August 27, Thursday

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

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“For God Alone”

Zechariah 7:4-5

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

1 Corinthians 15:17-19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 8

Lunch Break Study

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

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

Questions to Consider

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

Notes

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

Evening Reflection

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

August 26, Wednesday

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

Devotional Thought for This Morning

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

Psalm 13:1-3

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Reading for Today: Proverb 7

Lunch Break Study

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

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

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

Questions to Ponder

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

Notes

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

Evening Reflection

Let’s return to what we studied this afternoon.

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

August 25, Tuesday

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

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Both/And’ Reality of the Believers”

Psalms 25:1–5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 6

Lunch Break Study

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

Questions to Consider

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

Notes

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

Evening Reflection

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

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

August 24, Monday

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

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“To Reassess and To Shine”

Matthew 5:14–16 (ESV)

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

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

To reassess: In Hearing God in Conversation, Samuel Williamson writes how we ask God, “Should I go right or left?” and His response is “Turn around.” We ask, “Should I swing at this pitch?” and He says, “Uh…you’re playing soccer.”

In the midst of ordinary life, we can drift unknowingly into the ways and values of this world, and before long we are going down the wrong path or playing the wrong game. Times of crisis jolt us awake, and they can be opportunities to see and pursue what is actually important. Jesus has always been right: We cannot love Him and the world, and He invites us to store up our treasures in heaven where thieves and rust, viruses and recessions cannot steal or destroy.

May each of us come out of these challenging times with smaller longings for the things of this world and greater longings for His glory and the Kingdom than before the crisis.
To shine: Most of the time, American Christians do not stand out in any sort of way, but when we do, it’s largely for negative reasons. In the news, the church is only visible when we’ve condemned someone or our leaders have been involved in an embarrassing scandal.

During a plague in the middle of the third century, 5,000 people were dying every day in the city of Rome alone. Pagan doctors and religious leaders fled, and families abandoned their own sick. Yet Christians stayed behind to care for their own ill as well as for their neighbors. The love they showed to strangers shocked the empire.

Certainly, we have legitimate reasons to worry for those in our inner circles of family and close friends, but especially as lockdowns are lifted and the slow road to recovery begins, we will have unprecedented opportunities to love and serve our neighbors.

Nearly every community in the world will have been affected and the poor exponentially more so as we are already seeing in inner city communities, slums, and refugee camps around the world. May we prepare our hearts and churches to love, give, and proclaim the gospel hope in a way that will shock the world.

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

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 5

Lunch Break Study

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

Questions to Consider

What kind of a man was Zacchaeus?
What transformed Zacchaeus?
What was the sign of Zacchaeus’s transformation?

Notes

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

Evening Reflection

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

August 23, Sunday

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

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Residual Glory”

Exodus 34 : 29–30 (NASB 1995)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 4

August 22, Saturday

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

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Better than Water”

Isaiah 55:8-11 (NIV)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 2-3

August 21, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on August 6, 2014, is provided by Phillip Chen. Phil is the Lead Pastor of Pillar Church in Houston.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Close Look at Incarnational Ministry”

John 1:14-18 (NIV)

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

While many of us may understand incarnational ministry theologically, we don’t quite grasp it in real life. I would like to share an illustration that I found in a book that really helped me to understand it better.

Some Navy SEALs made their way to a compound where the hostages had been imprisoned for months. The hostages were curled up in a corner, terrified. The SEALs stood at the door and called to the prisoners, telling them they were Americans. They, then, asked the hostages to follow them, but no one moved. The prisoners just sat with their eyes closed in fear, not believing that the rescuers were really Americans.

The SEALs stood there, not knowing what to do. They couldn’t possibly carry everybody out. Then, one of the SEALs put down his weapon, took off his helmet, and curled up tightly next to the other hostages, getting so close his body was touching some of theirs. He was trying to show them that he was one of them since none of the prison guards would have done this. He stayed there for a little while until some of the hostages started to look at him, finally meeting his eyes. Declaring their identity and intention once more, the Navy SEAL asked, “Will you follow us?” Once he stood to his feet and one of the hostages did the same, then another, until all of them were willing to go. The story ends with all the hostages safe on an American aircraft carrier.

What a beautiful depiction of the Word became flesh, that Christ would humble himself, taking on an infinitely lesser nature in human form so that we are able to trust him for saving us from the bondage of sin. No longer can anyone say that God is a distant God who doesn’t understand us, but we have a high priest who understands us, was tempted like us, but was perfect without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

Today, this same Jesus is looking to you; he graciously and gently invites you to tear down any remaining defense mechanisms, any walls of hostility, so that he may lead you to safety. Allow him to come near so that you may sense his love and care for you.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I am eternally grateful to You for taking on the flesh, not only to die vicariously for our sins but also to sympathize with our weaknesses. I know that I can go to You with utmost confidence, knowing that I will be heard and loved. Thanks. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Phil. 2:5-8 (ESV): “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

John 17:5: “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

Questions to Consider

This is a classic passage that clearly depicts the incarnation of Christ. What did Jesus give up by becoming a man?
A key theological concept based on this passage is called kenosis (emptying of self), which is undergirded by two attitudes on the part of Christ. What are they?
In what way can you demonstrate the incarnational attitude with someone in your life?

Notes

Jesus gave up his glory he had with the Father “before the world existed.” He momentarily gave up equality with God the Father. That’s one reason why Jesus didn’t know the day or hour of His Second coming (Matt. 24:36).
The two attitudes are humiliation (Jesus was humiliated) and condescension (Jesus was disdained).
I think Romans 12:16 and 14:1 gives good examples of this: “Be willing to associate with people of low position”; “accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.”

Evening Reflection

Looking back, did you have an opportunity to demonstrate the incarnational spirit or attitude to anyone today? Reflect on it; pray for that person.

August 20, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT blog, originally posted on September 5, 2014, was written by Pastor Mark Chun. Mark has recently planted a new church called Radiance Christian Church, East Bay.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Seeing Life from the Perspective of Eternity”

Ecclesiastes 2:12-17 (ESV)

So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. 16 For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

One of the frustrations in life is coming to the realization that no matter how carefully we plan for the future, there are always things that are out of our control: Illness, accidents, and other tragedies befall everyone independent of education, social status, or financial means. We can, of course, add COVID-19 to that ominous list.

The prudent individual realizes that statistically, at least, the chances of a better life come to those who follow the advice of Oprah and Dr. Phil. So we try to manage our money, make good use of our time, and try to maintain a positive attitude. However, in the end, the lives of both the wise and the foolish, rich and poor, strong and the weak are all equalized by the same unavoidable fate: namely death.

Alexander the Great learned this lesson in a dramatic way from the famous philosopher, Diogenes. One day, Alexander found his friend standing alone in a field, looking carefully through a pile of bones. When Alexander asked what he was doing, Diogenes replied: “I am searching for the bones of your father Philip, but I cannot seem to distinguish them from the bones of the slaves.”

When you look at life from this perspective, it is not hard to come to the same conclusion as Solomon: to hate the very idea of life itself. What is the point of accumulating knowledge, wealth, and fame if everything will be negated by death and all will be forgotten? The famous existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre expressed his despair by stating, “Life has no meaning the moment you lose the illusion of being eternal.”

For the Christian, eternity is neither an illusion nor just a future hope, but it is a daily reality to cling to. We know that if life is just what is under the sun, then it is something to hate. But if life is eternal and our good deeds remembered for all of time, it makes every decision and every act of kindness significant. The resurrection of Christ is our reminder that death is not the great equalizer but merely the door into true life. This makes our existence not something merely to be endured but to be cherished and used for its fullest potential.

Prayer: Lord, it is so easy to overlook how important the concept of eternity is for our emotional, psychological, and spiritual health. Help us to live everyday with an eternal perspective because if we don’t, we will despair of life itself. We pray that the resurrection of Christ would be the power behind our daily living. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Habakkuk 3

Lunch Break Study

Matthew 18:13-21 (ESV): Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Questions to Consider

What is the danger of covetousness?
How should the man have responded to his land producing so plentifully?
Why is it foolish to live a hedonistic life?

Notes

The real danger of covetousness is that it is the same sin as idolatry. We covet the idols we have made in our lives, whether that be money, power, comfort, relationships, etc. In fact, the preliminary step in committing any sin is coveting something in your heart. For example, adultery is preceded by coveting another man’s wife; stealing begins with the coveting of another man’s property. This is why Jesus tells us to be on guard against all covetousness.
The man should have seen his riches as a blessing from God and used it to serve others. God calls us to be good stewards of our material riches and using it solely for our own pleasure is a poor investment in the Kingdom.
It is foolishness to live only for personal pleasure because you don’t know when your life will end, and God will call you to give an account. Everyone will ultimately be judged by their generosity towards God.

Evening Reflection

Take some time to think about the brevity of life. How will you invest your money, talents, and other resources in the window of time that you have been given? Pray that God would give you the wisdom to make the most of every opportunity.

August 19, 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

“The God of Inconvenience”

Luke 9:57–62

As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” To another He said, “Follow Me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus answered, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow You, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Imagine going about your normal day—whether at work, school, running errands, caring for your family, or even dealing with an emergency—and in that very moment the Lord commands you to abandon everything to follow Him in a new way. Would you be willing to drop everything right now to follow Christ? If we’re honest, many of us, myself included, would struggle to immediately say yes. It sounds like a wild hypothetical, but for the people in Luke 9, it was a real decision.

The first person boldly declared that he would follow Jesus, not realizing that doing so meant abandoning all his possessions. The second and third potential disciples wanted to follow Jesus—but at a more convenient time. Yet Jesus makes it clear that He is a God who calls us to obedience, not convenience. For us as believers, that obedience may be as simple as giving more time than we planned to help a friend in need, or as costly as joining a mission trip while obligations at home still press on us.

Our Lord does not say, “Follow Me when you get the chance.” He simply says, “Follow Me,” knowing that the right moment is the very moment He calls. Trust God’s timing. As difficult—or even foolish—it may appear when we follow the Lord, remember that no wise disciple has ever regretted abandoning anything that stood in the way of following Christ.

Prayer: Lord, please keep me aware and ready to follow You whenever You call. Thank You for Your eternal wisdom that surpasses everything I see, and forgive me for the moments when I have failed to trust Your timing. Teach me to move when You say “go,” and not only when I feel ready. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Habakkuk 2

Lunch Break Study

(Prepared by Pastor David Kwon; originally posted on November 27, 2015)

Read Matthew 14:22-33: Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. [23] And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, [24] but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. [25] And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. [26] But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. [27] But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” [28] And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” [29] He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. [30] But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” [31] Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” [32] And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. [33] And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Questions to Consider

What was the reaction of the disciples when they saw Jesus?
How does fear often hinder us from living by great faith?
What does the passage say about overcoming our fears?

Notes

They were terrified and responded in fear (v.26).
When we live in fear, it distorts the power and character of Jesus in our lives. We often make Him too small, which hinders us from living by faith and not by sight.
The disciples worshiped the Lord after they acknowledged His power and greatness (v.33). Our worship of Christ will often increase our faith and overcome our fears.

Evening Reflection

Take some time in personal worship through prayer, song, or the Word. Meditate on the promises and truths of God. As you do, ask Him to give you courageous faith.

August 18, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written in 2013 by staff members of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, is an updated version of a blog first posted on July 11, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Don’t Cancel People”

Psalms 75:6-10

No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. 7 It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another. 8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs. 9 As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob, 10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”

Whether it’s a child enforcing the rules of a made-up game or an adult complaining about their rights, we all fancy ourselves to be judges—authorities on good and evil in the world. And we are seeing plenty of that—canceling the person who deemed lagging in virtue signaling—in our society these days. But no one from the east or the west is judge. That role is for God alone, as the apostle Paul states: “It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart . . .” (1 Cor. 4:4b-5a).

This does not mean that Christians are called to make no evaluations of anything but that the task of bringing punishment belongs to God alone. We subtly punish those we deem deserving by withholding forgiveness, with passive-aggressiveness, gossiping, or cancelling them among other things, but we have no right to do so.

It is God’s prerogative to punish the wicked, and He is sure to do it. In the meantime, we ought to be sobered by the thought that every sin is paid for either by Christ on the cross, or by each individual in hell.

Take a moment to thank God that He has paid for your sins and given you life when you deserved death. In light of God’s forgiveness, pray that you would release your “right” to judge those who sin against you today.

Prayer: Holy Father, You are God and I am not. My wisdom and understanding is so limited. My sense of justice is marred by my sins and self-centeredness. I thank you that you are just and therefore I am free to forgive. Thank you for paying for my sins and for the sins of every brother and sister. May more and more people find grace and rejoice in your work on the cross. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Habakkuk 1

Lunch Break Study

James 2:5-9 (NIV): Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

Questions to Consider

What possible advantage might those who are poor in the eyes of the world have over the rich?
How were the rich actually treating those in the church at times?
Is there a way you can practically love someone who might be considered poor in the eyes of the world?

Notes

1. The poor may actually be rich in faith and in the inheritance of God’s kingdom. Let us not misunderstand what James is saying; A person is not automatically saved because he or she is materially poor. All who are saved—poor or rich—are saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ. But God has generally saved more poor people than rich (Luke 18:24–25; 1 Cor. 1:26–29), for the poor are generally richer in faith. Why? Because, since they have no other wealth to rely on, they prize more the wealth they have in Christ.

2. By insulting the poor, the church has favored the wealthy. But it is the rich outside the church who are their oppressors. This picks up on an OT theme of the rich oppressing the poor (Jer. 7:6; 22:3; Amos 4:1; 8:4), which is precisely what was going on in James’ day. Moreover, the rich dragged Christians into court, knowing that the secular courts would be favorable to them, for no one liked Christians. To add insult to injury, they were slandering the noble name which had been named over the believers at their baptism; such were the rich. Yet the Christians were becoming like them when they discriminated against the poor in their own gatherings. The Christians had become the persecutors.

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Journal about what it means to cultivate a childlike faith in your personal life.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask that you shape me to be one who is compassionate to the poor. Amen.