February 12, Sunday

The person who wrote Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on December 27, 2015, wishes to remain anonymous. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Christian Faith and Secular Ideology”

John 17:14-7 (ESV)

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

Leprosy causes the loss of all physical sensations, including pain.  Even an open wound, infected and full of puss, doesn’t hurt; if left untreated it will disfigure the entire body, limb by limb. At the risk of offending some, many evangelicals suffer from spiritual leprosy.  Living in this world that is becoming increasingly militant against God’s truth, we feel no tension, no indignation, and certainly no desire to fight back (but not with the weapons of this world). 

The fundamental tension for us is one between Christianity and the reigning paradigm of our time—secular ideology.  But the thoughts and teachings of this world, of which we are a part, will never, ever be our highest authority—only Christ and His word is, no matter how alluring, appealing, or popular the dictates of secularism appear to us.  

At the same time, we must learn to avoid the extremes of a hateful “us versus them” stance and a naïve lack of discernment in encountering the good, evil, and sometimes ambiguous influences upon our souls.  For instance, even as we take on secularism or radicalized Islam, we do so respectfully, not hating the person and even learning a thing or two from those who oppose us. 

But through it all, we must remember that we live by faith, not by sight. We live for Christ, and not for any person or nation. We live by evaluating human experience through Christ’s word, not primarily the word of this or that guru or intellectual elite. Nothing should become our ultimate foundation and measuring rod for right living and thought, whether our favorite political movement, secular ethic, ideal of social justice, life pleasure, human identity, technological advancement, or fashionable science. 

As alluded earlier, that is not to deny there may be things of great value in the secular ideas and products I have just mentioned; on the contrary, we can welcome many of these to improve human living or enhance our intellectual and moral growth. But our ultimate hope and authority will never be to anything secularism has to offer, anything that comes out of the city of man. Our allegiance is to Christ alone. I leave you with Joshua’s call to the people of Israel as they started their existence as a nation in the Promised Land: “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). 

Prayer: Lord, deliver us from spiritual leprosy so that we can begin to feel the righteous indignation in light of secular and post-truth ideologies that defy God’s eternal truth. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 8

February 11, Saturday

REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on May 9, 2015.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“What I Learned About God’s Law After Getting a Speeding Ticket”

2 Sam. 12:9-14

“You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.” 11 Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.” 13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.”

I once got a speeding ticket in Arizona for driving 60 MPH back in 1985 when the legal limit was 55 MPH. It’s probably 70 or 75 MPH now. The speed limit is the rule of the road, much like how some countries have rules to drive on the right side of the road while others require the left side—they are completely arbitrary.  What isn’t arbitrary is the law of speed, which stipulates that the faster I go, the more time and distance it takes to stop. Ignoring that law may result in a serious accident that can kill or injure people.  This is to say, while it is no longer a volation to drive above 55 MPH in Arizona, that doesn’t abrogate the law of speed, which, once broken, can produce death.      

The same is true in the spiritual realm, for Paul states, “For before the law was given, sin was in the world.  But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.  Nevertheless, death reigned from time of Adam to the time of Moses, even those who did not sin by breaking a command” (Rom. 5:13-4).   Before the Mosaic Law was ever introduced, the law of sin (Rom. 7:23) was living and active, and reaping havoc on humanity who dared to ignore it.  King David challenged it head on and paid a dear price.   

This is what we can learn from David’s saga about the consequences of unmitigated and prolonged sin, with blatant hypocrisy to boot (even after God’s forgiveness has been granted): “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction” (Gal. 6:8a).   No one should be surprised to find, then, that Absalom later shames his father by “lay[ing] with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel” (2 Sam. 16:22).

Before I leave you all frightened, recall what apostle John stated: “There is a sin that leads to death. . . . All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death” (1 Jn. 5:16-7).  Whatever else John meant, he is saying this: while all sins are an affront to God, not all have the same consequences.  For instance, if you commit the kind of sin that David, as a top leader, committed—adultery and murder—you can expect steep discipline from God.  But, there are some sins that may not result in such devastating consequences meted out in such a swift fashion. 

But here is the good news: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.  He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Ps. 103:8-10).   Thank you, Lord, for being so gracious.

Prayer:  Holy Lord, I praise for your infinite grace and mercy.  Help me not to take your love for granted, but that I would fear You and hate sin.  Give me the desire to be holy as You are holy. Amen.    

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 6-7

February 10, Friday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on April 8, 2016.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Don’t Miss Out on the Opportunity to Bless Those in Need”

Acts 16:13-15

From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

What Paul experienced by the riverside was an unexpected encounter that led to the first conversion in Philippi.   While my recent experience wasn’t quite that dramatic, it, nonetheless, shows what we ought to expect from the Lord in our everyday lives. 

I recently got a part-time job at a retail store to help cover some of my expenses. While working earlier this week I encountered a woman who came into the store after having a terrible fall outside. We took her into the back to use our first aid kit (she was pretty banged up) and sit down for a rest and some water. After a few minutes, my manager sent me back to work, but my heart was heavy and burdened, so I prayed for her for the rest of my shift. 

Feeling helpless (because I was at work) I told God – if you want me to do more, open the door. On my way to my car after work, I saw her in the parking lot. I was terrified – I knew this was a divine appointment and that I needed to go speak to her. I walked over, asked how she was doing, and let her know I was praying for her. She explained that she was taking some new medications and her body was not responding well. She was so thankful for the kindness we’d shown her and for the prayers I prayed for her. And that was pretty much it. We parted ways. I didn’t pray with her. I didn’t tell her about the ultimate Healer. I didn’t stop and ask God what He was up to in that moment – I think because I was unsure and afraid (and unexpectedly so!). 

While I believe God is in control and will care for that woman apart from me if for some reason I didn’t fully do what He had in mind (and I’m hoping He’ll send her my way again), the experience itself challenged me to remember that no matter what we expect when we go and do this or that (I thought I was just going into work to make a little money), God is always at work in blessing and healing the world through us. I want to be like Paul, ready – fearless and willing – to partner with God in whatever way He grants me the opportunity. How about you? Don’t miss out on the opportunity to bless those in need.

 Prayer: Sovereign Lord, You are always at work in the world around us. As Your hands and feet in this world, may I be ready and willing to partner with You whenever You present me with the opportunity to do so. Give me divine appointments today to be a blessing (in great and small ways) to those around me. Make me sensitive to the movements of Your Spirit and fearless to move and speak according to Your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 5

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 28:16-20: Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Questions to Consider

  1. Other than the fact that it happened this way, why might it be significant that Jesus gave His commission to “the eleven disciples”? How should this encourage us today?
  2. The Greek in verse 19 lends itself to also be translated as “When you go make disciples…” or “As you go, make disciples…” How does that add to your understanding of Christ’s call on our lives? 
  3. How does Jesus’ promise in verse 20 encourage you as you think about the task of being on mission for Him in your daily life? 


Notes

  1. Jesus gave the commission to an imperfect group. Twelve was a significant number in the Old Testament and in Jewish culture. Eleven was a striking number of imperfection and incompletion (something was lacking, broken, missing). I find it encouraging that Jesus commissioned an imperfect Church and that He still believes we can do the work He’s called us to do even with our shortcomings. 
  2. While we are called to “Go!” to the ends of the earth, to those who have not heard and share the Gospel around the world, we are also called, in all that we do and everywhere we are, to be on mission for the advancement of God’s Kingdom. It’s easy to “be on” when we are on mission, at Church, or in similar spaces. But everyday, we are on mission for God because He is at work all around us. 
  3. The idea of constantly being on mission for God can feel daunting. My story this morning shows how easy it is to potentially fall short and how uncertain we can feel about what we are supposed to do in any given situation. But Jesus is with us and God’s Spirit within us will lead us. That’s a promise in which we can take comfort. All we have to do is dependent on Him. 

Evening Reflection

What are some ways that you’ve experienced divine appointments to be a blessing (or to be blessed by someone else) in your life? What are some things that could hinder you from participating in God’s work in the world around you on a daily basis (e.g. being to busy, being afraid, not being mindful of the things of God when you’re at work or at school, etc.)? Spend some time offering yourself the Lord and ask Him to use you to be a blessing and tell others about Him. Pray for divine appointments. When we ask of the Lord, He will answer, so be on the look out for opportunities to be a blessing and share the truth of God throughout this week! 

February 9, Thursday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on June 21, 2016.  Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning 

“God Is Always at Work Around Us”

Habakkuk 1:5-6

Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days 

that you would not believe if told. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans….

About a year ago, someone broke into my wife’s car and stole the airbag. For those of you who don’t know, airbags are incredibly expensive and necessary for safety reasons. What made things worse was that this came after a string of bad luck with my wife’s car: battery problems, new tires were needed, and the car horn stopped working. With the bills adding up and no money to replace the airbag, it was a very frustrating time for us. We didn’t know how we were going to resolve this situation. Little did we know that God put it in the hearts of some people to buy an airbag for our car—it was a total surprise! Without us knowing, God was at work to help us in our need. 

Habakkuk found himself in a frustrating situation of his own. He had been praying for God to act and bring justice to the land of Judah. He could no longer bear to see God’s people living in such blatant sin. However, it seemed to Habakkuk that God was idly standing by, not lifting a finger to deal with the issue. Yet Habakkuk could not have been more wrong. God responds and proclaims that He has been “doing a work” in their days to deal with the problem of injustice in Judah: He was raising up the Chaldeans to be an instrument of judgment for His people. Although this is a shocking turn of events (Chaldeans, also known as the Babylonians, were more evil than Israel), it proved that God was not standing idly by but actively working to bring about His justice. 

In light of this, it is important for us to remember that God is always at work around us. Many of us question God’s nearness in times of difficulty and trouble, and this is only natural. Doubts are not wrong but part of our growing process. However, we must look to Scripture and stories like these to remind ourselves that silence does not mean inactivity on the part of God. He is always working, whether we recognize it or not, for our ultimate good. If you are going through a difficult season in your life and God seems nowhere to be found, be encouraged, for He is “doing a work” in your days to bring you goodness!

Prayer: God, help me to trust you in times of trouble and difficulty and to see that You are always faithful and near.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 4

Lunch Break Study 

Read John 16:5-7: “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” 

Questions to Consider

  1. Why are the disciples filled with sorrow?  
  2. After Jesus goes to the Father, who is coming to be with the disciples? 
  3. How does knowing that the Helper (Holy Spirit) is present with us comfort you in times of hardship? 

Notes 

  1. The disciples are filled with sorrow because Jesus, their leader, will be leaving them. 
  2. The Helper (the Holy Spirit) will be sent after Jesus ascends to the Father. 
  3. Personal 

Evening Reflection 

As you’ve been reflecting today, in what ways do you see God working around you? Take some time today to pray and ask God to give you eyes to see the work He’s doing around you. 

February 8, Wednesday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on May 25, 2016, is provided by Andy Kim who is now the Lead Pastor at Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco. Andy, a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.), was recently ordained as well. Congratulations. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

Acts 27:24-26

“…and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

Whenever I complained about school, my parents always told me the most extravagant stories: “When I was young I had to climb mountains, walk 5 miles each way, and hunt for my lunch just to go to school.” It was the go-to motivational speech in the Kim household, with the same message: “You have it good, so no complaints.” By no means do I undermine my parent’s past, because I fully acknowledge that I am blessed today because of their sufferings. Maybe some of us do not share the same story, but we can all agree that the life we live today is possible because someone in the past has paved the way. Even Isaac Newton acknowledges that all the things he had accomplished were made feasible by “standing upon the shoulders of giants.” 

In today’s passage, we know that the men refused to listen to Paul’s warning and needed to face up to the consequences. We cannot confirm if the men were believers or not, yet we do know that God graciously saved their lives because of Paul’s prayer and faithfulness to the Lord. Perhaps this is the heart of God: He desires to show grace and mercy to the unbelieving so that they may be saved, and He does so through the prayers and faith of the righteous. In this case, it was through one man’s faith that a ship was saved. But even greater than Paul’s faith, we look to Jesus, who intercedes for all transgressors (Isaiah 53:12). As believers, we do not merely stand on the shoulders of men, as Newton pointed out, but we stand upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Through His sacrifice and work, all who believe in Him will be saved, for He Himself became the way to our salvation. My hope and prayer is that after reading this devotional, you will spend some time interceding for your loved ones, friends, community, and nation so that God would bring salvation to all. 

Prayer: Father, thank You for listening to our prayers. Lord, we want to lift up the people in our lives, both close and far from us, that You may bring salvation to them. We also lift up our communities and our nation, asking that You would turn us back to You. Restore our hope in the power of prayer. 

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 3

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Timothy 2:1-4: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth

Questions to Consider

  1. Who are the people that Paul calls us to intercede for?
  2. Why should we intercede for them?
  3. How are we to intercede for them?

Notes

  1. The word “all” in this context implies a general and universal meaning; thus, we are to pray for all people. In doing so, Paul calls out men who are in places of authority.  Because local authorities were persecuting Christians, there could’ve been a natural unwillingness to pray for them. Yet God calls us to pray even for those who hurt us. 
  2. Perhaps, Paul appeals to Timothy to strategically pray for such leaders because of their influence over men. This would affect the ability for the gospel to be spread in such communities. Furthermore, Paul asserts that praying for all men is both good and acceptable in the sight of our God. In fact, Paul claims that God desires for all men to be saved and not simply for some special group of people. By seeking the blessing of the leaders around us, we will also be blessed. (Jer. 29:7)
  3. Hebrews 5:6 shows that Jesus interceded with loud cries and tears. The following is a great quote by Evelyn Underhill: “Real intercession is not merely a petition but a piece of work, involving costly self surrender to God for the work he wants done on other souls…Each time you take a human soul with you into your prayer, you accept from God a piece of spiritual work with all its implications and with all its cost — a cost which may mean for you spiritual exhaustion and darkness, and may even include vicarious suffering, the Cross.” 

Evening Reflection

Spend some time reflecting on the image of Jesus interceding for you. Now, ask the Lord to give you the same heart of intercession. Who or what comes to mind? Perhaps your manager, coworker, or the guy down the street? Spend some time praying for them. Let us also intercede for our communities and our nation, especially our leaders. 

February 7, Tuesday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on May 6, 2013.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“The Exponential Growth of Lies”

2 Sam. 11:22-7 (ESV)

So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. [23] The messenger said to David, “The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. [24] Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.” [25] David said to the messenger, “Thus shall you say to Joab, ‘Do not let this matter displease you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”  [26] When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. [27] And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

When my children were little, they enjoyed watching Veggie Tales, a Christian cartoon show whose characters were entirely made up of vegetables.   In one episode, a fib told by “Junior” grows to be an enormous monster, growing with each lie to cover up previous lies.  David would’ve given Junior a run for his money for that role.  

Here we see an acting performance worthy of Academy Award for Best Actor by David, the unanimous winner.   First, upon hearing that his scheme to kill Uriah—by putting him where the fighting was fiercest and then have the troop withdraw from him—was successful, David feigns consolation to Joab.  But Act II gets even better: David brings Bathsheba to his palace, ostensibly to take care of this forlorn widow, as if to say, “That’s the least thing I can do for my loyal servant who died while defending Israel!”  What a deceiver!  And this is the man of whom God said, “A man after [My] own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14)? 

Folks, don’t underestimate our basic nature!  It isn’t without reason “Jesus would not entrust himself to [people], for he knew all men” (Jn. 2:24).  Contrary to the premise of social science, we don’t act badly because of inadequate social structure (programs, education, etc.) but because, at the foundational level, sin lives in us.  Paul states, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature” (Rom. 7:18).   

While those who go overboard on the doctrine of imputation of Christ’s righteousness on believers may disagree, the fact is, the moment we don’t “fix our eyes on Jesus” (Heb. 12:2), that is, keep our guards up against luring temptations and maintain our spiritual discipline, we will fall!  The sinful nature has been greatly diminished by the presence of the Holy Spirit and our intake of God’s word, but it has not been eradicated.

So today, guard your eyes so that you don’t import images that will hurt you and your significant relationships; increase time spent with God, in prayer and word.  Ask someone whom you trust to hold you accountable so that you don’t go where David went. 

Prayer: Glorious and magnificent Father in heaven, how I adore and appreciate You.  Thanks for allowing the Holy Spirit to take residence in our hearts and giving us the Scripture so that we are more than adequately prepared to overcome our nature that seeks to go against Your will.  Thank You! 

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Eph. 4:25 (ESV): Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another; Col. 3:9: “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old selfwith its practices.”

Rom. 9:1: I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit; 1 Tim. 2:7: And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying; 2 Cor. 11:31: The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.

James 1:14-5:But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. [15] Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Question to Consider

1. What matter seems to have been very important to apostle Paul at the personal level?  

2. In light of James 1:14-5, why you think Paul took this matter so seriously? 

3. What is the best way to avoid telling a lie?  Is there something you need to rectify with someone at the present moment?

Notes

1. Evidently, personal integrity was very important to Paul; wherever and whenever lies are constantly told, trust will be broken, integrity shattered, and God’s work will take a step back.  

2. Paul knew what the producers of Veggie Tales knew too well: Any sin, particular lying, will have a life of its own and unless properly dealt with (confession and repentance), it will result in disintegration of relationships:  between spouses, parents and children,  and pastors and their congregations. 

3. Tell the truth no matter what, because the next time it will be even harder to do it and the stakes will be even higher.   Of course, we cannot do it on our own strength; thus, we need to really trust God that he will honor our honesty and rectify the situation that will penalize us the least.  PRAY!   

Evening Reflection

Many of us have become dulled in our conscience that we aren’t even aware when we actually lie rather blatantly.  Look back to this day and ask the Holy Spirit to show you when or where you could have told the truth.  Pray for a clear conscience.  Perhaps you need to ask God for courage to tell someone the truth.     

February 6, Monday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 13, 2016, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian who leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.  Shan is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Yoke of Slavery”

Galatians 5:1

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Being convicted of a crime and doing jail time is probably as low as it can get for any person.  There is so much shame and humiliation that goes with it.  And yet when we look at the recidivism rate (the percentage of former prisoners being rearrested) in the United States, over 60% of ex-convicts end up back in prison.  These are men and women who have experienced the rock bottom of being imprisoned and have then experienced the joy and the freedom of being released, and yet, over 60% of them find themselves submitting again to the yoke of slavery.

You would think that once someone has experienced the sweet freedom of Jesus Christ, they then would not want to go back into slavery.  But the apostle Paul had to instruct the Galatians to not submit again to the yoke of slavery, because they, like us, were so prone to find themselves in slavery again.  The Galatians had been set free from a salvation by good works.  The cross of Jesus Christ had given them freedom, but so many of them had fallen into the temptation of living by their works again, thus submitting themselves again to the yoke of slavery.

We find this temptation at work in our own lives.  If we’ve put our faith in Jesus Christ, we’ve been set free.  We are completely free from having to prove ourselves through our own righteousness and good works.  Yet many Christians often don’t feel very free.  They feel burdened and heavy laden by all that it takes to be a “good” Christian.  Without realizing it, they are submitting to slavery, striving to prove themselves, trying to be good enough for God.  

This is why Paul tells us to stand firm.  We can so easily forget that Jesus has set us free, and without realizing it, we can fall into the slavery of striving to prove ourselves through good works.  Let us reflect today on how we put ourselves into slavery, and let’s also remind ourselves that Jesus has set us free by what He has done, not by anything we have done.

Bible Reading for Today:  Revelation 1

Lunch Bible Study

Read Mark 10:17-22: And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Questions to Consider

  1. How was this young man striving to prove himself?
  2. How did Jesus see him?
  3. Why was this young man so disappointed by Jesus’ command?  Why was Jesus’ response so difficult for him?  

Notes

  1. This man very clearly was striving to prove himself through his seemingly perfect obedience to the Ten Commandments.  He saw himself as righteous because of his own good works.
  2. In spite of this young man’s pride and self-righteousness, Jesus looks upon him with love (v. 21).  This should encourage all of us because it shows us that even with this young man’s sin and pride, Jesus had a gracious heart of love for him.
  3. This young man was disappointed because Jesus points out the one thing that he could not do in obedience—to sell all his possessions, give to the poor and follow Jesus.  On the surface, it may seem that this man’s struggle was greed, but when we look deeper, we realize that what this man lacked was a dependence on God.  He walked away sorrowful because he couldn’t give up everything to follow God.

Evening Reflection

As you’ve been reflecting today, have you seen your tendencies to prove yourself?  But also, how does the freedom of Christ give you hope?  Take some time to pray and celebrate that you have been set free. 

February 5, Sunday

Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on January 7, 2016, is provided by Joanna Tzen who was a long-standing member of Grace Covenant Church in Philadelphia. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Building Not with Our Own Strength”

Ps. 127:1

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. 2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Over the holidays, I spent time with my extended family that included a little boy who is about to turn two. One activity he enjoyed was building with magnetic tiles. He made a tower taller than himself, but it was top-heavy and started swaying. We expected him to delight with glee when it fell over with a big crash; possibly tears when it fell over because his creation was no more. What we didn’t expect was for him to hang on to the tower, standing on his tiptoes to support it. He whimpered, on the verge of tears, because he clearly did not want the tower to fall and was holding it up with his own strength.

We are not much different as adults. We often build things with our own strength, without asking the Lord for wisdom and guidance. This psalm was written by King Solomon, and during his reign the temple of the Lord was built. King Solomon knew what it was like to receive instruction from the Lord and build a house for His glory. The Lord Himself provided the materials and the labor for the temple through the Israelites and their neighbors.

By the end of the afternoon, the little boy had begun to learn how to rebuild after the tower fell down. It’s amazing how even at a young age, we can begin to depend on ourselves and that pressure can cause anxiety and worry. It is when the Lord builds the house that we can have peace because we trust the Builder. Even if we build on our own, it’s better to learn that what the Lord rebuilds after our creation has crumbled, cannot be shaken. Though what the Lord builds may not be what we expected (e.g., unanticipated career path, living in a place we’ve never imagined, etc.), know that it’s always better.  

So this morning, take a moment to look around to see if we are building something of a value to us but without little or no input from God.  A good place to gauge that is our prayer life, a lack of which indicates our independence from God.   The road to recovery is the same today as the days of Solomon: repentance which begins with a prayer like this . . . 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to trust You more. Help me to see where I have built for my own glory and labored in vain. I want to depend on You. If you are dismantling something in my life, help me to see it as discipline from my Heavenly Father (Heb. 12:7). Help me to trust You as You build up a new thing in my life.

Bible Reading for Today:  Nehemiah 13

February 4, Saturday

Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on March 5, 2016, is provided by Pastor Mark Chun through whom God founded the Radiance Church in 2011. Mark, after recently stepping down as its Lead Pastor, is currently on a sabbatical.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Avoiding the Trap of Being Mediocre Christians in the Marketplace”

Acts 6:1-7

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. 

Before becoming a full-time pastor, I spent a number of years in the corporate world as a biochemist.  I spent the bulk of my time working in two companies.  One was a publicly traded company, which relied on secular investors and the other, a private firm owned and operated by Christian businessmen.  On the surface, you would think that the company run by Christian ownership would have a better atmosphere, culture, and work environment and that they would treat their employees better than a company without any sort of Christian ethic.  To my surprise, it was the non-Christian ownership that was better on most of these counts.  Unfortunately, this is a trend that I see as I compare the majority of Christendom to the world.  The world organizes better, sings better, motivates better, administrates better, builds better, and leads better.  The main reason for this is the fact that the world doesn’t accept mediocrity while the church in the name of God’s grace is perfectly fine with the mediocre.  While I was working at my first company, one of my co-workers sent me a pretty funny email about laziness in the workplace:  

“This company cannot afford to have our employees give half-ass efforts.  It doesn’t matter if your ass is half empty or half full.  Half is still half.  One cheek will never get the job done.  We demand that you put both of your cheeks into your work.  Half a buttocks, half a rump, half a tush will only get you half the results.  If we want to achieve success, we need to get behind our work (pun intended).”  

I think many of us have overlooked this emphasis on doing things well in regards to our faith and service to the Lord but if we sit down and think about it logically, it makes all the sense in the world.  We serve a God who does all things well and as His children we should reflect this characteristic of our Father in heaven.  There has to be a desire in us to excel in those areas where He has called us to minister.  

Obviously, only God can do all things well.  You and I can only do a handful of things well and so we need to prioritize.  Good leaders not only display proficiency, but they also understand priority.  This is what we see the apostles essentially doing.   They are proficient in caring for the widows but their priority is to pray and preach the Word of God.  They could not do both well so they raised a new group of leaders.  Nevertheless, they felt that serving the poor was important enough to recruit the best candidates in the church, men who were filled with the Spirit and of wisdom, because again this was a ministry worth the best effort of the church.  As we prepare for Sunday, I pray that the Lord would encourage all of us to serve well.  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we know that your Son did all things well and grew in his reputations among men.  Help us to do things well not from a legalistic motivation but because we long to give you our best.  Guard us against laziness and grow us in our capacity to minister and serve your church effectively.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Nehemiah 11-12

February 3, Friday

UPDATED  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on May 8, 2015.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Be Different in the World”

2 Sam. 12:13-4 (NASB)

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”

I cannot remember the last time I saw a bumper stick that says, “I love Jesus.”  Maybe that’s a good thing since most Christians don’t drive all that differently than those who prefer other stickers such as “My other car is a Porsche.”  While some lousy Christian drivers have done some small harm, it pales in comparison to when famous Christian leaders fall from grace, and the whole world knows about it.  And that is one reason David’s sin was so detrimental: “Because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt” (2 Samuel 2:14).  

In fact, both Moses and Paul used the “What-would-the-unbelieving-world-think” rationale to make their respective cases.  When informed of God’s plan to “destroy” the Israelites (Ex. 32:10) for worshiping the golden calf, Moses said to God, “Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he (God) brought them out, to kill them’” (12).  Paul, in referring to the law-breaking Israelites, said “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’” (Rom. 2:24).

Going to school or work is stressful enough. Adding to that the pressure to live out the Christian faith in public may seem too much; as a result, many of us remain as incognito Christians.  Some may even skip praying in public before a meal to stay anonymous; yet, once in the safe confines of a church, we dance and holler for Jesus!  Don’t live like that!  Be a witness for Christ!  However, before trying to “stick out” for Jesus, prepare your heart and mind spiritually and intellectually; otherwise, we may end up dishonoring God by hypocrisy and through an inarticulate defense of our faith. 

When I was studying social science at a secular graduate school in the 1980s, I worked hard to present cogent views from a Christian worldview in class discussions.  Outside the class, I tried to be a good classmate—for instance, by helping out with their school projects.  I can say this much: these graduate students—often cynical about the Christian faith—didn’t “diss” the Christian faith, at least in front of me.  “Let your light shine before men” (Matt. 5:16) spiritually and intellectually so that they will take Christ seriously. 

Prayer: Dear God, I love and praise You today.  How I thank You for always providing for me.  In view of the fact that the world is getting increasingly hostile to the Christian faith, I often find myself being reluctant to express my faith.  Lord, strengthen me to be salt and light for Christ in public places.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Nehemiah 10

Lunch Break Study

Read Matt. 5:13-6 (ESV): You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

14 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.

1 Pet. 3:15: But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect….

Heb. 12:14:  Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Question to Consider

1. What are the two principal ways in which we can attest to the greatness of our God to the world?

2. Ultimately, what is the goal of trying to demonstrate God’s greatness in public? 

3. What are some things that we do that result in bringing dishonor to God?  Are you satisfied with how you are representing God in public?

Notes

1. The principle ways are the following: good deeds that stand out to the surprise of the world and an  articulate defense of our faith.

2. We don’t want the public to praise us just because of our excellent moral and ethical conduct; instead, we want them to know that Christ has transformed us to be useful for our society.  We want Christ to be exalted.

3. We dishonor God when our moral and ethical conduct is below the standard of the world.  This gets worsened when we don’t adequately answer those who ask us for a reason for the hope that we have.   Or, even if we are able to respond, our attitude is not borne of gentleness and respect.

Evening Reflection

Based on how you interacted with others and made decisions today at school or workplace, would you say you represented Christ well or poorly?  What often gets in the way that keeps you from being salt and light in public?  Ask God so that you can discern those obstacles and then help you overcome them by relying on Him.