REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on November 15, 2015. Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“A Jar of Clay”
2 Corinthians 4:5-7
For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Have you ever started a special collection of items? For a brief period, my mother was very interested in collecting different types of teapots. However, even though the collection was very precious to her, the teapots lay wrapped up in storage for years and years. When a neighboring family moved away and gifted us their china cabinet, the teapots finally came out of hiding. Now that they had a proper setting, they could be put on display for houseguests to see and admire.
When we have something to show off, don’t we all try to find a special platform or exhibition place for it? After all, this is why we frame academic diplomas and buy gift wrap; we believe that the outer wrapping should at least match the quality of what is inside.
If we projected our tendencies onto God, we would expect Him to only use the most glorious and terrific settings or people to showcase His glory; however, as apostle Paul says, God has chosen to display His light in us, these “jars of clay.”
The “jars of clay” term is hardly a compliment – it drives home the reminder that our human bodies are frail and temporary. Clay jars, disposable and made of base material, would be too banal for noble purposes; it would be like recycling cardboard boxes to store previous gold jewelry in. But this is exactly what God has done – He has chosen our human impermanence and brokenness to carry and reveal the knowledge of who He is.
As we draw near to Him today, let’s regain the wonder that God would commission us to be His vessels. Though our bodies are limited in time and physical capacity, He will use our lives to contain and showcase His glory and goodness. However He chooses to use us– whether it be by overflowing, being poured out, or even broken to release the contents – let us be humble and available for His purposes.
Prayer: Father, thank You for loving us and giving us the knowledge of who You are. Thank You for the privilege that we may be used to show others Your glory. We offer up our lives, Lord, use our lives as vessels filled with You. Amen.
REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on February 15, 2015.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“Before Speaking the Truth, We Have to First Know It”
Matt. 13:47-52 (NIV)
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. [48] When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. [49] This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous [50] and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [51] ‘Have you understood all these things?’ Jesus asked. ‘Yes,’ they replied. [52] He said to them, ‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.’”
Many Mexican pastors do not have seminary training; some have barely finished elementary school. One day, a pastor visited my friend who ran a Bible institute in Mexico, begging for an admission. Having preached and taught the Bible for awhile without any formal training, the warning given in James 3:1 suddenly dawned on him: “Not many of you should become teachers, . . . because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1). Subsequently, this pastor became terrified that everything he had ever taught might have been wrong; instead of treasures, he feared that he had brought out poison. While that is not a healthy attitude, his new found seriousness toward God’s word was refreshing only because too many people take the “teaching of Christ” (2 Jn. 1:9) quite casually. Yes, before speaking the truth, we have to first know it.
In the today’s parable, the good fish (i.e., those who hold to the correct teachings of Christ—a.k.a., orthodox) and the bad ones (i.e., those who hold to wrong doctrines—a.k.a., heresy) are in the same net, and they aren’t separated until the end of age. This indicates that the correct teachings of Christ and the incorrect one are very similar. And this similarity is what makes teaching of God’s word not so easy.
For instance, do you know why the Mormon Church is not considered as part of the historic Christian faith? One reason is this: While Christ’s atonement forgives the original sin, it is by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Mormon Church (which there are many) that one’s own sins are forgiven. How about the Jehovah’s Witnesses? They certainly believe Jesus as a deity but not as an eternal being; to them, Jehovah created Jesus who, then, created the rest of the world. While some believers are alarmed by this type of doctrinal deviations, too many folks in the church would “put up with it easily enough” (2 Cor. 11:4). Referring to teachers who spew out false teachings, Paul commented, “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:12-5).
Sadly, those who thought that they had the truth are thrown into “blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It’s because “a different gospel . . . is really no gospel at all” (Gal. 1:6).
So, even as we seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit and practice all of his gifts to the church, “watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:16). Study the Bible. Get good books to help you understand it.
Prayer: Dear God, help me to desire to know the truth. Strengthen me to take the time to discover Your truth embedded in Your holy book. May I have the boldness to declare it without fear. Amen.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on June 23, 2016. Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal. He and his wife Jessie are the proud parents of two young boys.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Bono & Peterson Talking About Their Fondness for the Psalms”
Habakkuk 1:12-17
Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore, he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich. Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?
Recently, U2 lead singer Bono met with theologian Eugene Peterson to discuss the Psalms and their significance. Both possessed a fondness for the Psalms. They marveled at its beauty and composition. However, what captured their hearts was its brutally honest nature. The psalmists never shied away from expressing exactly what was on their hearts, whether it was great joy, paralyzing confusion, or profound sorrow. There was no attempt to wear a mask before God, only a genuine vulnerability that laid it all out. And this is one reason why we sense that the psalmists’ relationship with God was marked by a real sense of intimacy and authenticity. It was not about appearing spiritual by praying the right words but about honestly inviting God into one’s interior life.
Just as the psalmists expressed their genuine concerns, Habakkuk voices his disbelief at God’s divine plan. Instead of hiding his confusion, he boldly complains: How could God use the evil Chaldeans to enact justice? Is He then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever? It was his firm conviction that this was not a suitable plan and he let God know it. Just like the psalms, there is a brutal honesty that pervades the complaints of the prophet. The fact that he would dare complain to God speaks to the implied sense of safety he felt, and that his relationship was not merely one of slave and master but something deeper that allowed space for honesty. It was a real relationship.
Many of us struggle with being honest before God, because we are afraid of being wrong or punished. In turn, it’s become more about performing and acting as spiritual as possible in an effort to remain in His favor. Even our times of prayer have become religious obligations, where we try to pray the right words instead of expressing what’s actually on our hearts. However, what God desires from us is our hearts in its raw and unfiltered form. He desires honesty and vulnerability. He desires to hear about your complaints, frustrations, and joys. Of course, we do this with reverence and a healthy sense of fear, but it is only when we reveal our true selves that we allow Him to transform us from the inside out. Spend some time today praying and sharing with God. He desires to hear from His children!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, how majestic is your holy and loving name. I praise you and worship you. May my life manifest your grace and mercy in this world devoid of meaning and purpose apart from you. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 15
Lunch Break Study
Read Psalm 13:1-6: A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Questions to Consider
Why is the psalmist frustrated?
What is the psalmist’s mood in the beginning of the psalm and how does it change at the end?
What would it look like for you to be more honest before God?
Notes
The psalmist is frustrated because his enemies are triumphing over him, and God seems to be silent. He wants God to help him but seems like God is slow to act.
He is frustrated and bitter in the beginning, but he ends with a statement of praise and trust in God.
Personal.
Evening Reflection
“He sees the inside of all; and what men are there, that they are to him. He sees not as we see, but ponders the hidden man of the heart. No humble, broken, contrite soul, shall lose one sigh or groan after him, and communion with him; no pant of love or desire is hid from him….” –John Owen.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on October 27, 2016, is provided by Andy Kim who is an associate pastor at Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco. Andy is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Life in the Present”
Hebrews 4:7
God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts.”
Growing up with a sister, I was always jealous of her being the older one. So I remember how I couldn’t wait to become a teenager like her, so I could hang out later and drive around with my friends. Then when I became a teenager, I couldn’t wait for college and be out of the house. In college, I couldn’t wait to start working and making my own money. Even in the small tasks in life, whether it was racing to the shortest line at the store or the fastest lane in traffic, I lacked the ability to be in the present. Sadly, this mentality began to manifest itself in my spiritual journey as well. For many of us, we can become so focused on tomorrow, that we struggle to be in the present. More importantly, we miss out on how God is speaking to us— today.
But the writer in this passage speaks about “Today.” In fact, the writer uses the word “Today”five times as he emphasizes the future promises that are in store for those who believe. C.S. Lewis reconciles how we are to properly understand being in the present while looking toward the future: “God would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity or with the Present–either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself, or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure.”
As C.S. Lewis states, the only future that we focus on is what awaits us in eternity. Until then, we are to seek to experience His presence in our lives—today. The future tempts us with its worries and even dreams, but may we be anchored in God’s faithfulness today. As He taught the Israelites through the gathering of manna, to experience God’s provision daily, may we be thankful for what God has in store for us today. For the present blessings are only the guarantees and glimpses of what’s to come in eternity.
Prayer: Father, give us this day, our daily bread. Soften our hearts so that we may be able to hear You speaking to us today. Help us to be faithful with what is given to us today. Thank You for Your mercies that are new every morning for us. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 14
Lunch Break Study
Read Exodus 33:15-18: Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
Questions to Consider
What is Moses’ contention with God in this passage?
What is the significance of God’s presence to Moses?
How can we apply this in our lives?
Notes
The context of the passage is that Moses is wondering if the Israelites would face the judgment of their disobedience. God responds by saying that they would indeed enter the Promised Land. However, Moses in his conviction says he would rather not go unless God’s presence went with them, even after 40 years of wandering in the dessert. Moses found God’s presence more valuable.
In v.16, we see that God’s presence is the affirmation that God is pleased with us. God’s presence is also what separates the Israelites from all other nations. God’s presence becomes the prerequisite for God’s glory to be revealed to Moses.
Many times, we will focus our eyes and thoughts on what’s ahead of us. However, waiting for God’s presence is more important than any other next ‘thing’ in life.
Evening Reflection
Spend some time reflecting on where you are right now. Is there something that you are waiting for—a new season, a new promotion, or a new relationship? Whatever it may be, may we have the same heart as Moses had, to value and wait for His presence more than what is next. Spend some time seeking His presence right here in this moment.
REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional Thought, first posted on October 5, 2016, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee, now a friend of AMI, who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches. He is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Recognizing God’s Voice in Our lives”
John 20:14-16
Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
Just about every day, my wife and I lament at the rate our children are growing. Truthfully, I wouldn’t want to keep them at seven, five, and three years of age forever, but I would like to freeze them like this for another five years or so. One of the things I find most cute about them is their voices—little kids have really high pitched voices. But what’s interesting is that even after countless conversations and spending almost every day of their lives with them, I often find it difficult to distinguish their voices. So when I am away, and I call home, I generally have to ask who I’m speaking with (don’t tell my 7-year old son this; he’d be crushed to know that his voice is just as high and girly sounding as his 5-year old sister’s).
In the complete opposite vein, I am touched by Mary’s ability to recognize the Lord once He called her name. Sure, it took her a moment, but when Jesus said, “Mary,” something in her heart was triggered to the Lord’s presence, for this was probably not the first time Mary had heard Jesus call her name or listened to the sound of His voice. Undoubtedly, Mary had heard Jesus speak many times; she had spent many hours listening to him and had come to love the sound of His calling. So when Jesus called her name, she was immediately able to distinguish His voice from all the others she had heard that day.
Many times people will ask me how they can distinguish God’s voice from all the other voices they might hear (mainly their own minds telling them this or that). Well, part of that involves getting familiar with God’s voice; spending time in His presence and obeying when you think it might be Him. And yes, sometimes it’s trial and error; but after a few weeks, months, years, of learning to listen and walking in faith, I have no doubt that when Christ calls your name, you too will be able to recognize His voice.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know that You speak, so please do so in my life. Help me to love Your presence and the sound of Your voice. Help me distinguish Your voice and promptings, from the voices of the world, friends, or even my own mind and desires. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 13
Lunch Break Study
Read Matt. 7:7-11: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
Questions to Consider
1. What does Christ say about the one who asks or knocks on the door? What has preventedyou from asking in the past?
2. What was Jesus’ point with the bread-stone and fish-serpent illustrations? Do you view your Heavenly Father as good and generous?
3. What are some things for which you should pray and ask?
Notes
1. Sometimes we lack because we have not asked (see also James 1:5). Christ indicates thatGod’s nature is more generous than stingy. So if it is guidance, provision, help, etc., we should be more willing to ask.
2. Jesus’ point is made clear in v. 11 that even evil people know how to give good gifts to their children. So how much more is God, who is good, willing to give to His children? The question is: Do you truly believe God is good, or, do you kind of think He is out to get you?
3. Obviously, it’s a personal question, but think of some things you were too afraid or embarrassed to ask in the past.
Evening Reflection
This morning we touched on learning to hear God’s voice (or leadings). In the afternoon, we talked about our generous God. As we link these ideas together this evening, try asking for God’s guidance or direction on a matter with which you’ve been struggling. Remember, when Jesus tells us to ask and knock, He is also talking about guidance for His children.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on February 26, 2015
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“‘Do You Really Want God to be Fair?’ Careful What You Wish For”
Matt. 20:1-16 (NIV)
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. [2] He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. [3] About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. [4] He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ [5] So they went. He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. [6] About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ [7] ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ [8] When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ [9] The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. [10] So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. [11] When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. [12] ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ [13] But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? [14] Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. [15] Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ [16] So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
A large freshmen class was told by the professor to submit their monthly assignments on the last day of month—from September to November. The fifty students who missed the first deadline were given a failing grade, but the professor showed them mercy when they pleaded for leniency on account of not yet being acclimated to college life. Later, hundred students missed the second deadline, but the professor again showed them mercy on account that midterm exams were too much for them. Once the word got around about the professor’s leniency, almost everyone missed the final deadline. When told that they will all get an “F,” they yelled “Unjust!” to which the professor asked, “Do you want me to be just?” When they said “Yes,” he declared, “Everyone who missed the deadline for previous assignments all get an ‘F’.”
This story and the parable above are very similar except for the people involved. The landlord goes out to the market place on several occasions to hire men for his vineyard. Like the day laborers of today, these are desperate men in need of work. The earliest hired laborers probably worked for twelve hours; the last hired, only one. Those who worked the longest, after seeing that the last hired received a denarius (a day’s wage), expected more; they were disappointed. Then the landlord, like the professor, was accused of being unjust. In response, he pointedly said to his accusers, “I’m not being unfair; I can do whatever I want with my money. You received the agreed amount; with others I’m being generous.”
One of the toughest questions, usually raised by Christians, is, “Would God send those who never heard the gospel to hell?” This may seem unfair, but it’s not for those who are already saved to say since God was never obligated to save anyone; the fact that He saved us from our misery certainly doesn’t give us the right to accuse him on account that not everyone receives an equal chance of being saved. People are going to hell because of their sins, not because they haven’t heard the gospel. Now that we’re saved by grace, we should be active in sharing the good news.
Prayer: O God, how I see the reality from my perspective and then accuse you of being unfair. Amend my viewpoint; transform my worldview; change my opinion according to how it really is from your standpoint so that I may remain grateful and thankful to You for saving me from the pit of hell. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 12
Lunch Break Study
Read Ps. 103:9-10 (NIV): “He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; [10]he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.”
Lam. 3:22-3 (ESV):“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. [23] They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Ez. 18:23 (NASB): “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?”
2 Pet. 3:9 (NASB): “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
Question to Consider
1. The New Atheists, such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, love to portray God in the worst possible light, calling Him all kinds of terrible names. What do these passages reveal about the true nature of God?
2. Do Ps. 103:9-10 and Lam. 3:22-3 suggest that God doesn’t punish sin? What is that called?
3. If someone says that God is eager to send people to hell, how would you personally respond?
Notes
1. Contrary to the assertions of the New Atheists, God is gracious towards us by giving gifts that we don’t deserve and merciful by not punishing us in proportion to what we have done against Him.
2. It does suggest that the God of justice will punish us when we sin and remain unrepentant, but not to its fullest measure or extent: this is called God’s mercy.
3. On the contrary, God doesn’t take any pleasure in anyone perishing in hell; instead, He wants everyone to turn from their wicked ways and find God. In fact, hell was created with the devil in mind, not us (Matt. 25:42: “The eternal fire prepared for the devil”).
Evening Reflection
As you reflect on this day, was there a moment in which you encountered God’s amazing grace poured out for you? This past Sunday, I went to help my daughter whose car had veered off the icy road. I was thinking of God’s grace because neither she was hurt nor her car was damaged. I thanked Him.
Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on October 24, 2016, is provided by Andy Kim who is an associate pastor at Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco. Andy is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“No One Else Comes Close”
Hebrews 3:1-6
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
I remember a popular lesson in Sunday school was to choose our favorite Bible hero. We all chose the major hitters like David fighting Goliath, or Esther saving the Israelites as queen, or Samson having supernatural strength. Many of us have probably even prayed to be like David or even to have the faith of Moses that split the Red Sea. Maybe it’s not these Bible characters, but how often have we looked towards very spiritual people and wished we could be like them. For the Jews, Moses was— if not the most influential figure—a hero they looked to, who received the laws in which they prided themselves in.
But the writer of this passage states that even these spiritual heroes like Moses fall short in comparison to Jesus. The writer highlights two reasons for the superiority of Jesus. First, Jesus is both our Apostle and our High Priest. Holman describes that as an Apostle, Jesus serves as God’s representative to human beings, while as a High Priest, He is our representative before God. In essence, Jesus is the perfect Mediator. Secondly, the writer identifies Moses as a servant of the house, in contrast to Jesus being the very Son of the house; and Scriptures teach us that we are the house. Moses is described as in the house, while Jesus is over the house; Moses was called by God, while Jesus was sent by God; and Moses invited the Israelites to God through the law, while Jesus invites us to God through His love.
Yes, it is great that we try to follow in the footsteps of people of great faith. In fact, Paul calls us to imitate his faith and follow in his footsteps (1 Cor. 11:1); but even then, he clearly says as I follow Christ. All these great forefathers pointed to Christ. And so, may we always remember that we look towards not men, but Jesus. No one else comes close to him. So, as the writer states, let us actively fix our thoughts on Jesus alone. For in Jesus, we are not invited merely into a servanthood as Moses was, but we are invited into sonship, the very adoption into His glory and family.
Prayer: Father, we proclaim that You are greater than all. Forgive us that our eyes stray towards men, when You are the only one who can truly save us. Help us to fix our thoughts on You as You stand as the perfect mediator between us and the Almighty Father. Thank You for the sacrifice You paid so that we may experience Your glory. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 11
Lunch Break Study
Read Romans 8:12-17:So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Questions to Consider
How does Paul differentiate between living by the flesh vs. living by the Spirit?
How can we live by the Spirit?
Notes
Paul states that those who live by the flesh are slaves to fear from the condemnation that comes through the law of sin and death (v. 2). In doing so, they are constantly enslaved by what their flesh desires, which ultimately leads them to death. However, those who live by the Spirit are freed from the law through the fulfillment of Jesus Christ. They are not slaves; but rather sons and daughters who have been adopted into the family of Christ. Historically, adoption was a relatively new concept that meant a complete severing of all previous relationships. “Abba,” translated in Aramaic as “father” or in our current context “daddy,” is a word used only for those who had an intimate relationship.
Paul states that we are to put to death the misdeeds of the body. Because our flesh is still alive, there must be an active denial of our fleshly desires. Mounce argues even in this we fall short, for our old nature does not automatically fade away; rather the fight is something that is ongoing. Thus, we must constantly rely on the power of the Spirit. In this constant struggle against the flesh, we can share in the sufferings of Christ, so that ultimately we may also share in the glory that comes in Him.
Evening Reflection
What are the areas in your life today that you see your flesh more alive? Spend some time asking that His Spirit would help you to overcome these areas.
Prayer: Heavenly father, we confess that there are still many areas in our lives in which we struggle against our flesh. However, we remind ourselves that we do not live by the law, but by the grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. May we set our thoughts upon the desires of Your Spirit. Amen.
REPOSTToday’s AMI Devotional QT, provided by Cami King, now a friend of AMI, was first posted on August 15, 2015. Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“The Promise Fulfilled”
2 Kings 7:15-20
They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king. 16 So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. 17 Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. 18 It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.” 19 Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, “Now behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.” 20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died.
The title heading chosen by translators for the section of the text above is “The Promised Fulfilled.” Those are some of the sweetest words in scripture. How glorious is the day when we see God’s promises come to fruition right before our eyes. One of the most difficult aspects of keeping the faith and continuing to hope when the going gets tough is how heavily it requires us to depend on God’s promises and believe in things not yet seen. And the longer the difficulty and opposition persists, the more room we have to doubt that God’s promises will ever come to pass. And sometime after a while we forget what His promises are all together.
God had promised deliverance for His people through the prophet Elisha – but not everyone believed him. How could God do this impossible thing of which Elisha spoke? But He did the very thing He promised – He fed His people in the midst of a famine, through the four lepers we read about yesterday. God had done exactly what he said He would do and it was a day of rejoicing for His people. Well – for some of them. For the doubters, God allowed them to see His promises fulfilled, although not to partake in them personally. That’s a tragedy we’ll have to save to discuss another day.
For today, let’s be reminded that God always makes good on what He has promised. Whether He has promised things about His character (“The LORD’S loving-kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23), or made promises to us as the Church (“…He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6) or to you as His child (“…for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, now will I ever forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5) – through scripture or through the mouths of brothers and sisters in Christ – God will do what He says.
Our Daily Bread wrote the following story: “An elderly Christian was in much distress as he lay dying. ‘Oh, Pastor,’ he said, ‘for years I have relied upon the promises of God, but now in the hour of death I can’t remember a single one to comfort me.’ Knowing that Satan was disturbing him, the preacher said, ‘My brother, do you think that GOD will forget any of His promises?’ A smile came over the face of the dying believer as he exclaimed joyfully. ‘No, no! He won’t! Praise the Lord, now I can fall asleep in Jesus and trust Him to remember them all and bring me safely to Heaven.’ Peace flooded his soul, and a short time later he was ushered by the angels into the light of God’s eternal day.
God’s promises never fail. And even when we grow tired of believing or forget what He has promised in the face of difficult situations, we can rest assured that God will never forget. And when it’s all said and done we will be able to affirm the truth of Joshua’s words, “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.” (Joshua 23:14).
Prayer: “Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me in a level path… I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27: 11, 13) Help me to wait for You God, to be strong and take heart and wait for You to fulfill Your good promises to me. In Jesus’ name.
REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on February 14, 2015.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“Stay Awake, My Friend”
Acts 19:24-7 (ESV)
“For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. [25] These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, ‘Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. [26] And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. [27] And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.’ [28]When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’”
When I was in college (before my Christian days), St. Patrick’s Day was a day when my friends and I would don something green, and then guzzle green beer at a party held in honor of a man whom I assumed was a wild party animal from antiquity. So, I was genuinely shocked when I found out, while studying church history at a seminary, that nothing could be further from the truth.
At age 16, Patrick, living in England, was captured by marauding pirates who took him to Ireland as a slave. During six long years of captivity, Patrick found God. Fortunately, he escaped and returned home where he eventually became a clergy of the Celtic Church (not Catholic). But one day, an Irish man appeared in Patrick’s dream, saying, “We beseech you to come and walk among us once more.” Despite whatever bitterness he might’ve had, Patrick returned in 432 and spent the next 30 years ministering among the Celtics. As a result, not only was Ireland won to Christ, but Western Europe was also evangelized by Celtic missionaries who came out of his ministry. Thus, I am still puzzled by how a day honoring a zealous missionary like Patrick has become a day of drunkenness and lewd behavior.
Valentine of the 3rd century, in whose honor Valentine’s Day is celebrated, was just as committed to God as Patrick. Because not much is known about him, several versions of his life exist but they all agree on one thing: Valentine was martyred for trying to convince people to believe in Christ and ultimately refusing to deny Christ. So, how did we end up with flowers, chocolates and cupids to celebrate a day named after a martyr for Jesus?
Businessmen, like Demetrius, have long figured out that the best way to reach into people’s pockets is to appeal to their devotion to God by associating it with slogans they promote (“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians”) to sell things they produce (religious figurines). Before long, people, having forgotten the true reason for celebration, just celebrate with such things as green beer, chocolates and flowers!
Spoiling your next Valentine’s Day celebration isn’t the purpose of this blog, but it is to remind you that you stay awake, that is, “don’t conform any longer to the pattern of this world” (Rom. 12:1) that shifts with time and always empties your pocket. Instead, hold onto what men like Patrick and Valentine truly stood for: their love for Jesus and their desire to serve Him.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to discern how the world is trying to undermine our faith in Your Son Christ. Remind us of the true heroes of faith of the past and imitate their costly walk to follow Jesus. Amen.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on October 14, 2016. Peter is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Do You Love Me?”
John 21:15-17
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
During the course of our marriage, my wife would randomly ask me, “Do you love me?” To that question, there were a vast array of replies from me. Anything from, “Of course I do” or “Why do you ask?” to “Maybe” to “Not today.” (Of course, the latter two were playful responses.) It seemed that a nice firm, “I love you” was the best answer to that question, reassuring my wife that I am all in when it comes to our marriage.
Here, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” (By “these,” Jesus probably means “these other disciples.” According to the other Gospels, Peter had boasted that though all the others fall away, he would not [Mt 26:33 par. Mk 14:29; cf. Lk 22:33; Jn. 13:37], but we all remember how that went.) Peter answers quickly, “You know that I love you.” Then again, Jesus asks Peter the same question. Then a third time, Jesus asks if Simon loved Him. Commentators explain that this third time hurt Peter because it was a painful reminder that he had just a short while ago denied His Lord three times.
There seems to be a connection, though, between loving Jesus and the command that He gives immediately afterwards: “Feed my sheep.” Jesus is shaping Peter’s idea of pastoral ministry that he would be entering into starting on the Day of Pentecost, until Peter’s own tragic death on a cross, according to traditions. That idea is that feeding Jesus’ sheep cannot be divorced from loving Jesus deeply. The effectiveness of the ministry flows from the loving relationship one has with Jesus.
Perhaps you have many ministry items to check off on your list today or this weekend, and you might be feeling overwhelmed. Or perhaps you have become quite skilled at leading your small group or ministry team or conversing with unchurched friends, and so you feel quite confident. Before diving into your ministry setting, how about pausing to reflect on the question, “Do you love Me?” and being able to say to Him, “You know that I love you.”
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I do love You, or at least I really want to. Help me in this area of loving You. Reveal Your love for me today so that I can engage in Your ministry with Your love. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 8
Lunch Break Study
Read John 14:15-18: “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Questions to Consider
What is a clear indicator that you love Jesus?
What do you discover about the Holy Spirit from Jesus’ promise in verse 16-17?
How do these verses comfort you in the challenges you face today?
Notes
This statement is not so much a promise that the one who loves Him will keep His commands, as it is a definition of love itself.
Here is the first reference to the Paraclete (parakletos), translated as Advocate. This word is a verbal adjective meaning “called alongside,” related to the verb parakaleo, “call to one, summon.” Outside the New Testament it is used in legal contexts to mean “a legal assistant, advocate” (Liddell, Scott and Jones).
Personal response
Evening Reflection
Spend some time expressing your affection and love to Jesus. If you’d like, play several meaningful songs that expresses love to Him, and as you sing the words, worship Him.
