Church Meeting devotions: Revival, not Survival - Psalm 80

Psalm 80:18 Then we will not turn away from You; revive us, and we will call on Your Name. 

Survival or revival? Emerge or resurge? Churches today have to seriously work out where they want to be in 5-10 years time, if they want to survive the first half of this new century. It’s no use keeping on for the sake of holding on. That’s just wishful thinking and more churches are closed because of good intentions or clinging to nostalgia. We live in a new age, with new ideas. We need to learn to adjust or become as dust.

Now I’m not advocating syncretism, where the Church falls to its knees and allows the current culture to totally shape it. That would be a betrayal of Christ and a march towards insignificance, which would eventually lead to irrelevance and extinction. I’m talking about revival or rebooting the Church from within its own ranks, in order to make better disciples of Christ, greater messengers of His Truth, and more practical followers of the Faith.

We cannot do this on our own. We need to invoke and implore the Holy Spirit to come among us, to release us from survival mode and put us into Revival. It would mean that every church member of every congregation would truly re-commit their lives to Christ. That should be the ambition of every church in existence. Christ’s message is timeless and has stood the test of two thousand centuries of opposition. If we truly relied upon the Word of God as our Way of Life then the Church that would emerge would be full of people who were constantly resurging their Christian faith.

Today is a good day to start. Now is the right moment to reboot our beliefs and refocus on our faith. It’s time for all of us to seriously place Christ at the center of our existence. If we honestly do this today, then we will seek new opportunities to share our revived faith with our friends, families, and even strangers. And that, after all is said and done, is why we are divinely blessed with life, love, and faith in the first place.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, revive our commitment and connection to You this day. Open our hearts to the blessing of Your Holy Spirit and allow our minds to accept Your Way, Truth, and Life. Empower and enable us to become effective, relevant, and useful disciples in our congregations and communities. In Your Holy Name, we expectantly 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 autumn drawings of the Smoky Mountains. It’s called “Fall in Leaves” and is currently on exhibit at Erin Church. You can view a larger version of the drawing at the following link:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4877571660_cc7d070bb8.jpg

25 limited edition signed prints are available from John.

Church Meeting devotions: The Bereans - Acts 17:10-15

Acts 17:11       Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

I like what Luke has to write about the Berean people. They would be precious gifts in any church. They eagerly accept the Gospel and seek the scriptures diligently to find the prophecies from the past that were being accomplished in their own time. They must have been a great crowd of people to preach to and teach. I think that if any Christian church was to have an ambition, it should be to be biblically-centered in a Berean way.

Thankfully, I have been allowed to serve three churches in my lifetime that were full of people who thirsted for the Gospel and the Word of God. They have sought to seek God’s guidance over their lives and to increase their knowledge of the Bible. It is a rare and wonderful gift in these secular times, and I am truly grateful to God for allowing me the privilege of sharing the Gospel with such faithful followers of Christ.

Yesterday, I wrestled with God in prayer for one of my friends who had a severe heart attack. As I was praying in the hospital chapel, I looked for some words from the Bible to help my friend and to help me know that God had heard my prayers. My eyes fell upon two verses from the 41^st psalm: “The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.” (Psalm 41:2-3)

I could not have chosen two better verses. Today my friend is resting comfortably and the crisis appears to be over. He has long way to go before he fully recovers, but I thank God for His Words. He showed me that there are often times when we are powerless, but there is never a time when we are prayer-less.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for the promises of the Gospel and the blessings of scripture. Thank You for Your power in the world and for the prayers that are spoken to You every second of the day. Help us to become like Bereans of old, to receive the Gospel gladly and to read the scriptures faithfully. 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 Appalachian drawing. It depicts a stream in the Smokies during the Fall. It’s called “Fall in Leaves.” You can view a larger version at the following link: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4877571660_cc7d070bb8_b.jpg

Church meeting Devotions: Refreshing Rains - Psalm 72

Psalm 72:6      He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the Earth.

I love it when it rains after I have mown the lawn. It makes me feel as though I have accomplished something worthwhile and the smell of the newly mown wet grass is refreshing to me. When I lived in Scotland and watched the farmers bring in the harvest, it was always wonderful to experience the rains that soon followed. They brought promises of a new set of seasons and the continuance of God’s blessing upon the rural community.

This psalm is about the changing of the seasons, from one king’s reign to another. It’s a coronation prayer for Solomon, as well as a prayerful plea that the blessings of God will continue upon the people and the land throughout this new monarchy. The mown field represents all that David had accomplished in the past. The refreshing rains are meant to symbolize communal blessings under Solomon’s reign for the future.

It’s also a good verse to remember when we each begin a new journey or phase in our lives. The past is behind us and we are given a fresh start to begin again. God’s grace, through Christ, supplies us with the encouragement, favor, and blessing that we need to rekindle our faith and hopes. The promises of God can be showered upon us and our spirits can be refreshed through Christ’s love in our lives.

So, if you are at the threshold of something new and feel a wee bit hesitant about what lies ahead, take this verse as your prayerful foundation of God’s guidance, support, and blessing. May He be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the Earth.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You fully know what we are currently experiencing. You know our anxieties about new starts and unfamiliar ways. Bless us with the presence of Your Holy Spirit in all of our new endeavors. In Your Holy Name, we faithfully 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 John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s drawing of Edinburgh castle, Scotland as seen from the fountain in Princes Street gardens. You can view a larger version of the print at the following link: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4824459907_7bfe1993e9_b.jpg

Church meeting devotions: Restoring Hope - Psalm 71

Psalm 71:20    Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

This is one of those verses that makes the Book of Psalms such great scripture to read during troubled times. Each of us goes through bitter moments in our lives that make us question God. We languish in emotional wildernesses of sadness and regret, which causes us to wonder what life is all about.

During those morose moments, we turn to God to comfort our spirits and refresh our faith. We see in Christ’s suffering a God who is not distant and alienated from our troubles, but who is at the heart of our pain and anguish. He seeks to restore our lives through His love and lifts us up from the depths of our despair. We may temporarily lose our grasp of God, but He never loses His hold of us.

Perhaps you are experiencing a time of sadness or fear; maybe you are undergoing a very trying time. Hold on to hope and receive the blessings of this verse. Claim it as your prayer each day and allow God, through Christ, to restore balance and blessing, faith and favor to your life. Remember, you are precious in His sight and He wants His goodness and love to overflow in your heart and mind, your life and experiences. God will restore your life again; from the depths of the earth He will again bring you up.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, you alone fully know what goes on in our hearts and minds. You understand the burdens that we carry and You are aware of the heartbreaks in each of our lives. Allow Your Holy Spirit to come down among us and lift us up to God’s love. In Your Sacred Name, we earnestly 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 Knoxville featuring the two city bridges in downtown Knoxville at dawn. You can see a larger version of the drawing at the following link: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4823079492_0bca604219_b.jpg

(John has prints available of this drawing. Contact him by email if you are interested in purchasing one. The cost for an 8x10 inch signed print with an 11x14 matte is only $20.)

Opening devotions: Me, Me, Me - Psalm 71

Psalm 71:2      Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.

I love the Book of Psalms, but sometimes King David’s self-centered pleas are annoying. He says “Me, me, me” quite a lot and it makes me wonder what kind of a person he really was.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that David is one of the greatest heroes in the Bible, but quite often he made foolish and selfish choices that created major problems for himself, his people, and his family. Time and time again, David blamed his enemies and believed that they should be punished by God. He seemed to be in denial about his own portion of the blame and brazenly expected God to fix everything.

I am not perfect either, and I make selfish choices and foolish mistakes too. I hope, however, that I accept my culpability and seek God’s forgiveness first and my salvation second. The process is called repentance – an old-fashioned word, for sure – but one that I have constantly needed throughout my Christian journey.

Perhaps you are in the midst of a crisis, issue, or problem that you need God to fix. Maybe you’re overwhelmed with anxiety or regret and you feel emotionally paralyzed. As you come to God in prayer, ask Him initially to reveal your portion of blame and humbly seek His forgiveness. Perhaps after that experience, the next step to resolution won’t be as hard.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, forgive our self-centered and annoyingly narcissistic ways. Grant us the ability to see our weaknesses and faults, so that we may begin the process of contrition and repentance, and then seek resolution and completeness. 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.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing of Mount Fujiyama in Japan. It’s on his ‘places to see” Bucket List. You can view a larger version of the print by clicking on the following link:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4820234972_2d0f5a10b0_b.jpg

Church meeting devotions: Testing the Spirit - Acts 13

Acts 13:2         While they were worshiping the LORD and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

I love this verse in the Bible because it records one of the few occasions that the Holy Spirit actually speaks. Normally when the Holy Spirit communicates with the apostles, the process is more of an inward spiritual experience. Here, we have direct contact and the communication is given through the spoken word.

I’ve never heard the Holy Spirit speak directly to me, but I have experienced a few occasions where I truly believe the Spirit’s presence was absolutely real and totally influential. Because those events have been few and far between, I tend to question people who constantly say that the Holy Spirit is always with them at meetings, in their churches, and throughout their lives. Maybe I’m wrong, but I personally get the feeling from the Book of Acts that the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the apostles was a holy, sacred, and unmistakable occurrence.

For example, years ago I was at a house group prayer meeting in Scotland and the hosts were praying for a relative who was sick in hospital. The prayers grew more fervent and intense until the host dramatically declared that the Holy Spirit had told her that her father was going to be completely cured and sent home without any surgery. Some people in the group started weeping and began embracing one another, praising the Holy Spirit for mercy.

The very next day, the surgeons at the hospital amputated her father’s two legs. He spent months in hospital and eventually died. Was the Holy Spirit at the prayer meeting? Did the Holy Spirit plant a false hope in the heart of the hostess? I really doubt it. Instead of epiklesis (the sacred presence of the Holy Spirit), I believe that the prayer group experienced euphoria and deluded themselves.

I think I would like to truly hear the Holy Spirit speak to the church that I serve. That’s why I feel strongly moved to lead the congregation through a two year journey of the Book of Acts on Sunday mornings. To hear the Holy Spirit, the church needs to know what the Holy Spirit actually does. There is no greater book in the Bible than the Acts of the Apostles which can do this for the congregation. I personally call Acts “The Gospel of the Holy Spirit.”

Prayer:                        Holy Spirit, please speak to us and grant us the gift of Your guidance. Enable and empower us to be effective followers of Christ through Your bidding. Allow us the delight of being set apart by You to complete God’s work in our congregations and communities. In Christ’s 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 drawing is one of John’s latest Savannah series creations. It depicts the Forsyth Fountain at night. A larger version of the drawing can be viewed at the following link: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4806659093_c3956ec558_b.jpg

Church Meeting Devotions: Questioning God - Acts 9

Acts 9:13         "LORD," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.”

There are times when I would love to be like Paul, but in my heart I know that I’m more like Ananias. God tells him to go and heal Saul of Tarsus, the great persecutor of the Early Church. Ananias balks at the very idea and even questions God’s command. He’s saying to God, “Are You sure about this? Perhaps You haven’t heard about this terrible man?”

That’s me all over - questioning God’s work and ways instead of listening to His voice and following His instructions. There have been many occasions in my life when God has presented me with new and difficult situations and I’ve ended up praying to God and expressing my concerns: “Are You sure about this? Will it work? Do You really think this person can do that?”

I’m certain that I’m not the only person or pastor who goes through this. Like Ananias, I eventually surrender to God’s will and trust in His wisdom. After all, God knows everything, so He must know what is right for Him, His Kingdom, and Christ’s Church.

Perhaps God is inviting You to a new opportunity, a different journey, or an untried spiritual path. Maybe like me, you question God and feel unsure. Pray and ponder over the possibilities. Seek Christ’s guidance and grace. If you truly do this and take time to think about it, God will show you His way. In the end, it’s His work in the world that’s important.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we often question Your ways and words. We are sometimes challenged by Your teaching because we know it will change our lives. Help us to accept the callings that You give us and lead us on the path that You have chosen for 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.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest Independence Day artwork. It’s called “Home of the Brave.” You can view a larger version of the image online at the following link:  http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4753108411_2f3ec14382_b.jpg