Lent Devotion: Coming Soon - Exodus 20:20

Exodus 20:20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

            Sometimes I wonder when and where the world started to go wrong. It may be that I’m getting older and just don’t understand the times that we are living in. It could be that we’re all heading down a road that will lead to the betterment of humankind: I don’t know. It just seems to me that we’re becoming more self-centered, self-opinionated, and self-motivated than ever before. Godless behavior and brazen ways have captivated our people. There’s no more decency, respect, or courtesy. People do their own thing, go their own way, and live their own lives.

            We all love sin a bit too much these days and this is breaking down our relationships, families, and communities. It could be called amoral anarchy, religious recklessness, or fickle faithlessness. Whatever it is, at some point we’re going to have to pay the piper and deal with the consequences. There is no such thing as free freedom or cheap grace. When Jesus returns, we will be judged for what we are doing or have done; His Word will be final and there will be no appeal.

The other day, I wrote a short poem as a reminder about what we as Christians believe will happen. It’s called “Coming Soon.”

Coming Soon

There will be a time

When no one will ask,

“Is Jesus real?”

There will be a day

When guns will be silent

And humanity will heal.

There will be a year

When death is destroyed

And pain will disappear;

For there will be an hour

When the world will say,

“Jesus is here!”

Questions for personal reflection

Am I living my life for myself or God? Do I really believe that Jesus will return to judge the world?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, at times our world is spinning out of control and we are fearful for its future. Instead of loving God, many are devoted to sin. Instead of following Your way, many are making up their own paths. Keep us and guide us, lead us and protect us 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, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Celtic Cross drawings. It’s called “Celtic Sky.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8326/8427665601_07363c1307_b.jpg

Opening Devotions: Expecting the Unexpected - Revelation 8:5

Revelation 8:5             Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

This week’s earthquake in Virginia took a lot of people by surprise. People felt high buildings shake and thought it was another terrorist attack. The Washington Monument cracked and was shut down. The National Cathedral in DC suffered millions of dollars of damage. It was completely unexpected and lots of people were left frightened and stunned.

Records, however, show that earthquakes have taken in this region before. In fact, if you look at a map and check out the North Eastern seaboard terrain, you soon realize that earthquakes have been happening in this region for millions of years. Everyone was caught by surprise this week because of a false notion that large earthquakes take place on the West Coast and not the Eastern Seaboard. We have fooled ourselves into believing that the whole region was off limits to substantial seismological activity.

We are good at deluding ourselves biblically too. Take some of the passages in Revelation. We hardly ever think about them and cast them aside as ancient mythology. We reckon that it’s been almost 2000 years since the apocalyptic prophecies were written, so why do we need to bother about them now?

However, we also casually forget that we are almost 2000 years nearer to the day when these events will occur. Just like the “unexpected” earthquake in Virginia, the Lord will return one day and angels will hurl hail and fire which will burn up a third of the Earth. Will we look at one another in deep shock and surprise if it happens in our lifetime? Will we sadly remember that this “unexpected” return was not so unexpected after all? Will we continually live our lives as if these cataclysmic events will happen only after we’re dead and gone?

If we honestly think about it, everyday has the potential of being our last day on Earth. The serious question that we need to ask ourselves is this: will it also be our first day in Christ’s Everlasting Kingdom? The gift of free will still applies, so the choice of where we end up eternally is still ours to make on this side of Life.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, prevent us from fooling ourselves about Your Second Coming. Keep us aware and alert to the signs of the times and the Biblical warnings that You have given to us. Help us to stay focused on our faith in You and enable to attract our loved ones to You before it is too late. 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 or ask questions, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image John’s simple stained glass design of Christ’s Return. It’s called “A New Earth.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3084/2432537217_e82364bff8_b.jpg