Today’s
readings are: 1 Samuel 9:21-27 and 1 Thessalonians 2:1-9
1 Thessalonians 2:4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted
with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but
God, who tests our hearts.
I
must confess it – I really like Paul’s writing, especially when he is candid
about the Christian faith. He reminds his readers that Christians are not meant
to be crowd-pleasers or popularity-seekers. We have been given the Gospel
because this is the last and best opportunity that humankind has in order to be
saved. If we diminish the message because it will either fall upon deaf ears or
we will be ‘not liked, then so be it. The Church was not established by Christ
to be like the world; it is meant to disturb the people on this planet.
This
is why, in despotic nations who are ruled by tyrants, Christianity is
oppressed. Evil people like their easy evil ways; when the Church confronts
them with the Truth, tyrants and dictators will eventually fall. Christianity
is not a cozy religion, it’s a radical faith.
I
must also confess that this is why I dislike Christians attacking the Church
for being outdated, unhip, and irrelevant. They should do more reading of
Church history, for they will soon discover that the Church is anything but
outdated, unhip, and irrelevant. Post-modern people may like to delude
themselves about how ineffective the Church is, but post-modern people only see
what they want to see and are largely very narrow-minded, self-centered, and
hopelessly insecure.
As
Paul states, the purpose of our faith is to please God, not other people. If
our hearts are full of ourselves, then we will have no room for God, which
would be a total shame, for God created our hearts to be filled with His love,
so that we could enjoy Him forever.
Questions for personal reflection
What have I done
with the Gospel that God has given me? What have I still to do with it?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your Life is the Gospel,
so we are thankful for learning of, knowing, and loving You. Our lives would be
totally different without Your presence and influence. Our hope and salvation,
as well as our happiness and restoration all depend upon You alone. Thank You,
Jesus, for being our Savior and for giving us Your Gospel. In Your Holy Name,
we pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN. If you would
like to make a comment or ask a question of today’s message, please send him an
email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is a new stained glass design that I have created called “Celtic Flame.”
It depicts the Holy Spirit descending to Earth on Pentecost. If you would like
to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3755/12061475774_a3b2ebd4f0_b.jpg
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