Monday, October 29
Theme for the week:
Disciples Judge Mercifully

Matthew 7:3-5

“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? 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.”
~ Jesus

Dallas Willard, a long-time disciple of Jesus, was a deep thinker of the impact of God’s Word on His people. He found a great way to encapsulate the teaching Jesus shares in these words: Eliminate condemnation and then help (The Divine Conspiracy, p. 224).

Rather than try to describe “the log” in our eye as various sins each of us might struggle with, he saw the log as an attitude of condemnatory judging. We would do well to suspend judgment of others before we address any issues with them.

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Prayer Prompt

Lord Jesus Christ, show me how to remove the log from my eye that I may see others clearly like You do – or at least more clearly than I see currently. I know that I can be blind to my own faults. Let your Holy Spirit remove and blinders – but gently please. Thank you Jesus. Amen.

Micro-Meditation

Psalm 103:1-6

  1. Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
  2. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
  3. who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
  4. who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
  5. who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
  6. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

  • Read: the verses twice.

  • Mark: the words or phrases that catch your attention.

  • Meditate: talk (better yet write) with God about those words. Ask him to impress things upon your heart and mind; expect a response from the Lord.

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Pondering Point

While we don’t want to dwell on our sin, there is a benefit to remembering where we have been and the grace God’s has been pouring out to us over the years.

Tuesday, October 30
God’s Mission

1 Corinthians 5:9-10

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 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.
~ Apostle Paul

Rightfully or wrongfully, people in the church have been perceived as judgmental and disapproving, critical and condemnatory of those outside of the church. In terms of God’s mission, Jesus clearly associated with those beyond the religious establishment – so much so he was accused of being a “glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (see Luke 7:34). Jesus also seemed to engage these people without a judgmental or condemnatory attitude.

In this section of 1 Corinthians, Paul clearly teaches that we should be IN association with such people too – the immoral, the greedy, the swindlers and the idolaters. AND I would imagine in a fashion like Jesus -- without a judgmental or condemnatory approach.

There is a group of sexually immoral, greedy, slandering, drunk, swindler-types we are to avoid. We will address that group of folks in tomorrow’s devotion. Today let’s pray that we learn to approach people “of this world” like Jesus was known to do – being part of God’s mission.

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Prayer

Father God, it is not your desire to condemn people, not is it the desire of your Son Jesus to do so. Teach me how to associate and love the people of Your world – of the world that I move in and around. I want to reflect your heart and attitude. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Micro-Meditation for the Day:

Psalm 103:1

Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

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Teaching or Command of God:

Romans 15:7

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 

The Promise:

John 14:13

I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

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Pondering Point

Stop and praise the Lord in this moment. Praise Him for who He is and for one thing He has done.

Wednesday, October 31
Your Identity in Christ

1 Corinthians 5:11-13

…But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
~ Apostle Paul 

• As a disciple of Christ, I am willing to be held to the standard of God’s Word by my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Yesterday we were reminded that Christians are expected to be in assocation with people “of this world” as Jesus was (and is!) -- without a judgmental or condemnatory approach. But as we read in the verses above, Paul (and God who inspired his words) does speak of a group of people that we are supposed to judge, condemning their sinful actions. Who are they? They are the ones who categorize themselves as followers of Jesus, yet persist in lives that identify as sexually immoral or greedy, idolaters, slanderers, drunkards and/or swindlers. Here we are told specifically to judge (and expel) this wicked-but-claiming-to-be-a-disciple-of-Jesus type.

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Prayer

Father God, I am your disciple. By your Spirit, let me rise to the calling to live a holy life. You say this is possible because you have given me the faith to do so (2 Peter 1:3). When I fall, pick me up through my brothers or sisters. And when my brothers or sisters fall, use me to help pick them up. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Micro-Meditation for the Day:

Psalm 103:2-3

Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

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Teaching or Command of God:

2 Timothy 2:8-9

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 

The Promise:

James 5:15

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.

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Pondering Point

List the sins that God has forgiven you – then write thanks for each one being forgiven.

Thursday, November 1
Re-Center Around God

Galatians 6:1

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
~ Apostle Paul

Matthew 7:5

“first take the plank out of your own eye; then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
~ Jesus

Yes, as people of God, we are called to judge those inside the religious establishment, BUT – and I repeat as a pre-caution – BUT we should do so GENTLY. We should also do this without a condemning spirit. If you cannot remove the plank of a condemning spirit from your eye, you are not equipped to judge your brother or sister. So let’s review our own lives in light of these concepts:

Review the week

Have I been judging those outside the church? Have I been judging others inside the church with the log of a condemning spirit? Have I been hiding from judgment?

Repent (if necessary)

You may find a need to repent of judgmental attitudes toward either those inside or outside of the religious establishment known as the church. You may need to repent of hiding your sin in pride or fear of judgment from others.

Return (as necessary)

Come to God who desires to forgive in Christ. Come to Jesus, who came not to condemn but to save. Ask for help to overcome that which has been plaguing you in your life as a disciple. To not be afraid to seek support and help from a brother or sister in Christ who will deal gently with your soul.

Micro-Meditation for the Day:

Psalm 103:4-5

Come to God who desires to forgive in Christ. Come to Jesus, who came not to condemn but to save. Ask for help to overcome that which has been plaguing you in your life as a disciple. To not be afraid to seek support and help from a brother or sister in Christ who will deal gently with your soul.

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Teaching or Command of God:

Psalm 37:4a

Take delight in the LORD… 

The Promise:

Psalm 37:4b

… and he will give you the desires of your heart.

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Pondering Point

What would being renewed like the eagle mean for you? Go ahead – pray to God for such a blessing.

Friday, November 2
Discipleship Point

Doing Good to All

Galatians 6:1-10

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

The Apostle Paul wrote: Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. As disciples of Jesus we are to – in love – help each other deal with plaguing sins. This requires you to ‘be spiritual’ or you will be ill-equipped to help. It is really the Spirit of God helping through you. And often it is the Spirit of God reaching out to help you through other disciples operating in the Spirit.

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Discipleship Prayer

Lord Jesus, teach me to live with a gentle spirit, with a godly spirit, that I might be a blessing to those around me, especially those who haven caught in any sin. And restore me through those whose gentle but godly spirits can reach out to me. Amen.

Micro-Meditation for the Day:

Psalm 103:6

The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

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Teaching or Command of God:

Isaiah 58:6

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 

The Promise:

Luke 4:18-19

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. [Jesus]

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Pondering Point

Pray for this righteousness and justice to work through you – with a gentle and spiritual attitude.

Saturday, November 3

2 Samuel 12:1-15

David and Nathan

1 The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

15 After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth[b] on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.

King David has sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and then committing murder of her Husband Uriah to cover it up. He has seemingly got away with it – until the God who sees all reveals David’s sin through the prophet Nathan. In the story we see Nathan, a disciple of God by all accounts, called to restore David from a place of sin to a place of repentance and God-given holiness in the place of that sin. It is a delicate thing to approach a king about his shortcomings and sins. Remember the lesson of the fable The Emporer’s New Clothes? Who wants to tell the king about his problem? But God wants his man (David) restored. Read 2 Samuel 12 and find out how Nathan opens David’s eyes to his sin.

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Prayer Prompt

Father God, sometimes I am in the position of David. May You and I always have a Nathan to help me see – and repent. Sometimes Father you want to put me in the position of a Nathan. Let me be willing, gentle and spiritual enough to help the “Davids” whom you are calling out of sin and back to lives of holiness. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sunday, October 28
Call to Worship God, to Gather Together

God Bless You

Psalm 103:1-2

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 

When worship and increased power steals its way into the heart sanctuary, an increased compassion grows in the soul. To worship is to change.
~ Richard Foster
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Prayer for Worship

Father God, let me judge rightly – by Your Spirit. And let me be judged rightly – by Your spirit. Amen and Amen.

Sponsored by Hope Lutheran Church 

Copyright (c) 2017-2019 Paul vonWerder

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