REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor David Kwon who heads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, was originally posted on June 2, 2014. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Importance of Being Discipled”

1 Timothy 1:1-2

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Have you ever had a mentor or a coach teach you a skill or craft?  I remember when I first started playing the game of baseball, my coach would devote hours teaching me how to hit, field, and throw the ball.  He guided and taught me everything about the game, and because of his mentorship, I grew as a player and teammate.  

In this first letter to Timothy, Paul is giving him counsel and guidance on how to conduct himself in the leadership of that church. Right away, we see Paul’s intimate relationship with Timothy, almost like a father-son type (v.2).  Most commentators write that Timothy was converted under Paul’s ministry and became one of his most trusted helpers in the faith.  It was because of this kind of relationship that Timothy was able to receive advice and encouragement from Paul.  

Discipleship is critical in the Christian faith.  Part of discipleship is having people who can encourage us in our walk with Jesus.  Whether it is through a small group ministry or an accountability group, we should strive to seek Paul/Timothy relationships in our lives.  Do you have this type of spiritual relationship in your life?  Growing in our faith requires others to guide us and help us along the way.  

Ask the Lord for this type of relationship in your life.  Get involved in community and seek out spiritual mentorship.  If you already have this relationship in your life, take some time thanking the Lord for his provision.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the godly relationships in my life.  Help me to seek out more of these types of Paul/Timothy relationships so that it would help me grow to be more like Jesus.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 13

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Matthew 4:18-22: 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Questions to Consider

1. What do you find unique about Jesus’ call to discipleship?
2. What is the result of following Jesus?  Why do you think Jesus mentions the goal of discipleship?
3. What are the obstacles to discipleship in your life?  How can you overcome them?

Notes

1. The word “disciple” literally means someone who pledges to be a “learner.” Moreover, it is someone who follows another’s teaching and adheres to it. Discipleship is a commitment and a process. It involves time to undertake the learning and a yearning to imitate Jesus!
2. Discipleship is also reciprocal, that is, the discipler makes the commitment to train someone else. That is what Jesus meant by, “I will make you fishers of men.” It is not just catching them and then storing them (fish were processed and sold for the betterment and use of the community); it involves training the disciples, so they, too, can catch, train, and place others in positions of leadership.
3. Discipleship requires commitment.  It is a daily decision we make to grow and learn.  As we follow Christ, we should also find others to disciple and nurture them in their walk.

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Evening Reflection

As we have been meditating on the idea of discipleship, what is the Lord asking you to do?  Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you close the day in prayer.   

REPOST Todays’ Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend, originally posted on January 3, 2013, is written by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Hey, the Holy Spirit is not a Thing—He is a Person.”

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he [ekeinos, not ekeino] will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

America has given birth to two fast-growing religious groups: the Mormon Church and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. And it is the latter group’s willful misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit that most clearly reveals the intricate relationship between the Trinity and the Holy Spirit. Put simply, if the Holy Spirit is not upheld as a person, then the doctrine of the Trinity collapses. Admittedly, even some evangelicals—if they are honest—struggle with the Trinity because they have difficulty affirming the personhood of the Holy Spirit.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, view the Holy Spirit as a force or energy (their translation even refers to the Spirit as “it”), especially since the Greek word for spirit, pneuma, is grammatically neuter. Consequently, they reject the Trinity altogether. However, several neuter Greek nouns refer to people (teknon means “child”; paidion means “infant”), so this objection simply exposes their lack of understanding of New Testament Greek. Moreover, in John 14:26, when John uses a pronoun for the Holy Spirit, he uses the masculine pronoun ekeinos (he), not the neuter ekeino (it). (I hope that explanation didn’t put you to sleep!)

Groups that claim to be Christian yet deny essential doctrines of the historic Christian faith—such as the Trinity—are rightly called cults, and Jehovah’s Witnesses fall into that category. When we speak with them in love, sharing this insight from Greek can help them see what they are missing by not inviting the person of the Holy Spirit to help them in times of trouble.

As for us, although we may not believe like Jehovah’s Witnesses, functionally we may not be too different from them. We often neither seek nor incorporate the presence of the Spirit in our lives—in our worship, prayer, or study of Scripture. And we rarely ask the Spirit to fill us before leaving home for work, school, or the daily responsibilities that await us. Do it today. Don’t leave home without being filled by Him.

Prayer: O Holy Spirit, fill me today. May I live a life empowered by You and Your power so that I may glorify the Triune God through all I say and do each day. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 12

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on June 30, 2019.  Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

Exodus 40:36-38 

Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.”

In today’s passage, the Israelites are given specific directions on when to move from one place to another during their journey to the promised land. They were to remain in one place until they saw God give them the sign to continue when they saw the cloud taken up. I would imagine that this rhythm of seeing God’s presence in the form of a cloud and fire during their journey through the difficult terrains of the wilderness to be comforting. It would be a reminder of God’s nearness—that they were not alone. 

A few years ago my wife and I went through a difficult time when she had a miscarriage. It was our first pregnancy and we were devastated to find out that the baby would not make it. A lot of tears were shed as we were dealing with an influx of emotions. However, God was through this difficult journey. Although it wasn’t in the form of a cloud or fire in the sky, we saw God’s presence with us in the form of the church body supporting us, moments of comfort in our times of prayer, and God’s grace when He gave us the faith to trust Him even in this situation. It was the only way we could have endured and walked through this difficult journey towards healing. 

Many of us are going through seasons of pain and suffering—where it is difficult to see God’s presence. We want Him to come like a cloud or fire to reassure us. But as we learned yesterday, God is indeed with us—better yet, dwells within us wherever we are. Whether we recognize it or not, He is faithful to carry us through whatever situation we find ourselves in. We just need the eyes to see His faithfulness in our moments of pain. Let us pray for God to give us eyes to see Him and to trust Him in all circumstances! 

Prayer: Father, in the moments where I sense that You are absent, give me the eyes to see your presence around me and the faith to trust You in all things! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 10-11

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by the then-(2013) staff of Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan, was first posted on September 4, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Highway to Where?”  Your Heart

Psalms 84:5-8

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. 6 As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. 8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah 

What does it mean for the heart to be a highway to Zion? In the Bible, Zion is synonymous with Jerusalem, the city where the temple of God rests. As the psalm focuses on the desire for the presence of God that is found in the temple, the highway imagery paints a picture of the psalmist’s heart angled and directed to meet with Him. 

The writer also alludes to the pilgrimage that people make to enter Zion through the Valley of Baca. The scholars debate as to where the Valley of Baca is and its significance, but the emphasis of the text is not on the location of the valley but on the blessings the people receive as they journey through this valley, longing for the presence of God. When God’s people long for Him and go through the valley, letting God be the strength in their journey, that valley becomes a place of spring, of rain, and of pools.

The imagery of the desire for God’s presence, resulting in blessing for the land, is vivid in this text. What this shows is that our desire and pursuit to host God not only brings individual or personal blessing, but the blessings will spill over to those around us. Our prayers of desiring to host God will even impact our classmates, co-workers, friends, or family. When we fully desire to “appear before God,” God will send His rain into that valley.  Today, direct your prayers solely focused on an encounter with God.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be Your sanctuary in which Your presence is abundantly clear to those around me.  Fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can commit myself to a life of holiness, for without it “no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14) in me. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 9

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Lunch Break Study

Read Philippians* 1:6-8: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

*Paul first came to Philippi in AD 50 as part of the Macedonian call (Acts 16:6).

Questions to Consider

1. Do you wrestle with the question, “Am I really a Christian?” How does verse 6 encourage you as you try to honestly answer the question?
2. What’s one danger of the belief that once saved, always saved?
3. How should the knowledge of God’s sovereignty affect us?
4. Are there people you “hold in your heart” that genuinely bring you joy when you think of them? How can you encourage them? How can you pray for them?

Notes

1. Verse 6 highlights the theological concept of the “Perseverance of the Saints.” This is just a fancy term stating that once a person is born again (i.e., regenerated), they will continue to live out the Christian life until the Lord brings them into heaven.  Sometimes, this is referenced as “once saved, always saved.”
2. This doesn’t mean that all who have ever professed to be Christians will be saved no matter how they live their lives. This is to say, “by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt. 7:20).  No matter what some people may profess, for “even demons believe that . . . there is one God and shudder” (Jam. 2:19), only the truly regenerate believers will persevere in their walk with God, who sustains them, while those who are not saved, despite their alleged profession of faith, will not endure in their “walk” with God.  
3. The knowledge of God’s sovereignty should lead us to deeper love and devotion to the One who is sovereign. 
4. Personal response.

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Evening Reflection

“The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Rom. 3:22).

Jesus, I thank you that through Your triumphant sacrifice, I can enter the Most Holy Place in heaven and receive strength to overcome worldliness, fleshly desires, and self-will. I declare Your righteousness in my mind and heart, for it is in and through You that I now live.

Take time to ask God, “In what ways have I been seeking my own way?”  God wants to bring forth renewal in these areas.  Repent and decree God’s righteousness over an area in which you are presently struggling in, and thank Him. 

                                                                                                 

NEW Charmer Pratt, a longtime member of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia, has served faithfully in the welcoming ministry since 2016.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“For God Alone” 

Zechariah 7:4-5

4 Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: 5 “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for Me that you fasted? 

1 Corinthians 15:17-19  

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 

Here’s a question all of us need to sit with for a while if we haven’t recently: Why do you go to church? Why do you get up every Sunday for service? Why do you attend your small group? Why do you meet with fellow followers of Jesus? Why do you pray and read God’s Word regularly—hopefully daily?

It’s easy to answer, almost reflexively, “to get closer to God.” But there are added benefits to these practices that we can’t deny: making friends, becoming part of a community, enjoying music, and stimulating our minds with Scripture and discussions that challenge us. All of that is good, but we must continually remind ourselves that none of it should satisfy us more than drawing near to the Lord.

Through Zechariah, the Lord calls out this very behavior in the priests of Israel who regularly fasted and prayed during the Babylonian exile. Over time, their prayers were motivated more by a desire for freedom from oppression than by closeness with God. So the Lord asks, “Did you really fast for Me—for Me?” (Zech. 7:5, NKJV).

We see the same trap in Corinth when the Apostle Paul warns the church not to entertain the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection. Many in Corinth loved exploring new ideas, but entertaining the Sadducees’ argument undermined the resurrection of Jesus Christ—the core of the Gospel.

C.S. Lewis illustrates this danger in The Great Divorce through a ghost who moved from expressing love for the Lord through painting to loving painting itself: “Every poet and musician and artist, but for Grace, is drawn away from the love of the thing he tells to the love of the telling, till, down in Deep Hell, they cannot be interested in God at all but only in what they say about Him. For it doesn’t stop at being interested in paint, you know. They sink lower—become interested in their own personalities and then in nothing but their own reputations.”

We can fall into the same trap if God does not remain our first love in everything. Sunday service can become a concert with a TED Talk. Small groups can become a book club. Meetups can scratch our social itch. Prayer can become a mental-health exercise, and reading the Bible can become an intellectual stimulant.

If you haven’t taken the time to truly answer why you do what you do in your walk with Christ, please do. We must make sure that getting closer to God is genuinely the reason behind our ministry—and not simply what we say when others ask. For every part of ministry is meaningless without the Lord.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the many people and things You have placed around me to remind me of Your loving presence. I’m sorry for the times I have enjoyed Your gifts as ends in themselves instead of means to tell of who You are. Remind me that You are my first love, and that everything I do for You is for You alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 8

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Lunch Break Study

Prepared by Tina Tsu; originally posted on July 10, 2018

Read Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8: “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2 You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. 6 So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him? 8 Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today?”

Questions to Consider

1. According to this passage, how are the children of Israel called to go in and possess the land God promised to them?
2. What makes Israel (God’s people) unique and distinct from other nations who worship other gods?
3. What promise of God do you sense He is leading you to take possession of? What commands, direction, or word of wisdom are you called to hold fast to, so that you may position yourself to experience God’s promises? 

Notes

1. To inherit and walk into the blessing of the Promised Land, the Lord instructs the children of Israel to keep and obey the commandments that He has given them (to not take anything away from the Law nor to add anything to it).
2. Israel’s God is “near to them who call on Him,” and He is distinct in that He speaks to Israel. Though they didn’t see God, they heard His voice at the giving of the Law and covenant. There is revelation and relationship involved between Israel and God. They will be viewed as wise if they hold fast to God’s laws.
3. Personal response.

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Evening Reflection

What would it look like to go about the rest of your week if you were to “set your mind” on the things of God?  Reflect on Romans 8:5-8:   For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,  because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,  and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on February 6, 2013, is prepared by Pastor Ryun Chang, who has served as AMI Teaching Pastor since 2011.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Triggers the Hiddenness (i.e., Silence) of God?”

Psalm 13:1-3

How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?  How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.  Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.

Solitary confinement awaits prisoners who behave badly. Enclosed by darkness and silence, it is designed to break the human spirit. There may be no worse punishment on earth than being left alone in such a confined space, cut off from all human contact—as though the whole world has forgotten you.

What, then, does it mean when God hides His face, when it seems He has forgotten us? Does it mean our prayers fall on deaf ears, our situations go from bad to worse, and our hearts know no peace? Perhaps no one understood that feeling better than Moses, who spent 40 years in a kind of “spiritual solitary confinement” in the desert. During that time, he did not hear from God even once. As Moses put it, “I have become an alien in a foreign land” (Ex. 2:22). For Moses, who had once lived in the palace of Egypt, the desert—the place to which he fled after killing an Egyptian—became his solitary confinement.

So why did God hide Himself from Moses for such a long time? The LORD allowed this season to break the self-sufficiency of Moses, who at age 40 was very confident in his own abilities. As Scripture says, “Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not” (Acts 7:25). God was not willing to use him then. But after Moses had been humbled and learned his dependence on God, the LORD said to him, “Now go” (Ex. 4:12a).

So when you feel as if God is hiding His face from you, remember that He may be teaching you to depend on Him alone. Ask yourself this question: Do I truly depend on God?

Prayer: Dear God, how often I have depended on my own strength and resources to achieve success and solve my problems. Even though I repeatedly make a mess of things, I still struggle to learn my lesson. Father, forgive my self-sufficiency and teach me to trust and depend on You more and more. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverb 7

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Lunch Break Study

Micah 3:4: “Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.”  

Isaiah 59:2: “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

Ezekiel 33:11: “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”

Questions to Ponder

1. What other factor can provoke the silence of God?
2. As far as it depends on us, what’s the quickest way to end God’s silence (Ez.  33:11; Jer. 29:12-14)?
3. In view of this, how can you characterize God in terms of His attributes (Jos. 24:19, 1 Jn. 1:5)?

Notes

1. When we continue to sin, after having been advised and warned against it, we run the risk of provoking the silence of God, meaning He won’t respond to our pleas.  Even if one finally repents, while God will certainly forgive, the penalty of sin will still be meted out against him. (See King Manasseh in 2 Chr. 33:12-13 and 2 Kings 24:3.)  
2. No other kings were more wicked than Manasseh and Ahab (1 Kin. 21:25-9) but when they repented, God immediately showered them with grace and mercy.
3. Of course, we who have been so desensitized by sin can’t really grasp God’s holiness; thus, when God seemingly acts “angrily” toward sins, we want to say, “LORD, lighten up!”  Inasmuch as light and darkness cannot coexist, God will neither coexist nor put up with sin. Of course, in His grace and mercy, God will give us ample time to turn away from it but not forever!  

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Evening Reflection

Let’s return to what we studied this afternoon.  

If God were to be silent in your life, would that bother you, or would it fuel (being irked at God) your desire to live for yourself?   How is your relationship with God right now?  Is it time for an honest evaluation so that you can get right with Him? As you review today, did you seek His presence in the decisions that you had to make?  Did you seek out His face? It’s not too late!   

REPOST Today’s AMI QT blog, originally posted on March 19, 2013, was written by Pastor Mark Chun. Mark has recently planted a new church called Radiance Christian Church, East Bay. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Both/And’ Reality of the Believers”

Psalms 25:1–5

“Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.  2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.  3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. 4 I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. 5 I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.”

Say what David? Your integrity and trust in the Lord never wavered?  Ever?  

So, it stands to reason that one area of possible confusion in the reading of the Psalms is when David describes himself as blameless or righteous or in this instance full of integrity and unwavering trust.  This seems like self-righteousness, moral superiority, and a denial of our own personal sinfulness.  

So, we might ask, “How can this come from the same person—namely, David, who wrote, ‘Surely I was sinful at birth’ (Ps. 51:5) in reflection of the horrendous sins he had just committed: adultery and murder (2 Sam. 11).  For this reason, some believers never allow themselves the joy of having a free conscience.  They are always struggling with guilt over sin and remorse over things that have been left undone.  

During the Reformation, Martin Luther rediscovered the solution to this paradox of the Christian life.  Though we are sinners, we are also saints at the same time.  On the one hand, knowledge of our sins keeps us humble before God and men; on the other hand, Christ’s imputed righteousness keeps us from self-condemnation and causes us to strive for the righteousness of God.  If we truly understand the forgiveness of Christ, then our conscience should be free enough to offer ourselves to the scrutiny of God’s testing and proving.  This, then, is the soteriological reality of “both/and” for the believers. 

Do you have a healthy sense of who you are spiritually?   Do you wrestle with self-condemnation and guilt?  Spend some time praying for God’s unconditional love to be the source of your freedom and identity.  As you do, be reminded of what God declares through the prophet Isaiah: “I, even, I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Is. 43:25).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, because of your blood, I can live life with the freedom that comes from knowing that my sins are completely forgiven and remembered no more.  Give me confidence today to live the life that you have called me, a life worthy of the Gospel.  Place your word deep in my heart, so that I can be kept from sinning against you.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 6

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Lunch Break Study

Romans 8:1-6 (NIV): There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Questions to Consider

1. What is the basis of our freedom from condemnation (Romans 7:25)?  
2. How can we overcome the tension caused by our two natures, the nature of sin and the new nature (Romans 8:6)?
3. How can we break the power of sin in our lives (Romans 8:2)?

Notes

1. Romans 7:25 teaches us that we have been freed from the consequence of sin by the atoning death of Jesus Christ.  This is the objective reality that believers live in and no matter what our subjective emotions and experience might tell us, we no longer live under the threat of condemnation.  
2. We cannot hope to live a life of peace and abundance unless we submit ourselves to the control of Holy Spirit.  Paul points out the difference between a mind that is Spirit-controlled as opposed to one that is dominated by our sinful desires.  Transformation can only come when there is a renewing of the mind and a desire to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ  (Romans 12:2).  
3. Paul presents two options to live under, the repressive power of sin or the freedom of the Spirit.  The work of Jesus Christ is not the end of the gospel, but the beginning of a life lived by the law of the Spirit.  Unfortunately, many believers are stuck in the old patterns of sin even though the power of sin has been broken.  A classic illustration of this principle involves pigeons that are tied down from birth.  Even when those strings are cut later in life, these pigeons are unwilling to fly because they are still in bondage to the old patterns.  This is where prayer ministry and inner healing can help release a believer from these self-imposed limitations and struggles with sin.  

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Evening Reflection

Returning to what we talked about this afternoon, at times, it is difficult not to feel like a hypocrite as we try to live out our faith.  We can all appreciate and relate to the words of the apostle Paul when he writes, “For what I do is not the good I want to do.”  This can become a maddening condition in our souls and the only solution is the freedom found in the finished work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Did you feel the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence during the day?  Reflect on how God guided you through the daily routine of work, family, and life.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is prepared by Pastor Jason Sato who is currently serving in Japan as a missionary.

Devotional Thought for This Morning 

“To Reassess and To Shine”

Matthew 5:14–16 (ESV)

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” 

The coronavirus is a disaster in endless ways, yet it is also a unique opportunity for the church on at least two counts: 1) to reassess and 2) to shine.

1. To reassess: In Hearing God in Conversation, Samuel Williamson writes how we ask God, “Should I go right or left?” and His response is “Turn around.”  We ask, “Should I swing at this pitch?” and He says, “Uh…you’re playing soccer.”
   
   In the midst of ordinary life, we can drift unknowingly into the ways and values of this world, and before long we are going down the wrong path or playing the wrong game.  Times of crisis jolt us awake, and they can be opportunities to see and pursue what is actually important. Jesus has always been right:  We cannot love Him and the world, and He invites us to store up our treasures in heaven where thieves and rust, viruses and recessions cannot steal or destroy. 
   
   May each of us come out of these challenging times with smaller longings for the things of this world and greater longings for His glory and the Kingdom than before the crisis.
2. To shine: Most of the time, American Christians do not stand out in any sort of way, but when we do, it’s largely for negative reasons.  In the news, the church is only visible when we’ve condemned someone or our leaders have been involved in an embarrassing scandal.
   
   During a plague in the middle of the third century, 5,000 people were dying every day in the city of Rome alone.  Pagan doctors and religious leaders fled, and families abandoned their own sick.  Yet Christians stayed behind to care for their own ill as well as for their neighbors.  The love they showed to strangers shocked the empire.
   
   Certainly, we have legitimate reasons to worry for those in our inner circles of family and close friends, but especially as lockdowns are lifted and the slow road to recovery begins, we will have unprecedented opportunities to love and serve our neighbors. 
   
   Nearly every community in the world will have been affected and the poor exponentially more so as we are already seeing in inner city communities, slums, and refugee camps around the world.  May we prepare our hearts and churches to love, give, and proclaim the gospel hope in a way that will shock the world.

Prayer: Father, search my heart and take Your rightful place in my life as King.  In this time, as I draw near to You, O Lord, draw near to me.  And please, use Your church to love and draw many who are far off, even enemies of the cross, to know and worship You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 5

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Lunch Break Study 

Luke 19:5–10 (ESV): And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” [6] So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. [7] And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” [8] And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 

Questions to Consider 

1. What kind of a man was Zacchaeus?
2. What transformed Zacchaeus?
3. What was the sign of Zacchaeus’s transformation?

Notes 

1. He was a tax collector and sinner.
2. The love and welcome of Jesus transformed Zacchaeus from a man who loved money and power to a man who knew that knowing Jesus was most important.
3. Since Zacchaeus was free from his greed, he was free for repentant and radical giving.

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Evening Reflection 

Reflect on your day.  What worries and concerns seemed more important than knowing God?  Ask Jesus to free you from all other loves that compete with Him.

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on June 9, 2019, is provided by Phillip Chen. Phil is the Lead Pastor of Pillar Church in Houston. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Residual Glory”

Exodus 34 : 29–30 (NASB 1995)

It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

There’s something about the holiness of God that strikes fear in people, and we can’t quite grasp the magnitude of God’s holiness. Holiness, for our purposes, can be described as “set apart, or other-worldly.” A while ago, there used to be a popular phrase “Jesus is my homeboy.” Although Jesus is certainly our friend and we can approach Him freely because of His invitation to do so, we must realize that the holiness of God is still something to behold. There is something “other-worldly” about God that we cannot comprehend.

In Daniel 8:17, when an archangel Gabriel approaches Daniel, the holiness of the angel—not even the holiness of Jesus—causes him to fall prostrate on the floor. When Isaiah sees a vision of the Lord, he immediately says, “Woe is me, for I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” In Revelation 1, when John sees a vision of Jesus, he falls at His feet like a dead man. God’s holiness strikes fear in people. 

When Moses came down from speaking with God, his face lit up because of the holiness of God. I think if I were there with Aaron and the others, I would be freaked out too, especially because of what happened just before Moses went back up the mountain. So if you don’t remember, Moses was meeting with God on the mountain for quite some time, and the people asked Aaron to make a god for them, in which he crafts a golden calf. Moses is furious and instructs the sons of Levi to slaughter those that had committed this atrocious act of worshipping this golden calf, and three thousand of them were slaughtered that day. But I think the fear of the people goes beyond this fear of punishment—there is a certain fear when we come face to face with the holiness of God when we ourselves are muddled with sin and darkness. It’s a natural reaction. 

I’m reminded of the story of Jesus and Peter (Luke 5). Jesus performs this incredible miracle that leaves Peter speechless. All Peter can say is this: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” It’s not the miracle that scares Peter; it’s the holiness of Jesus that frightens him. He recognizes his sinfulness in the face of the holiness of Jesus. But this is what Jesus says to Peter: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” I think we have to hold this tension in the right manner. The holiness of God should strike a reverent fear in our life, so that we know that the grace of God is not to be taken lightly and nonchalantly. We know the punishment that was coming for us that was graciously taken by our Lord Jesus Christ. We must work out our salvation with this fear and trembling. However, we also don’t have to be afraid to enter into the presence of God. Because of the blood of Jesus, we have full access to our Father in Heaven and the fullness of His glory. Perhaps this is the radical middle of our approach to God – full of reverent fear, but unafraid to run into the arms of our Holy Father. 

We are privileged to live in such a time like this. We have seen the full glory and holiness of God the Father through His son Jesus Christ. Our face too should shine with the residual glory of God, so to speak. May our lives be an awesome testimony to those around us – that it would strike an awe and wonder to the world we live in, bringing more and more to the saving knowledge of the good news of Christ.

Prayer: Father God, what a privilege to live in a time like this. What a privilege it is to know that You have come to make Yourself known to us in Your glory and splendor. May I live my life with this fear and trembling as I continue to be shaped by Your holiness, but may I also live with the confidence that I can run into Your loving arms. May the glory that resides in me cause my face to shine in the dark places of this world. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 4

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on December 28, 2019, is provided by Christine Li. Christine has been serving as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York, for the past several years.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Better than Water”

Isaiah 55:8-11 (NIV)

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Do you remember learning about the water cycle in grade school? A quick and simple refresher: water on the earth evaporates into the atmosphere, condenses to become clouds, and falls back onto the earth as precipitation. Except for extreme cases of water movement (deserts and floods), most of us take this cycle for granted and forget that it is running in the background; yet, this process is essential to sustaining life on earth.

God calls this to mind as He reminds His people of the importance of His word. Just as rain and snow go to the earth to water it and nourish all forms of life, God’s word—the Scripture—are necessary to water our souls and give us life. Just as we cannot see every drop of water going through this cycle, we see the effects on life around us. Similarly, while we may be unaware of how the Word is retained in our hearts and heads, we can always see its impact on our growth. 

What does God’s word hold for us? Words about His faithfulness to His people assure us of mercy, provision, and protection; words about His goodness remind us of hope and joy we have in Him. When we consider God’s words, we will find tangible promises and true strength in all circumstances, not just a set of good ideas for us to briefly consider.

If the Word sustains our life, are we active in letting it permeate our lives, or have we been satisfied with a passive intake of it through others’ teachings and songs? Without active engagement, we cut ourselves off from this means of grace; when God’s word ceases to influence our lives, the effects are like those of a drought.

My challenge to you today is to spend time deeply engaging with Scripture. When we read through, react to, and respond to God’s word, it will produce deep transformation in our hearts. May the coming year find us increasingly filled with His word and a joyful awareness of how it changes us.

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving me Your Word! Help me not to take this for granted, but treasure it and let it be a foundation of my faith. Help me to be faithful in taking it in so that You may accomplish Your purposes in my thoughts, actions, and lifestyle. In the coming year, give us all a greater hunger for Your Word!

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 2-3