CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2017
CHRISTIANITY IS CHRIST
READ HEBREWS 12:1-3
MEMORISE: Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2a)

There are lots of scandals among church leaders today. Have you been hurt by a church leader or member? Are you feeling disheartened and disgusted, angry and tempted to forget about Christianity altogether? Stop! A certain pastor was out visiting homes, inviting people to church. He mentioned to a man that his neighbour was already a member of the church. On hearing that, the man said there was no way he could go near the church, because the guy had hurt him so badly, that he wanted nothing to do with a religion that would include such a person.
The pastor was quiet for a moment. Then he gestured towards a nearby piano, and asked the man’s little daughter to play a piece by Beethoven that was lying on the piano. The man protested: Beethoven’s music was much too advanced for his daughter. But the pastor insisted, and the little girl gave it a trial. It sounded dreadful. It was awful. When the little girl finally finished butchering that glorious piece of music, the pastor looked at the man and said, “Boy, that Beethoven sure wasn’t much of a composer, was he?” The man got the point. He had been judging Christianity by the performance of one player, rather than focusing on the composer Himself, Jesus Christ.
Don’t turn away from Jesus just because some religious people turned out to be corrupt, or you have been wounded and bruised by some religious leaders. If you’re going to base your attitude towards God on the actions of one person, make sure that person is the Lord Jesus. Christianity is Christ.

PRAYER POINTS:
1. Lord Jesus, help me to focus my attention on You in my Christian journey.
2. Lord, help me to walk worthy of the calling You have given me, so that I don’t become stumbling block to anyone in the Christian path.
3. Pray that God should soften the hearts of people who have left, or who refuse to join Christianity, because of some supposed Christians who had hurt them.

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Philippians 2