Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Matthew 18:21-35
By Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Matthew 18:21-35
Matthew 18:21-35
New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Start:
Consider: This parable speaks about the times when forgiveness is required for the big sins that have been perpetrated against us. The debt that the servant owed to his king was a debt so huge that he could never repay it. But in this parable Jesus also addresses the small sins that we must forgive and forget. The fellow servant owed his friend just a few bucks. It should not have been a big deal.
That’s pretty descriptive of our lives. While there are times when we need the Holy Spirit to empower us to forgive in heroic ways, most of the time we need to have the integrity, discipline and self-control (which also come from God’s Spirit) to forgive the small indignities of life.
So I think we need to see forgiveness as a lifestyle. That’s right, a lifestyle—part of the ebb and flow of everyday existence. Remember, Jesus said, “seventy times seven” (18:22).
I often say that if we’re going to be friends for any length of time, we’re going to have to forgive each other repeatedly. Most of the time we’ll need to forgive without being asked. We’ll need to overlook one another’s flaws, understand each other’s bad days, and give grace to each other when we struggle.
I think that’s part of the beauty of The Lord’s Prayer. It’s not a prayer that is intended to be prayed once in a lifetime. No, it outlines the manner in which we should pray every day. For just as we’re taught to pray for “daily bread” (6:11), we’re taught to pray for daily forgiveness and for grace to forgive every day.
What a great way to live!
Pray: “Lord, today is another day in which I will have the opportunity to be like you. You are the One who forgives. Give me the grace today to forgive others as you have forgiven me. Help me to forgive the small mistakes of others that complicate my day. Help me to learn how to forgive the great injustices I’ve endured. And teach me how to forgive myself.”
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Psalm 23:1-6
by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Psalm 23:1-6
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Start:
Consider: Jesus said…
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
Be careful how you hear those words. Over the past two days we’ve looked at the performance trap—the danger of seeing our spiritual disciplines as vehicles to earn God’s favor. Because we so quickly fall into that way of thinking, it would be easy for us to hear “reward” in that manner. We are tempted to think that if we pray as Jesus instructed us to, he’ll reward us at a later time with some kind of blessing. In other words, “I perform, he rewards.” But I think that misses Jesus’ whole point.
Because the Pharisees saw religion in that quid pro quo manner, they got a flimsy reward—they impressed people and impressed themselves. Big deal. But Jesus’ “reward” is different. His reward is his presence. When I close the door and get alone with God, I receive the greatest thing that could possibly be given to me—the awareness of God’s presence.
Listen to what that means.
“I lack nothing…he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul…even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil…my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:1-5)
Could there be a greater reward?
Pray: Take some time to meditate on that great poem—Psalm 23. Get alone, sit or lie in a comfortable position, close your eyes and picture the “green pastures” and the “quiet waters.” Let him lead you there. Let him “restore” and “refresh” your soul. Picture yourself in those places of beauty with Christ by your side. That is the purpose of the poetry of the Bible. It is intended to help us see God in new ways and to understand our relationship with him beyond what we can grasp on an intellectual level.
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Matthew 6:5-6
By Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Matthew 6:5-6
Matthew 6:5-6
New International Version (NIV)
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Start:
Consider: One of the great pitfalls that we are subject to on our journey with Christ is the performance trap. Even though we believe in God’s grace and we know that we don’t earn his favor, we are constantly tempted to measure our walk with him in terms of the things we accomplish. We’re tempted to see holiness as something we attain by doing the right things and avoiding the wrong things. In fact, Christians often ask each other, “How are you doing spiritually?”
This “doing” and “accomplishing” often invades our most intimate moments with God. We wonder if we’re spending enough time alone with God, if we are praying in a way that pleases him, if we are doing it correctly. We think our spiritual disciplines don’t measure up to those of other believers. We chastise ourselves for being too shallow. And, if we’re not careful, we sabotage all that he wants to do for us because we trying to do it ourselves.
This perfectionism—sometimes called “moralism”—is not what prayer is about. Prayer is practicing the presence of Christ in our lives. Prayer is living with an awareness of his presence and gratitude for his presence. Prayer was beautifully described when Paul said…
“…in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)
So how do we escape the performance trap?
“…when you pray, go into your room, close the door…” (Matthew 6:6).
Close the door on false expectations. Close out the “relationship rules” you or others have placed on prayer. Stop making prayer something you do and accept it as the gift of his presence—the presence he gives, not something you attain.
The door is closed. No one is looking or judging. You are alone with the One who already accepted you. Nothing to earn. Nothing to prove. Enjoy your time alone with God.
Pray: Thank the Lord for inviting you into his life.
Time Alone With God daily devotional: Galatians 3:26-29
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Galatians 3:26-29
Galatians 3:26-29
New International Version (NIV)
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Start
Consider: There is a third meaning to baptism that is so important for us to consider. We are baptized “into Christ” (3:27) and that means that we are baptized into his body. Baptism is not only a sign of forgiveness, cleansing and resurrection. It is also a sign of inclusion in the Body of Christ. To be baptized “into Christ” means that “you are all one in Christ Jesus” (3:28). It means we are baptized into one another.
I have baptized people in lakes, in ponds, in swimming pools, in hospital beds and in the church. But I have never baptized a person alone. It is always done with other members of the Body of Christ because it is a communal experience. Being baptized is a recognition of Christ’s work in your life and of his ongoing work in you and through you by means of the church—the Body of Christ.
Of course, underlying the whole concept of water baptism is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Going back to Monday’s reading we remember that John said…
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 3:11)
It is the infilling of Christ’s Spirit—the baptism of the Holy Spirit—that places the life of Christ in our bodies. But our individual bodies were never intended to live in spiritual, emotional or physical isolation. Our individual bodies are referred to as parts—or members—of one body.
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)
Christ is in you. You are in Christ. But that is not the end of it. We share something so powerful that it can only be communicated by saying that we—together—are in Christ, for we together have been “baptized into Christ” and have “clothed” ourselves “with Christ” (Galatians 3:27).
Pray: Praise the Lord for the gift that is the Body of Christ. Pray for your local body of believers. Pray that God blesses the church with his presence and with effectiveness in fulfilling our call to…
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19)
Time Alone With God daily devotional: Matthew 28:16-20
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Matthew 28:16-20
New International Version (NIV)
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Start
Consider: It is interesting that in his final directions to his disciples, Jesus included baptism in the strategy for changing the world. Why would it be important to dip people in water in order to bring about the redemption of God’s creation? Why is that part of our marching orders?
Let’s go back to yesterday’s discussion. When we submit ourselves to baptism, we’re attaching ourselves to the Body of Christ. To be baptized “into Christ” means that “you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
This body of believers is amazing. It is comprised of Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians and a wide variety of Protestants. We worship in huge cathedrals, small country churches, storefronts, coffee houses, in “underground” homes and among the trees in remote jungles. We come from every nation and every ethnicity. Our customs, liturgies, rituals and worship styles are as diverse as we are.
But we don’t only span geography and culture. We span time. We worship a God “who was, and is and is to come” (Revelation 4:8). And because we are made in his image, redeemed and resurrected by him, the same is true of us. The church is past, present and future.
The church is called to be the manifestation of Christ on earth. We are called to be the hands of Christ and we join hands with Christians across the ages. We are not only defined by what Christ has done in us as individuals. We are also defined by what Christ has done in his church and through his church.
Jesus told the Eleven to “go and make disciples” (28:19). We are those disciples that were “made” by the obedience of Jesus’ first disciples. So just as I am one with you and you are one with me, so we are one with Peter, James and John—and two millennia of faithful followers. We call that the “Communion of the Saints.”
Pray: Take some time to prayerfully meditate on the precious gift that has been given to you—the gift of being part of Christ’s church. Consider all that God has given you through the church and thank him for all of those blessings. Meditate on what it means to commune with the saints throughout the ages.
Time Alone With God Daily Devotional: Matthew 28:19-20
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Matthew 28:19-20
Matthew 28:19-20
New International Version (NIV)
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Start
Consider: “Go and make disciples” (28:19). We call this “The Great Commission.”
There are other expressions for it as well. We often talk about “evangelizing” others. The root word in the original language of the New Testament is euangel, which simply means “good news.” It is also translated as “gospel” in our English Bibles. So any time you read the word “gospel” in the New Testament, remember it really means good news.
But over the years evangelizing has come on hard times. I believe the reason is that the word has become too narrow. When some people think of evangelizing, they think of proselytizing or recruiting. They reduce The Great Commission to convincing someone to say a prayer or make a decision. But Jesus didn’t say, “Go and make decisions.” He said, “Go and make disciples.”
A disciple is more than a believer. A disciple is a follower and a learner. A disciple is one who emulates the life of the master. A disciple is one who does the work of the master with the master.
Jesus made disciples by calling them, teaching them, living with them, correcting them, ministering with them and, most of all, loving them. He didn’t simply ask them to repeat a prayer. He said, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19).
And we are called to make disciples in the same way. We humbly follow the master. We allow him to conform us to his image (Romans 8:29) so that we can say to others…
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
Pray: “Lord, use my life, my heart and my passion in such a way that others can see Christ in me. I pray that as I follow you, others will be drawn to the journey.”
Time Alone with God daily devotionals: Matthew 5:14-16
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Matthew 5:14-16
Matthew 5:14-16
New International Version (NIV)
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Consider: “Let your light shine…” (5:16). The church—the city on a hill—is called to be light to the world.
It’s interesting to me that in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus instructed us to “let your light shine before others,” but also warned us to “be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others…” (5:16 & 6:1). He is making an important distinction—one that liberates us and the people around us.
We are encouraged to let our lights shine—to freely allow the Spirit of Christ to flow through us—so “that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (5:16). We are warned against engaging in practices “in front of others to be seen by them” (6:1). Motivation is everything.
The anonymous acts of compassion we do are seen in such a way that God is glorified and we don’t get the credit. That’s good stuff!
Of course, we can’t always do God’s work in anonymity. But we can always ask God to help us be so transparent that others see him in us and through us.
This is true of individuals and of the church. My wish for the church is that we never use our acts of compassion as marketing tools—we never say, “Look at what we’re doing!” Rather, we want light to emanate from our hearts, our actions—our love—in such a manner that people see Jesus and understand his love for them in ways they could never have comprehended without being loved by his body.
Pray: “Lord, make us that beautiful city on a hill. Help each one of us to love with abandon—with no thought of how we are perceived. Help us to glorify you by being your hands and feet—your body.”
Time Alone with God daily devotionals: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
1 Corinthians 12:12-14
New International Version (NIV)
Unity and Diversity in the Body
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Start:
Consider: The Corinthian church was a deeply troubled church. They were a divided and quarreling people. There was gross sexual immorality in their leadership. It was the kind of church you and I would run from. We’d be out of there as quickly as possible to go and find another church across town. But, of course, in that day there weren’t various churches around town. If you were a believer, you had access to only one Christian community. So I’m sure when people left the Corinthian church, they left the faith. In many ways the church at Corinth was doing more harm than good.
So when Paul wrote to the church, he did so with a mixture of sadness, frustration, anger and discipline. But at the root of his two Corinthian letters was his desire for them to understand. He wanted them to understand the gospel and the church—to understand with their lives and not simply with their minds.
To deal with their divisions, Paul reminded them that theologically, organically and spiritually they were one. They certainly weren’t living as one. But they were one. They were a body that was tearing itself apart.
Self-destruction is not a natural state for a physical body. Our bodies were created in such a manner that the health of the parts gives health to the whole and the health of the whole gives health to the parts. The parts cannot stand independent of the whole. Christ didn’t send his Spirit to fill my arm. He sent his Spirit to fill my body. He didn’t breathe life into my leg. He breathed life into my body.
But it goes further. This organic, spiritual body is not a description of any one of us. It is the description of all of us.
“Now you (plural) are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (12:27)
Pray: “Lord, you have not called me to independence. You called me to inter-dependence. You called the church to strengthen me and you called me—as a part of your body—to strengthen the church. Show me how—through my prayers, my words, my actions, my love and my passion—I can strengthen your body.”
Time Alone with God daily devotionals: 1 Corinthians 12:14-27
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:14-27
1 Corinthians 12:14-27
New International Version (NIV)
14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Start
Consider: The metaphor of the physical body is incredibly powerful for communicating the realities of the church—the body of Christ. As you read Paul’s words, your mind drifts between insight about the physical body and understanding the spiritual body. The realities of both are clear to see.
I think the reason this is such a powerful metaphor is the fact that it really isn’t a metaphor. I think Paul and the early church believed that they were literally the body of Christ.
When Christ—who existed before creation (John 1:1-3)—came to us, he put on a physical body (John 1:14). The cosmic Christ came to us in Jesus of Nazareth. I always say that what happened in the manger of Bethlehem was not Jesus coming into existence, it was Jesus coming to our neighborhood.
As he left us in the flesh, he promised us that his Spirit would live with us and in us. In the second chapter of Acts we read where this same Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—was poured into the physical bodies of the church. You and I are literally the body of Christ. We are his actual hands and feet. We are the manifestation of Christ in this world.
Take some time to reflect on the ramifications of that truth. If we really are the body of Christ, what does that mean about how we treat one another? What does it mean when it comes to serving the body? What does it mean about our affection and love for the church?
It is life-changing and life-transforming to understand—with our whole being—the New Testament vision of the church.
Pray: “Lord, help me to see the church as you see it. Thank you for making me part of your body.”
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Genesis 12:1-4
written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Genesis 12:1-4
Genesis 12:1-4
New International Version (NIV)
The Call of Abram
12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.[a]
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”[b]
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.
Start:
Consider: In the first book of the Bible—the book of beginnings—we read about God calling Abram to a new life. It is amazing to see how Abram responded. The call was so unexpected and so demanding. In the New Testament, Abram (later known as Abraham) is lauded for his amazing obedience.
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country…for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10)
It is important for us to see that the call given to Abraham was more than a call to a person. It was a call to a people.
I love to read about the heroes of our faith. I am always challenged by the eleventh chapter of Hebrews and books on the history of Christianity. I’m amazed and humbled when I learn about the martyrs who went before us. But it is important for me to understand that the story of God’s work on earth is not simply a story of stand-alone saints. It is not the story of persons as much as it is the story of a people. And we see this from the very beginning. God said to Abraham…
“I will make you into a great nation…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)
In our highly individualized culture, it can be difficult to remember that God’s call on my life is also a call to a people. I am so accustomed to making sure that I am right with God, that I have my needs met, that I have plans for my future. But God never intended for my faith to be mine and mine alone.
When we rediscover that peoplehood is more important than personhood, all of God’s ways take on a new perspective. We think differently about prosperity, joy, success, suffering, peace and love. We pray “Give us today our daily bread” rather than “give me today my daily bread.” We pray “Forgive us our sins” rather than simply saying “forgive me my sins” (Matthew 6:11-12). We bear the burdens of others, and in the process, discover our burdens to be much lighter than they were before.
Pray: Ask the Lord to help you see your call in the perspective of his will for his people. Pray the Lord’s Prayer with a strong consciousness of the “our,” “us” and “we” manner in which he called us to 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. And 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 devotionals: Romans 9:22-26
Read: Romans 9:22-26
Romans 9:22-26
New International Version (NIV)
22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25 As he says in Hosea:
“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”[a]
26 and,
“In the very place where it was said to them,
‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”[b]
Start:
Consider: We saw yesterday how God chose a person in order to create a people. The call of Abram was part of God’s plan for his entire creation. It was not an isolated blessing that was promised to one individual. God told Abram that “all peoples on earth” would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3).
This thing that began in Genesis continues throughout the Old Testament. God didn’t only create a people, he entered into a covenantal relationship with them. And though they broke the covenant again and again, God continued to love his people and call them back to him.
As he says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,” and, “In the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’” (Romans 9:25-26)
Sometimes we miss the joy of being the people of God by focusing solely on being a person of God. At times my ego wants to stand apart from the rest. I want to accomplish things that make me feel special. I want to be used mightily by God instead of wanting his people to be Christ on this earth.
The irony is that if I’m using my relationship with God to shore up my weak ego, I’m missing my real worth in Christ. My worth is not in standing apart, making a name for myself or leaving a personal legacy. My worth is experienced as I understand that Christ is in me and I am in Christ (John 14:20). And to be in Christ is to be in his body—his people.
Pray: “Lord, I don’t have to earn your favor. I already have it. I don’t have to prove my worth. You gave it to me. I don’t have to stand apart and prove to myself that I am significant. I am in Christ and Christ is in me. You are in your people and your people are in you. Thank you!”
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Ephesians 3:20-21
Read: Ephesians 3:20-21
Ephesians 3:20-21
New International Version (NIV)
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Start:
Consider: For the past two days we’ve looked at God’s creation and call of a “people” in the Old Testament. But the people of God—the people of the covenant—are not simply the subject of the Old Testament. The New Testament continues their story and gives them a new name—the church. Paul tells us that now we are children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7).
So the same reverence we give to the nation of Israel that God created, we also give to the church of Jesus Christ. We have been invited and accepted into the “people” that God created to bless all of creation.
I fear that sometimes we miss the significance of the church. I know our culture doesn’t understand the church. But sometimes I’m afraid that nominal Christians view the church as simply a gathering of people who have common religious convictions, opinions and preferences. And since our culture honors individual accomplishment, the church is seen as optional. The concept of a “personal” relationship with Christ has been convoluted into a “private” relationship with Christ. This individualized idea of Christianity easily endorses the values of this world. Without a powerful concept of the “people of God”—the body of Christ—there is no power in our Christian lives. We simply become agents of the values of our surrounding culture while claiming we’re agents of the new kingdom.
God has a different plan. Paul said…
“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known…” (Ephesians 3:10)
I often say that I want God to be glorified in my life. I mean that with all my heart. And while we constantly see God honored in the lives of individuals, we know that work is made possible because God is gloried in a people.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Pray: Thank God for inviting you—inviting us—into his family to be the people of God. Ask the Lord how you today, by your prayers and by your actions, can honor God by honoring his people.
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Matthew 5:14
Read: Matthew 5:14
Matthew 5:14
New International Version (NIV)
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Start:
Consider: A city on a hill. What a powerful symbol of hope. Imagine yourself as a wanderer who is lost in the wilderness. You have been journeying through desert lands and your supplies and strength are almost gone. Far ahead you see a light. And you know what it is. It’s a city. It’s a people. It’s hope.
It’s also a sign of protection. In times past, cities were built on hills so they could be defended. The high walls of a city on a hill were a guarantee against surprise attacks.
It’s also a symbol of strength. Jesus didn’t talk about a hut on a hill, an encampment on a hill or even a village on a hill. He talked about the lights that shone from the houses, buildings and streets of a city on a hill.
So who was Jesus talking to when he said, “You are the light of the world”—you are that city on a hill? Those words of Jesus came immediately after the blessings, as he was addressing…
the poor in spirit
those who mourn
the meek
those who hunger for righteousness and justice
the merciful
the pure in heart
the peacemakers
the persecuted (5:3-12).
The hope, protection and strength—the light of the world—was again being defined by our Lord in ways that the world could not understand. This city on a hill—the church of Jesus Christ—will have to be understood in a manner consistent with God’s intent for his people.
When we look at Jesus, we see light. When the world looks at us, they should see light. For God has formed his church to be a city on a hill.
Pray: “Lord, I pray for your church—your body. We are weak and frail. And yet, you said that your strength would be perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Give us your strength as we embrace the meekness of Christ. Help us to allow you to define hope and strength rather than embracing the values of the kingdoms around us.”
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Matthew 5:14-16
Read: Matthew 5:14-16
Matthew 5:14-16
New International Version (NIV)
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Start:
Consider: “Let your light shine…” (5:16). The church—the city on a hill—is called to be light to the world.
It’s interesting to me that in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus instructed us to “let your light shine before others,” but also warned us to “be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others…” (5:16 & 6:1). He is making an important distinction—one that liberates us and the people around us.
We are encouraged to let our lights shine—to freely allow the Spirit of Christ to flow through us—so “that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (5:16). We are warned against engaging in practices “in front of others to be seen by them” (6:1). Motivation is everything.
The anonymous acts of compassion we do are seen in such a way that God is glorified and we don’t get the credit. That’s good stuff!
Of course, we can’t always do God’s work in anonymity. But we can always ask God to help us be so transparent that others see him in us and through us.
This is true of individuals and of the church. My wish for the church is that we never use our acts of compassion as marketing tools—we never say, “Look at what we’re doing!” Rather, we want light to emanate from our hearts, our actions—our love—in such a manner that people see Jesus and understand his love for them in ways they could never have comprehended without being loved by his body.
Pray: “Lord, make us that beautiful city on a hill. Help each one of us to love with abandon—with no thought of how we are perceived. Help us to glorify you by being your hands and feet—your body.”
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Matthew 5:13-16
Read: Matthew 5:13-16
Matthew 5:13-16
New International Version (NIV)
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Start:
Consider: Salt and light. One is almost invisible. (You know, when you’re in a dark restaurant and you put too much salt on your potatoes because you couldn’t see how fast it came out of the shaker.) The other is highly visible. It is the light of a city on a hill that can be seen miles away.
We are both. The church of Jesus Christ is salt and light. We are visible while being highly invisible.
From my vantage point as a pastor, many times I get to see what is done in relative silence. Every day members of the body take the love of Christ to hospitals and homes. People anonymously supply material needs to those who are struggling. Members of the body weep together and rejoice together. Some spend hours in intercessory prayer for others. Lives are saved, futures are altered and hope is restored without fanfare. Servants love to serve. And they love to serve Christ by serving others, not by calling attention to themselves.
So it’s amazing when the things that are done in silence and anonymity shine out like a city on a hill. When that happens it truly is the light of Christ. Then, as Jesus said, God is praised (5:16) and the kingdom has come.
Pray: Thank God for the salt that becomes light—the sincere works done in the dark and difficult places that shine forth God’s love. Thank him that your work is part of his great plan. Ask him to help you find incredible joy in serving, even and especially when no one is looking.
Time Alone With God Daily Devotionals: Love And Peace On Earth
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
With Those Who Hurt Us
Read: Matthew 5:9
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Consider: I grew up at a time when peace was controversial. I was a child during the war in Viet Nam. Our country was sharply divided. It seemed that every day protests and counter-protests were highlighted on the nightly news. But it wasn’t just the domestic response to the war that took center stage. The war itself was always in front of us. The Viet Nam war was the first “living room war”—the first war that we watched on television in almost real time.
Though I was a child, I vividly remember the polarization. Families were torn apart and relationships were severed. I heard stories about people who accused their parents of hate, while their parents accused them of treason. It seemed that there was no middle ground. How could there be? You were either in favor of America’s involvement or you were against it. Or so it seemed to me from my elementary and middle school vantage point.
Of course, peace is still controversial. But, why? Doesn’t everyone want peace? The military general wants peace and the anti-war activist wants peace. So, why do we fight over peace?
We know why. We don’t actually disagree over our desire for peace, but we have basic disagreements over how peace can be achieved.
So how can we even begin to talk about Jesus’ blessing on the peacemakers? We can only begin by looking through the eyes of Jesus. So when it comes to peacemaking, we can’t look at the polarities of our world. Our world offers two options—fight or flight. But Jesus always offers a “third way”—or more correctly stated, a new way.
This week we want to try to see peace—shalom—through the eyes of Christ.
Pray: “Lord, in my encounters today, I may be given the opportunity to be a voice for peace or a source of division. That opportunity may come upon me unexpectedly. So please give me your eyes and ears. Give me your heart. Help me to be a child of God—a peacemaker.”
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Ephesians 2:11-18
Read: Ephesians 2:11-18
11Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 18for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
Consider: Part of the reason that peace is so hard to achieve between individuals, groups and nations is that we tend to view peace as a win or lose proposition. Someone has to be victorious and someone has to surrender. Someone has to be right and someone has to be wrong. Someone has to win the argument and someone has to concede.
But that’s not Jesus’ standard for peace. His equation is 1+1=1.
“For he…has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…” (Ephesians 2:14)
So if you get into an argument with your spouse, the question is not, “Who is right?” The question is, “How can we become one?” “How can we destroy ‘the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility’?” And Jesus taught us that the manner in which we approach someone we love is the manner in which we should also approach someone we are tempted to hate (Matthew 5:43-48).
That takes humility. We all believe we’re right. We all believe that we will be affirmed when others see it our way—when others admit that we are right and they are wrong. That kind of thinking is pretty central to our egos. But Christ asks us to lay aside our need to be right and asks us to take up the task of building bridges—forging peace.
Now, of course, there is no denying that sometimes right and wrong are pitted against one another. Sometimes you are right! Peacemaking is not an exercise in ignoring your convictions or abandoning your principles. That’s a terrible caricature of peacemaking. But it does mean putting people first. It means always seeing the image of God in others—even our enemies.
Pray: “Lord, you focused on me instead of focusing on my sin. You chose reconciliation with me rather than my destruction. You were right and I was wrong. Yet you saw me as an image-bearer of God rather than seeing me as the sum total of my sins. Give me your eyes as I seek to be an agent of your peace in the lives around me today.”
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Matthew 5:38-39
Read: Matthew 5:38-39
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ 39“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41“Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42“Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47“If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Consider: Turn the other cheek. Could there be a more difficult command? Could Jesus have been serious when he taught us this response to evil?
Perhaps no other command has been as misunderstood as this one. And it’s not an abstract issue. It touches real life. As a pastor, I have had women ask me if they had to allow an abusive husband to beat them—if they had to go home and live in that hellish environment. Of course, the answer is an emphatic no! It is not God’s will for anyone to be abused. So what was Jesus saying?
There was a cultural subtlety at play that we don’t want to miss. In that day, if a person struck you on “the right cheek” they were using the back of their hand. (They always used their “clean” hand, their right hand.) A back-handed slap meant that they were treating you as a slave, an inferior, a sub-human. Jesus was telling people that they were not sub-human, they were not inferior and they didn’t deserve abuse. So to “turn to them the other cheek” was to say, “I’m your equal. I will not allow myself to be treated as sub-human. But I refuse to act toward you in the hateful manner that you acted toward me.”
That is why we always talk about Jesus’ “third way” or new way. We don’t return evil for evil. Yet we don’t allow evil to go unchecked. We take a stand for what is right. Yet we do it humbly, in a nonviolent manner, thereby giving dignity to ourselves and to our enemies. We don’t allow ourselves to be abused and we don’t abuse.
“Peacemaking doesn’t mean passivity. It is the act of interrupting injustice without mirroring injustice, the act of disarming evil without destroying the evildoer, the act of finding a third day that is neither fight nor flight but the careful, arduous pursuit of reconciliation and justice. It is about a revolution of love that is big enough to set both the oppressed and the oppressors free.” — Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals
Pray: Thank you, Lord, for my inherent dignity—a dignity given to me by your image in me. Help me to always see that in me and in everyone. Help me to stand against injustice in your way, not the ways of this world.”
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Psalm 85:8-13
Read: Psalm 85:8-13
Context
8I will hear what God the LORD will say;
For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;
But let them not turn back to folly.
9Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
10Lovingkindness and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11Truth springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
12Indeed, the LORD will give what is good,
And our land will yield its produce.
13Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.
Consider: There is a beautiful Hebrew greeting that you hear from time to time—shalom. At its most basic definition, this Old Testament word means “peace.” But there is so much more to shalom that we need to embrace.
We typically think of peace as the absence of hostility. When fighting ceases, we call it peace. But that is not all that God wants for us—that alone is not God’s shalom.
We’ve all heard of cases in which two brothers had an ongoing war of words over many years. They may have finally grown tired of it and stopped seeing each other altogether. Or they may have gotten to the point where they could see each other, but remained silent about their differences. Open hostilities had ceased. But that’s not peace. That’s not shalom.
Shalom would come to that family when those two brothers were reconciled—when the severed relationship was restored. Shalom is the presence of wholeness, justice, righteousness and peace. I love the way the psalmist says it…
“Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace (shalom) kiss each other.” (Psalm 85:10)
We were created for a deep, lasting shalom with God and with one another. So we undertake the hard work of listening, forgiving, restoring, reconciling, humbling ourselves and seeking what God has wanted for us all along.
Pray: God gave Moses a blessing that the priests were instructed to give to the nation of Israel. Let’s pray that blessing over ourselves and all people this day.
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you shalom.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Romans 12:9-21
Read: Romans 12:9-21
9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. 20“BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Consider: One of the Latin words for peace is pacem. This yields other peace-related words to our English language. When a general brings peace to a war-torn area, it is said that he pacified the region. A person that is against the use of violence is called a pacifist.
The problem with these words is the manner in which we understand them today. For example, the word “pacifism” (a word that is very distasteful to many people) is not the same as “passive-ism” even though that’s how many people hear it. And when we think of “pacifying” someone, we don’t think of bringing peace. We think of sticking a pacifier in a baby’s mouth so Mom and Dad can get some sleep. (Well, I guess that is a form of peace.)
Making peace and being passive are not the same thing. In fact, Paul says that working for peace is anything but passive.
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4)
Peace is something for which we work and fight. But we don’t fight in the same manner as people have done throughout the ages. We have a different king who leads a kingdom that is unlike any of the kingdoms of this world. So we use different weapons.
That’s why we are constantly called to Jesus’ “third way”—his new way. Paul summarized it powerfully when he said…
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17, 21)
The ends do not justify the means. To use sinful practices to accomplish good goals is still sinful. As Paul said, we totally disagree with those who say, “Let us do evil that good may result” (Romans 3:8).
So we humbly and creatively—under the power of the Holy Spirit—search out the weapons that God wants us to use in order to overcome the evil within us and all around us.
Pray: “Lord, teach me what it means for me today to ‘overcome evil with good.’ Remind me that love is more powerful that any weapon that can be used against your kingdom.”
Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Matthew 5:3-9
Read: Matthew 5:3-9
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Consider: In Jesus’ instruction to turn the other cheek and in Paul’s admonition to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21), we’ve seen this week that peacemaking is central to our calling as disciples of Jesus Christ. In his Sermon on the Mount and throughout The New Testament, Christ calls us to this work. And it is daily work. We can practice peacemaking every day and every hour of our lives.
How? Again, we must return to the idea of shalom that we looked at Thursday and the biblical concept of justice. When our lives are given to others—when we embrace the lonely, lift up the fallen, minister to the hungry (no matter what kind of hunger they experience)—we are practicing justice, righteousness and shalom. Peace is justice and justice is peace—“righteousness and peace kiss each other” (Psalm 85:10).
And in this expansive view of peacemaking we see the Beatitudes—the blessings of Jesus—fulfilling one another.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice…blessed are the peacemakers…” (Matthew 5:6, 9)
Every time we allow our hands to be the hands of Christ and every time we bring the presence of Christ to someone who suffers, we are engaging in the high calling of peacemaking.
It takes the mind of Christ to do so. It takes selflessness. It takes a perspective on life that transcends our own needs and agendas. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why peacemakers are considered “children of God.”
“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Pray: As we did last week, let’s end the week by praying the Prayer of St. Francis…
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.
Time Alone With God daily devotional: Matthew 5:7
Written by Phil Stout
Read: Matthew 5:7
Matthew 5:7
New International Version (NIV)
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Start
Consider: It’s easy to look at the fifth Beatitude—the fifth blessing—as a future promise only. I saw it that way for years. If I’m merciful now, then someday God will show me mercy by allowing me into heaven. But God has already been merciful to me. One day on a cross and every day of my life are gifts of mercy.
You see, the biblical concept of mercy is very close to the idea of forgiveness. Just a few moments after giving us this blessing, Jesus said…
“…if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (6:14)
And a few moments later he said…
“…with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (7:2)
I think the promise that merciful people will be given mercy is a promise for every moment of my life here and now. And part of that is the mercy I will receive from others when I have been graciously merciful to them.
I believe our lives with God and with one another are to be lives that inhale and exhale mercy, forgiveness and love.
This week we’ve heard God proclaim it through the prophet (Hosea 6:6) and Jesus affirm it as he lived among us (Matthew 9:13, 12:7) and Paul put it to poetry (1 Corinthians 13:13). And they all tell us the same thing. Nothing is more important.
Pray: To remind us to live the life of a mercy-giver this day, let’s pray the Prayer of St. Francis…
Time Alone with God daily devotionals: Matthew 23:1-3, 13-15
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Matthew 23:1-3, 13-15
New International Version (NIV)
A Warning Against Hypocrisy
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Start
Consider: The Pharisees were the Jewish sect that saw themselves as the keepers and preservers of God’s Law—also called the Law of Moses. They were convinced that if every Jew kept the entire Law for one full day, the kingdom of God would come.
So why were they constantly at odds with Jesus? Why were they always confronting him and why was he always challenging them? Why did Jesus use such strong words when dealing with the Pharisees? In fact, they were the only ones who had Jesus’ biting language directed at them. Jesus didn’t call anyone else “hypocrites” (23:13) and “snakes” (23:33).
Jesus could read their motives. (By the way, that’s why we don’t call people hypocrites. We don’t know their motives. Only Jesus has that right.) They used the Law and religion to make themselves look holy as they oppressed and dominated others. They set themselves up as the arbiters of who was right with God and who was not. They used that power to control others. God’s intent for the people’s relationship with him was being destroyed by the Pharisees.
It remains the same today. Whenever people use religion—including the Christian faith—as a measuring rod that they can wield to declare who is in and who is out, Jesus is not seen. Judgmental religion is seen. And it’s ugly. Legalistic “righteousness” is as deadly today as ever.
We don’t come to Jesus as Pharisees who believe we have all the answers. We don’t save the world by bullying people into agreeing with our theology. We don’t belittle those who have yet to discover God’s grace that came to us through Christ. We come to Jesus as the “poor in spirit” (5:3) and approach our brothers and sisters as people who need the good news that we’ve discovered.
I love that old saying that describes how we approach the world. We’re beggars who are running to tell other beggars where we found bread.
Pray: “Lord, your grace is a gift that is beyond my comprehension. Thank you for teaching us that ‘God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world’ (John 3:17). Help me today to be a ‘saving’ force for you and never one who condemns. Thank you that you chose not to condemn me.”
Time Alone With God daily devotional: Matthew 23:1-3
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Matthew 23:1-3
New International Version (NIV)
A Warning Against Hypocrisy
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Start:
Consider: The Pharisees were the Jewish sect that saw themselves as the keepers and preservers of God’s Law—also called the Law of Moses. They were convinced that if every Jew kept the entire Law for one full day, the kingdom of God would come.
So why were they constantly at odds with Jesus? Why were they always confronting him and why was he always challenging them? Why did Jesus use such strong words when dealing with the Pharisees? In fact, they were the only ones who had Jesus’ biting language directed at them. Jesus didn’t call anyone else “hypocrites” (23:13) and “snakes” (23:33).
Jesus could read their motives. (By the way, that’s why we don’t call people hypocrites. We don’t know their motives. Only Jesus has that right.) They used the Law and religion to make themselves look holy as they oppressed and dominated others. They set themselves up as the arbiters of who was right with God and who was not. They used that power to control others. God’s intent for the people’s relationship with him was being destroyed by the Pharisees.
It remains the same today. Whenever people use religion—including the Christian faith—as a measuring rod that they can wield to declare who is in and who is out, Jesus is not seen. Judgmental religion is seen. And it’s ugly. Legalistic “righteousness” is as deadly today as ever.
We don’t come to Jesus as Pharisees who believe we have all the answers. We don’t save the world by bullying people into agreeing with our theology. We don’t belittle those who have yet to discover God’s grace that came to us through Christ. We come to Jesus as the “poor in spirit” (5:3) and approach our brothers and sisters as people who need the good news that we’ve discovered.
I love that old saying that describes how we approach the world. We’re beggars who are running to tell other beggars where we found bread.
Pray: “Lord, your grace is a gift that is beyond my comprehension. Thank you for teaching us that ‘God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world’ (John 3:17). Help me today to be a ‘saving’ force for you and never one who condemns. Thank you that you chose not to condemn me.”
Time Alone With God daily devotional: Colossians 2:1-7
Message by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Colossians 2:1-7
New International Version (NIV)
2 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Start
Consider: You have to grow down to grow up. Roots matter.
Tending to the roots is hard, tedious, consistent, invisible work. The roots are not seen. They don’t clamor for attention. But root-tending makes it possible for a tree to grow and growth makes it possible for that tree, over time, to bear fruit.
“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him.” (Colossians 2:7)
What would it look like for you today to do some root-tending? How would you go about growing down? How can you deepen your life in the fertile soil of God’s grace? What does it mean for you to “grow down into him”?
These are important questions because growth in Christ is seldom accidental. That’s not to say that we produce growth in ourselves. Our growth is a gift from God. But we can partner with him. We can break up the hard clods of dirt in our hearts. We can clear the thorns away that choke the plant. We can be intentional in giving fertile soil to God for him to take us deeper.
Often the cry of the heart is, “Take me higher.” We all want to experience the great joy of knowing and seeing God. We want to stand on the mountain with our hands raised high. And our gracious God gives us those experiences from time to time. But we must also include another prayer—“Take me deeper.”
Pray: “Lord, take me deeper. I want my roots to go so deep that the winds of life will not take me down. But even more than that, I want to go deep to know you more fully and love you with all that I am.”
Time Alone With God daily devotional: Colossians 2:6-12
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Colossians 2:6-12
New International Version (NIV)
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh[b] was put off when you were circumcised by[c] Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
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Consider: This week we’ve been considering God as he is presented to us in the New Testament—God who is one and God who is three. Sometimes people ask, “Who should I pray to—the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit?” I always say, “Yes!”
For me, Jesus of Nazareth—the Christ—makes the knowledge of God most accessible. That’s probably true for most people because Jesus was seen, heard and touched with the physical senses. As John said…
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard…” (1 John 1:1-3)
The astounding thing is that when we talk to Jesus, in addition to interacting with the Christ who preceded all things (John 1:1-3), we are praying to our Father and to the Spirit of God who pervades everything, everywhere. As we read today…
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.” (Colossians 2:9-10)
In light of this amazing reality, Paul gives us a simple, practical, daily, down-to-earth directive.
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (2:7-8)
Pray: “Lord, help me to arrange my life—including today—so that I am steadfastly ‘rooted’ and continually ‘built up’ in you. Help me to think and do the things that anchor and build me. And as our brother Paul taught us, I know that this begins with an attitude that is ‘overflowing with thankfulness.’”
Time Alone With God daily devotional: John 14:15-20
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: John 14:15-20
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
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Consider: Yesterday we considered the relationship, fellowship and unity inherent in the Trinity. If this is hard for us to comprehend, imagine what it must have been like for Jesus’ first disciples. They were seeing God in the flesh and trying to make sense of it. At one point Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us” (John 14:8). Jesus answered…
“Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me…” (14:9-11)
I always picture Philip’s face and the faces of the other disciples upon hearing this. You know the look. Concentration, confusion, grasping, searching. The brow is furrowed and the eyes are narrowed. They were trying to get it straight in their minds. But Jesus was talking about something much deeper than can be grasped by the mind alone. And as they strained their logic, he added…
“I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (14:20)
Every morning when I pray, I ask God to help me comprehend what it means to have Christ in me and to be in Christ. And with Christ comes the Father. So I’m really trying to comprehend the Trinity—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—in me, and me in the Trinity.
Too much for the brain alone. So I pray for an additional kind of “knowledge.” I pray that I may be able…
“…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…” (Ephesians 3:18-19)
Pray: “Lord, help me to ‘know’ that which ‘surpasses knowledge.’ I’m not asking for increased intelligence. I’m not asking for logical conclusions. I’m asking that you would help me increasingly—day by day and year by year—to know what can only be known by unity with you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”