Time Alone With God daily devotionals, Section A

Time Alone With God daily devotional: Matthew  7:1-5

Judging Others

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Consider: Christians often get uneasy with Jesus’ command, “Do not judge” (7:2). They fear the wrong kind of tolerance. They’re afraid that we will abandon the call to live a holy life if we don’t clearly label some acts as sinful. After all, how can we live, raise Christian children and grow in grace if we don’t judge what is right and what is wrong? So we need to understand what Jesus meant by the word “judge.”

In the original language of the New Testament, the word for “judge” here is the same word that Jesus used in John 3:17, which is usually translated “condemn”—“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” That gives us some insight into what Jesus meant when he commanded, “Do not judge.” Of course we will judge some actions to be right and some to be wrong. But Jesus is pretty clear that we are not to stand as condemners of any person.

Now, at this point, many Christians fall back on the old aphorism, “We hate the sin, but love the sinner.” I think we need to be careful with that one. While it is literally true, to most people that does not feel like a loving embrace. It still feels judgmental.

So, how are we to approach this whole issue of discerning and judging what is right and what is wrong? Jesus made it very clear. We spend more time on our own sins than on the sins of others. As Christians, we should be more concerned with how we can be more loving than how we can straighten out some other person.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (7:3-5)

When I am fully aware of my need for grace, I am empowered to give grace to others. When I realize my lack of love, I pray for help rather than focusing on your lack in some other area. This humility empowers me to love like Jesus, who did not come “into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world” (John 3:17).

Pray: Ask the Lord to help you with any planks that may be blocking your vision and your love. Praise him that he lovingly purifies us if we humbly come to him. Then ask him to help you plant the grace he’s given you in the lives of others.

Time Alone With God daily devotional: 1 Corinthians 5

New International Version (NIV)

Dealing With a Case of Incest

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,[a][b] so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[c]but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”[d]

Start

Consider: As you can see from even a quick reading of 1 Corinthians 5, the Corinthian church had some major problems. The situation outlined here is mind-boggling. People in the church (perhaps even some of their leaders) who claimed piety were engaging in gross immorality. There was no repentance there. Paul was shocked—“And you are proud!” (5:2). And so, says Paul, “I have already passed judgment on the one who did this” (5:3). This may feel at odds with Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount when he told us not to judge. But it really is in harmony with Jesus’ approach to sin and to sinners.

You’ll notice that throughout Jesus’ ministry he showed great patience with sinners, but great anger toward hypocrisy. He was tender and forgiving toward tax collectors and prostitutes. But some pretty fiery rhetoric came from his lips directed at the religious, judgmental Pharisees. Why would he say to religious people, “tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Matthew 21:31)? It all had to do with authenticity.

When we come to Jesus acknowledging our sinfulness and our incredible need for grace, he accepts us without condemnation. This is the nature of God.

     “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)

     “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit…” (Isaiah 66:2)

This is what Jesus meant when he began the Sermon on the Mount with these words…

     “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

We should never fear the wrath of God when we humbly seek his forgiveness and his grace. We should never fear condemnation when we live in relationship with him, knowing that we will always depend on his grace and never on our own righteousness. But we should fear for our souls when we flout his grace with arrogance and hypocrisy.

If you remember the plank in your own eye and your need of grace, you’ll be okay.

Pray:  “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13)

Time Alone with God daily devotional: 1 Corinthians 5:9-13

New International Version (NIV)

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[a] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”[b]

Read: 1 Corinthians 5:9-13

Consider: We need to take another look at 1 Corinthians 5 in order to address our relationship with those who do not claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I am grieved when I hear Christians slandering those they consider to be outside of the faith. I often hear hateful language from self-professing Christians toward those they seem to despise—people they believe to be immoral. But Paul could not be clearer…

     “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?” (1 Corinthians 5:12)

In other words, if you don’t think they’re Christians, you have no right whatsoever to judge them. He goes on to say…

     “Are you not to judge those inside?” (1 Corinthians 5:12)

We should not be angry with those we think are non-believers. We should be angry with believers who show contempt for them. When I’m judging sinners, I’m out of step with the Sermon on the Mount and 1 Corinthians 5. When I’m condemning hate speech from believers, I’m in harmony with the words of Jesus and Paul. (Paul particularly singles out the believer who is “a slanderer”—5:11).

Now, let’s keep perspective. When Paul encourages us to judge those on the inside, he’s not talking about brothers and sisters who are struggling in their walk with Christ. Throughout his letters he’s very clear that we are to be patient with and watch out for those brothers and sisters who are weak in their faith. We are constantly encouraged to forgive one another and to be tolerant of each other’s failures. It is obvious from the context of 1 Corinthians 5:12 (see the entire chapter and yesterday’s devotional) that Paul is talking about blatant, arrogant hypocrisy—the kind of “yeast” that can work through the church and destroy weak believers.

It comes back to the beginning point. I must start with me. I should have no patience with slander, hate or a judgmental spirit emanating from my life. If I hold myself accountable to the command to love, and if I’m humbly asking God to help me with my planks, then I will have the vision necessary to love those outside the faith and be helpful with the specks of sawdust inside the body of Christ.

Time Alone With God daily devotional: Mark 4:21-25

A Lamp on a Stand

Read: Mark 4:21-25

21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” 24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

Consider: Again we hear Jesus’ words, “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (4:24). But in this instance in Mark’s gospel, Jesus is speaking on a different subject. When Jesus made that statement in Matthew’s gospel (in the Sermon on the Mount), he was talking about judging and condemning others. But here in Mark, he is speaking about the gift that has been given to us and how we respond to it. In this short parable about the lamp (and the parable that precedes it), Jesus is talking about the good news—the way of Christ—which will be revealed. What is often hidden“is meant to be disclosed” (4:22). The gospel will bear fruit, but will we allow that fruit to be borne through us?

N. T. Wright says that “Jesus seems to be telling his followers that the level to which they pay attention to what he’s teaching them will be the level at which they receive the benefits of the kingdom.” This is not to say that we earn God’s grace. His grace is freely given. But Jesus is saying, “If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear” (4:23). Pay attention to what God is doing. And as you listen and immerse yourself in him—as your “measure” is your whole being—you will receive his measure, the measure of all the fullness of God.”(Ephesians 3:19). The “fullness of God” must be what Jesus had in mind when he said, “and even more.”      “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.” (4:24)

Pray: Ask the Lord to give you ears that hear, eyes that see and a heart that is given totally to him.

TIME ALONE WITH GOD DAILY DEVOTIONAL: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

WRITTEN BY PASTOR PHIL STOUT

Read: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

New International Version (NIV)

7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

START
Consider: People have often speculated about what Paul was referring to when he said that he was given a “thorn” in his flesh. The word “flesh” almost always refers to the body, though Paul used that term in other ways as well. If it was a physical malady, it could have been almost anything. Paul had suffered beatings, sleep deprivation, malnutrition and imprisonment. I have no doubt that Paul lived a significant portion of his life in chronic pain. So he, like all of us, asked God to remove the “thorn.” He pleaded for healing.

He didn’t get the response he wanted. God didn’t promise to remove the pain. But God did make a promise. Paul said…

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (12:8-9)

People have often used this verse to debate if, when or how God heals. But I don’t think that is the issue that Paul is addressing here. There is something about the very nature of God that Paul wants us to see.

Our whole understanding of the Messiah—the Christ—is that he conquered by suffering. He became the Lamb that was slaughtered for our sins. He chose to save the world not by killing, but by dying. He turned upside-down every notion of strength that this world embraces. And Jesus Christ taught Paul that he could also conquer by his suffering—that Christ’s power in Paul “is made perfect in weakness” (12:9).

What is true physically is also true spiritually. It is not in spiritual strength and might that we conquer. We don’t overcome sin, addictions or injustice by strength of spirit. We overcome by total dependence on the grace-giver.

Pray: “Lord, teach me what it means for me to say what Paul said—‘when I am weak, then I am strong’ (12:10). Help me not to fear my weakness, for that is where I find you.”

TIME ALONE WITH GOD DAILY DEVOTIONAL: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

WRITTEN BY PASTOR PHIL STOUT

Read: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

New International Version (NIV)

7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

START
Consider: People have often speculated about what Paul was referring to when he said that he was given a “thorn” in his flesh. The word “flesh” almost always refers to the body, though Paul used that term in other ways as well. If it was a physical malady, it could have been almost anything. Paul had suffered beatings, sleep deprivation, malnutrition and imprisonment. I have no doubt that Paul lived a significant portion of his life in chronic pain. So he, like all of us, asked God to remove the “thorn.” He pleaded for healing.

He didn’t get the response he wanted. God didn’t promise to remove the pain. But God did make a promise. Paul said…

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (12:8-9)

People have often used this verse to debate if, when or how God heals. But I don’t think that is the issue that Paul is addressing here. There is something about the very nature of God that Paul wants us to see.

Our whole understanding of the Messiah—the Christ—is that he conquered by suffering. He became the Lamb that was slaughtered for our sins. He chose to save the world not by killing, but by dying. He turned upside-down every notion of strength that this world embraces. And Jesus Christ taught Paul that he could also conquer by his suffering—that Christ’s power in Paul “is made perfect in weakness” (12:9).

What is true physically is also true spiritually. It is not in spiritual strength and might that we conquer. We don’t overcome sin, addictions or injustice by strength of spirit. We overcome by total dependence on the grace-giver.

Pray: “Lord, teach me what it means for me to say what Paul said—‘when I am weak, then I am strong’ (12:10). Help me not to fear my weakness, for that is where I find you.”

TIME ALONE WITH GOD DAILY DEVOTIONAL: Luke 18:9-14

WRITTEN BY PASTOR PHIL STOUT

Luke 18:9-14

New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Start

Consider: Jesus’ kingdom has rightly been called the upside-down kingdom. His words always flipped the values of this world so that down was up and up was down. In this simple parable he taught us that the good guy’s prayer wasn’t heard while the bad guy’s prayer was.

There are usually multiple layers to Jesus’ teachings. The truths contained in his parables find meaning in our lives as they lodge in a different areas of our experience. Today I want us to look at this parable as something that doesn’t simply apply to a one-time experience, but to the unfolding of our daily lives.

The tax collector in Jesus’ parable represented the worst kind of sinner that the first century Jews could imagine. He was a cheat, a turncoat and someone who helped the Romans oppress God’s people. Yet, in this parable he was overcome by his own sin and Jesus said that he “went home justified before God” (18:14).

The Pharisee, who had been given God’s truth, had somehow distorted God’s grace into some form of merit that he had achieved.

We don’t want to be Pharisees. After receiving “the incomparable riches of his grace” (Ephesians 2:7) we dare not grow judgmental of others. That would distort and pervert our understanding of grace and cause us to delude ourselves about who we are and what we have accomplished.

So every day we approach God as tax collectors. No, we’re not forgetting that he has already forgiven us. But we are reminding ourselves that without God’s grace we are not worthy to “even look up to heaven” (18:13).

That posture of humility reminds us of our poverty of spirit, which reminds us that the kingdom of heaven is ours (see yesterday’s discussion of Matthew 5:3).

Pray: “Lord, teach me the liberation of humility. Teach me the freedom that comes with grace. Teach me the joy of seeing your power ‘made perfect’ in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).”

Time Alone With God daily devotional: 2 Peter 1:5-7

Written by Pastor Phil Stout

Read: 2 Peter 1:5-7

2 Peter 1:5-7    New International Version (NIV)

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

Start

Consider: “For this very reason…” What reason? Let’s go back to the statement we considered yesterday.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness… he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature…” (1:3-4)

We have been given all that we need to participate in the divine nature—the very life of Christ. “For this very reason” we are filled with awe, wonder and gratitude. We want to know him more. We want to live in greater intimacy with him. So “for this very reason” we…

“…make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.” (1:5-7)

This is a beautiful description of Christian discipleship—of growth in Christ. But Peter is not simply talking about what we do, he’s reveling in why we do it. We don’t add disciplines to our lives to make us better. We don’t approach growth in the Spirit as an exercise in self-improvement. Peter is not presenting himself as a spiritualized version of a life-coach. This spiritual growth isn’t even about us. It is simply the natural response to sharing the life of Christ—participating in the “divine nature.” We have been so loved that we only want to love in return. We have been given so much that we only want to give in return.

The divine nature includes the nature of giving, sharing and loving. As we participate in that shared life of Christ we discover that we are freed from our ego—our need to think we are good. We just want to know him at a deeper level.

Pray: “Lord, add those things to my life that help me to love like you love. I want to give back to you what you have given to me.”

Time Alone With God daily devotional: 2 Peter 1:3-8

2 Peter 1:3-8

New International Version (NIV)

Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Start

Consider: Have you ever heard someone describe the Christian life in ways that made you feel like you could never measure up to that high of a standard? Sometimes we hear the faith presented as an uphill trudge that causes us to stumble repeatedly, falling backwards instead of making forward progress. How can we possibly be encouraged when we think we are called to the impossible?

If we don’t hear Peter’s heart (and all of his words), this great passage could discourage us. Look at those qualities that Peter tells us to add to our faith…

“…goodness…knowledge…self-control…perseverance…godliness…mutual affection…love.” (1:5-7)

None of us feel like that is a description of how we consistently live. None of us would check those off of our list as completed tasks. We don’t feel like our lives measure up to those ideals.

So let’s go on. We don’t want to miss the beauty of Peter’s challenge. The joyful part for me comes in verse 8 where he calls us to “possess these qualities in increasing measure.” He is not asking us if we’ve arrived at perfection. He’s encouraging us to grow—to experience the life of Christ “in increasing measure.”

Therein lies all the difference. Instead of being discouraged at who I am or what I’ve done or what I haven’t accomplished, I’m called to the joy of knowing that he will increasingly open my capability to share in the “divine nature” (1:4)—to share the life of Christ.

I look forward to the day when my knowledge will increase along with my self-control. I’m glad that the Holy Spirit will empower me to persevere. I’m excited to grow in mutual affection with my sisters and brothers. And I’m even optimistic enough to think that sharing in the divine nature will make me good and more godly, exemplified by love.

We’re not there. But we’re going there.

Pray: “Lord, again today, I open myself to you and ask your Spirit to fill my day by filling me. Give me this day the qualities that you want to see in me in increasing measure. I won’t strive to accomplish righteousness. But I will ‘make every effort’ (1:5) to allow you to do your work in me.”

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