Opening Devotions: Yeasterday - Matthew 13:33

Matthew 13:33            Jesus told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

One of my earliest memories from childhood is of the terrible smell of whisky yeast that came from the distilleries next to my neighborhood. It was absolutely awful and some days it made me feel sick. The stench was so strong that I can still remember the smell fifty years later. These days, distilleries would not be allowed to pollute the surrounding environment, but way back in the early 1960s there were no government controls. Generations of Glaswegians learned to live around the pollution and put up with what we called ‘the pong.’ We didn’t know any better or that life could be better lived. Thankfully, the environment has been cleaned up and future generations of my city folk will not have to endure such a bane in their everyday life.

Yeast is pervasive, whether it is used for making bread or a whisky mash. It expands throughout the substance it enters until all the flour for bread or barley for whisky is affected. It’s an amazing biological process which causes bread to rise and whisky to mature. Without the yeast, proper bread or real whisky could not be produced. It is the main catalyst which is required to produce the final desired result.

Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was meant to be like yeast; it is essential to the spiritual growth of humanity and the expansion of the Church. Without the kingdom of God at the heart of our spirits, we could never aspire towards Heaven. Without Christ’s Kingdom at the center of our faith, Christianity could never have hoped to be globally influential across the centuries. Christ’s Kingdom is the catalyst that is required to produce God’s final desired results – that of sinners saved by grace and billions of people restored to His everlasting favor.

So today, let us give thanks that Christ is at the heart of our faith and also our spirits. His Kingdom begins within each of us and expands out into the world through the faith that we share, the deeds that we do, and the lives that we live.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, be the spiritual yeast within us that we yearn for in the world. Expand Your Ministry and Mission through each one of us. Help us to grow in faith and to increase the good deeds that we can complete, in order to bring honor and glory to God. In Your Holy Name, we live and 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 Psalm drawing. It’s a simple child-like depiction of a verse from Psalm 111. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6464037881_34db33968d_b.jpg

Church Devotions: White Noise - Matthew 13:9

Matthew 13:9  “He who has ears, let him hear.”

Have you ever heard of the term “white noise?” It’s used by broadcasters to blank out unwanted sounds on radio, television, and satellite programs. On its own, it sounds like a lot of static, but when it’s applied to a recording, the white noise gets rid of irritating sounds and unwanted frequencies.

We use “white noise” when we want to block out other sounds too. If workers are drilling in the street outside our homes or offices, we may increase the volume of our televisions or radios to cancel out the drilling noise. Or if we’re in a building where we can hear people talking in the next room, we might put a fan on to cancel out the sound of their voices. That would be white noise too.

There’s a lot of white noise in the world and in people’s hearts and spirits. The white noise that we’ve created with our lives has cancelled out Christ’s Voice. We make important choices without even consulting Him. We worship without even focusing on Him. We express our faith without even reading, knowing, or applying His Words. We’ve cancelled out Christ with all of the distractions in our lives. He still speaks His challenging words to us, but we’re either not hearing Him at all or we’ve distorted His words to suit our own ideas, opinions, and culture.

We’re afraid to listen to Christ’s Truth because He will radically change our ideas.

We’re afraid to follow His Way because we want to keep things going our way.

We’re reluctant to accept His Life because our lives will no longer be our own.

So instead of listening to Christ or hearing the Gospel, we create white noise to block out His irritating words and uncompromising demands. We want Jesus to be meek and mild – meek enough to mold Him our way and mild enough not to meddle in our lives.

The challenge that we face today and everyday is this: how can we block out the world’s white noise and really listen to Jesus?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we have failed to follow You completely. We are guilty of setting You aside and blocking You from tampering in our lives and changing our ways. We want You to go along with us and listen to everything we have to say. We forget that You are the Lord and we are only Your servants. Help us to refocus our hearts and minds so that we will actually listen to You. In Your Holy Name, we urgently pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest 2011 Nativity drawings called
“Light of the World.” It features a silhouetted Joseph and Mary walking in the outskirts of Bethlehem beneath the Natal Star. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6469850593_46b13aa547_b.jpg

Advent Clip art: Free advent art

Here are four clip images that I've drawn for Advent Bulletins





You can also find all four in larger versions at the following facebook link:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150368100662109.346523.525292108&type=1&l=babd9171df

Church meeting devotions: Make a Difference - Matthew 9:35-38

Today’s Bible readings are: Isaiah 24:7-13 and Matthew 9:35-38

Matthew 9:38 (Jesus said) “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Some people in your life are waiting to be invited to church this Christmas. They want to come and sing Christmas carols; they want to hear the timeless story of Christ’s birth; they want to be forgiven for their past mistakes. They want to reconnect with God and belong to a community of faith. They are afraid to do this on their own; they feel unworthy and unholy; they feel lost and isolated, vulnerable and broken.

They want to be loved by God again.

They just don’t know where to start, where to go, or what to do. They are waiting for a sign. They are seeking guidance. They need help. They don’t want Christmas to go by again and carry an empty heart and unfulfilled life from this year to the next. They want to come to church, but they are worried that they won’t be welcomed.

This is where you come in. God is calling you to invite them. He needs you to ask them to come to church this Christmas. He wants as many people as possible to be reconnected to His love and to experience the joy of Jesus in their hearts. God needs you to be the one to welcome those seekers to come to church. He wants you to give them a positive and clear invitation to come back to church. You are the worker that He needs to go into the harvest field to restore His blessing to someone who feels helpless, hapless, and hopeless.

Let God do what He does best. Let Him use you to bring others to church this Christmas – your family, your friends, your colleagues, and your neighbors. Everyone needs to be loved by God and given a new beginning. This year, this Advent, and this Christmas, be the one to bring someone closer to Christ and back to church.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few,” said Jesus. This Christmas, become one of the few!

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, open our hearts and minds to the people in our circles who are seeking You in their lives. Grant us opportunities and possibilities to invite them to church this Christmas. Take away our fears, and enable us to give a positive and welcoming invite to all whom You would have us ask. 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 about today’s message, or ask a question, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s Christmas drawings called “Nativity Nap Time.” It’s being used by churches throughout the world to promote their Christmas Eve services, as well as part of a national non-profit organization’s annual donor campaign who are sending out 370,000 Christmas cards with the drawing across the United States this year. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4003/4159555940_eb5f7bb5c2_b.jpg

Church Devotions: Which is Easier? - Matthew 9:5

Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 22:9-16 and Matthew 9:1-8

Matthew 9:5    Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 

Which is easier: to say, ‘I’m a Christian,’ or to actually be a Christian?

Wow! That second statement hits me right at the heart of my heart. I can say I’m a Christian all day long, but if I don’t practice what Christ preached, doesn’t that make me a hypocrite? It’s so easy to fool myself into thinking I’m a good person, doing good deeds, thinking positive thoughts and not doing anything bad, but is that just a delusion? Am I fooling myself, but not the people who know me best or the God who knows everything?

It would be very easy to point out other people who are not Christians. It would be less difficult to unlovingly label other people as outcast and strangers, hypocrites and heathens; but to honestly call myself a Christian? Is that my call to make or does Jesus do it for me?

Today has been a quiet day of self-reflection, meditation, and reconnecting with Christ. I seem to be at a spiritual crossroads where I must seriously ponder what God wants me to do with the rest of my days. I want to be totally committed to Christ, but that would involve a lot of challenges and changes. On the other hand, I want life to be easy as a church-going Christian teacher and preacher, but is that what faith is all about?

Over the years, I’ve watched Christian people of all ages fall into a religious routine that is soul-less, meaningless, and faithless. They don’t do it deliberately; it just happens day by day, week after week, year after year. They get so cozy with God and buddy with Christ that they believe everything that they say, do, or even think is okay with God and totally acceptable to Christ. That’s when it becomes easier to say, “I am a Christian,” rather than actually be one.

I don’t want to get comfy with Christ or cozy with God. I don’t want to just say “I’m a Christian,” I really want to live as one. I know it’s not going to be easy, or that the path ahead will be smooth, but I would rather walk in His ways for the rest of my days.

How about you?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You did not promise that following You would be easy; in fact You told us to pick up our crosses and then follow You. Help all of us this day to make the right choices that please, honor, and glorify You alone. 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 or ask a question about today’s message, please send John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing. It’s called “Whale Play” and features a humpback whale surfacing on the sea. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6105/6336468229_058c5a5e5d_b.jpg

Devotions for meetings: Go away, Jesus! - Matthew 8:34

Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 22:1-8 and Matthew 8:24-34

Matthew 8:34  Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

 

They were absolutely terrified of Jesus. He cast out demons and caused a stampede. He proved that He had the power of God within Him, as well as the divine authority that went with it, but instead of worshipping, glorifying, and welcoming Him into their community, the Gadarene people urged Him to leave their shores.

You would think that because Jesus was able to perform miracles and cure serious sicknesses, He would have been welcomed with open arms and publicly celebrated. Instead, the people hurried to find Him in order to tell Him to go away. They didn’t want the challenges and changes He would have brought to their community. They just wanted to be left in peace to resume their way of life.

That’s not an uncommon response to the Living Gospel of Christ. Even today, there are millions of people in our society who refuse to accept Jesus as the Lord of their Lives and King of their hearts. They like what Jesus taught about love, but they refuse to submit themselves to His authority. They do not want to give their hearts to Christ because they would have to surrender their choices, their ways, and their goals.

Christ can come into our lives and make things more meaningful, granting us a real purpose for the short time we each have on Earth. But Jesus can do nothing for us unless we are willing to welcome Him into our hearts and homes, our communities and churches. The Gospel is a life-changing message which turns our worlds upside down and our values inside out. We do not change Jesus to suit our needs; instead He changes us to bring glory to God through doing His will.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, our lives should belong to God, but sometimes we have trouble in letting go of ourselves in order to allow You to change us completely. We are sometimes scared to surrender our spirits to Your ways and are too timid to apply our lives according to Your truth. Help us to get over our fears about faith, so that we may fully surrender our hearts and minds, bodies and souls to You alone. 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 a question, please send John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest Christmas Nativity drawings. It’s called “Small Town Miracle.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6117/6331033884_bd20084c00_b.jpg

Opening devotions: Prayers for Peace - Isaiah 19:24

Today’s Bible readings are: Isaiah 19:18-25 and Matthew 8:1-4

Isaiah 19:25                The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance."

For as long as I can remember, peace in the Middle East has been the goal of every Western political leader, as well as of the United Nations General Assembly. The wars between Egypt, Israel and Syria have been going on for thousands of years. The major disruptions that have occurred in that troubled region affect the well-being of the whole world. But no matter what political deals or mandates from the United Nations are made, without God’s blessing they will never be sustained or bear any fruit.

I’m intrigued when I read the prophecies of Isaiah that were written over 2,500 years ago. They could have been spoken this morning and gone to press this afternoon. The Biblical truth is that there will always be divisions in that area of the world until God finally resolves the problem. In the same chapter of Isaiah, the prophet writes about God sending a Savior and Defender to rescue all of the people from that area – Egyptians, Israelites, and Assyrians. As Christians, we know Who that Savior and Defender is: Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God.

This also means that we, as Christians, should be constantly praying for peace in the Middle East by the conversion of all the people in that area to Christianity. If Christ has to become their Savior and Defender, then they will have to know Who He is and what He can do for them. For almost two thousand years, Christian churches, monasteries, and congregations have existed in those regions. It’s time that we supported them with our prayers, asking God for an almighty movement of the Holy Spirit to sweep over the region, in order to open the heart, minds, and souls of all the people to the life, work, teaching, and ministry of Christ.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, our world and its leaders are constantly seeking ways to bring about a lasting peace in the Middle East. Although their aspirations and work is important, we know that within our hearts that only Your Presence can truly affect the whole region. We ask You, as the Prince of Peace, to send forth Your Holy Spirit among the churches of that area. Enable and empower them to promote Your teaching and to expand their faithful communities so that salvation, peace, and faith may be rediscovered by all Middle Easterners. In Your Holy 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 or ask a question, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s psalm drawings. It comes from Psalm 80. If you would like to view a larger version online, then please click on the following link: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3312/3615925254_87ab8df8b0_b.jpg