August 12, Wednesday

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

“Pride Before Destruction” 

Proverbs 16:18 (ESV) 

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” 

I’ve experienced this verse firsthand. I ran on my high school cross-country team all four years, and during my sophomore and junior seasons, we won the first two district championships in school history. A few days after celebrating the second championship, I remember telling my mom (and I cringe as I write this) that we might be the greatest cross-country team our school had ever had. My mom responded perfectly: “I think you’re getting too arrogant.”

That haughty spirit of mine truly preceded the fall, because my senior season was a disaster. I ran my slowest races since freshman year. After the schools were redistricted, we went from defending district champions to the second-worst team. And on top of all that, my brother—a freshman—quickly humbled us seniors by becoming the fastest runner on the team!

Pride is truly a poison to the mind. It gives us a false sense of security in our own feeble strength. It convinces us that we’ve reached a peak that doesn’t exist, leading us to one of the worst thoughts we can have: telling God, “I’ve got it from here.” I can assure you that you and I don’t “got it from here.” We need the Lord’s presence and leadership in every situation, and we cannot sit in His presence while sitting in our pride.

So check your pride continually. The next time you’re thinking, “I’ve got it from here,” make sure that thought is not directed toward God, for He will surely show you how much you need Him.

Prayer: Father, I need You in every step of my life, but I don’t always live like it. Please forgive me for the times when I believed I could take the reins of my own life without Your guidance. Remind me each day how much I need Your presence, and may that awareness lead me to worship You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 8

Lunch Break Study

(Prepared by Kate Moon; originally posted on March 9, 2016)

Acts 17:24-29: “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.”

Questions to Consider

  1. Why did God create the world and everything in it, including human beings (vv. 24-27)?
  2. Who is God to us (vv. 28-29)?
  3. What quality do we share with God and what is the significance of this fact (v. 29)?  What are we treating as divine (i.e., worshipping or turning to as our source of help) today?

Notes

  1. He created us so that we would seek him and find him.  What does it mean to “find” God but to experience him, come to know him, and have a relationship with him?
  2. God sustains our very existence, our every moment and every breath.  He is the answer to our question, “Where did we come from?”  
  3. Both we and God are spiritual beings.  Because we are spirit, in our search for God, we won’t be satisfied until we see someone else who is spirit like us.  Along the way, we may temporarily mistake created things for him, but because we are spirit, worship of created things will never truly satisfy.

Evening Reflection

“Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt?  Who am I, that the bright and morning star, would choose to light the way, for my ever wandering heart?  Not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done; not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are.  I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind.  Still You hear me when I’m calling, Lord, You catch me when I’m falling, and You’ve told me who I am: I am Yours.”

~ Casting Crowns, “Who am I”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7k81rDx448

August 11, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT blog, written by Pastor Barry Kang of Symphony Church in Boston, was originally posted on March 12, 2014. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Abiding in Him Amid Darkness”

1 John 2:24-29 (ESV)

Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. 26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

One of the ways that God motivated me to plant a campus-focused church in Boston was becoming aware of the statistics that more Christians fall away from faith during their college years, than any other time of life.  This statistics may or may not be true today, but a fall from faith is tragic, whenever it may happen!  Our faith is often under attack whether by circumstances, temptations, persecutions or even false teachings.  The Apostle John tells us that he writes with this concern in mind: “I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.” (v.27).  So how can we maintain and grow our faith?  Should we go to seminary and accumulate more knowledge?  Serve more?   Surround ourselves with Christians who can encourage us?  Or go on a mission trip?  John’s advice might surprise us.

His primary advice for those of us fighting for our faith (which includes all of us to a varying degree) is this: that we abide in what we already know!  The word “abide” is the same word that Jesus uses in John 15:4 when he says, “Abide in me.”  We are to abide (remain or dwell) in Jesus and the great truths that we have been aware of from the start of our Christian experience.  Our faith will be sustained, not by new knowledge, new experiences or new ways to think about God and the world; but by continually and persistently dwelling and remaining in Jesus and the truth that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, crucified but resurrected so that we might also live!  

One of my professors once told me, “Don’t forget in the dark that which you heard in the light.”  This is great advice amid the corona virus pandemic that has changed the life as we have known—hopefully, for the time being.  So, how will you remain in the light today?

Prayer: Father, I want to abide in Jesus.  There are many forces that pull me away.  Some of them are very tempting to follow, but help me to persist in remaining in Jesus.  Thank you for promising that you won’t let me go.  Help me to grow, not just in new knowledge, but deeper in the knowledge that I already have.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 7

Lunch Break Study  

Luke 18:1-8: And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? zWill he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Questions to Consider

  1. Why does Jesus tell this parable (v.1)?  What is Jesus looking for when He returns (v.8)?
  2. Is God being compared or contrasted with this judge?
  3. What does the parable teach us about prayer?
  4. How does this passage give us deeper insight to 1 John 2:24-28 (the morning devotion)?

Notes

  1. Jesus tells this parable in order that we would always pray and (thereby) not lose heart.  In this context, it appears that on his return, Jesus will be looking for people who are praying (i.e. faith on earth).
  2. It would be a mistake to think that this judge is like God (i.e. a simile); rather, Jesus is contrasting the judge’s behavior to God’s behavior.  If the judge, who is unlike God, hears and answers the woman’s call for justice, how much more will God hear and answer us?
  3. Persistence is important in prayer:  God hears those who “cry to him day and night.”
  4. A crucial aspect of abiding in Jesus is to spend time praying.  Prayer indicates and develops trust in God and dependence upon Him.  If we want to abide in Jesus, then we need to spend time praying!

Evening Reflection

Spend some time praying and reflecting upon the truths of Jesus you already know.  Journal and pray over these truths!

August 10, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor David Kwon of Journey Community Church in Raleigh (N.C.), was originally posted on November 10, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“God is Holy”—What Does That Even Mean?

Psalm 99:1-9

The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! 4 The King in his might loves justice.  You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the Lord, and he answered them. 7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. 8 O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 9 Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!

In the world of sports, there is a phrase often used called the “holy grail,” which refers to a record or achievement that seems out of reach or “set apart.”  For example, in the world of track and field, Usain Bolt set the 100m record at 9.58 seconds which seems out of reach for any normal runner.  In tennis, it is often the grand slam in which you win all the major tournaments in a single year.  All of these records are viewed as out of reach because of almost “impossible to attain” status.

In Psalm 99, the Lord is referred to as one who is “set apart,” which means the holiness of God.  Holiness is not an easy concept to define or understand.  We can think of it as moral perfection, purity, or right conduct, but it’s far deeper than that.  At its root, holiness is not an ethical concept, but rather, it is the very nature of God that distinguishes him from all else.   One commentator says that “holiness is a word to emphasize the distance between God and man: not only morally, as between pure and polluted, but in the realm of being, between the eternal and creaturely.” The holiness of God is important for us to understand if we are to appreciate the character of this supreme and reigning Monarch.  

Does the holiness of God lead you to worship?  Does it cause you to be in awe of the one who is “set apart” from anything on this earth?  The Bible calls God holy more than anything else, more than sovereign, more than just, more than merciful or loving.  Take some time this morning to reflect on the holiness of God.  Pray that the Lord would give you a higher view of His holiness that you may stand in awe of Him.

Prayer:  O Creator God, You are eternally set apart from us creatures.  Lord, help us to never forget the infinite distance that stands between You and us.  Yet, You’ve abridged that gap, through the reconciliatory work of Christ on the cross, so that we, who were once far away, have been ushered into Your holy presence.  Thank you. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 6

Lunch Break Study

1 Peter 1:13-16: “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Questions to Consider

  1. How should the holiness of God affect our daily lives?  
  2. According to Peter, how should we handle our desires? 
  3. What are some areas in your life that you desire to be more holy (pure)? 

Notes

  1. Peter writes in his letter that those who are in Christ should strive to be holy in all of our conduct.  The Christians’ lifestyle is not to conform to the basic desires that formerly dominated them and kept them from God.  
  2. Peter exhorts believers to control their desires rather than to be controlled by them. Before Christ we were in ignorance; and now because of the grace that brought us to the revelation of Jesus, we have come to know God and his will.
  3. Maybe it’s sexual purity, love for others, pride, desire for material things, etc.  Surrender whatever it might be to the Lord, and pray that he would give you purity of heart and mind, as you desire to become more like Jesus.  

Evening Reflection

At the beginning of Psalm 99, the nations are exhorted to praise God but regardless of how the nations respond, God is great in Zion, and this means that he is to be praised by his people.  The renowned 19th century British pastor Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The ignorant forget him, the wicked despise him, the atheistical oppose him, but among his chosen he is great and beyond compare.  He is great in the esteem of the gracious, great in his acts of mercy, and really great in himself: great in his mercy, power, wisdom, justice and glory.”  

Let us worship our great and holy God as we close our day.  

August 9, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on June 12, 2019, is provided by Pastor Joshua Kim. Joshua is the Lead Pastor of Upper Room Seattle church.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Forgiveness”

Exodus 32:21-24

And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 

When ministering to people, I am often reminded of two things: how easily we can hurt others and the importance of forgiveness. As I often counsel people through their past hurts or frustrations, I am reminded of how I am dealing with my own issues—whether it be asking for forgiveness or forgiving others. This causes me to make sure that I am first heeding the wisdom of God as I am helping others. It’s often said in our church that there’s nothing that will hinder our relationship with God like unforgiveness.

In today’s passage, we see Moses confronting Aaron regarding the golden calf and the role he played in it. Aaron’s response in v. 24 is quite dissatisfactory: “So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

What we actually read in the account is quite different. Aaron (or perhaps someone under Aaron’s direction) fashioned with a graving tool the golden calf (32:4). This is very different from what Aaron tells Moses—that in went the gold and out came the calf. It’s unsatisfactory because it doesn’t seem like Aaron is owning up to his mistakes; there is a passivity to Aaron’s response.

And the narrative just carries on. We see Moses purifying Israel as those who rebelled are put to death, but we know Aaron is spared. The priestly garments are made according to God’s instructions and given to Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. There is no account of resolution or even full acceptance by Aaron. Despite his disobedience, God showed mercy on Aaron and continued to use him.

For Moses, I imagine he had to deal with this. He had to continue to serve beside someone who betrayed his trust. And this greatly challenges me when I consider those that I struggle with or people who have wronged me in the past. We are called to forgive, just as God has forgiven them and has forgiven us. 

Brothers and sisters, the truth is that if we do not forgive those whom God has forgiven, it is no longer their wrongdoing, but it is our sin before God. 

It’s not easy. Often, we commit in our heads but have to keep fighting for our hearts to catch up. Forgiving others is impossible without the Holy Spirit. Therefore, our first step must be to pray. Pray for ourselves. Pray for the other person. Deuteronomy 9:20 shows us that even Moses prayed for Aaron: “And the Lord was so angry with Aaron that he was ready to destroy him. And I prayed for Aaron also at the same time.”

Only when we invite the Holy Spirit to fight on our behalf so that we can forgive, can we experience breakthrough. On this day, as you go to worship (or perhaps you’ve already returned from worship), may our unwillingness to forgive never hinder us from offering acceptable worship before God. It is the touch of God that we need more than anything that empowers us to forgive. 

Brothers and sisters, let us forgive one another as we have been forgiven.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for the incredible weapon, which is forgiveness; this powerful weapon that can cut the ties of the enemy and bring about healing to our relationships. But You know the weakness of our flesh, that we cannot do it without You. So we ask for the Holy Spirit to come and change our hearts. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 5

August 8, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on May 25, 2019, is provided by Jennifer Kim. Jennifer faithfully served as a staff member in several AMI churches in the past.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“It’s About the Heart”

Exodus 30:17-21

Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it.20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, 21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”

When I was a teenager, I had bouts of rebellious tendencies where I would lie to my mom to get my way.  Most times I felt I had to lie because I thought that she would not understand, or she would impose her own way.  One afternoon, I lied to my mom that I was hanging out at the local Barnes and Noble, when in fact, I went to go watch a movie with my friends.  When I came home after my rebellious hangout, I went to greet my mom and noticed she had been crying.  She did her best to act normal and hide it, but I knew something was wrong.  After asking me to sit down, she proceeded to tell me that she knew where I was.  As I attempted to justify myself, she stopped me to ask one question: “Did you lie or did you not lie?”  Of course, I avoided answering the question and proceeded to justify myself again.  However, she stopped me mid-sentence to ask me the same question.  All I could do at that point was say, “Yes I lied.”  As she looked at me, she said, “I’m not mad.  I’m upset because something in your heart made you feel like you had to do the wrong thing to get something you felt was the right thing.”

In today’s passage, we read the next command of priestly duties that consists of a ceremonial washing before entering the tent.  They are told that any priest who fails to follow this command will surely die.  This washing was to remind the Aaronic priests the holiness that God required for their service. 

Throughout the New Testament, we see this ceremonial washing come up numerous times by the Pharisees who insisted that before every meal there should be a ceremonial washing.  In fact, in Mark 7 it states that the Pharisees were surprised to see that Jesus and his disciples did not hold the ceremonial washing tradition before eating, and they questioned Jesus.  Jesus’ response turns the table on the Pharisees, calling them hypocrites who hold on to human traditions (v.8).  Then he adds, “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them.  Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them” (v.15).  This is to say, while we are called to holiness like the Aaronic priests, true holiness comes when our hearts and thoughts are pure before the Lord and free of “sexual immortality, theft, murder, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, folly” (v.12-22).

I lied to my mom that day because I felt that she wouldn’t understand me, so I portrayed myself the way I thought she wanted me to be – a good, studious daughter.  But my mom’s desire was to see her daughter live in integrity regardless of the circumstances.  In the same way, God does not demand worldly perfection or wants us to present ourselves in the version we believe He wants, but He desires for our heart to be made right so that we may live in the fullness of His plan and purpose for our lives. Take some time to reflect on your heart today.  Is there anything that is defiling your heart?  Bring it to the Lord and let His blood, which was shed to forgive our sins, wash you and redeem you.

Prayer: God I thank You that Your work on the cross has sanctified me once and for all.  I pray that You would help me to live a life governed by a pure heart—a heart that seeks to honor You, honors others, and honors my body. In Jesus name.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 3-4

August 7, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was originally posted on May 27, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Dealing with Our Sins”

Jude 1:5-7

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

Sadly, when it comes to making choices, some choose disobedience over obedience. Perhaps it is more difficult to obey, or we know all too well that we will be forgiven with just a prayer away. But do we really want to choose sin over holiness? Throughout the Bible, we see that obedience to God’s Word leads to a blessed life. Psalm 1 compares the life of a blessed person to a wicked person: While one stands as a prosperous tree bearing fruit, the other is depicted as chaff that is blown by the wind. The recipients of the letter to Jude also resorted to twisting the idea of God’s grace and licensing themselves to immorality. 

The writer warns the believers that there are still severe consequences to disobedience and immorality, and the fruit that sinfulness bears is stark and destructive. In Genesis 3, we see the fall of man; then only a chapter later in Genesis 4, we see its devastating fruit: cold-blooded, vengeful murder. The slippery path towards destruction can be quick and overwhelmingly horrifying. 

We, at times, fool ourselves into thinking that we can get a handle on our sins. And as long as no one else knows about them, we can hide them or manage them. At other times, we might rationalize that our sins are not really hurting anybody else. However, whether the sins are visible or invisible, there is a spiritual reality that God is grieved and displeased. Our Father desires that we become more like His Son, Jesus, in every way. While He is patient, eventually He brings discipline as a loving Father, and no discipline may seem pleasant at the time, but that unpleasantness pales in comparison to bearing the full fruit of sinfulness. 

Today is the day—especially because we are living in such a turbulent moment in history— to confess your sins. If you have been holding onto them, confess them before the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, I confess my sins before You (specifically name them). I understand that my sins have kept me from being intimate with You. Please forgive me. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 2

Lunch Break Study  

1 John 1:5-10: This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Questions to Consider 

  1. What is true about God’s nature in these passages? 
  2. What is it that purifies us from all sin? 
  3. In light of God’s faithfulness and the blood of Jesus, do you understand what it takes for you to receive God’s forgiveness rather than His discipline? 

 Notes  

  1. Here, it is crucial to take note of what the author does not say. “Darkness” is not simply equivalent to sin or wrongdoing, but it is the realm that opposes and is hostile to God. This realm is characterized by disobedience and lack of relationship to God. Thus, John exhorts Christians not to walk in darkness. Darkness is not a synonym for “indwelling sin.” Darkness and light are not realities that are within each of us. Rather, they are realities greater than and external to us. Darkness and light are two opposing forces, each making their competing claims upon us. We are challenged to decide in which circle we will choose to live, and then we endeavor to live within it. This is to live by the truth.
  2. Only the blood of Jesus has the power to purify our sins. Our confession yields to the work of Jesus’ blood to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Evening Reflection

Did you take time today confessing your sins before the Lord? For some reason, it seems easier to notice the sins of others than your own. Allow the Holy Spirit to convict you today of your sins rather than being distracted or discouraged by the sins of others. Confess them. 

August 6, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), is an updated version of his blog first posted on January 24, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Our God of Mercy”

Psalm 9:6-8

Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.  7 The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. 8 He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.

There have been talks about the United States of America as an empire and whether she can avoid the same fate that befell all the other empires that preceded her. Augustine’s City of God is a poignant reminder that no empire or nation established by men’s might will pass the test of time.  

Why? The people of empire, living in prosperity and unrestrained freedom, will corrupt themselves and soon the empire will collapse from within, much like how the Western Roman Empire fell apart from within in 476.  That, ultimately, is the judgment of the world (vs. 7) by a just and righteous God.  

Yet Paul said to the pagans in Lystra: “In the past, [God] let all nations go their own way” (Acts 14:16)” and to the Athenian pagans, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance” (17:30). Are you surprised to find that God was merciful (i.e., not punishing those who deserve punishment) toward the nations and the pagans who didn’t follow Him?  Not Habakkuk who confidently prayed, “LORD, in wrath remember mercy” on Israel (3:2).  And this God continues to have mercy on us and the nations today.  

Maybe you see an angry God, maybe because you have had father issues; but remember this: the just and righteous LORD is long on mercy!  This means that if God were to judge the American Empire, it would be after exhausting all His mercies; if God were to judge us, it would also be after exhausting all His mercies.   

Are you living in sin? Then, here is a suggestion you should heed.  Romans 2:4b says, “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.”  God’s kindness is the Lord being merciful to us when we are not walking with Him, and that’s the moment given to us to repent. Turn from your sin and come to the merciful God today.  

Prayer: Father God, I thank You that You are a righteous and just God whose judgment is fair, and above all, merciful!  God, “I’ve heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your merciful deeds. When I am in need of Your discipline, remember mercy!” Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 1

Lunch Break Study

1 Corinthians 3:10-15: According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Questions to Consider

  1. What do “wood, hay or straw” represent as building materials for how we live our lives (Matt. 23:5, 6:5)?
  2. What other things will God consider as criteria for His judgment of our live (Matt. 12:36-7; Lk. 12:16-21)?
  3. Ultimately, will God judge a few areas or every area of our lives (Matt. 25:34-46)?

Notes

  1. These perishable items represent those things done in the body, which we assume will reap rewards from God, but will be rejected due to impure motives of our hearts.  Regarding the Pharisees, they won’t receive any rewards in heaven for their good deeds because they already “received their reward in full” on earth.  We can conclude from this that any good thing that we do just to impress men will be burned up.
  2. Our words and how we spend our wealth will be part of divine criteria to judge our lives. Regarding our words, it is not just whether we used swear words but whether our words built people up or tore them down.
  3. God will judge the entire body of work of how we actually lived, whether with compassion and mercy toward those suffering, or with utter indifference towards the people. Only an omniscient God can conduct this sort of complex judgment. 

Evening Reflection

Before turning in for the night, meditate on the following questions:

  1. What righteous (or unrighteous) actions did I do today?  
  2. What positives did I derive from them?  Were there any negatives?    
  3. If God were to judge my life today, how would He evaluate it?  
  4. What would He say to me?
  5. What are some areas of my life that I definitely need to improve? 
  6. Jot them down here and ask Jesus for guidance. 

August 5, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Barry Kang, who heads Symphony Church in Boston, is an updated version of his blog first posted on April 23, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“That Which is More Important to God Than Sacrifices and Offerings”

Psalm 40:6-8

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. 7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll. 8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

Are sacrifices and offerings unnecessary?   If we are asking whether a life of following Jesus indeed requires costly decisions and surrender, then the answer is quite clearly Yes (see Luke 9:23).  Indeed, if properly understood, the essence of worship is sacrifice and offerings.  What we have in Psalm 40:6 is a kind of Jewish hyperbole.  David is not saying that God does not want sacrifices and offerings from us.  Rather, God desires something more:  our obedience.  All the sacrifices and offerings mean nothing if they come from a heart that does not desire the will of God. 

At the same time, Psalm 40:6-8 goes deeper than mere a hyperbole.  The author of Hebrews saw a deep significance in these verses (c.f. Hebrews 10:1-10).  God’s plan was never for his people to endlessly redeem themselves through the sacrifices and offering of animals.  Rather, God planned the ultimate once-and-for-all sacrifice, namely Himself!  Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we don’t need constant sacrifices to be cleansed and to be able to come to God.  We don’t earn God’s approval and love through sacrifices.  Rather, our sacrifices and offerings are a response to God’s approval and love!

If the cost of following Jesus seems too much to bear, it might indicate that we have not fully understood God’s love for us.  When we understand God’s sacrificial love, then we will desire to respond with sacrificial love and obedience.  Let us pray that we would know more of God’s love for us.

Prayer: Father, I thank You for Your sacrificial love for me.  When I think about how You paid the highest price, I am ashamed that I am sometimes so begrudgingly obedient.  Write Your will and desire upon my heart.  I want to follow You with all of my heart and mind.  In Jesus’s name, I pray.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 16

Lunch Break Study

1 Samuel 13:5-14: The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. 7 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. 8 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. 9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.  11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, 12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”  13 “You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” 

Questions to Consider

  1. Summarize the events leading up to Saul’s sacrifice of a burnt offering in verse 9?
  2. Why did Samuel rebuke Saul (c.f. 1 Samuel 10:8)?
  3. Why was Saul’s worship rejected?  What would constitute right worship?

Let us consider the worship we offer to God.  Are we more interested in the form or the substance of the worship we offer?  No matter how flamboyant or seemingly passionate our worship may be, God does not receive glory if our worship is not motivated by a desire for obedience.  God is not interested in our religious activities, rather He desires a heart that desires his will above all things.  Let us seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness!  

Notes

  1. After becoming the king, the first thing Saul (and his son Jonathan) did was to attack the Philistine outpost at Geba with three thousand men.  In response, the Philistines gathered a much larger army than the Israelites (“three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore”), which caused the Israelite soldiers to scatter in fear.  Saul remained in Gilgal waiting for Samuel, who was the most visible support for his authority as king, but when he didn’t arrive after seven days, Saul took it upon himself to offer a sacrifice to God.
  2. The problem here is not that Saul usurped Samuel’s role in offering a sacrifice but rather that Saul did not fully obey the instructions of God that he had received through Samuel.  Instead of giving God worship in obedience, Saul was more interested in a burnt offering that would seem to validate his authority as king and give his men hope.  
  3. In the full context of 1 Samuel 13, we see that Saul’s motivation for offering a burnt offering was not obedience but fear.  Saul’s men began to desert him in the face of the massive Philistine opposition.  As a relatively new king, it appears that Saul allowed his insecurity to drive him in giving the burnt offering.  When our worship is inspired by the fear of men instead of God (i.e. reverential awe that desires his will above all things), then our worship does not give glory to God even when it obeys all the forms.

Evening Reflection

Are you living a life of obedient sacrifice and offering?  As we journal, let us reflect upon today’s activities.  Did we give God obedience?  Are our religious activities motivated by a desire to give God glory or by other things?

August 4, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on May 15, 2014.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Gives You the Right to Speak to Me?”

Titus 2:15

“These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.”

Paul has just finished giving instructions to Titus on what he should teach to different groups in the church.  His focus has been to show them how their knowledge of the gospel message should affect how they live their everyday lives.  He has addressed the issues of older men, older women, younger women, younger men, and slaves, choosing those most relevant to each group, instructing them on how to live godly, productive lives.  These are the things Titus was to teach people.

As a mentor, however, Paul does not only just give the content of instruction; he also provides moral support.  Paul knew the situation, the potential opposition Titus might face.  The people could say, “Why should we listen to you?  We have more life experience.”  Or, “What do you, a man, understand about women?” Or, “As a free person, what do you know about being a slave and what we go through?”  And so he encourages Titus, reminding him that he can speak with authority.  

What is the nature of this authority? Many of us can relate to the difficulty the people could have had receiving Titus’ instruction. We may have less of a problem with being taught by those who are older or have relevant life experiences to speak from.  But can a pastor who has never worked in the corporate world really tell us how we should handle situations in the workplace?  Can a man really tell women how to be good wives and mothers?  But the authority that God gives our leaders is not based on human experiences.  Though neither Jesus nor Paul was married, in the Bible, it is the teachings of these two single men that set the standard of how marriage should work (Matt. 19, Eph. 5).

Let’s check our hearts today.  Are we resisting any kind of instruction because we think the teacher is not qualified to speak into our lives, not because of their lack of personal character, but because they lack some experience we think they should have?  If they carry God’s authority, it is our loss.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to have a humble heart and not despise (= look down on, think little of) Your servants.  Whether my small group leader, Bible study teacher or pastor, help me to recognize the authority You have given them and receive all that You have for me through their ministry. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 15

Lunch Break Study

1 Timothy 4:11-16: “Command and teach these things.  [12] Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. [13] Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. [14] Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. [15] Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. [16] Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Questions to Consider

1. What does it mean not to let others look down on us (v. 12)?

2. Rather than letting others’ negative assessments of us bring us down, where should we focus our energies instead (vv. 12-14)?

3. Though we avoid placing too much importance on this, in what way is a leader to care about what others think (vv. 15-16)?

Notes

1. We cannot control what others think of us, but we do have control over how much we let it affect us.  Sometimes we need to reject others’ evaluations of us, especially if they are unhelpful and holding us back from doing what we are called to do by God.  

2. Having the kind of speech, behavior, love, faith and purity that others would find exemplary, i.e., want to imitate.  We should focus on doing these things rather than thinking too much about how others may not be respecting us. It may even win over those who are initially skeptical of us.

3. It can be a kind of accountability.  We will avoid laziness and work hard if we know people should be able to see visible progress in the developing of our gifts.  Knowing that people are affected both by how we live our lives and what we teach, we conduct ourselves in these areas carefully.

Evening Reflection

Did anyone look down on me today?  Did it have the power to affect me or was I able to brush it off and rise above?  Did I look down on anyone else today?  If so, reflect on why and ask God to deal with the related issues of your heart.

August 3, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on March 23, 2020, 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

“Hoarders”

Matt 26:74-75

“Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.”

Seven days ago, when this COVID madness was just starting to ramp up, I made a comment to my wife.  “The worst part of this whole thing is that it really reveals the ugliness in humanity.  Everyone starts hoarding stuff in quantities that they don’t need, and as a result, what happens? Everyone else is up the creek.  People are so selfish.”  

The following day, I get this urgent text from my wife, “My Instacart shopper found us toilet paper; I got us the last two 12-packs.  It’s on hold, can you go get it?”  Knowing how my digestive system works, I knew that this is a vital find, so I immediately got the kids in the car and made the trek to a grocery store that is a solid 25 minutes from my house.  When I got there, the reality of the situation hit me.  Along with TP, the store was also almost completely void of cleaning supplies, paper towels, and water.  I seriously think I somehow got the last two packs of toilet paper in the county, and even more miraculously, I was able to claim my prized packages off the online ordering shelf. (I seriously have no idea how anyone didn’t just steal them.)

At this point, I know what I have in my hand; I’d might as well be holding gold bars, so I do my best to leave the store as inconspicuously as possible; head down, not making eye contact with anyone.  As I’m ¾ of the way to freedom, for whatever reason (perhaps the desire not to run into another person or the Holy Spirit’s prompting), I look up for one moment and happen to make eye contact with this elderly woman.  She looks at what I’m holding and asks, “Where did you get those?”  Right away I feel God telling me to give her one of my packages.  But what do I do?  I start doing the math.  There are six of us living in my household; we only have about a dozen rolls at home now, we’ll be out in a week; I need this.  So I tell this older woman that I ordered it online, knowing she likely has never heard of Instacart and even if she did, she has no shot of finding toilet paper, and I walk away.  

Here are some quick verses that hit me; to be honest, I could hit several pages of Bible passages detailing my sinfulness:

Matt 7:5: “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Matt 5:16: “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.” (obviously, I failed here.)

Matt 6:24-35: “Do not worry passage concerning the birds of the air and lilies of the field, and how God provides for them all.”  

Phil 2:4: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  

Mark 12:31: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  

It’s been about a week since this incident, and every time I use the restroom, I’m haunted by my failings, perhaps like Peter hearing the rooster crow.  What may even be worse, I still haven’t needed to open up those packs of TP, knowing that there might be some older lady in my county who is doing God knows what when she uses the restroom.  All because I am just as selfish and sinful as everyone else.  In the end, no matter how long I’ve been walking with the Lord or how I’ve served him, this incident has served as a wakeup call that I still have so much more to grow. 

Lord, have mercy on me, and thank you for forgiving me, again! 

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus for the reminder of my need for you and your grace!  Help me to overcome my selfishness and be a light for you in these times.  In your name, amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 14

Lunch Break Study

James 4:1-4: What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 

Questions to Consider

  1. What causes fights and quarrels among believers? 
  2. What is another element that causes fights and quarrels within the body of Christ (vs. 4)?
  3. If you are finding yourself in a contentious situation, ask the Lord to reveal the wrong motives in YOUR heart that might be instigating this situation. Spend some time repenting.

Notes

  1. Fights and quarrels come from a covetous heart filled with wrong motives. The bottom line: strife comes inevitability from our evil natures. 
  2. Selfishness comes from friendship with the world, which is incompatible with friendship with God. Friendship, in antiquity, was usually taken very seriously as a lifelong pact between people with shared values and loyalties. The audience of James has the wrong object for a lover – the fallen world system with its set of values. 
  3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Reflect on the blood of Jesus Christ which allows us to meet God’s presence and worship Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask that you continue to change my heart and make it pure. Continue to sever my friendship with the world so that I will be used for Your purposes. Amen.  

*Evening Reflection prepared by Pastor Jason Sato (first posted on July 20, 2013).