Celtic devotions: Love and Hate - Philippians 2:8

The podcast for today’s devotional can be found at the following link:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/stushie/Love_and_Hate.mp3

Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!

I love the snow; I just hate driving in it. Even though I was born in Scotland and drove through many blizzards on the West Coast at night, when I could barely see a thing, I find that driving in the snow covered streets of the South is much more hazardous. There seems to be more black ice and bad drivers here than I ever experienced back in Scotland, so even when an inch of snow hits our roads in and around Knoxville, it’s deathly dangerous.

I guess it’s because people are just not used to the white stuff falling on the streets each winter. The local authorities don’t seem to be wholly prepared either and yet, we all know that winter comes around every year at this time.

I love being a Christian; I just hate the struggles that I have each day in trying to maintain my faith. Even though I grew up in the Church and have spent much of my life as a pastor, it’s still hard to be the perfect saint that everyone expects. I’m only human after all, so I’m going to make mistakes and at the end of each day, I’ve usually got a whole list of sins to ask God for forgiveness. As each day starts, I begin with the best of intentions; as each day closes, I seek pardon for the offenses I’ve caused and the temptations to which I have yielded.

I love Jesus Christ too; I just hate the fact that He died on the Cross for me. Even though I know He did it to obey God and obtain my salvation, I feel guilty about driving the nails through His hands with my personal sins. I know that I’ll never be perfect and that I’ll need His Cross each day to pin my sins upon Him. I hate that, but at the same time I am also deeply grateful that Jesus saved and saves me from my sins by His humility and obedience which led to the Cross.

Perhaps you are feeling guilty about something you once did or said. Maybe you feel distant from God or separated from Him because of sinful acts and shameful secrets. I hate those things too, but this I love: there is nothing that we have ever done or said that can ever separate us from the love God through our Lord Jesus Christ. If we let Him into our lives and open our hearts to Him, if we accept Him and believe that He has the power to pardon us, then He will grant us forgiveness instantly and immediately, totally and completely.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we love You dearly, but we hate the fact that we caused You to die on the Cross for our past mistakes and present sins. We are humbled by Your humility and are in awe of Your obedience to God. Without Your death, we would have no Life; without Your sacrifice, we would have no salvation. In Your 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 drawing is a nighttime scene of the Henley Street bridge in Knoxville. The picture is called “Moon over Henley.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click here: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5249/5322272559_cdb65afa3d_b.jpg

All of John’s drawings can be found on the Web at his art site at http://www.stushieart.wordpress.com/

Signed, numbered and matted prints are available for only $20 each (plus shipping if necessary). They make unique gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and new homes. Just contact John by email and he’ll be delighted to help you.

Celtic 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.)

Celtic Devotions: Hoots Mon! - Psalm 61

Psalm 60:4      I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. 

Things didn’t go according to plan at a wedding in Scotland yesterday. A tame owl had been specially trained to carry the wedding rings and land on a perch beside the outside altar. It was supposed to be a wonderfully synchronized event. However, the piper began playing just as the owl was signaled to fly. A scared lapwing shot out of the bushes and the owl chased its prey up into a tree. The lapwing escaped but the owl remained perched on a branch. The wedding rings were still attached to its legs!

As one of my Scottish friends wrote: what a hoot! Eventually the owl was coaxed down from the tree and the ceremony continued. If Robert Burns had been around, I guess he could have penned the immortal lines: “the best laid schemes of owls and pipers gang aft agley.”

When the psalmist wrote about taking refuge in the shelter of God’s wings, he wasn’t literally saying that God had wings. He was using a metaphor to describe his absolute confidence in God’s protection. In the midst of his personal troubles and crisis, he had the utmost faith in God’s guidance and deliverance. Even if all of the psalmist’s plans went haywire, he would be still be assured of God’s grace and love.

To me, this is what makes faith so important –it gives us a hope in God that He will not abandon us, and a love from God that can never be extinguished.

Prayer:                        Lord God, thank You for allowing us to take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Thank You for granting us unlimited grace and everlasting love. In the midst of our problems and worries, we constantly rely upon Your Presence and Guidance. In Jesus’ 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 drawing of Dunure Castle in the West of Scotland parish where he used to minister. You can view a larger version of the drawing at the following link: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4718989531_b55884b457_b.jpg

Celtic devotions: Bannockburn Day - Psalm 60

Psalm 60:12    With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.

Today is Bannockburn Day in Scotland. On the 24^th June, 1314, the Scots defeated the invading English army at a place called Bannockburn and firmly established their independence. Robert the Bruce was the King of Scots and his fearless leadership won the battle for the outnumbered Scots. Bruce was the military leader who followed in the footsteps of William Wallace (Braveheart).

For ten years after the execution of William Wallace, Robert the Bruce labored hard at getting the Scots ready to win their independence. Just like George Washington centuries later, Bruce lost minor skirmishes but when it came to the one crucial battle of the War for Scottish Independence, he outwitted the English forces at Bannockburn and won the day. Ever since then, the Scots have celebrated the battle and their independence.

On the deciding day of the two day battle, the outnumbered Scots advanced on the English but before they commenced fighting, the whole army knelt in prayer. Edward II, the English king, was reported to have been surprised by this and mockingly said, "They pray for mercy!"

"For mercy, yes," one of his attendants replied, "But from God, not you. These men will conquer or die."

It seems strange to ask God for providence and mercy on the battlefield, and yet when men are faced with the prospect of death in war, prayer is what they often resort to. In Western history, the winning of battles actually helped to expand Christianity. A victory was often interpreted as God’s favor through Christ, no matter how bloodthirsty or gory the battle might have been.

These days, we pray for the safety of our troops and still ask for God’s blessing and guidance in the midst of our wars. We look for justice and peace more than overwhelming victory and the complete annihilation of our enemies. We want Christ’s peace to be truly promoted, as opposed to that militaristic religious righteousness which only festers future divisions and engenders wasteful wars.

Prayer:                        Lord God, we thank You for the liberty and independence that we experience in our lives today. Sadly, we recognize that much of our freedoms were given to us through the battles that our people fought in the past and by the lives that were laid down in defense of our nation. Help us not to take our liberties for granted and remind us to pray for wisdom for our leaders and safety for our troops. In Christ’s Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is of a statue of Robert the Bruce on the field of Bannockburn. You can read more about the battle at the following link: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Battle_of_Bannockburn