June 15, 2002 - July 8, 2002
Daily Devotionals

Saturday 15 June

Luke 11:46-51
"And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.  "Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them. So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Because of this, God in his wisdom said,  'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.' Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.


Sunday 16 June
 
Luke 11:52
"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."


Monday 17 June

Luke 12:1-3
"Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."


Tuesday 18 June

Luke 12:2-3
There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.


Wednesday 19 June

Luke 12:4-5
"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.


Thursday 20 June

Luke 12:6-7
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.


Friday 21 June

Luke 12:8-9
"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.


Saturday 22 June

Luke 12:10
And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.


Sunday 23 June

Luke 12:11-12
"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."


Monday 24 June
 
Luke 12:14
"Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?"


Tuesday 25 June

Luke 12:15
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."


Wednesday 26 June

Luke 12:16-21
"The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself,  'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said,  'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself,  "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." "But God said to him,  'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."


Thursday 27 June

'But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify' (Romans 3:21).

There is a righteousness that comes from God. In ancient times persons were deemed righteous when they lived up to certain expectations within a community or culture. There is some of that meaning in Romans Chapter 3, since the divine expectations are all answered by Christ. He is the righteousness that 'comes from God.' He abundantly answers every possible claim that the divine being makes on human nature. But righteousness can also be understood as consisting of God's judgement, in which he rules that the believer, through faith in Jesus, has also met every divine claim. Righteousness in this sense, has a 'forensic' meaning; a meaning drawn from the language and proceedings of a court. Righteousness in this sense, is God's verdict, God's decision, his determination of acquittal, that says that the law has nothing more it can require of the believer.

The fact that this righteousness 'comes from God,' and that it is 'apart from law', shows that it cannot refer to a condition of virtue within a person. This is further confirmed, in that the 'righteousness from God' is compared with a righteousness from another source, namely, righteousness by 'observing the law' (v.20). 'Law,' specifically refers to the Jewish religion in all its parts, because that was what Paul's contemporaries knew as Law. Yet, in a wider sense, law takes in every kind of attempt to secure a relationship with God, on the strength of religious effort. Righteousness sought by this means is spurious. It consists of the good things people do. Their virtues, rectitude, probity, respectability, or piety.

I recall my school days, when most of the kids were poor. Sometimes a classmate would bring a bag of lollies to school. The rest of us would surround him, clamouring for a handout. For a little while, the boy with the bag of lollies was king. We all loved him, and worshipped him, and would do anything for him, just to get a lolly from him. We envied his position. Unashamed we held out our hands to him. 'Give me some, can I have some? I'm your best mate, remember? Sometimes the lolly boy would say, 'Anyone who asks for some won't get any.' A momentary loss of zeal would ensue among the petitioners. Then a voice from the back would call out: I never asked for any. But the lolly boy was ready for him with: ' You mustn't want any then.'

Righteousness is God's gift. He freely grants us a relationship with himself, which, as far as he is concerned, leaves nothing to be desired. He grants this privilege, not because he likes the look of us; not because we have asked him  nicely; not because we didn't pester him. Not because we asked, and not because we didn't ask. The reasons lie with him, and not with us. This is righteousness 'apart from law.' This is righteousness that comes from God. It is 'being justified freely by his grace.' It is the only righteousness that will suffice, and it is ours through faith in Jesus.


Friday 28 June

Luke 12:22-24
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!


Saturday 29 June
 
Luke 12:25-28
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?  "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!


Sunday 30 June

Luke 12:29-30
And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.


Monday 1 July

Luke 12:31
But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.


Tuesday 2 July

Luke 12:32
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.


Wednesday 3 July

Luke 12:33-34
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


Thursday 4 July

Luke 12:35-37
"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.


Friday 5 July

Luke 12:38-40
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."


Saturday 6 July

Luke 12:42-46
"Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.


Sunday 7 July

Luke 12:47-48
"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.


Monday 8 July

Luke 12:49-53
"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."