May 30, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 15, 2015.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Unpreoccupied and Contrite Heart”

Mk. 4:14-5 (NIV):  “The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.”

Once, there was this elderly pastor (Hong) whose sermon I didn’t care to listen to.  At the time, I was part of an in-house discipleship training at my church along with other young men.  Our day began with a 5:30 AM prayer meeting, which we attended mostly out fear of our pastor who would discipline us if we didn’t attend; so whenever he was out-of-town, most of us slept in.  But this greatly upset Pastor Hong who used every pulpit opportunity to call us out as hypocritical, lazy bums.  Naturally, whenever he spoke, I gladly let the evil one snatch away his word.    

When we don’t like or understand a sermon, it’s easy to blame the speaker for not delivering the message well.  But oftentimes, the listener may have thought that he was listening, when in reality he really wasn’t.  Once, Jesus was sharing a serious message about not disowning God before men, not blaspheming against the Holy Spirit, and being persecuted for one’s faith (Lk. 12:8-12).  At that moment, “someone in the crowd said to [Jesus], ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me’” (Lk. 12:13).   Evidently, this person was so preoccupied with losing out on the family inheritance that he failed to pay any attention to Jesus’ words.  This had nothing to do with whether the teaching was inadequate or the delivery was off, but everything to do the listener’s predisposition that kept the word from being planted in the heart.  

Maybe there is a 3-step method to having the right attitude when listening to God’s word, but what happened to me in 1983 was definitely the work of the Holy Spirit.   One day, while I was reading a book on servanthood, I became convicted that I was far from it.   In the evening service in which Pastor Hong spoke, again calling us out as hypocritical bums, I, having come with a broken and contrite heart, responded to his message by coming to the altar to repent with tears.   

So, the next time you’re about to hear God’s word proclaimed, pray for an unpreoccupied and contrite heart so that the powerful Word of God can penetrate into your soul and spirit (Heb. 4:12). 

Prayer: LORD, how precious and wonderful that You have given us a Book that we can readily access to obtain the knowledge of salvation as well as the instruction for guiding this life.  Thank You also for the office of preaching through which we hear God’s word being proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.   

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 5

Lunch Break Study

A man blind from birth, after being healed by Jesus (without knowing that it was him), was brought  to the Pharisees who wanted to investigate how or what happened.  

Read Jn. 9:28-34 (NIV): “Then they hurled insults at him and said, ‘You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! [29] We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.’ [30] The man answered, ‘Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. [31] We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. [32] Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. [33] If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’ [34] To this they replied, ‘You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!’ And they threw him out.”

Lk. 18:17: “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Question to Consider

1. How did the Pharisees respond to the answer given to them by the formerly blind man?

2. Why did the Pharisees reject the truthful words spoken by him?  Does this happen today?

3. Describe your typical attitude whenever you are listening to someone expounding the Bible.  What kind of an attitude should we have?

Notes

1. They categorically rejected it, meaning it didn’t matter what the formerly blind man said; the Pharisees came to the meeting with a mindset determined to not consider anything he had to say. 

2. For the Pharisees, well-educated people with great credentials, it was quite easy to dismiss those who were considerably inferior to them in every aspect: religious pedigree, social status, and theological knowledge.   Yes, it happens today for the same reason.  

3. If what is taught or preached makes any kind of sense, just accept it like a child; don’t fight too hard to criticize the sermon; don’t let some negativities outweigh the positives.  Don’t be a wise guy! 

Evening Reflection

Did you read Psalm 81 yet?  If not, read it now and meditate on it.   If you have, read Psalm 42 and reflect on this psalm. 

May 29, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on November 22, 2015, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children, serves in Japan as an AMI missionary.  Jason, a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), just moved to Tokyo where he plans to, the Lord willing, plant a church.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“What Was All This For?”

Nehemiah 13:14 (ESV)

Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.

One of the most discouraging things that can happen in ministry is to see years of labor and sowing result in a complete lack of apparent fruit.  If someone we mentor walks away from the faith, or if a ministry we have invested ourselves fully into falls apart, we would wonder what all this was for.

Nehemiah has sacrificed his time, his finances, and his position in the royal court to petition the king so that he can rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.  He has done everything he can to lead the people of God in the ways of the Lord.  And God has graciously answered the prayers of His people and reestablished the temple and the wall.  As the people recommit their lives to the Lord and sing His praises on the wall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah probably hopes that this is the beginning of a new golden age in the history of Israel.

But instead, the people of God fall quickly into the same sins that led to exile.  All that Nehemiah has labored for quickly falls apart.  Will God’s people ever be restored?  Were Nehemiah’s sacrifices in vain?  Following the time of Nehemiah, God sends no more prophets, and His people wait amidst silence, wondering whether God has withdrawn His promises and forsaken His people for good.

And then, at the right time, the Son of God enters the world.  All that the people had waited for, and all that Nehemiah had hoped in, is fulfilled in a way that far surpasses anything Israel could have asked for.  

The eternal King is the very Son of God.  The temple, the place where God dwells, is in our own hearts.  The kingdom of God is invading every tribe, people, and nations, and the day is coming soon when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

We may not see “fruit” in particular relationships or ministries in the near future. We may not see the full fruition of what we have sowed in this lifetime.  But God is faithful, and our labor in the Lord is not in vain.  God will get His glory, and the reward of our service to Him is that we will have more crowns to cast before our Savior.

Prayer: Father, I get discouraged so easily and grow weary so quickly.  Remind me that You are the God who sees and remembers!  Use everything I give for You to magnify Your name – if not in this life, then in the next.  You are sure to receive all the glory!  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 4

May 28, Saturday

REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Cami King, now a friend of AMI,  was first posted on July 10, 2015.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“God in Our Rearview Mirror”

1 Kings 14: 7-11, 14-16

Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel 8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, 9 but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back, 10 therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone…  14 Moreover, the Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam today. And henceforth, 15 the Lord will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water, and root up Israel out of this good land that he gave to their fathers and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger. 16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and made Israel to sin.”

If I’ve learned one thing in recent years, it is that this world is passing away (see 1 John 2:15-17). I heard this growing up in church, but my heart has been thoroughly convinced of this truth as of late. Nearing the end of our journey with King Jeroboam, I can’t help but imagine that his heart was never convinced of this truth. In God’s final judgment of Jeroboam, He says something very interesting – that Jeroboam cast the Lord behind his back (v. 9). What does that mean? The king literally turned his back on God. How? I don’t think he actively tried to leave God behind, but what he failed to do was to love God with his whole heart by walking in full obedience. In so doing he turned away from God and toward another (the world). Through doing things his own way and seeking to fulfill his own desires, Jeroboam allowed his heart to be wooed away from the God who loved him and had given him everything (v. 7). 

Chuck Swindoll tells the following story: I read this past week of a couple (let’s call them Carl and Clara) whose twenty-five year marriage was a good one. Not the most idyllic, but good. They now had three grown children who loved them dearly. They were also blessed with sufficient financial security to allow them room to dream about a lakeside retirement home. They began looking. A widower we’ll call Ben was selling his place. They liked it a lot and returned home to talk and plan. Months passed. Last fall, right out of the blue, Clara told Carl she wanted a divorce. He went numb. After all these years, why? And how could she deceive him…how could she have been nursing such a scheme while they were looking at a retirement home? She said she hadn’t been. Actually, this was a recent decision now that she had found another man. Who? Clara admitted it was Ben, the owner of the lake house, whom she inadvertently ran into several weeks after they had discussed the sale. They’d begun seeing each other. Since they were now “in love,” there was no turning back. Clara left Carl. Less than two weeks after she moved in with him, Ben was seized with a heart attack and died. 

I remember hearing someone describe fulfilling our desires apart from God (or following the ways of the world) as a man who went to sleep desperately hungry and dreamed of a banquet feast where he enjoyed the richest of fare only to wake up and realize that it was only a dream. Likewise, as we walk in disobedience or partial obedience to God, we find ourselves drinking from dream waters whose satisfaction will, just as soon as we wake up, vanish before our eyes. Worst still, we will look up one day and find God in our rearview mirror heading in a very different direction than we are. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me to be a lover of You and not of the world. Help me to take a hard look at the choices I’m making and things I’m pursuing and surrender to you in full obedience, lest I wake up one day and find You behind me and moving in a different direction than I am. Convince my heart that all my efforts to satisfy my desires and all that I pursue apart from you will stop short in the end. You alone satisfy and the things of You alone will remain.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 2-3

May 27, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was first posted on May 6, 2016.  A graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), Doug is the UC site pastor of Grace Covenant Church in Philadelphia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Reaching Out”

Acts 23:1-2

And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

In his book Reaching Out, Henri Nouwen talks about the three movements of the spiritual life, one of which is the movement from loneliness to solitude. Nouwen says that this is a “movement from the restless senses to the restful spirit, from the outward-reaching cravings to the inward-reaching search.” Essentially, solitude becomes an attitude of being humbly sure of oneself – strengths, weaknesses, foibles, desires. And ultimately, in this posture of solitude we can be ourselves in Christ with nothing to prove.

Looking at this passage in Acts, we see Paul before the Jewish council, saying “I have lived my life before God in all good conscience….” This may seem like an arrogant statement, but in reality, Paul was just stating honestly what he knew of himself. He had no fear of what he had done; he had nothing to prove. He knew himself and he knew his calling. And because of this surety of himself in Christ, this solitude of character, he was able to endure the beatings and ridicule.

In our day, we often can be led down the slippery slope of proving oneself. Social media provides numerous outlets for us to present a handcrafted image of ourselves. But this causes us to lose sight of who we truly are, leaving us in a place of fragile loneliness. These “outward-reaching cravings,” using the words of Nouwen, become distractions from becoming our true selves in Christ. In this state, it would be quite difficult to speak of good conscience as Paul had done.

Let’s seek to make the difficult journey from loneliness to solitude. Let’s look inside ourselves, not with fear at what we may find, but with hope knowing that the grace of God changes us from the inside-out.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You are the One who tells me who I am. Let not the world compete with giving me an identity, but help me to remember that I am Yours. Let me not fear myself, but rather trust in You, the One who is changing me. Have Your way in me! 

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 1

Lunch Break Study  

Read Romans 8:15-17: 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

  1. What is the difference between the spirit of slavery and the Spirit of adoption?
  2. What does the Spirit of adoption teach us?
  3. What does it mean to be an heir of God?

Notes

  1. The spirit of slavery brings fear. In that fear, we are never truly sure of ourselves, constantly wondering if we are good enough. But the Spirit of adoption gives freedom. Adoption is a gift, so with this Spirit of Adoption, we simply receive and no longer need to strive to make something of ourselves.
  2. The Spirit of adoption teaches us that we are children of God. And more than that, it teaches us that we can cry out to God in intimacy, in affection.  
  3. As heirs, firstly, this means we are treasured by God. We are treasured to such an extent that our Father would bestow His riches on us. Further, as heirs we have surety that we belong to God. We have an inheritance in heaven and this inheritance cannot be snatched away. 

Evening Reflection

Think about your identity. To what extent have you been trying to craft your own identity? Reflect on what may have shaken your identity or your sense of security in yourself. Take time to remind yourself that you belong to God— simply say, “Abba Father, I need You.” 

May 26, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 21, 2015.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Detaching Ourselves from Those Things that Produce Anxiety”

Lk. 14:17-9 (ESV)

“And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. . . .19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them.  Please have me excused.”

1 Cor. 7:29 (NIV)

“What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short.  From now on . . . 30 those who mourn, [live] as if they did not; . . . those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. . . . 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.”

When we have a lot on our mind, it’s difficult to think about serving God, much less pray or read the Bible.  Thus, the Bible exhorts us to avoid circumstances that sap the desire to grow in our spiritual life.  Peter says that husbands should treat their wives with respect (thereby avoiding marital conflicts) “so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Pet. 3:7).  On the night of Jesus’ arrest, Peter, John and James failed to stay up to pray along with Jesus because they were “exhausted from sorrow” (Lk. 22:45).   

 In addition, Paul declared, “Do not be anxious about anything” so as to “present your requests to God” (Phil. 4:6).  Adding to the list of things that produce anxiety, it is buying things and then using them.   Once, I counseled a newly-wed couple who, despite making over $100,000 a year (in the 1990s), still racked up a debt of $40,000.  In contrast, I was making one-third of that amount, with two kids, but without any debt.  The source of their problem?  They were part of the average American who spend 110% of their income each year, thanks to credit cards and easy loans.   

While the person in the parable may have used cash to purchase the oxen, he shares one thing in common with today’s consumers: making impulsive purchases.  He bought the animals, ostensibly to till the land, without first examining them (ESV). That’s like buying a used car without test-driving it, which is very impulsive.  The problem with modern consumers is buying things with money they don’t have, not thinking about how the ever-increasing debt will make their lives more anxious—that’s very impulsive.  Of course, once you buy new toys, gadgets and places, you need to devote time and effort to enjoy them.  A typical outcome of this lifestyle is less time spent getting to know and serving God.

If the apostle Paul were alive today, besides saying, “Don’t get too attached to the things you buy” (the nutshell of 1 Cor. 7:30), the Holy Spirit would lead him to say:  “Don’t buy things you cannot afford; buy things you need instead of trying to impress people”; and avoid debt anxiety so you can pray.” 

Prayer: Father, I acknowledge that You are the sovereign King who has lordship over my life.  As your vassal, I ought to be totally devoted to You in every aspect.  Lord, give me wisdom so that I won’t let my buying habits get in the way of getting to know and serve You.  May the Spirit fill me continuously.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 50

Lunch Break Study

Read Jn. 14:1 (ESV): “Let not your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God; believe also in me.” 

Matt. 26:38, 39 (NIV): “[Jesus] began to be sorrowful and troubled. [38] Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. . . . Yet not as I will, but as you will.’”

Phil. 4:19, 6-7 (ESV): “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. . . . [6] “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Question to Consider

1. Some preachers equate worries and anxiety as not having faith.  How would you respond to that?

2. How can we better manage our worries and anxieties?  What do these verses suggest?

3. What worries or anxieties are you experiencing right now?  How should you manage them?

Notes

1. It depends on what is behind our worries.  The admission by Jesus, fully human and divine, before facing the cross indicates distress and anxiety; what human wouldn’t be?  How to pay for children’s college or being able to make the car payment (bought at a reasonable price to meet a need) can be stressful, but it doesn’t mean we do not have faith.  But there are types of worries that show lack of faith: it is when, despite God’s assuring words about our secure position in Christ, we constantly worry about what people think about us to the point of always exaggerating, making purchases to impress, etc.

2. I use the word “manage” here.  It is not like worries and anxieties are going to leave us for good.  They are going to be around and unless we don’t manage them well, they will stick to us like glue.  Through our daily time with God, we need to be reminded that we can trust Jesus, his promise to meet all our needs, and to ultimately say to God, “Not my wishes or will but your will be done in my life.”  That’s how we can decrease the size of anxiety that aims to bring us down. 

3. Right now, what causes me distress is where my last child (senior) will go to college, and whether we can pay for it.  This is ironic because God has already shown us through our first two children that He is ready, able, and willing to help us: I need to be reminded of that daily. 

Evening Reflection

Things (more bad than good, it seems) happen every day, right?  So what happened today that increased your anxiety level?  How did you manage it?  Go to God now; let go of your anxiety through Christ.   

May 25, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on December 30, 2015.  Andrew is pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.  Please pray for him and his family. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The One We Idolize”

Hosea 13:1-4

When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel, but he incurred guilt through Baal and died. And now they sin more and more, and make for themselves metal images, idols skillfully made of their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. It is said of them, “Those who offer human sacrifice kiss calves! Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes early away, like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window. But I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior.”

Growing up, there was no one I idolized more than Michael Jordan, who played with a certain type of artistry that separated him from the rest.  This made him arguably the greatest basketball player of all time (sorry, Kobe fans!).  One reason for his success was his otherworldly work ethic. Although he was naturally gifted, he practiced as if he had to earn every ounce of it. And this obsession made it apparent to everyone that he lived for basketball. But here’s the depressing part: according to an ESPN article, even with all the accolades and success, Michael Jordan still remains dissatisfied and restless about his life. What he believed would one day bring him fulfillment failed to deliver—and now at the age of 52, he’s still searching. In other words, the idol he set up for himself had only brought profound disappointment. 

 In the same way, the people of Israel worked hard and skillfully to fashion together their own idols. Maybe they put so much effort and time because they believed that it would someday bring what they had hoped for. But just like Jordan, they found out the hard way that all idols fail to deliver and are full of empty promises. Instead of finding peace and joy, they found themselves sinning more than ever and on the brink of destruction. 

Many of us need to pay close attention to these cautionary tales. Although we don’t worship literal statues, there are many of us who have set up our own idols in the form of relationships or jobs.  Maybe we’ve worked our entire lives to skillfully craft a certain kind of marriage or to build ourselves a name—all in an effort to find that elusive sense of fulfillment. If there is anything we can learn from the story of Hosea, it is that only God can bring to fruition all our hopes and dreams. Hosea 13:4 says, “Besides me there is no Savior”—meaning, only He can save us from the emptiness of our hearts. I encourage you today to assess your lives. What are you living for? Where have you placed your hopes? If it’s not in God, I pray that you would begin the journey back to Him today! 

Prayer: God, I pray that You would help me to place my hopes and desires in You. Help me to trust that what You have for my life is indeed the very thing my heart is looking for. Give me the strength to keep my heart and eyes focused on You alone!

Bible Reading: Genesis 49

Lunch Break Study 

Read Matthew 11:28-30: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Questions to Consider 

  1. What type of people is Jesus inviting to come to Him? 
  2. What does He offer these people? 
  3. Do you find yourself tired and burdened by life? 

Notes

  1. Jesus is inviting those who have labored and are tired from life’s burdens. I love that there are no qualifications for approaching Him. Anyone who is hurting, burdened, and tired is invited to His presence. It almost seems like this invitation is for those who’ve tried to find rest and happiness in other things but have found it only to be tiring and unfulfilling. 
  2. He offers them true rest that’s not found in the cessation of work but in receiving the proper yoke. The metaphor of a yoke was used by the rabbis to speak of the expectations of the law. Although they spoke of this yoke as one of delight, it was something that no single person could bear—just like the yoke that our society places on us. Jesus offers another type of yoke, one of grace. Grace is the only thing that can provide true rest because it depends on the person of Christ and not ourselves. 
  3. Personal  response

Evening Reflection 

How we live our lives reveals to us what we place our hope in, and what we truly live for. Take some time to review how you have spent your time. What preoccupies your thoughts? What takes up the most time in your schedules? Where does most of your money go? If someone examined your life, would they believe you if you told them that you live for God and put your hopes in Him?  

May 24, Tuesday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 28, 2015.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Would You Pay for It?”

Matt. 13:44-46 (NIV)

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. [45] Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

I still remember a story told by a stranger some 30 years ago.  It was a dialogue between the merchant looking for a fine pearl and its owner. 

“How much?” asks the merchant, to which the owner responds, “It’ll cost you everything you have.”  Although the buyer offers all his cash and property, the seller demands even more.  Upon being told, “I’ve nothing else except my wife and children,” the owner says, “They become mine too.”  Though the merchant is troubled by what this is costing him, he reluctantly gives them up, but the seller isn’t done, saying, “There is one more thing I want.”  Feeling indignant, the buyer shouts, “I don’t have anything else!” But the seller retorts, “You become mine, too.”  Does the merchant want the pearl that desperately?  He must have, since the phrase “sold everything he had” could extend to selling himself as a slave, especially in the antiquity when this was practiced (Gn. 44:16).  But as the pearl is being handed over to the buyer, the seller says, “You can take back everything—cash, property, you and your family –I’m lending them to you; when I need it, I’ll take it back.”

On the surface, the two parables in which seekers sell all their possessions to buy treasure and pearl, respectively, appear to suggest human effort to get into the kingdom of heaven.   But that’s exactly what Christ paid for—everything—in order to purchase (i.e., redeem) us from the slave master for God.  

John writes, “For You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9 NASB).  Subsequently, while we’re now free from the slavery to sin and death (Heb. 2:14), we now belong to God: “You are not your own; you were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).  

This parable tells us not to “offer sacrifice to the LORD . . . that cost [us] nothing” (2 Sam. 24:24).  Since everything we own belongs to Christ who paid for them with His life, when He calls for them, whether it be our availability, money, career, kids or spouse, we “give . . . to God what is God’s” (Matt. 22:21).  What is He asking  you for right now? 

Prayer: How precious, O God, is the sacrifice of your Son on my behalf so that I may be removed from the kingdom of darkness where hopeless reigns, to the kingdom of light where righteousness, peace and joy reign.  Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unending love and grace.   I love You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 48

Lunch Break Study

Read Lk. 14:25-28, 33: “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: [26] ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. [27] And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. [28] Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? [29] For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, [30] saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish. . . . [33] In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.’”

Question to Consider

1. What did Jesus mean by “hating” father and mother for His sake?

2. What is a sensible and yet biblical way to approach our commitment to God?  If we are not careful, can this approach can backfire or lead to stagnancy? 

3. What is the hardest thing for you to give up for the Lord?  How can you obey God in this area?

Notes

1. It simply means that we must love God first, so much so that when compared to our love for anyone else, including parents and children, it is as if we are hating the latter.

2. Our commitment level must reflect our present capacity to reach it; setting the bar too high without having been discipled to reach it will lead to personal disappointment and public ridicule.  But the bar should be placed a bit higher than our present capacity so that it will take faith to reach it. As the bar is increased incrementally, so will our faith and capacity in Christ to reach it. 

3. For me, it is my temper.  Lord, help me to give it up! 

Evening Reflection

During the course of this day, did you sense that God wanted you to do something (e.g., reaching out to a friend, being generous to someone in need, praying instead of doing FB)?  How did you respond?  Review the day and ask the Lord to give you a better day of obedience tomorrow.  

May 23, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional Thought, first posted on August 20, 2015, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee, 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

“A Quirky Side of Human Nature”

2 Kings 9:11-13

When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the fellow and his talk.” 12 And they said, “That is not true; tell us now.” And he said, “Thus and so he spoke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.’” 13 Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”

I have always found this exchange interesting and very insightful into human nature.  If you read the entire account, starting at verse 1, we see that the prophet Elisha tells his unnamed servant to go and anoint Jehu, likely a prominent commander (or general) in the Israelite army, as king.  Jehu is further charged with the task of wiping out Ahab’s household (the current monarchy).  Make no mistake, Jehu is charged to commit treason.  

Here’s the interesting part: one would think that such an important and troubling charge would come from a prominent prophet, Elisha himself even.  But Elisha didn’t go; he sent an unnamed under-prophet with questionable credentials.  In fact, Jehu’s friends even describe this prophet as a “mad fellow.”  Let’s put it like this: let’s say that God wants you to commit some act of treason against your country (He is not asking for this, by the way); my guess is that in order for you to even consider it, Tim Keller, John Piper, and the rest of the Gospel Coalition as well as all of the other prominent evangelicals in Christendom better be behind you.  You would not go and betray your country on the advice of that street preacher who stands on the corner of Crazy Ave. and Obnoxious Blvd. yelling at everybody, “Repent or die!”  No way would you do that.  So the question we must ask is, “Why did Jehu and his companions act on this prophet’s words?”  

To me, the fact that this prophet was legit and from the Lord is irrelevant.  How many times in the OT have prophets of the Lord been put to death because the recipients did not like their message?  I think the reason Jehu and his men were willing to start a revolution is that the prophet told them something that they all wanted to hear.  Think about it—if this prophet had come in and said, “Jehu, in the name of the Lord, I command you to quit killing people, repent, and pick up crochet,” Jehu’s men probably would have utterly disregarded, maybe even killed, this “mad fellow.”  But because he gives them good news—major promotions for everyone, they are all willing to listen to this seemingly crazy man and his seemingly crazy command.  

Here is what I find insightful about human nature, which can be quite quirky.  When it comes to good news or flattery, we don’t care who the source is, do we?  If your worst enemy gave you a compliment, you’d be happy.  Why is it that when we are struggling with an issue, we tend to only ask advice from the people who will tell us what we want to hear?  On the flip side, when it comes to criticism, we are often quick to disregard the critic as hypocritical or unknowledgeable.  As people of God, we must understand that God has spoken truth through seemingly crazy, uneducated and even wicked people, and on at least one occasion, a donkey.  Our job is to humbly accept truth whatever the source, even if it hurts.  We should also be careful not to run on everything our itching ears want to hear.  

Prayer: Lord, please grant me humility and discernment to hear your truth no matter the source.  Lord, help me to be honest in my heart so that I can discern if my desires align with your will.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 47

Lunch Break Study

Read Proverbs 27:5-10: Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. 7 One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet. 8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. 9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.  10 Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.

Questions to Consider

1.  What do these Proverbs say about friendship?

2.  How does an enemy masquerade as a friend?  

3.  How are you as a friend?  Do you speak the truth in love?  Are you faithful and loyal?  

Notes

1.  Friends can wound you with open rebukes, but those wounds are good for you (vs. 5-6).  The value or sweetness of a friend’s comes from his honest counsel (vs. 9).  And friends (or neighbors) are near in times of trouble (vs. 10).  

2.  Enemies in contrast give “hidden love” and “kisses.” (They compliment when rebuke is needed or they tell you things are okay in times of distress.)  They are far when trouble comes (vs. 10).

3.  Personal question.  Please evaluate your friendships and yourself as friend.  

Evening Reflection

Who are the cheerleaders in your life?  Who are the people that tell you what you need to hear?  Do you have enough of those people in your life?  Is there anyone in your life who needs to hear biblical counsel?  Do you handle truth well?  Are you teachable?  

May 22, Sunday

UPDATED Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on September 20, 2015, 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.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“A Key Factor Behind Spiritual Demise”

2 Kings 20:12-19

 At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 14 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, from Babylon.” 15 He said, “What have they seen in your house?” And Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: 17 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 18 And some of your own sons, who shall be born to you, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?”

It’s always easier to start a project than to finish it.  A simple proof of this is looking at the attendance of your local gym.  At the beginning of January, the gym is packed full of people starting off with goals to lose weight and get physically fit.  But usually by the end of the month, the gym looks the same as it did in December, with only a handful of people still on top of their New Year’s resolutions.

Of anyone in the Bible, you would think that Hezekiah would be one to finish strong.  He had trusted in God and brought reform to Israel by breaking down idols.  In the face of the menacing threats of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, against Judah, Hezekiah had desperately prayed and depended on God, and he had witnessed the miraculous provision of God, as God drove the Assyrian army away.   Finally, he not only experienced the healing power of God, but received confirmation of this healing by the moving of shadows (2 King 20:11).  With all this, you would think that he would be one to finish strong.

Sadly, Hezekiah did not.  When the envoys of Babylon came to visit him, he showed them all that was in his storehouses—the gold and silver, armory, etc.  In an awful display of pride and arrogance, Hezekiah wanted to show these Babylonians all that he had achieved as well as the riches and glory he had acquired.  And making things even worse, after he was confronted by Isaiah about this and told how God would bring judgment on Hezekiah’s own sons, Hezekiah responds in verse 19: “’The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.’ For he thought, ‘Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?’”  With a cold indifference and self-centeredness, he basically says, “Oh well, not my problem.”

Someone once said, “Success is more difficult to handle than failure.” I think this is true of Hezekiah.  Again and again, he had experienced successes and victories and healing, yet because all these great things happened during his reign, he started to attribute the successes to himself, as if he was the one who had achieved it instead of God.  This, then, is one key factor behind spiritual demise.  Thus, we all need to be careful about the successes, accomplishments and possessions in our lives.  Just like Hezekiah, we can start to think that we have achieved it on our own and let boastful pride take hold of our hearts and minds.  

So, daily we need to remind ourselves that all that we have comes from God: “Every good gift 

and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).  Any successes or accomplishments that we have experienced are from God, so there is no room for boasting.  Let us be humble before our God and thank Him for His good gifts!

Prayer: Father, I thank you for all that you have done for me.  Any victory or success I have experienced is because of Your grace in my life.  Help me this day to be humble and to give You glory and not glorify myself.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Bible Reading for Today:  Genesis 46

May 21, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on July 18, 2015.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend 

“He That is Neither One Thing nor the Other Has No Friends.”

1 Kings 18:20-40

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 

A great war was about to take place between the Birds and the Beasts. The two armies assembled on either side—but the Bat hesitated which to join. The Birds that passed the cave said, “Come with us,” but the Bat said, “I am a Beast.” Later on, some Beasts who were passing by yelled out to him, “Come with us!” but he said, “I am a Bird.” Luckily, at the last moment peace was made and no battle took place.  So the Bat came to the Birds and wished to join them in the celebrations—but they all turned against him and he had to fly away. He then went to the Beasts, but soon had to retreat, lest they tear him to pieces in their anger. “Ah,” said the Bat, “I see now.  He that is neither one thing nor the other has no friends.”

A myriad of stories is found in the Bible of people choosing between faith in God and faith in something else. King Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel, placed their trust in something else—namely Baal—and as a result Israel suffered through three years of drought and famine. Others were found teeter tottering between Baal and Jehovah, which is what Elijah confronts Israel with in this famous scene in Mount Carmel. Elijah calls them to move off the center and to decide whom they will serve. 

Just as in Elijah’s day, there are many who are uncommitted and unaware that their indecisive straddling is hazardous to their spiritual health. To straddle as a Christian is to misunderstand the very nature of Christianity. One may even attend church regularly, yet remain uncommitted, which can be compared to a soldier who will not join an army or a football player who does not join a team. There’s a difference between interest and commitment: When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit, but when you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses—only results. 

Jesus says, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:13). Jesus knows how devastating remaining in the middle of the road can be: the unbeliever’s indecision can cost eternity, and the believer’s indecision can cost him the opportunity to experience genuine love and freedom God has to offer His child.  Furthermore, it is repugnant to God: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). 

As followers of Christ, we must see that we will never realize the promises of God without first being fiercely committed to Him. We must stop thinking that our commitment will lead to loss of freedom and see the paradoxical truth—that we are only truly free when we are enslaved to Christ. Consider your commitment to Christ today. Pray that God will help you to clearly choose Him today with the many choices you will make throughout the day. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to renew myself to You today by committing wholeheartedly my life in its entirety. Expose the idols of my heart for what they are: empty promises and inevitable disappointments. I repent of trusting in things that do not bring me life, but only increasing thirst. You alone are able satisfy the thirst of my soul. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Bible Reading for Today:Genesis 44-45