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Christmas Eve Message – Making Room

Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (NIV)

Most of us will be busy on Christmas day, perhaps hosting our families, feasting with our friends, or traveling from one house to another. We will have lots to do, talk about, and accomplish, so that by the end of the day, we’ll probably just want to nap somewhere quiet and warm.

Mary probably wanted the same thing for herself and Jesus. Both of them would have been exhausted by childbirth and needing to rest. A stable may not have been the most comfortable place to be in at that moment, but it was the best they could do. As Mary gently laid Jesus in the manger of hay, I wonder what her hopes and dreams, fears and worries may have been for her firstborn child. Perhaps they were the same as any young mother who faced an uncertain future – she just wished the best for her newly born son.

No matter what we’re all doing this Christmas, let’s make room for Jesus, as well as for Mary. Let’s remember that without their willingness to fulfill God’s plan and be part of our world, we wouldn’t have anything to celebrate on this special day.

May God bless you and all your loved ones this Christmas. Christ is born!

Pastor John

Sabbath Psalms – Christ the King

Christ is King bulletin, church devotions, Devotions, Lectionary devotions

Sabbath Psalms – Christ the King

Psalm 93:1 The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure. (NIV)

This Sunday is the last day of the Christian year when most churches celebrate Christ the King. It’s an annual reminder of whom we serve and to whom we belong. As Christians, we are called to be servants of God’s Kingdom whose main purpose in life is to enjoy God’s Creation and praise Him forever. It’s a time to be humble and meek, reminding us that we are not the center of the universe, no matter how great, powerful, or smart we may consider ourselves to be.

This celebration comes at the end of the Christian year to climatically remind us that when time finally runs out, for ourselves and for this world, Christ will be seen as He is: the King of all Creation and the Lord of all our lives. So, this Sunday, we are invited to gather as servants to praise the One Who has saved us from our sinful selves, given us an everlasting hope, and in Whose Name and service we seek to spread God’s love, share peace with one another, and heal our wounded world.

May Christ the King be with and bless you from this moment and forevermore. Amen.

John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Sunday by Sunday: Year C weekly devotions

church devotions, Lectionary devotions

SxS YCPost The Christian Calendar begins each year on the First Sunday in Advent which in 2024 takes place on December 1^st. We will be heading into Year C which will complete the three-year cycle of Bible readings. I’ve written a book of devotions for this calendar year and called it ‘Sunday by Sunday – Year C.’

The purpose of this book is to present a weekly meditation based on the Gospel texts for the Year C. Each meditation includes a highlighted verse from the Gospel text, as well as a point to ponder supplemented with a short prayer. It can be used as a time of preparation before Sunday worship or as a personal devotion if getting to church is difficult. Each meditation can also be read aloud as a discussion starter for a lectionary Sunday school class, or as a concluding devotion after such a class. The whole purpose is to focus on what Christ has done in the Gospel passage in order to draw each of us closer to Him and God.

The book can be purchased for Kindle use (a free Kindle reader app can easily be downloaded for free on any device), or as a paperback (US, Canada, and UK only). The link to the book is given below. Get your copy now, in time for Year C beginning on December 1.

US link: Sunday by Sunday – Year C The Gospels – Kindle edition by Stuart, John, Stuart, John. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

UK link: Sunday by Sunday – Year C The Gospels: Amazon.co.uk: Stuart, John, Stuart, John: 9798334060432: Books

Canada link: Sunday by Sunday – Year C The Gospels eBook : Stuart, John, Stuart, John: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store

Hurricane Helene Prayer

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Almighty God, Whose Spirit hovers over the waters of chaos, and Whose Son stilled the stormy sea, we humbly come before You, crying out for the sake of our people whose lives and properties have been devastated by the recent hurricane. The damage and destruction is unbelievable; the vulnerability and fears of our brothers and sisters is unimaginable. Small towns and villages have been wrecked and washed away by unrelenting torrents; roads, paths, bridges, and trails have been obliterated. We are staggered and stunned by the scenes we have watched; we feel helpless and hopeless for the mountain folks who have lost everything.

Gracious Lord, we pray for the first responders and rescuers, for the linesmen and companies that are beginning the long process of repair and renewal. It will take years to accomplish and billions of dollars to pay for the damage and rebuilding. Grant us the patience, resolve, and resources to do all that we can to restore our devastated communities.

We pray for the families who have lost loved ones. We ask that you surround and support them with people who will care for, help, and sustain them. For those whose grief will always be with them, we pray for comfort; for those whose losses will never be regained, we pray for peace and love. For those congregations whose churches have been destroyed or whose fellowship has been broken, we pray for Your Spirit to be dear and near to them. And to those of us on this side of the damage and destruction, with little impact of the hurricane, grant us charitable hearts to financially support the places and people who have both urgent and long-term needs. Hear us now as we silently pray for those who cannot pray for themselves.

In Christ’s Name, we make these heartfelt and sincere prayers. Amen.

Midweek Message: The Other Good Samaritan

Devotions

Luke 17:15-16 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. (NIV)

In many years of ministry, I have seen people who were truly thankful to God for help and healing. Their lives were changed in a single moment, so they devoted themselves to worshiping and serving God for the rest of their days. I, also, am one of them because when God heard my cry for help about my alcoholism, He graciously answered my anxious prayer by restoring me physically, mentally, and above all, spiritually. I was made into a new person and decided to follow Jesus for the rest of my life.

The other Good Samaritan in the Bible passage from Luke 17:11-19 does the same. He is one of ten lepers who is miraculously healed by Jesus. He is sent to get this confirmed by a local priest so that he can rejoin his family and community. But as soon as he realizes that he has been healed of that terrible painful, disfiguring disease, he stops running away from Christ and returns to give Him thanks. He knows the source of his cure, so rather than going immediately to his priest and family, he humbly thanks Jesus by falling on his knees before Him, glorifying and praising God loudly.

Jesus appreciates this act of gratitude, but He is also perplexed. The other nine are nowhere to be seen, even though they are all His own people. Only this Samaritan is grateful for what has occurred; only this outsider recognizes what Christ has miraculously done for al ten lepers.

I have also seen people who have been restored physically, whose prayers for healing have been answered perfectly, whose worries and anxieties, issues and illnesses have been positively dealt with by God and yet they remain thankless. Instead of returning to Christ and worshiping Him, they take their cure for granted and get on with their lives, focusing on themselves first and ignoring any notion of recognizing what God has mercifully done in them. It’s sad to see and very disappointing, but Christ also experienced this many times throughout His life.

Wherever we are and however we feel today, let’s not forget what Christ has done in each of our lives. Let’s be thankful that we exist even for another day and make time to be grateful to God for all that He has graciously, and perhaps even miraculously, done for us.

Point to ponder: How has God positively changed my life? How do I show Him my gratitude?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are many times that You have helped us throughout our lives. You have listened to our prayers and enabled us to overcome illnesses and issues that have seriously troubled us. May we never take Your compassion and grace for granted. May we also seek to worship and glorify You for the rest of our days. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Study on the Lord’s Prayer

Bible Studies, The Lord's Prayer, The Lord's Prayer Bible Study

PWJ covers My new Study Book on the Lord’s Prayer is now available as a paperback, as well as an eBook on Kindle. ‘Praying with Jesus’ is a series of seven short Bible studies which are focused on the Lord’s Prayer. The study can be completed individually, with family, or small Church group.

You can view it on Amazon at this highlighted link:

Praying with Jesus

The Lord’s Prayer is recited by Christians all over the world and can be used to help us focus on how to ask God to help us on a daily basis. The study includes questions to ponder, as well as some background material about its context, along with some information on the Greek and Hebrew words which Christ would have originally used. A short devotion is also included at the end of each study.

Liturgical art which I have created is used throughout the book and it ends with worship prayers based on the Lord’s prayer, as well as a special section on the prayer from the Shorter Catechism.

Enjoy!