothing else but preach the Gospel.

I choose to be like Peter because I want to serve the Lord. I will always preach the Gospel because I truly love Jesus. And whether my pastoral peers like it or not, I will keep the New Testament Christ in my heart because I know of no other Name through whom humanity can be saved.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we live in troubled times and the Church is causing a lot of trouble for herself by mincing Your words and devaluing Your truth. Help us to get back on the right track. Grant us the courage to remain loyal to You and to the Gospels that reveal Your ways, Your words, and Your holy works. In Your sacred Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment upon today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. Please feel free to forward this message to your friends.

Church Meeting Devotions: The Real Bible Bashers

Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.”

Podcast version here

I find it incredible that some people will blindly accept what contemporary writers have to say about the Gospels, rather than believing the words in the Bible. It seems quite arrogant to me that biblical scholars, living 2000 years after the New Testament events took place, call into question what people wrote thirty to fifty years after Christ ascended. It’s almost as if some people are willing to believe what they read now, because it is current and modern, rather than believe what was written then, just because it has become out-dated and old fashioned.

Modern biblical scholarship has nothing to add to what has already been written for two thousand years. Faith in the Good Book is just as important as faith in Christ. Some people think that that kind of thinking is absurd, narrow-minded, and totally out of step in the real world. But to me, the bottom line is this: how many books on modern biblical scholarship are going to outlive the Bible? In a hundred years time, will the names of biblical scholars be revered, or will we still be teaching the names of Christ’s disciples to our children. I think that the answer is obvious.

I thank God for allowing us to have the scriptures in our lives today. I praise Him that after 2000 years, the New Testament is still read by many people. I exalt God that the Gospel and Christ’s teachings, ministry, and mission are still influential in today’s world. There is a wonderful enduring power in the Word of God. It has been challenged in every generation since the scriptures were written, and yet it still remains intact today.

It’s sad that some people are being led astray because they put more faith in what modern people have to say about the Bible, rather than seeking God in His holy words. If only they would put the same effort, energy, and emphasis into reading, revering, and reflecting upon the Bible, they would then discover a greater meaning for their lives than any ivory-towered academic could ever help them to achieve.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we have knowledge of Your preaching, teaching, and healing miracles simply because we were given the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Without their writings, we could never have known You. Thank You for the special gift of the Gospels, New Testament, and Old Testament which continue to inspire, influence, and encourage us. 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.

Church Meeting Devotions: Back to The Future

Lectionary verse: Psalm 25:7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.

Most of the psalms in the Bible are written by David, Israel’s greatest king. Usually, they have been written during his moments of great strength, faith, and creativity. It’s as if the vitality of David made him want to write some wonderful songs. And, if you think of it, most songwriters compose their best songs, lyrics, and tunes when they are between the ages of 25 – 45.

Today’s sacred poem is a bit different. I think that it’s written by an elderly David who is reflecting upon his life, his past mistakes, and deepest regrets. He’s looking back on some of his rash choices and poor decisions in his long life. And like anyone else who happens to be an elderly citizen, he wishes that things had been different and hopes that God will be merciful. You see, David is preparing for his final finals – he knows that one day soon, he will be face to face with God.

I don’t know about you, but when I look back at my own crazy past I want to give myself a good shaking down - especially when I was a teenager and in my early twenties. In my mind’s eye, I see myself saying and doing foolish and despicable things, or what David so eloquently calls ‘the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways.’ I wish that I could go back to the past and alter things, but I can’t. And if, at the end of my life, anyone asks me “would you change anything?” I would have to answer with a resounding “yes!”

David’s problem with his past causes him concern for his eternal future. He wants God to forget about the many mistakes and wicked deeds that even he, the greatest Israelite King, had committed. He’s begging God to set aside all of those sinful times that contaminated his faith, his family, and his friendships. In other words, David is looking for a mulligan, as far as his life is concerned. He wants God to bend the rules, show some mercy, and apply some grace so that he can die and rest peacefully.

You see David did not have the wonderful opportunity to cast his sins upon Christ’s Cross to be redeemed, and although he made many sacrifices in the Holy Temple each year, the king still carried the burden of a sinful past. Today, we are more fortunate because we can directly, sincerely, and humbly appeal to Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. We can go back beyond our own sinful past to centuries before we were born and hang our mistakes, our guilt, and our regrets on a tree called Calvary.

We can also come to a Table full of mercy, forgiveness, and peace, instead of an altar streaming with blood, terror, and fear. If David knew then what we know today, then his anxiety and angst, troubles and tribulation over his youthful sins and rebellious ways would have been swept away by the blood of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ.

So, when we read today’s psalm and Gospel lesson, let’s give thanks to God that we live in a merciful time, where the Good News of salvation can be given to every sinner, just like ourselves, who personally comes to Jesus, seeks His mercy, and receives God grace. We go back to the past in order to move on to the eternal future where faith sets us free from fear, hope handles all our doubts, and love cleanses our sins forever.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He regularily writes a devotional blog called Heaven's Highway.

The illustration was drawn by John. It is called "Lenten Prayer." You can see more of John's liturgical art at his webpage Stushie's Art.

Church Meeting 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.

Church Meeting Devotions: Christ's Choice

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Sometimes I wonder how Paul would have fared in today’s world. He comes across as being too sure of himself and I don’t know whether he is rebuking his readers or encouraging them.

Take this morning’s small verse, for instance. Paul begins by stating, ‘Your attitude should be…;’ he doesn’t write could be or might be – Paul insists that our attitudes should be – that’s pretty strong stuff for a preacher to be expressing. That meddles directly with how we manage our faith.

If Paul was around today, he would probably get thrown out of a lot of churches for preaching such a controversial and confrontational message. He would be emotionally tarred and feathered by an outraged congregation, especially one of those ‘you’re okay, I’m okay, everybody’s okay’ type of churches.

When I question Paul’s no nonsense Christianity, I’m reminded of two things: firstly, my own failures as a Christian in trying to be a perfect servant of God; and secondly, Paul’s unquestionable right to state such things. After all, Paul was no cozy theologian who sat in an Ivy League study asking hypothetical questions. He was a diehard Christian who had been almost lynched, battered and bruised, hunted and harassed, stoned and shipwrecked, tortured and tried for his faith in Jesus. If anyone had the right to meddle in our lives and to state things like ‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,’ it surely was Paul.

As a pastor, I come across many people who are hostile to Paul’s teachings, but do you know what? I’ve still to come across one of his critics who have experienced any real persecution.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we forget that it was You who personally intervened and dramatically converted Paul on the road to Damascus. Too easily, we cast him aside because his certain faith makes our own beliefs seem shallow and pale. Help us to look again to Paul’s teaching and remind us that he was Your choice. 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.

Church meeting Devotions: Oscar Month

John 6:15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

I love February because it’s Oscars month on Turner Classic movies. I get to record and watch the old movies with famous actors like Errol Flynn, Olivia de Haviland, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Greer Garson.

For the past two night, I’ve been watching Laurence Olivier in Richard III. He plays one of the sleaziest, greediest, and wickedest villains on the screen. I love Shakespeare’s plays anyway, but Olivier’s acting is absolutely amazing.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, cheats, conspires, and kills his way into becoming the King of England. Along the way, he makes many enemies and at the end of the play, he is left destitute on the battlefield. That’s when Olivier utters the immortal lines: “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” Justice is served and the villainous king is cut down and killed by his rival.

When I read the Gospel passage this morning, I was reminded that the people wanted to make Jesus their king, just because He supplied them with fish and bread. They wanted Him to provide for them, to heal their sicknesses, to satisfy their hunger, and to make their lives pleasant.

But Jesus was on a mission from God, so He couldn’t be tempted by such an offer. He was serving God, not Himself. He was doing God’s will, not His own.

This also reminds me that our faith in Christ is purely meant to glorify and honor Him. If we seek Jesus to bless us all the time and to make our lives easier, then we’ve crowned the wrong kind of king in our hearts. If we place our lives into His hands and seek to serve His kingdom here on earth, then we’ve truly made Him the King of our lives.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to place You at the center of our lives and to honor You with our service to Your Kingdom. Enable us to keep You as the King of our hearts and Lord of our days. 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.