4 Minute Daily Devotions: The Least

1 Corinthians 15:9     For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Yesterday, I was sharing some laughter with a few church members. We were talking about God’s sense of humor and how funny we all must appear to Him at times. I also stated that I could prove God had a great sense of humor – after all, He had made me a pastor!

I think that I understand how Paul feels about his own ministry. He calls himself the least of all the apostles because he feels so unworthy. His past career as a persecutor of the Church stings his conscience from time to time. H realizes that it is only by the grace of God that he has been forgiven and redeemed, pardoned and remade. Paul’s past mistakes could have cost him his salvation; instead, the mercy of God and Christ’s great intervention has turned his life around.

I guess we all feel unworthy at times to be Christians. It’s a struggle to be good people everyday. We all fail through things like anger, greed, pride, and lust – and yet God keeps coming back to us, to allow us mercy and grace through Jesus Christ, His Only and Holy Son. A lot of people think that Christians are perfect, holy, and self-righteous people, but honestly, I believe that Christians are people who make mistakes, confess their sins, and look to Jesus to forgive them, restore them, and encourage them day after day.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, without Your grace we could never be restored to God’s favor and love. We know that at some point, we’re going to fail You today and we wish that we could avoid being sinful. However, we are glad that Your Goodness and Holiness, Your Sacrifice and Sovereignty allows us the opportunity of forgiveness and reconciliation, of pardon and reunification with God. In Your Holy Name, we humbly and thankfully 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.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Christ's Choice

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Sometimes I wonder how Paul would have fared in today’s world. He comes across as being too sure of himself and I don’t know whether he is rebuking his readers or encouraging them.

Take this morning’s small verse, for instance. Paul begins by stating, ‘Your attitude should be…;’ he doesn’t write could be or might be – Paul insists that our attitudes should be – that’s pretty strong stuff for a preacher to be expressing. That meddles directly with how we manage our faith.

If Paul was around today, he would probably get thrown out of a lot of churches for preaching such a controversial and confrontational message. He would be emotionally tarred and feathered by an outraged congregation, especially one of those ‘you’re okay, I’m okay, everybody’s okay’ type of churches.

When I question Paul’s no nonsense Christianity, I’m reminded of two things: firstly, my own failures as a Christian in trying to be a perfect servant of God; and secondly, Paul’s unquestionable right to state such things. After all, Paul was no cozy theologian who sat in an Ivy League study asking hypothetical questions. He was a diehard Christian who had been almost lynched, battered and bruised, hunted and harassed, stoned and shipwrecked, tortured and tried for his faith in Jesus. If anyone had the right to meddle in our lives and to state things like ‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,’ it surely was Paul.

As a pastor, I come across many people who are hostile to Paul’s teachings, but do you know what? I’ve still to come across one of his critics who have experienced any real persecution.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we forget that it was You who personally intervened and dramatically converted Paul on the road to Damascus. Too easily, we cast him aside because his certain faith makes our own beliefs seem shallow and pale. Help us to look again to Paul’s teaching and remind us that he was Your choice. In Your Holy Name, we humbly 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.