Teacher Devotions: Family First! - Hebrews 7:25

Hebrews 7:25              Therefore Christ is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them. 

Today, we come across one of those verses which reminds us that Christians are not Universalists. It’s important for us to remember this, because it will affect our daily lives, as well as our relationships with our families and friends.

I love my family deeply, but I worry over them constantly. Out of all of our brothers and sisters, children, nieces, and nephews – which adds up to 28 people in all – only Evelyn and I are regular attenders at church and Bible believing Christians.  2 out of 30 people! This means that 28 people whom I love deeply, but who haven’t committed their hearts and lives to Jesus, may not ever be saved.

Now, if I were a Universalist this wouldn’t matter to me. I could around with the notion and belief that everyone is saved and that after death, we all get to be with Jesus. But the First Christians, who wrote the Gospels and New Testament that we read, study and apply, never once believed that everyone was saved. They went out into the world, putting their lives on the line to spread our Faith, so that as many people as possible could be completely saved by coming to God through Jesus. Their mission was to convert the entire world from taking spiritual and religious paths that would only end up in death. They wanted everyone to be saved, but this could only be achieved through the preaching of the Gospel, the sharing of their faith, and inviting others to come to Jesus for salvation.

What they did then is not any different from what we should be doing now. Instead of worrying about 28 loved ones, I need to be praying, reaching out, and sharing the Gospel with them. Instead of keeping my faith to myself and hoping that things will turn out for the best, I need to express my faith in ways that will make my family review their own lives, face their own mortality, and get their souls right with God through Christ. I need to both minister to them without anxiety and be a missionary to them without being forceful. And I need to do it now before time runs out for all of us.

Perhaps you have people in your life who need to come to the Lord. Pray for them, but don’t preach to them. Reach out to them, but don’t harass them. Express your faith in Christ to them in attractive, compassionate, and sincere ways. Let Christ use you as His vehicle of faith to those you love dearest. Then when all is said and done, you will know that you have fully tried to inspire faith in the hearts, minds, and souls. In the end, that’s all we can ever hope to do.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You know how much we love our families and, because of this, we are sometimes fearful of upsetting them with our faith. Help us to find opportunities and ways that will enable us to express our Christian faith without offense. Give us the courage and the compassion to share You with our dearly loved families and friends. In Your Holy Name, we sincerely pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of my Easter 2011 drawings. It’s called “The Empty Tomb” and depicts the dawn’s early light streaming into Christ’s empty tomb on that first and glorious Easter morning. If you would like to view a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5651798294_83f8e7f0c6_b.jpg

Teacher Devotions: A Tough Passage - Hebrews 6:4-6

Hebrews 6:4-6            It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 

The biggest crowd in the year gathers at churches all over the planet on Sunday morning. Easter draws more people to their local congregations than at any other times of the year. People seem to understand what the Christian faith is all about and use Easter as a means of getting their lives right with God in order to create a fresh start.

It’s like the Day of Atonement and New Year’s Day all rolled into one. People need to be forgiven and seek that special absolution that only Easter can bring. They also want to be given another chance, another God blessed opportunity to begin again. Some people call this cheap grace, but others know it to be a divine gift of God’s mercy and love.

But what about today’s passage? Doesn’t it convey the idea that repentance and absolution, forgiveness and mercy are only given once to the born again or enlightened believer? The writer of Hebrews clearly states that there is no ‘do over’ or mulligan given to those who claim to be Christians. We either get it right the first time when we give our hearts to Christ or we miss the opportunity for salvation. Once saved does not mean always saved. According to this passage of scripture, we can lose everything that we once gained if we return to sinful ways, because in doing so, we shamefully crucify Christ again.

It’s a tough passage of scripture to take in and understand. It makes me worry about my own salvation and also all of those Christmas and Easter Christians who seem to take Christ’s grace for granted. Are we all just deluding ourselves and expecting Jesus to forgive us no matter what, or are there limits to His Grace after all?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we know that we fall short of Your expectations for us. Each day we sin in the same old ways and fully expect You to understand, pardon our mistakes, and put up with our sinful habits. We seem to be missing the point because You only forgive us in order to challenge our ways and change our lives. Keep us from taking this gift of grace for granted. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Holy Week drawings. It’s called “Death by Dali” and it is based upon Salvador Dali’s famous painting “Christ of St. John of the Cross.” If you would like to view a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5061/5630260156_4cd6a2e7b5_b.jpg

Teacher Devotions - Holy Week - Just Like Us

Proverbs 12:21           No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

Today’s verse from Proverbs expresses a religious idea that was prevalent in Old Testament times: the good are blessed by God; those who are evil befall all kinds of disaster.

During Holy Week, we are constantly reminded that this is not true. Christ, who was entirely good, was not protected from the pain and ignominy, suffering and shame that He endured. Instead, because He was all good, He was humiliated and wounded, abused and executed, tortured and sacrificed by people just like us. Had we been there in Jerusalem during Christ’s last week, we would have joined the mob and condemned Him.

On that day of infamy, all manner of harm befell the Righteous One. On that day, the wicked had more than their fill of bloodlust and anger, vengeance and hatred, fanaticism and bigotry.

The question we need to ask ourselves today is this: are we any different from Christ’s abusers, or does this most sacred and holiest of weeks in the year become life changing and truly meaningful to us?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, help us to take time out from the busy-ness of our tight schedules and lay aside a worthy portion of our time to think about You, Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter. Keep us from being distracted and enable us to remain focused on You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Holy Week drawings. It’s called “New Day” and is a Maundy Thursday/Easter sunrise picture. If you would like to see a larger version of this, please visit the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5223/5622811365_440f59a85b_b.jpg

Teacher Devotions; Christ, Our Champion - Hebrews 2:18

Hebrews 2:18  Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

This is one of the most important verses in the Bible and a divine promise that I cling to day after day. I honestly don’t think that I could maintain my faith without this blessing. I make mistakes again and again. I’m tempted to do wrong things repeatedly. I’m far from perfect and like everybody else, I lead a sinful life. Only Christ can rescue me from the temptations I face. Only Jesus can redeem me from the sins I still commit.

And Jesus can do this, not only because He has the divine power, but because He also knew of the human struggle and emotional wrestling that accompanies temptation. Christ was sinless, but that doesn’t mean He wasn’t goaded by the devil. Jesus obeyed God completely, but that was only accomplished by constantly overcoming temptation.

In other words, because Jesus knows what we go through, He understands our struggles and can forgive our sins. It doesn’t mean that He condones what we do or totally excuses us – if that was the case, we could rid ourselves of our consciences and do whatever we wanted. Jesus forgives us when we fail because He wants to restore us to God’s blessing, but not even He with all of His empathy about our tempting times and sinful situations can pardon us without our contrition, our sorrow, and our shame.

So what does this mean for all of us? Perhaps you’re struggling with a temptation that is breaking your resolve; maybe you’ve done something bad that you deeply regret. Whatever the facts, know this: we can come to Jesus sincerely and contritely to ask His forgiveness. He understands our predicament and only wants to restore us to God’s love. If we come to Him today, He will pardon our sins and change our lives. All we need to do is ask.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You were tempted innumerable times throughout Your life, so You perfectly understand what we go through each day. Help us to come to You with our guilt and pride, our shame and regrets so that we may place them at Your feet and put our lives back into Your hands. Forgive us for every sin that we have ever committed, whether we remember them or not. In Your Holy Name, we sincerely pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s stained glass designs for Easter. It’s called “Cross of Many Colors.” If you would like to view a larger image of the drawing, please visit the following link: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2282/2301426682_7f0b9c037f_b.jpg

Teacher Devotions: Angels to Help Us - Hebrews 1:14

Hebrews 1: 14             Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

I think it was Billy Graham who wrote in his excellent book “Angels” that when it comes to singing God’s praises in Heaven, former sinners who are saved will sing more loudly and joyously than any of God’s angels. The reason is simple: we, who are redeemed sinners, will have more to sing about.

I don’t know what you truly think about angels, but I like what is written here in Hebrews. Angels are sent to serve those who are saved. I don’t know what form that takes, but I must admit I have sometimes been in some unpleasant situations and serious accidents where I thanked God for watching over me, as well as my family and friends.

I also believe that because we are saved, the world feels threatened by our witness and so sometimes it’s hard to be a Christian in society. Whenever we stand up for what is right, we are called ‘judgmental.’ Whenever we seek justice for the powerless, we are berated for being political. And whenever we state that Christ is the only person through whom we can obtain everlasting salvation, we are called ‘narrow-minded’ and intolerant.

That’s where the protection of God’s angels is important. The devil may try to diminish the truth and effectively squash our faith, but there are angels around us who are doing battle for us each day, to help strengthen our spirits and bolster our confidence.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for the angels around us who serve us in many ways each day because we are saved by You. Thank You for their protection and presence, their influence and encouragement. Bless all our loved ones this day with the same divine help. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

(If you would like to look at Billy Grahams’ great book on angels, please click on and visit the following link:

http://tinyurl.com/3q7j263 )

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest wildlife drawings. It’s called “Butterfly Banquet” and features a butterfly feasting on a marigold. If you would like to see a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5224/5578139112_00aa478d99_b.jpg

John also has a limited number of 8x10 prints of this picture available. If you’d like one, contact him by email for more information.