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).

August 2, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Christine Li, was originally posted on December 22, 2019. Christine serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Holding Out to the End”

1 Corinthians 1:4-9 

“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Recently, the New York City Marathon happened. Do you know what the fastest race time was? Two hours and 8 minutes. (Some days, it takes that much time to get out of the house!)  By contrast, do you know what the slowest race time was? While official times get cut off after a certain point, it is reported that some stick it out to the end with a 10-11 hour finish! 

This accounts for why, when a good friend of mine was going home after a long day at church, roads were still closed off as the marathoners were still en route to the finish line. While there were runners still left, just as impressively were there onlookers still cheering them on. Though the last of the marathoners were nowhere close to the ability or the prowess of the earliest finishers, people were still dedicated to encouraging them to press on! 

My friend texted me that she was reminded in this moment about God, who continues to entreat us to finish and who does not give up on us even when we are slow. To this, I responded: yes, and more! He is better than a cheerleader watching us from afar! The Lord our God is faithful to His people, and better than our own abilities (or lack of abilities), He is always at our side. He is not just observing on the sidelines but is the very power behind our ability to persevere – He carries us and is the one who ensures we will make it across the finish line.

Paul tells us that, in this life, the end goal and the finish line of our lives is to stand firm until the return of Christ. We are aiming to be found faithful on that day. But even as we orient ourselves towards being found holy and blameless that day, He is the one who also sustains us and keeps us on course. 

Brother and sister, I don’t know where you are in the marathon of your spiritual life today, whether you feel nimble or weighed down and far behind. But I encourage you to draw strength not from yourself but from Him. Our ability to “make it to the end” rests in His faithful and capable hands. We do not have to be disheartened that we may not be the fastest or strongest as we continue on the course set before us. Let’s put ourselves in His hands and trust in His power to keep us steady for that day. He will sustain us through to the end!

Prayer: Father, thank You that have loved us and called us Your own. Thank You for Your unending faithfulness in our lives. Lord, we trust You to keep us and to sustain us. Help us to draw from Your unending power and rest in knowing that You have completed the work and will complete Your work in us. 

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 13

August 1, Saturday

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on June 29, 2019.  Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend 

“Hosting the Presence of God”

Exodus 40:34

“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”

In today’s passage, we read about a momentous occasion. As Moses erects the tabernacle, the glory of God comes down from Mount Sinai and fills the tent of meeting. It must have been an awesome event to behold. Just a while ago they could not even approach the base of the mountain lest they die. Now, the very presence of Yahweh descends and dwells with them. God is right there in their midst! It was a visible sign of their covenant relationship—a sign of intimacy and, thereby, privilege, that Israel would be able to enjoy by God’s grace. 

Nevertheless, while this may appear as a step forward, it was not the type of communion that was originally intended by God. When we go back to the Garden of Eden, we read about God walking in the cool of the day with Adam and Eve—without the need for tabernacles, tents, and veils. Humanity was designed for intimacy with its creator in a direct manner; but sin shattered this intimate fellowship between God and man. 

An amazing truth is that through the work of Christ, we are able to experience an intimacy with God that is greater than what Adam and Eve experienced. In Acts 2, the disciples are in the upper room waiting for God and “suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” Later in the chapter it says that this event was a fulfillment of a prophecy in Joel—that God would pour His Spirit on all flesh. In other words, just like the glory of God filling the tabernacle, God’s Spirit comes like a rushing wind and fills the disciples—not a tent or a temple but the flesh of Jesus’ followers. 

What we have been given by the gospel is not a communion experienced externally from us; it is much more special than that—God Himself dwells internally within us. It is a scandalous truth—that people like us can host God’s presence. Therefore, let us be reminded that God dwells within us! So, today, thank Jesus for giving us a type of intimacy with God that we could have never earned on our own! 

Prayer: Father, thank You for the gift of your presence. That You are a God who does not remain distant but insists on intimate communion with your people. Help us to always be aware of this amazing truth! 

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 11-12

July 31, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 25, 2014, is provided by Pastor Charles Choe. Charles has been leading Tapestry Church in Los Angeles since 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Something to Consider Regarding Our Freedom in Christ”

1 Timothy 5:14-15

So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

Lying, cheating, slandering, stealing, and sexual immorality are all clearly sin. But things we ought not to do are not always so clear. Like for example, Paul, in 1 Corinthians 8, is instructing the young church how to manage food that was offered to idols. Paul knows there is no such thing as other gods, so it’s a moot point that certain meats were offered to these idols. But by the same token, Paul knew that for some in Corinth, eating food offered to idols was akin to idol worship itself. So he advises those who thought it was acceptable to eat to restrain from their liberty for the sake of not causing others to stumble. This is why Paul says, “Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble” (1 Corinthians 8:13). 

Of course, we are free to enjoy whatever the Scripture does not forbid. Even if someone thinks it’s wrong, it shouldn’t really matter since it’s not wrong. However, our freedom must always be wrapped in concern and care for others. If our freedom actually leads someone else to violate his or her conscience, then we have become a stumbling block. Love for my brothers in Christ guides and restrains my liberty in Christ. Love always triumphs over liberty. Unity always triumphs over personal rights.

It’s this principle Paul has in mind when he counsels Timothy to have the young Ephesian widows remarry. It appears that many of the young widows in Ephesus were using their singleness in a scandalous behavior; and because of that the Ephesian church was being slandered  (1 Timothy 5:14-15). So Paul tells the young Ephesian widows to correct this problem through living in a way the wider culture might esteem: Get married and have children and manage your home well. There is no commandment to do so; but if it helps others from not stumbling, we ought to pursue that path.

In giving this principle, Paul is saying that we should not create unnecessary obstacles to the Gospel. If it helps to advance the Gospel, we ought to consider doing it, whatever it may be. We are free to eat, drink, dress or go anywhere we please; after all, we are free in Christ Jesus. But our guiding question should be, Does this advance the Gospel? If it doesn’t, then we must be willing to let go of it, adjusting our choices so that the Gospel takes front and center in our lives. Consider if there is anything in your life you may have to surrender your freedom for so that the Gospel is advanced. 

Prayer: Lord, help me to examine my life. May I always be on a mission. May advancing the Gospel be the reason for what I do and don’t do.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 10

Lunch Break Study

I Corinthians 9:19-23: For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. [20] To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. [21] To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. [22] To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. [23] I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

Questions 

  1. What is Paul’s aim in making himself a servant to all? 
  2. What does “winning” look like for the apostle Paul? 
  3. According to v.23, what is the ultimate reason for all that he does? Could you say this is how you would define your ambitions? 

Notes 

  1. He aims to be a servant to all so to win them over to Christ.  
  2. Saving people into salvation. 
  3. Paul does all things ultimately for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our lives should reflect the same values. 

Evening Reflection

How much did the Gospel get advanced through your life today? Consider how it was reflected in your thoughts, words and actions today.