July
JULY 1
“Thrown Down”
Read Matthew 24:1-2
As Jesus came out of the temple arid was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of die temple. Then he asked diem, “You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all wall be thrown down.”
Matthew 24:1-2
The destruction of the temple was spiritual urban renewal—getting rid of an inadequate physical structure so that a “building not made with hands” could be constructed in its place. What was the purpose of the temple?
Prayer: God Almighty, I don’t want to become so attached to what my ancestors built in obedience to you that I miss the firsthand opportunities of participating in the new things you are doing in my generation. Amen.
JULY 2
“When Will This Be?”
Read Matthew 24:3
When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Matthew 24:3
The view from where they sat was impressive: Jerusalem panoramic before them, with the magnificent temple in the foreground. But it is not what religious people build that makes the kingdom, but how and when a gracious God comes.
Do you spend most of your time looking at religious sights, or listening to Jesus’ words?
Prayer: Lead me into asking the right questions, Lord God of truth, and train me in a careful listening to your answers. I don’t want to stand around looking at the religious scenery; I want to be alert to the new word you are speaking to me in Jesus Christ. Amen.
JULY 3
“The End Is Not Yet”
Read Matthew 24:4-8
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not
yet____All this is but the beginning of the
birthpangs.”
Matthew 24:6,8
A lot of people have franchises these days on predicting the future; it is one of the blue chip businesses in religion. The only thing worse than the crassness of the sellers is the gullibility of the buyers. Jesus warned us well and in detail—there is no excuse for any of us being deceived by these people.
Who has tried to deceive you by pretending to know God’s timetable?
Prayer: It is hard not to be impressed by these people who speak so urgendy and convincingly about die future, Jesus—they all claim a direct commission from you. But then I return to these words of warning and their deceit is exposed. I am again content to be obedient at your feet. Amen.
JULY 4
“They Will Hand You Over”
Read Matthew 24:9-14
“And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
Matthew 24:11-13
If we do not experience betrayal at this moment, we must not therefore become complacent and surprised if and when it comes. Betrayal, which was the fate of Jesus, is also the fate of his followers. Being a Christian is not a sure-fire way to get ahead in the world.
Have you experienced any of the forms of betrayal mentioned by Jesus?
Prayer: I don’t want my identity as a Christian to be shaped by the culture around me, but by the words that you, Jesus, address to me. How carefully you warned me to keep my guard up against the influencing attitudes of others, whether seductive or hostile. Keep me daily mindful of the dangers. Amen.
JULY 5
“If Those Days Had Not Been Cut Short”
Read Matthew 24:15-22
“For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved….”
Matthew 24:21-22
If history were left to run its course, everybody receiving their moral desserts, the consequences would be merciless and inexorable. But we are not left to our fate; history is interrupted by mercy. What do you most abhor in current history?
Prayer: Sovereign and holy Christ: I listen and look at and read the news of the world, and despair—such absurd carnage, such mindless evil. And then I listen and look at and read your salvation and take hope—such mercy, such grace! Amen
JULY 6
“Do Not Believe It”
Read Matthew 24:23-28
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’—do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”
Matthew 24:23-24
The moment we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we quit believing a lot of other things. We quit believing in self-promoting preachers who say they have the latest word from God; we quit believing in schemes by which we can help ourselves to a fortune; we quit believing the puffery that puts religious leaders on pedestals. Who and what don’t you believe in these days?
Prayer: You have made things so simple for me, dear Jesus. I simply believe in you. I don’t have to take seriously everyone who speaks seriously in a religious tone of voice. Thank you for the simplicity of your life, saving me from the complexities of false Christs and false prophets. Amen.
JULY 7
“Gather His Elect”
Read Matthew 24:29-31
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds….”
Matthew 24:30-31
The terrible dissolution and falling apart of society and cosmos is decisively countered by the coming of Christ that signals a comprehensive coming together. “Coming together” is the last word, not “falling apart.”
What Old Testament scripture is Jesus referring to?
Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus! Come and save your people, come and save your elect, come and establish your kingdom. Keep me faithful in prayer for your soon coming and aflame in hope. Amen.
JULY 8
“Not Pass Away”
Read Matthew 24:32-35
“So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
Matthew 24:33-35
The earth looks so solid, the skies look so immense—and words seem so fragile. But it is the words that will endure, that are full of energy, and that accomplish our redemption, for Christ speaks them.
Reflect on the prominence of “word” in the gospel.
Prayer: “O God of Light, Thy Word, a lamp unfailing, shines through the darkness of our earthly way, o’er fear and doubt, o’er black despair prevailing, guiding our steps to Thine eternal day” (Sarah E. Taylor, “O God of Light, Thy Word, a Lamp Unfailing,” The Hymnbook, 217). Amen.
JULY 9
“You Also Must Be Ready”
Read Matthew 24:36-44
“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
Matthew 24:36-37
Jesus warned against getting anxiously upset by announcements of the end. Now he warns against complacendy missing the signs of his arrival. In prayer we must be alert, but not gullible. Do you have a lively sense of expectancy?
Prayer: I never, O God, want to live in complacent sloth, soggy in religious routine, smug in pious satisfaction. I want to be expectant and ready for the new thing that you are doing today, and again tomorrow. Amen.
JULY 10
“The Faithful and Wise Slave”
Read Matthew 24:45-51
“Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.”
Matthew 24:45-46
The ignorance of all of us (including the angels!) regarding the schedule of the coming again of Christ sets us free to go about our work of love without forever nervously checking the clock or calendar.
Do the predictors ever distract you from your work?
Prayer: My curiosity, Lord, sometimes consumes me: I want to know when. And you draw me back into the fullness of this now, in which I can live by faith, content to receive what you give at the right time, and be steady at my work. Amen.
JULY 11
“Ten Bridesmaids”
Read Matthew 25:1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.”
Matthew 25:1-2
The parable asks, “What’s smart?” rather than “What’s right?” Our minds as well as our morals are to be put to proper use in expectation of Christ’s coming. Foolishness is as much to be avoided in kingdom matters as wickedness. How do you watch?
Prayer: Dear God, you have given me careful teaching about your coming: that you are coming, but not when. Keep me ever alert and prepared so that I am ready for whatever you have for me to do, whenever you choose to command me. Amen.
JULY 12
“One Talent”
Read Matthew 25:14-30
“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.”
Matthew 25:14-15
All of us have “one-talent” moods—times when it appears that everyone else has more than we do. We covet the more that others have, instead of devoting ourselves to use what we do have. Jesus has no patience with us at such times; his parable is a prod to live our lives, just as they are, to the glory of God.
Do you ever use your inadequacy as an excuse to do nothing?
Prayer: Llelp me to accept my one-talent status, Lord, and be thankful for what you have given me. And help me to boldly participate in the exchanges of love that will make a profit for your kingdom. Amen.
JULY 13
“Inherit the Kingdom”
Read Matthew 25:31-46
“… And he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world—-”‘
Matthew 25:33-34
The great acts of judgment are not arbitrarily imposed from the outside, they develop out of the ordinary actions of everyday life. The final kingdom has all its seeds in the acts of love and compassion of each day.
Do you think you will be surprised at the last judgment?
Prayer: Thank you for this parable, Jesus: now I know that everything counts. I will never again suppose that what I do is insignificant. I will look for your presence in every person I meet and serve you through them. Amen.
JULY 14
“By Stealth”
Read Matthew 26:1-5
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.
Matthew 26:3-4
While Jesus prophesied his death, his enemies plotted it. The rapt listening of the disciples is in contrast to the stealthy conspiracy of die high priests. The world is divided between those who hang on Jesus’ every word, and those who plot to eliminate him from their lives. Why were the priests against Jesus?
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, how grateful I am that you have entered die arena of suffering and hurt and evil. If all I had were words spoken from a quiet hillside, I would not have what I needed most—your victory over the worst, your presence in time of need. Amen.
JULY 15
“Very Costly Ointment”
Read Matthew 26:6-13
“By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”
Matthew 26:12-13
Devout living is not tightfisted stinginess, but something flaming, with alabaster extravagance. We do not grow in faith by hoarding and saving, but by generous acts of sacrifice poured out in love.
Are you generous?
Prayer: Save me, Lord Jesus, from the niggardly spirit that calculates and resents. Release me for a life that pours itself out without counting the cost, even as you poured yourself out for me. Amen.
JULY 16
“Opportunity to Betray Him”
Read Matthew 26:14-25
When it was evening, he took Ins place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” And they became gready distressed and began to say to him one after anodier, “Surely not 1, Lord?”
Matthew 26:20-22
It is difficult to comprehend that this act of betrayal could be committed by a man associated personally with Jesus, surrounded by peers in a common meal and intimate conversation. But any of us arc capable of it: “Is it I?” is an honest question to ask ourselves. Why did Judas do it?
Prayer: Forgive me, Father, for the times that I have suddenly left the way of faith and gone off to execute a plan that I thought would bring me some short-term benefit. Amen.
JULY 17
“Took… Bread,… Took a Cup”
Read Matthew 26:26-29
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this
is my blood of the covenant—-”
Matthew 26:26-28
The common elements of the meal, through Jesus’ words and prayer, became the signs of our eternal salvation. The deepest spiritual truths are represented in the everyday material of bread and wine. What does the Lord’s Supper mean to you?
Prayer: I receive what you give to me, Lord Jesus Christ—your life and your salvation. As I receive it, I live in hope, anticipating the full life of the kingdom, even as I am participating in it now by your grace. Amen.
JULY 18
“The Flock Will Be Scattered”
Read Matthew 26:30-35
Then Jesus said to them, “You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written,
‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
Matthew 26:31-32
Stumbling was a way of life for Peter, as it is for us. Optimism in our capacity for faithfulness is not the basis of our salvation. Our trust is in the resurrection.
When was the last time you stumbled?
Prayer: I am grateful, God, diat your plans do not depend upon my loyalty, that your salvation is not contingent on my steadfastness. Your resurrection takes place anyway. All praise to you, O God. Amen.
JULY 19
“Your Will Be Done”
Read Matthew 26:36-46
Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:40-41
Sleeping, we slip into a private world, unconscious of God’s action. Praying, the opposite of sleeping, explores every detail in the drama of existence, draws us into participation in Christ’s passion.
What are some contrasts between sleeping and praying?
Prayer: Live in me, holy Christ; create a new Adam, a new Eve, to live to your glory in this garden. Teach me the freedom that lives your will instead of asserting my own. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.
JULY 20
“Deserted Him and Fled”
Read Matthew 26:47-56
Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?”
Matthew 26:52-54
Rome and religion conspired against Jesus and seized him, but he feared “no evil.” He was so sure of God’s “rod and staff’ that he was confidently dismissive of all “swords and staves.” Where are you in this crowd?
Prayer: You lived, Jesus, not by sword but by scripture. Yet I continue to use violence, even when I am attempting to do right things. Teach me to do it your way—your goals, yes, but also your methods. Amen.
JULY 21
“Caiaphas… Peter”
Read Matthew 26:57-68
The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it diat they testify against you?” But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so.”
Matthew 26:62-64
Caiaphas and Peter are mentioned in successive sentences. The high priest and the chief aposde both center their attention on Jesus. Earlier, Peter had said “You are the Christ.” Here, Caiaphas says it. The content of the gospel stays the same—but how different it sounds on the hps of Caiaphas and of Peter.
Why was Jesus silent?
Prayer: A striking scene, Lord! The torture and mocking intended to reduce you to physical and emotional insignificance only reveal your strength. Out of this suffering your love appears with immense dignity and beauty. Thank You. Amen.
JULY 22
“In the Beginning”
Read John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1
John and Genesis both fix our roots in God-reality: our origins are in the God who speaks (and is therefore intelligible to us) and whose speech (Word) makes the very stuff of our existence.
Compare John 1 with Genesis 1.
Prayer: God of creation, let all my beginnings be in you: every thought, every act, every desire, every purpose, every plan. I would be rooted and grounded in you, and you only. Amen.
JULY 23
“Made Through Him ”
Read John 1:2-3
All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being …
John 1:3
It is impossible to separate what we know of God from who God is, what God has said from his very being. Everything that is made is a clue leading to God, and God, of course, is the truth of everything.
How did creation take place?
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for this gloriously intricate, put-togedier, held-together universe. Everywhere I look I find evidence of what you have done. Everything I see gives me another reason to marvel and praise. Amen.
JULY 24
“The Life Was the Light”
Read John 1:4
… in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
John 1:4
Our ability to see anything and understand it is because of God. Even our questions about God are evidence of God. Our enlightened minds, which we may use to deny God, are a gift of the God who gives us life.
What are some characteristics of light?
Prayer: Father of lights, in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, I thank you for every good gift and every perfect gift come down from above in Jesus Christ. (James 1:17) Amen.
JULY 25
“Light/Darkness”
Read John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
John 1:5
In a contest between light and dark, light always wins. Darkness never smothers light; light always dissipates darkness. Darkness has no initiative and no energy. It is helpless against the pulsating radiance of the light.
What are some characteristics of darkness?
Prayer-. “This is the day of light: let there be light today; O Dayspring, rise upon our night and chase its gloom away” (John Ellerton, “This Is the Day of Light,” The Hymnbook, 70). Amen.
JULY 26
“Witness to the Light”
Read John 1:6-8
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
John 1:6-8
The contrast is abrupt: our minds are drawn from the wide, cosmic sweep of creation to the rough Judean wilderness, where a man is calling particular attention to God’s work and word in Jesus Christ.
What do you know about John?
Prayer: By your Word, God, the heavens were created; and by that same word I am addressed. What is going on in the heavens and in my home are equally your interest. Make the connection in my faith between your grand purposes and your specific involvement in my life. Amen.
JULY 27
“The World Did Not Know Him”
Read John 1:9-11
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.
John 1:10
That which is obvious in revelation and faith is not obvious to mere cleverness or doubt. “Think of it! The Word was made flesh and not one of the journalists of diose days even knew it was happening!” (G. Bernanos, Diary of a Country Priest [Garden City, NY: Image Books, 1954], 164).
Why was Jesus not recognized and not received?
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me not to overlook the obvious—through carelessness miss die great signs of your saving love, through sloth have my eyes closed to die flashing lights of eternity, in Jesus Christ. Amen.
JULY 28
“Bom… of God”
Read John 1:12-13
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12-13
New birth is a theme that recurs throughout John’s gospel. All that we know of birth, naturally, is a kind of parable of what God wills for us super-naturally.
Compare this with John 3:1-15.
Prayer: Create, shape, and bring to maturity, Mighty God, the new life that you will for me in Jesus Christ. I want to be known as your child, be recognized as your child, and grow up into eternity as your child. Amen.
JULY 29
“The Word Became Flesh”
Read John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
The “Word” by which God made all diings (verses 1-3) became an actual flesh-and-blood person, Jesus of Nazareth. A most astounding event, scarcely imaginable, but impressively documented in our gospels by those who saw it take place (“we have beheld his glory”).
Compare this with Galatians 4:4-5.
Prayer: Father, open my eyes to see all that you reveal in Jesus Christ. I don’t want to miss a single instance of grace, nor overlook one item of truth. I want to see it all, your glory in Jesus. Amen.
JULY 30
“John Testified”
Read John 1:15
(John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”)
John 1:15
John knew what to look for and what to expect— he was the first century’s leading expert on the subject of Messiah. His years of preparatory preaching climaxed in his identification of Jesus as the Messiah sent and anointed by God.
How did John know that Jesus was the Messiah?
Prayer: I thank you, dear God, for those teachers and preachers you have sent into my life to train me in what to look for and alert me to your living presence in Jesus Christ. Amen.
JULY 31
“From His Fullness”
Read John 1:16-17
From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:16-17
God does not carefully calculate his stores of “grace and truth” and then cautiously dole them out in bits and pieces. He is lavish and extravagant as he reveals and shares himself in Jesus Christ. What is “grace”?
Prayer: God, what a change from what I was used to, living hand to mouth on morsels of law! Every day now is a banquet, grand and abundant! Thank you for this new life style of “grace upon grace.” Amen.
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