REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on December 23, 2018, is provided by Joshua Chzen. Joshua recently moved to Houston be part of a new church plant.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“Imperfect Love”
Ephesians 5:28-30
In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.
After living with my wife for a few months, she pointed out a bad habit of mine that I hadn’t really paid attention to before. (In truth, there were quite a few things that needed to be pointed out ☺.) I love eating junk food, and I love eating it late at night. When we moved to our new apartment, there were two Jack-in-the-Box restaurants within a mile of us. Personally, I didn’t think much of it—
after a long day of work, I viewed it as a fair way to treat myself to something satisfying. It was my way of “loving myself”, even if a little bit indulgent. Of course, this sort of habit would be detrimental to my health both in the short and long term, which is why my wife took issue with it in the first place.
In reality, my imperfect way of loving myself affects not only myself, but my wife as well. Paul directs husbands to love their wives as their own bodies, and he’s talking about complete selflessness in love and attitude. But even as I look at how my heart is shaped through something like indulging myself, I can see that same heart reflected in how I love and care for my wife. On the other end, if my desire is to grow in and prioritize holiness, then I will love and care for my wife in a way that reflects that for her. The way I “feed and care for my body” will be the same as how I “feed and care for” my wife.
This makes it all the more important to pursue a life of love in Christ. We understand how Jesus “feeds and cares for” his body, the church. He sacrifices himself for it; he builds it up and equips it; he casts out its fears and covers its weaknesses; and he brings it to holiness, righteousness, and purity. As members of his body, we can personally experience this perfect love. And we understand that, as Jesus calls us to love others as we love ourselves, he’s not referring to an imperfect love that’s been shaped and affected by worldly understanding or fleshly desire; on the contrary, he’s calling on all of us to reflect that same perfect love that we experience as Christ himself loves his body.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for loving me and caring for me as part of Your body. Show me how to love like You do—and if it seems unnatural, difficult, or in conflict with where I am, I pray that You would reorient my heart back to You. In Jesus name, Amen.
REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on June 8, 2018, is provided by Pastor Phillip Chen. Phil is spearheading the planting of Pillar Church in Houston, which is scheduled to launch on February 22, 2026. Praise the Lord!
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“God Is a Jealous God”
Exodus 34:11-17 (NASB)
“Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. 12 Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. 13 But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 —for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— 15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods. 17 You shall make for yourself no molten gods.
We typically think of the word “jealous” with a negative connotation, because after all, didn’t God say, “You shall not covet?”—meaning, you shall not be jealous of your neighbor, but be content with what you have. Don’t you find it strange then that God refers to Himself as a Jealous God? Yet there is a difference between a righteous jealousy and an unrighteous jealousy. Righteous jealousy is one that is jealous for what actually belongs to you; whereas, unrighteous jealousy is one that is jealous (or envious) of what does not belong to you. For example, if I were jealous of my friend who just bought a brand new car, that would be an unrighteous jealousy. And unrighteous jealousy breeds discontentment—and discontentment can spiral into all kinds of problems.
An example of righteous jealousy that I read says this: If another man comes up to my wife and flirts with her, I would clearly be jealous. I would be righteous in my jealousy because my wife and I are committed to one another. She belongs to me and I belong to her. Can you imagine if I were completely okay with it and just let it happen without stepping in? It would actually be a bit absurd if I were not jealous at all.
God is jealous for the people of Israel because He calls them His people—meaning, they have entered into a covenant relationship with Him. As much as His people belong to Him, He is committing Himself to them and saying that He belongs to them. We see this theme throughout the Bible – God’s jealousy for His people. God doesn’t want His people entering into covenants with other gods. He warns them again and again not to whore after other gods in the land that they are about to enter, but this is exactly what Israel does.
When you look at the history of Israel, it’s actually pretty sad. God spends the majority of the exodus years trying to convince His people of His love for them and make them into a holy nation. But shortly after they enter the Promised Land, they turn quickly to idols; and for hundreds of years they do exactly what God tells them not to do. In fact, if you look at the history of Israel, only small portions of their existence as a nation are spent on being faithful unto God. For the most part, they are unfaithful, constantly giving themselves to idol worship. It culminates with Solomon building a temple for the LORD, but immediately filling this temple with idols from all ends of the earth for political expediency.
Though many of us may no longer have idols made out of wood or stone, we have many idols of the heart that we need to address. There are many altars and sacred pillars in our lives that God is instructing us to smash and destroy. Could it be that as you are moving forward in life, there are dangerous idols that must be destroyed so that you could remain faithful unto God? Maybe you are graduating college, and the idols of money and recognition are at the doorstep. Or you are about to get married, and the idols of your spouse and future children are ones that God wants you to give to Him. Maybe you are considering transitions in life and the idol of “your plans” is what God wants you to release to Him. Whatever may be an idol of your heart, remember that God is jealous—He’s jealous because He loves you with a passion and you belong to Him. He asks you to destroy these idols before they destroy you. Let’s never forget that our God is a jealous God, who is rightly jealous for us!
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your love for me, and that You are jealous for me and for my heart. As much as I want to love You with all of my heart, it is difficult, because there are so many temptations and possible idols every corner I turn. But Lord, help me to destroy these snares, so that I may rightly love You as you have passionately love me. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on July 19, 2018, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee. He is a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“God’s Will?”
Jeremiah 42:1-6
Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near 2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant—because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us— 3 that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.” 4 Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your request, and whatever the Lord answers you I will tell you. I will keep nothing back from you.” 5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the Lord your God sends you to us.6 Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”
Confession time. I—like most men—am more sensitive than I let on. So if someone were to negatively criticize one of my sermons, lessons, how I run a ministry, or even my choice of outfit for the day, on the outside I would appear receptive. I might even thank them for their opinion—but inside, I would somewhat be deeply wounded. That is why, because of my fragile ego, my wife has learned to ask this question before giving her opinion: “Do you want the truth, or what you want to hear?” Example: I would ask, “Honey, I just came back from the gym. Doesn’t my chest look huge?” Her: “Do you want the truth or what feels good?” Me: “What I want to hear, of course!” Her: “Massive—I don’t know how you don’t tip over.” Me: “Thanks.”
Let’s be honest: we don’t always want the truth in our lives, but we want to hear what we want. Even in our prayer lives, we have said at least one time, “God, tell me what you want me to do, and no matter what it is, I’ll do it.” What we’re hoping to hear from God is, “Keep on doing what you’re doing.” When He actually says, “Sudan,” we do our best to brush it off as youthful exuberance.
In today’s passage, Johanan and the rest of the leaders of Judah came to Jeremiah with a request and a promise, essentially saying, “Tell us what the Lord wants us to do, and we’ll do it.” If you recall from yesterday, the Jews were considering fleeing to Egypt and were seeking the Lord’s stamp of approval with this plan. But as we’ll read over the next few days, they didn’t really want to obey God; they just wanted to hear Him say yes to what they wanted.
The take home is obvious. Do you genuinely want the Lord’s will and truth in your life, or do you—like Johanan and the rest of the Israelites—want Him to give you the stamp of approval for what you want to do? Have you made promises to obey and then went ahead and disobeyed? But the good news is that with the Lord, there are often second chances to obey.
Prayer: Father, cleanse my heart. Help me to genuinely desire obedience; give me courage to follow through. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Acts 5
Lunch Break Study
Read 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (For context, this is Samuel’s rebuke to Saul after he disobeyed God’s orders to wipe out the Amalekites.): And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”
Questions to Consider
1. How do you suppose people in the 21st century try to substitute sacrifices for obedience?
2. Why do you suppose Samuel compares rebellion to divination and presumption to iniquity and idolatry?
3. Are there areas in your life where the Lord is calling you to greater obedience?
Notes
1. Now, instead of sacrificing animals, we sacrifice our service, time, and money. But even if we’re spending hours in church, small group, or faithfully tithing, we can still be in a state of disobedience. More than anything, the Lord desires hearts that trust and obey Him.
2. Divination and idolatry are both similar in that we search out other sources of guidance or allegiance. In both cases, God is able to meet all of our needs and is worthy of our loyalty. So in this sense, rebellion and presumption are not different than idolatry and self-worship.
3. Personal application.
Evening Reflection
Today’s theme was obedience. Is there anything you feel like the Lord is asking you to do that you haven’t followed through? Perhaps you need a friend to speak truth in your life. Whatever steps you need to take, ask the Lord for the courage to follow through.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on June 27, 2019. Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Nothing Will Separate You from God’s Grace in Christ Jesus”
Exodus 40:1-3
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.
In Exodus 40:1-3 we read about the holy of holies, which was the very epicenter of God’s presence in the Old Testament era. The passage tells us that the ark of the testimony was covered by a veil. Since the people of Israel were sinful and unclean, they were not allowed to enter the holy of holies. The high priest would enter once a year on the day of atonement, and only after a series of rituals to ensure his cleanliness. He would also put on bells to let the people outside know if he was still alive or dead (Exodus 28:34-35). Bell sounds meant he was still moving. No sounds meant something went wrong and he was no longer alive. There was a real sense of fear when entering God’s presence. The high priest needed to make sure he did all the right things and was in the right state before going into the holy of holies.
To some degree I can relate to this. Ever since I was younger, I had always struggled to feel safe in God’s presence. There has always been this sense that I had to be good enough, at least for a period, before I could freely be with God. I felt as if God would allow bad things to happen to me, that He wouldn’t answer my prayers, or would meet me in a posture of disappointment because of my shortcomings. However, all that changed once I had truly understood the gospel of grace for the first time—that I did not need to be fearful anymore.
Matthew 27:51 says that after Jesus died “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” In other words, due to the substitutionary death of Jesus, the veil was no longer necessary. Jesus’ work on the cross had paid our debts and reconciled us back to the Father. As those who have professed their faith in Christ, there is no need for bells to alert people if we’re still alive in God’s presence. We are assured a place at His table through the work of grace in Christ.
Many of us struggle with fear before the Father. Some of us have not been able to be in God’s presence for a long time because the weight of guilt has been heavy on our hearts. But let us look to Christ and His atoning work! Let us be assured that God looks at us through His Jesus Christ, and for this reason, we can enter His presence freely!
Prayer: Father, I confess that at times I struggle with accepting Your grace. There is a part of me that feels the need to work and prove my goodness before I come to You. Help me to trust in Your grace and Your forgiveness!
Bible Reading for Today: Acts 4
Lunch Break Study
Read Ephesians 2:1-10: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Questions to Consider
What was the condition of humanity before the grace of God in verses 1-3?
How have we been made alive in Christ according to this passage?
Do you easily accept the grace of God or do you feel the need to work to be in good standing with God?
Notes
We were dead in our sins and trespasses, carrying out the desires of our flesh, and following the prince of the power of the air (another term for the devil). It is interesting that the description does not communicate that before Christ we were simply apathetic or indifferent towards God, but we were actively rebellious.
It is by the rich mercy of God; specifically verse 8 says, “By grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God. Paul puts it in clear terms that we have not been made alive by our own work, but by the work of Christ.” Even the faith to believe has been a gift given from God.
Personal response.
Evening Reflection
“You see, the verdict is in. And now I perform on the basis of the verdict. Because [God] loves me and He accepts me, I do not have to do things just to build up my resume. I do not have to do things to make me look good. I can do things for the joy of doing them. I can help people to help people – not so I can feel better about myself, not so I can fill up the emptiness.” – Tim Keller
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Charles Graham, a former staff at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on July 7, 2018.
Devotional Thoughts For This Morning
“Fair Weather Worship”
Jeremiah 17:10-19 (NIV)
“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. ¹⁵They keep saying to me,“Where is the word of the Lord? Let it now be fulfilled!” ¹⁶I have not run away from being your shepherd; you know I have not desired the day of despair. What passes my lips is open before you. ¹⁷Do not be a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster. ¹⁸Let my persecutors be put to shame, but keep me from shame; let them be terrified, but keep me from terror. ¹⁹Bring on them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction.”
I’m a huge sports fan; following American football and basketball the closest. I may lose some people with this, but being a SoCal native, my earliest memories of watching sports are of my family gathering around a giant CRT TV in the living room, and watching the Los Angeles Lakers. I love the Lakers, and I’ll welcome Lebron James with open arms (and no shame).
Anyway, further down the road, my family moved from LA to San Diego, where I developed a love and appreciation for the (then) San Diego Chargers. Growing into a fan of the Chargers was an interesting experience. In watching and attending games, I began to observe a peculiar pattern in the behavior of most other fans; that they would love the Chargers as long as we were winning, but in down times there were serious concerns of season ticket holders abandoning their passes, or even jerseys getting disowned. As time went on, I grew to understand that these people are known as “fair weather fans,” or more commonly, “bandwagoners.”
Unfortunately, fair weather fandom doesn’t stop at our favorite sports teams. Have you noticed how much friendlier you are to someone when you want something out of them? We use the most polite tones when asking for things from our parents, we’re friendly with our friends because we generally do favors for one another, we’re friendly with potential business partners, entire industries are made or broken over how friendly we are to customers and we’re nicest of all to people we’re just starting to date. Now, what happens in these situations, is we bend over backwards to try to get to that “fair weather” place with whatever we’re interacting with, and then we start the cruise control. Then, the second we deviate from that fair weather spot, it’s a crisis.
The sad truth is, sometimes we bring this fair-weather mindset to our faith as well.
You see, the Israelites got to that fair weather place on their walk with God and hit the cruise control too. As a result, they began spiraling out of control with their idolatry, among other sins. A lot of the time, like the Israelites, we find ourselves in a good place in life, and, though we can remember it was God who got us there, the true weight of that gift in your life is neglected. Slowly, we start to ease up on our commitments to God, and eventually forget them entirely. We convince ourselves “we’ll be alright” if we miss a small group here and there, or take a Sunday off from worshipping, and most times it’s fine. However if the trend remains consistent, and the snowball keeps rolling downhill, one Sunday becomes two, then you’re gone for a month and before you know it, you’re no longer the season ticket holder. You just attend church when you’re winning.
Jeremiah saw this pattern occurring with the Israelites and warned them of God’s coming judgement. God sent Jeremiah with words that would “…uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant,” (Jer 1:10 [NIV]). Unfortunately, the Israelites did not heed Jeremiah’s warning, and were eventually dispossessed of their land and sent into exile. In the passage above, Jeremiah’s words serve as a great reminder of our need for active engagement with God. We need to be die-hard fans of Him.
Prayer: Father, it’s very easy to get caught up in life, and forget about You. Please, don’t let me get to the point of nominal worship. I don’t want to grow numb or ambivalent to You. Please speak to my heart, and rekindle the passion I had for You in the beginning. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Acts 3
Lunch Break Study
Read Psalm 9:1-2:I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. ² I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
Questions To Consider
1. What does it mean to love God with all your heart?
2. What does it mean to “be glad and rejoice” in God?
Notes
Interestingly enough, I don’t think loving God with all your heart is quite enough
(though I’m not criticizing David). We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind (Luke 10:27). That is to say, we are called to love God with all of our being. It would seem, God does not want us to only enjoy Him emotionally, but intellectually, physically and spiritually as well.
Everyone goes through times where they feel like the world is ending and their world is coming crashing down, myself included. Though I can’t say there is a universal standard of what being glad and rejoicing in God is, as it may look different from person to person, we can all be fall back on the notion that the God of the universe loves, pursues, teaches and cares for us as a people, and each of us individually.
EveningReflection
We seek a relationship with God. Any good relationship takes active effort and work for it to grow. Sometimes, even heavy sacrifices must be made to make it work. God has already offered up His sacrifice to to make it work with you. What are you willing to give to make it work with Him?
REPOST Todays’ AMI Quiet Time, originally posted on January 13, 2017, is provided by Pastor Ryun.
Devotional Thoughts for This Morning
How to Help an Immigrant or Any Kid to Succeed?
2 Tim. 3:6, 10-11 (ESV)
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. . .. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
Soon after immigrating to the States (to Virginia) in 1974, I began attending a middle school without understanding virtually any English. But I felt confident that I could handle math and geography, since they didn’t require much language. Ironically, my desire to take the tests put the teacher in an awkward position: he had been excusing another immigrant boy from taking them but giving him a “B” anyway. Once I chose to take the tests, the teacher could no longer excuse the other boy—who now had to work.
Later, one thrilling moment in high school came when my 10th grade English teacher told me to move to the right side of the classroom, where the students who had passed a grammar test were allowed to study on their own, while the teacher reviewed the test with those who had failed—including some who had mocked my English. Having taken an ESL class in 9th grade, where the teacher expected us to know basic grammar, that test wasn’t as difficult; in fact, I found ESL more challenging than the regular 9th grade English class.
When guiding a young person—immigrant or not—it is important to set reasonable expectations and offer steady encouragement to work hard. But when the bar is set too low by those who believe they are being “understanding” (like my middleschool teacher), and when lack of effort is met with indifference—or worse, rewarded—that becomes a recipe for a life of untapped potential.
In Thessalonica, the apostle Paul faced a similar situation. Some believers had stopped working because they believed “the day of the Lord has already come” (2 Thess. 2:2). Instead, they lived off the generosity of others. The Thessalonian leaders tolerated this behavior, effectively lowering the standard for what faithful Christian living required. Paul did not mince words: “Brothers, keep away from every brother who is idle… If a man will not work, he shall not eat… Never tire of doing what is right” (2 Thess. 3:6, 10, 13).
What happened in my middleschool classroom is not so different from what can happen in the church. When the standard for faithfulness and commitment to the Lord is lowered, many believers end up receiving a passing grade for doing very little.
May someone in your church quietly and humbly show what it means to “never tire of doing what is right.” And may your pastor call you to know well the basics of the Christian faith, so that your potential for Christ is fully tapped for God’s glory.
Prayer: I thank You Lord for all those in my past who have pushed me to tap fully into the potential You gave me. I thank You for all the spiritual leaders who set the bar high and demanded that I work hard for God’s glory. Mostly, I thank You for Your grace, without which I’m either given to pride or misery. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Acts 2
Lunch Break Study
Read 1 Cor. 9:24-7 (NIV): Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
2 Tim. 2:6-7 (NIV): The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
Questions to Consider
1. This morning we talked about setting the bar reasonably high, and then to be sufficiently motivated to work hard. Apply that to spirituality: what motivated the apostle Paul to set the bar high for him?
2. Like what Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:7, consider what is said in 2 Timothy 2:6—what understanding has the Lord given you through it?
3. If you were the spiritual coach of your own life, what kind of coach would you be (lenient or tough)? What would you tell yourself about your current spiritual condition? Is your bar set low or high? Are you working hard or just coasting?
Notes
1. If we are being honest here, Paul, at least in this passage, expresses his fear of becoming hypocritical—that is, living contrary to what he tells others to live. He set the bar high, meaning to lead a highly disciplined life to ensure that he receives an imperishable crown from God.
2. Work hard, so you will be the first to receive your share of the crops (Prov. 14:23b: “All hard work brings a profit”); conversely, the expectation of receiving your share of the crop should motivate you to work hard.
3. Personal response.
Evening Reflection
As a missionary in Mexico, whenever a pastor invited me to preach at his church but assigned me a specific passage, I wasn’t exactly a happy camper. It meant I couldn’t use any of my previously prepared sermons. I had to start fresh and work hard to craft a new message—which, in hindsight, was always good for me.
Have you ever been in a similar situation? Learn to enjoy those seasons when you still have opportunities to work hard for something worthwhile. Go all in—but take God with you. In other words, don’t reduce your time with Him. Praying diligently, even if it means having less time to work, can actually increase your productivity. Try it. How about starting right now?
REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional, originally posted on March 11, 2019, was written by Tina Tsu.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Justice is His Work”
Exodus 11:1-3, 12:35-36
Now the Lord said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely. Speak now in the hearing of the people that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold.” The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing;and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
Psalm 103:6
“The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.”
When it comes to asking people for help, we all differ in our degree of courage in asking. Some of us may feel confident knowing the validity of our request, and others of us tend to feel afraid to ask, due to feeling like a burden or inconvenience. In today’s passage, God instructs the Israelites through Moses to ask the Egyptians for articles of gold and silver. In a way, God is instructing the Israelites to ask for justice, for these articles would serve as the wages for all their hard labor under severe oppression. I could only imagine the fear I would feel to approach my oppressor to ask for these materials. However, the emphasis in the passage is that the Egyptians’ response, as well as justice for the Israelites, are all God’s doing.
When the Lord instructed the Israelites to ask for articles of gold and silver, He was preparing to execute the last plague in Egypt which would finally cause Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave. It is my guess that the Israelites would have been overjoyed simply to be delivered from slavery, but God made it a point for them to receive their wages for their labor from Egypt through these articles. Through the nine previous plagues and His acts through Moses, God revealed his great power and might to the Egyptians. Though Pharaoh’s heart only became harder, the servants and people of Egypt saw how the God of Israel was greater than Egyptian power and Egyptian gods. Their hearts changed towards the Israelites and their fear of God grew. They had previously been oppressors, but they began to esteem Moses and to look upon the Israelites with greater respect. The Lord had given the Israelites favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. They would not leave Egypt empty-handed, but would have gold and silver, which would later become material for the tabernacle, the place where God’s presence would dwell. God’s act of justice worked towards their freedom, and they would be freed to serve and worship God.
This morning, let us consider how God is the initiator and finisher of all that is fair and just. When justice is His doing, He causes those whom He wants to lift up to be esteemed in the eyes of others, and He gives great favor to them. Let this passage remind us that our welfare and life conditions are in God’s hands.
Prayer: Dear Father, I praise You because You are a wonder-working God! You look upon those who are helpless in dark places and You work justice and righteousness for them. Lord, I pray that You would indeed work righteousness and justice for those who face oppression. I entrust their lives and future into Your hands. May Your power and deeds cause oppressors to see You, and may their actions change as they witness Your greatness. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Acts 1
Lunch Break Study
Read 1 Peter 2:23-25: When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Questions to Consider
What is Peter emphasizing about Jesus Christ?
What is Peter’s message to his immediate readers?
Christ is the Shepherd and Overseer of your soul. How does this speak to you as you face your present, and perhaps difficult, circumstances?
Notes
Peter is referring to Christ’s suffering on the cross. When insults were directed to him on that day, he did not retaliate or act against his oppressors, but he entrusted himself to the Father. He made it his goal to be the Savior by bearing everyone’s sins on the cross. He did not act as the judge in that moment, but trusted God the Father to be the judge of all deeds.
Peter’s point is that since Christ bore our sins on the cross, we are no longer slaves to sin, but we are freed to live for righteousness. An aspect of living for righteousness is to follow in Christ’s footsteps, which is to not retaliate when we are treated harshly, but to entrust ourselves to God, who judges justly. Peter instructed his immediate readers to submit to their masters in v. 18, even if they are not treated well, as a way of following Christ’s example.
Personal Response.
Evening Reflection
The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Proverbs 21:1).
Scripture frequently reminds us that man’s authority and power will not prevail against God’s. Are you facing an unjust situation or a situation where you are falsely accused or misunderstood? Entrust your case to the Lord, and invite the Holy Spirit to give you strength to rest in the Lord’s timing and doing.
REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was originally posted on November 18, 2018. Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“Why Are You Here?”
Mark 10:28-31 (NET Bible)
Peter began to speak to him, “Look, we have left everything to follow you!” 29 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel 30 who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much—homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
I met a sister at an AMI conference who said, “Oh this makes sense! When I read your quiet times, I always wondered what kind of Asian last name is King.” Now that pictures are attached to these posts, you’ve probably figured out I’m not Asian. I’m Black. I’ve been asked to reflect on my unique time as a Black person on staff in AMI. The topic is too big for this platform, but as I thought about what to share one phrase came to mind: “Why are you here?”
I came to AMI ten years ago and have been on staff for eight, serving in three churches and staffing two church plants. In all of those spaces, I was regularly asked, “Why are you here?” usually in the form of, “Why do you come to our church?” or “What led you to AMI?” I used to hate these questions! They made me feel like I didn’t belong. And sometimes they felt absurd because people who had been in AMI for all of five minutes, who had just stumbled into a church that I HELPED PLANT were asking ME why I went to THEIR church! (I wanted to say, “Why do YOU go to MY church!?”)
We don’t have time for a lesson on how to welcome people who are different (I could write the book!) and I deeply understand that religious spaces are sacred in a unique way for minoritized groups in America. Those are important conversations for another day. But I will say that I no longer hate the question because it gives me an opportunity to testify!
Practically speaking, I came to AMI because there was an AMI church walking distance from my dorm at a time when I was searching for God. I was so caught up in my wresting with the Lord, it took me a while to realize that the people there didn’t look like me (and even longer to care). When I joined AMI staff, it was because my pastor, whom I deeply trusted, invited me to… AND God said do it, so I did.
God calls each of us to a life of obedience and sacrifice that often looks very strange. My journey is one that led me away from a career I wanted since I was 7, a huge family I love dearly, and a lifestyle I worked hard to make possible to a network that’s iffy about the ordination of women, a struggle for friendships with people who look nothing like me, and don’t get me started on the limitations of a preacher’s salary. But through it all I’ve been given a family that transcends anything this world could create. During my time in AMI, I’ve never been denied an opportunity to exercise my gifts, I rarely gone without treasured and life-giving relationships, and I’ve seen God’s provision in the amazing ways.
Yes, my story is unique, but it really shouldn’t be. God calls all of us to strange lives of obedience and sacrifice. And if our lives aren’t prompting others to ask, “Why are you here?” then we are missing out on an opportunity to experience God’s promises and tell God’s story.
Prayer: Sovereign God, You call me into a beautiful relationship with You and a peculiar life for Your glory. Help me to discern the reason why I am where I am today. Open my eyes to see the places and people to whom You are drawing me and help me to be present in those spaces even when it seems I don’t belong. Help me to obey Your call to lose my life in order to save it. May I be a living testimony of the truth of Your promise to supply my every need according to Your glorious riches. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on November 24, 2018, is provided by Jennifer Kim who had served as a staff in multiple AMI churches in the past, She is a graduate of Boston University (B.A.) and Alliance Theological Seminary (M.Div.).
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“Favoritism Forbidden”
James 2:1-9
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
I distinctly remember my 1st grade teacher who would give out “special assignments” to her students. These assignments were small tasks such as delivering papers to teachers or retrieving mails from the office. Why it was special, I’m not quite sure anymore since it was simply running errands for the teacher; but it was an excuse to get out of the classroom with a “buddy” of your choosing. In the beginning of the year, I would raise my hand expectantly, but every time I found myself putting my hand down discouraged. It didn’t take me long, however, to realize that my teacher would always pick the same girl, and that girl would always pick the same friend! My teacher had a favorite whom she picked every single time, and that student had a favorite whom she picked every time. It was no secret to anybody in the class, and this left every student feeling like they were loved less than our teacher’s favorite.
Today’s verse begins with a call to all Christians to live a life without favoritism. James, first, notes the obvious: It is easier to pay more attention to the one who is rich than the one who is poor. James, then, radically reframes our perspective by pointing out that God did not show favoritism with us; instead, God chose sinners like us to be rich in faith that we may inherit the Kingdom of God forever. While we were broken and rejected, “He lifted [us] up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; He set [our] feet upon a rock, and made [our] footsteps firm” (Ps 40:2). When we recognize we are recipients of this amazing love and grace, our response should be to love all our neighbors without partiality as well.
The favoritism James has in mind may be extended to the kinds that seep into all areas of life. We see favoritism in the workplace when the colleagues who have more degrees getting the choice assignments; in schools with the kids from affluent homes having more friends; in the church with the people who are more gifted getting all the attention; and in politics with those who belong to a particular race getting preferential treatments. Favoritism can be as seemingly insignificant as school labels to as big as racism, but as James reveals that partiality is an active rebellion against God’s commands to love others as ourselves.
Let’s take some time today to reflect on the various ways that we may have engaged in favoritism. As we go in repentance for the ways that we may have failed to love others the way God loves us, let us be reminded that God did not discriminate against us but brought us into a life of faith.
Prayer: God I thank You for your love that brought me out of the miry clay to be set upon a rock. I ask for Your forgiveness in the ways I have participated in favoritism. Help me to love all my neighbors as myself without partiality. In Jesus name. Amen
Bible Reading for Today: Nehemiah 13 & Haggai 1
complete by our actions. We are called to more than a life of belief, but a life where all that we do reflects the hope and faith that we have in a God who cares about all the needs of a person – physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Let us be people whose faith is made complete by our faith and actions today!
Prayer: God I thank you that your work on the cross has sanctified me once and for all. Help me to live a life of not just faith, but a life with faith and deeds. And help me to be a beacon of light to others in all of their needs. In Jesus name. Amen.
REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional, originally posted on April 26, 2019, is provided by Esther Shin. Esther served as a staff at Tapestry Church in Los Angeles for many years.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Only You, Lord”
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God,we do not lose heart.But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practicecunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Many of us reading these devotionals either are serving or have served in different contexts within the church. As it is now close to hitting the two-year mark for my time on staff at Tapestry, I’ve been reflecting heavily on my own heart of service for the church. Oftentimes, I’ve realized that when I don’t heed the biblical charges on how to approach ministry, I am not beautifying the bride but rather disheartening the disciple.
In this passage, we can learn about what it means to serve and minister well. First, Apostle Paul exhorts the believers to understand their privilege in being able to participate in the ministry of reconciliation. Paul knew far too well, given his back story, that God IN HIS MERCY chose to use Paul for the glory of Christ. Thus, he was reminding the Corinthians that in the same way, it was the plain mercy of God that allowed them to also partake. I know my heart is postured correctly when it is filled with joy because I realize the sobering truth that I am not required to serve but I get to serve. It humbles me to know that God mercifully chooses someone like me to be a part of His glorious ministry.
Second, because we understand the privilege of being able to participate in God’s ministry, we know to whom we are to be held accountable. We ought to be genuine and conscientious, PRIMARILY before God and only then SECONDARILY to man. Oftentimes I am inclined to serve out of the fear of man. But serving God should begin with understanding that we are called to be faithful to Him and to the gospel truth. We find immense freedom and no need to perform when we are honest before the Lord. We need to ask the Lord to continue to search us, to make known our intentions so that there be no false way in us. Only then can others around us see who Christ is through us.
Finally, Paul reminds us that we are called to be bearers of light because we’ve been changed and transformed by the light Christ has shone upon us. Even in our churches, we see so often how the “god of the world” tries so hard to deceive and discourage as we see people falling to depression and wrestling with their identity. But once we’ve received the light, we have the power to drive out all darkness as we minister. We don’t need to question the power of Christ in us through which we can walk with others out of their own darkness and into the light.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for allowing us to partake in Your ministry and serve your bride. We recognize that we serve because you’ve brought us out of darkness into the light and we want to see others experience the same love. Lord, in our service, help us to be humble, help us to be genuine before You, and help us to be remain steadfast as we fix our eyes on You.
Bible Reading for Today: Nehemiah 12
Lunch Break Study
Read Revelation 19:6-8: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
Questions to Consider
1. How does the Bride prepare herself for her marriage to the Lamb?
2. Do your deeds help to beautify the bride? Do you understand that you are the saint?
3. What are tangible ways you would like to help clothe the Bride in fine linen?
Notes
1. She actively seeks to be readied and made beautiful for the wedding day. It isn’t a passive thing but one that requires intentionality. We, as the church, must always be active and alert as to bring heaven down to earth in order to make way for the second coming of the Lamb of God — King Jesus.
2. As a follower of Christ and as a saint, our deeds truly matter in beautifying the bride. We seek to serve in a way that allows for the bride to be made more and more beautiful and for others to be able to come and be part of the wedding day.
3. There are so many things we are called to do that are considered righteous before the Lord. Giving to the poor, loving on the widow and the orphan, caring for the sick can all be tangible ways to make the Bride beautiful. Encouraging your brother or sister to walk in holiness, extending hospitality to others, praying for those who are discouraged are also tangible ways to serve.
Evening Reflection
In light of the devotional thoughts on service, where do you feel like you stand in regard to service? Are you healthy in having the right posture in service? Do you feel privileged and humbled by God entrusting his ministry into your hands? Are you serving as a saint of God?
