Church devotions: A Real Promise - Genesis 8:22

Genesis 8:22   (God said) “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

I am not a scientist so I have to trust what the environmentalists tell me about what’s happening to the planet. I also don’t fully understand what global warming may or may not be, so I have to depend upon them to let me know the truth. If they have a political agenda or an ecological philosophy to push, no matter what the facts present, I wouldn’t know because I am no expert in their fields. It’s all a matter of trust and faith, good will and wise conclusions.

I’m a theologian and a biblical scholar, so when I read in Genesis that God says everything will be okay on this planet so long as the Earth endures, then I trust that His promises are true. Throughout my life, I have never known of God breaking His Word, so I can readily accept that thousands of years ago, when He stated that the agricultural and weather cycles on Earth would persist, as long as the Earth endures, then it will always be the case. I realize, however, that these cycles will only continue so long as the Earth herself is sustained. If we destroy the planet by abusing the environment then those cycles, upon which all life on Earth depends, will be absolutely ruined. In other words, we don’t have to worry about God bringing the world to an end – we can manage that tragedy all on our own.

Question for personal reflection

­How can I faithfully serve God through cherishing the Earth and protecting its environment?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the King of all Creation and we best serve You when we look after others and the world that we live in. Help us to recycle our faith through sharing it with others, as well as combining our resources with other Christians to renew and value the Earth. 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 John’s latest digital glass drawings. It’s called “The Bright Morning Star.” If you would like to view a larger version, click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6997700470_2e5fe82c6e_b.jpg

Church Staff devotions: Happening Now - Mark 13 v 8

Mark 13:8       Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

We had an earthquake about 20 miles away from Knoxville this morning. I think it registered about 3.3 on the Richter scale, so there wasn’t really any damage although some people at the epicenter were a bit shook up with the noise. East Tennessee gets about 10 small earthquakes each year, but they are hardly noticeable to the population. I guess we forget that we live right next to the Smoky Mountains, which were created by earthquakes millions of years ago.

There’s seems to be a lot of turmoil in the world right now: the Icelandic volcano, the Chinese earthquake, and wars in various places. You can’t help but feeling that we’re on the threshold of something big, new, and mysterious. Jesus did warn us long ago that these were the signs of His imminent Arrival. Perhaps we’ve grown so used to being without His physical presence and living our lives in our own fashion that we’ve put the thought of His Second Coming to the back of our minds.

Maybe it’s the caffeine in my system right now, but I get this uneasy feeling that we should be preparing for something, after all today could be the beginning of the End.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, help us to use this day as a means of getting our hearts and minds, our lives and souls in touch and attached to You. Remind us that life is fleeting and that we are given the blessing of everlasting life through You alone. Show us that each day is a gift of grace and a time to prepare for Your Return. 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.