April 3, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor David Kwon of Journey Community Church in Raleigh, was originally posted on May 17, 2015. He is a graduate of Drexel University (B.S.) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Humility”

2 Samuel 16:1-14

When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. [2] And the king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.” [3] And the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’” [4] Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.” [5] When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. [6] And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. [7] And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! [8] The LORD has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”[9] Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” [10] But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” [11] And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. [12] It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing today.” [13] So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. [14] And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself.

In February 2015, the world lost a great coach and man when legendary University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith passed away. He coached many future legends—one of them being the great Michael Jordan. As the media, players and colleagues were commemorating his life, one common attribute that was said about Coach Smith was his humility. It was said that he never talked about his victories, but rather, he always talked about the joy of his players achieving great success. He was known to be someone who did not want to be in the spotlight, but emphasized team first. It was this humility that others cherished.

In this chapter, David is met with opposition, and his response is marked with great humility. David is still running away from Absalom and encounters someone else from the house of Saul— Shimei, a man who continually curses him. As they are passing along, Shimei throws rocks at David and his entourage, calling David a man of blood and worthless. He accuses David of bloodguilt concerning the house of Saul, which was false. Abishai suggests that if someone were to cut off Shimei’s head, he would stop from talking so much (v. 9), but David rebukes Abishai, saying that the Lord is behind it. Even though Shimei’s accusations and curses were not based on truth, David is totally surrendered in how he thinks he should be treated, trusting that whatever God chooses to do, he is willing to take it. David is not wrapped up in his own ego nor is he defending himself in any way. So we see David’s humility even in the midst of false accusations and adversity.

How do we respond to criticisms or false accusations? Do we respond with humility and even love for our enemies? In these moments, I, personally, find myself being defensive and wanting to justify myself. As we meditate on this passage, pray to the Lord for greater humility in our lives.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. [4] Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4).

Prayer: Lord, I want to imitate you in Your humility. By your Spirit, may there be less of me and more of you in my daily life, especially in my interactions with others. Amen

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 18

April 2, Saturday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Barry Kang who heads Symphony Church in Boston, is an updated version of his blog first posted on October 10, 2015. He is a graduate of Stanford University (BA), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (D.Min.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Worship as the Foundation!”

Ezra 3:1-11

When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required, 5 and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. 7 So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia. 8 Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord. 9 And Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together supervised the workmen in the house of God, along with the sons of Henadad and the Levites, their sons and brothers. 10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of Israel. 11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

Previously we looked at the priorities of the returning exiles in Ezra 2—how they made provision for the rebuilding of the temple before they focused on resettling the land. Today, we look again at priorities as the exiles began the work of rebuilding the temple. Ezra 3 is a story of foundations—both figurative and literal.

Ezra 3 tells us that even before the physical foundations were laid, a spiritual foundation was being laid: “they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid” (v. 6). As such, we can better nuance the priorities of the exiles—even before the actual house of God was built, they prioritized the purpose of the temple, which was to worship God. They had come to Jerusalem for the explicit purpose of rebuilding the temple, but they played the highest priority upon the worship of God, not on the building in which that worship would occur.

There were likely some who would have said, “Let’s wait for a real temple before we start sacrifices.” But the leaders of Judah knew that worship could and should begin right away!

Then when the workers had laid the foundation, they stopped everything for an extended time of praise and thanksgiving. Again, the pragmatists in the crowd might have said, “Why are we stopping now? We will lose momentum. Let’s build now and worship later.” But again, the leaders insisted upon the right spiritual priorities.

Ezra 3 challenges us to have the right spiritual foundations in our lives and to make worship one of those foundations. The Westminster Shorter Catechism (A.D. 1647) proclaims that our chief purpose in life is “to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Worship is our fundamental purpose and is the foundation upon which we can pursue any mission of God.

Prayer: Father, you are indeed good. And Your steadfast love does endure forever! I thank You that even as You invite us into Your work, first of all, You invite us into Your presence to behold You and declare who You are, with all of our souls, bodies and minds. May my worship of You be the foundation of my life and may everything else follow! In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: Acts 16-17

April 1, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on October 30, 2015. Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Facing Opposition”

Nehemiah 2:4-10

And I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” 6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. 7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

During my college days, I recall a friend’s willingness to drive sixty plus miles to pick up his friend who didn’t have a ride, so that they could go to a retreat together. But on the way to picking him up, he was hit by a car, causing serious injuries to his body. I remember, as a young believer, feeling such bitterness and confusion: How could God allow this? He was only trying to help. He was doing Kingdom work, wasn’t he?

Nehemiah clearly saw the sovereignty of God, and how God works for the good of those who love him. But this does not mean that we say a prayer and then sit idly by. If we are to truly experience God’s sovereignty, we need to ask the Lord for the next steps. Our attempts or deeds do not derail the plan of God as long as we are acting consistently with His will.

After going about his normal course of duties as a cupbearer, Nehemiah was ready to go to Jerusalem with the favor of the king. Amazingly, the king provided him with letters of safe passage and needed materials to use to reconstruct the wall around Jerusalem. Thus far, things had gone splendidly well for Nehemiah.

As he made his way back to his homeland, Nehemiah heard of the opposition of Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite to his project (verse 9). These men not only were suspicious of Nehemiah, they began to thwart the progress of the rebuilding of the walls.

But Nehemiah reminds us today that if we are to do God’s bidding in this fallen world, we will face opposition. We are broken and selfish people, not to mention how Satan hates it when we try to move with God in what He is doing in this world. When following Jesus, there is always a cost to serving Him.

If you are enduring some scorn and ridicule for following Christ, do not be discouraged. The temptation will be to change our message so that this scorn goes away. Nehemiah’s faith was greater than his fear—he believed in the promises of God. Let us remember that God is on the side of those who love Him and want to honor him.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for being my sovereign Father who knows everything about me. Strengthen me with faith in my inner being so that I may endure difficulties as I strive to serve You. Thank You for the sacrifice on the Cross. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 15

Lunch Break Study

Read Proverbs 3:4-6: So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Questions to Consider

1. How are we to find success before God and man?

2. If we acknowledge God in the things we plan, what will God eventually do for us?

3. In what way can you acknowledge the Lord in your life today?

Notes

1. By trusting the Lord and not leaning on our own understanding.

2. He will make our paths straight.

3. Personal answer.

Evening Reflection

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”

– Albert Einstein

March 31, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, written by Pastor David Kwon of Journey Community Church in Raleigh, was originally posted on November 27, 2015. He is a graduate of Drexel University (B.S.) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Courageous Faith”

Esther 4:1-17

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. [2] He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. . . . [9] And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. [10] Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, [11] “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.” [12] And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. [13] Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. [14] For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” [15] Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, [16] “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” [17] Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

In one of the darkest hours of World War II, Winston Churchill led Great Britain with great, uncompromising courage. In the midst of battle, he said, “Death and sorrow will be the companions of our journey, hardship our garment; constancy our valor and our only shield. We must be united, we must be undaunted, we must be inflexible.”

One of the marks of being a Christian ought to be courageous faith. It is a faith that is bold and goes against human logic in various seasons of our life. That’s what we read about in today’s account.

Mordecai reacts with great emotion when he hears that the personal conflict between himself and Haman has brought the entire Jewish nation into jeopardy. He tears his clothes and puts on sackcloth and ashes in an act of deep mourning and distress. After Esther finds out about this evil plan, she only has a small window of time to make a decision. She decides to act in confidence and determination and take a step of courageous faith to save the Jewish people. Here’s what pastor and author Eugene Peterson says about this account:

“In the face of difficulty, Esther began to move from being a beauty queen to becoming a Jewish saint, from being a sex symbol to being a passionate intercessor, from the busy-indolent life in the harem to the high-risk venture of speaking for and identifying with God’s people.”

Is God calling you to live out your faith courageously? It could be speaking up for Christ in your workplace or taking a step of faith in the area of your finances. Maybe God is asking you to go somewhere to share Christ. God may be preparing you “for such a time as this” to step out in boldness and faith.

Prayer: Lord, help me to live each day with courageous faith. Show me the areas of my life where you are calling me to leave my comfort zone. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 14

Lunch Break Study

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

Questions to Consider

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

Notes

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

Evening Reflection

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

March 30, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on November 11, 2015. Peter is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Most Important Voice in Your Life”

Nehemiah 8:13

On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law.

Whose voice is the most important voice in your life that you’d actually give attention to the person’s words?

My 7-year-old son is playing in his first season of flag-football, and he plays the safety position. As soon as the ball crosses the line of scrimmage, he makes a beeline to the ball carrier and goes hard after the flag. Almost always, he comes up with the flag. Last week, he made a play for the running back but missed the flag; instead, he ended up grabbing at the shorts of the running back, inadvertently tripping him on the play. No one was hurt. Now mind you, these are 6 and 7- year-olds, so any type of fall by the kids is deemed as rough play by the officials. So the referee threw the yellow flag and assessed the penalized yardage for “rough play.” The coach of the other team starts yelling from the sidelines, “Is that how you teach your players to play? Then I’m going to teach my players to start tackling!!”

You can imagine: there was a bit of drama afterwards, but nothing terrible. On our way home from the game, my son starts crying, telling us that he wants to quit football because he felt so bad that he could have hurt another player; and he couldn’t understand why the other coach said those things and was yelling at him. We tried to tell him that the other coach was rather a poor sport and affirmed him that everyone noted that it was an accident. But given that he has a sensitive temperament, he continued to cry. So when we got home, his mom and I held him in our arms and firmly said to him, “The most important thing you need to hear is what your mom and dad are saying. We are proud of how hard you play. And your entire team and your coach are so proud of how hard you play.” He finally calmed down as he heard what I was saying.

That incident illustrates what often happens in our lives. We tend to pay much attention to the voice of the world that entices us or insults us; or we hear the voice of the enemy that lies to us, or even our own voice can be our own worst enemy where we criticize ourselves. In the meantime, sadly, we drown out the voice of our Father who sings over us (Zeph. 3:17).

Today, may you “give attention to the words” of the Father as He speak into your life.

Prayer: Lord, help me to hear Your voice over all of the voices that go through my ears. Teach me to distinguish Your voice so that I may live according to Your good and perfect will. Grant to me the ears to hear Your voice today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 13

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Sam. 3:1-10: The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was.4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Questions to Consider

Why didn’t Samuel recognize the voice of the Lord immediately?
How was Eli able to help Samuel give attention to the voice of the Lord?
Do you have a person that is able to assist you in giving careful attention to the voice of the Lord?

Notes

Not only was the word of the Lord rare in those days (v. 1), but the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to Samuel (v. 7).
Eli was a mentor to Samuel who recognized that the Lord was calling Samuel. Eli taught Samuel to respond appropriately to the Lord’s voice.
Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Have some things been spoken to you that have wounded you? Spend some time asking God to mend your heart. Ask God to speak His words into your heart.

March 29, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 6, 2015.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Lost Coin, Sheep or Human: None Can Save Itself or Himself”

Lk. 15:16-20 (ESV)

And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. [17] But when he came to himself, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! [18] I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. [19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son. K Treat me as one of your hired servants.’” [20] And he arose and came to his father. . . .

Is. 58:3 (NIV)

“Why have we fasted,” they (Israelites) say, “and you (God) have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?”

The 4^th century British monk Pelagius, being austere and moral, insisted that man is “still capable of choosing good or evil without special divine aid.” To him, the younger son in the parable was being genuine. That, however, is tantamount to seeing man as capable of saving himself without God’s initiative; the two preceding parables in Luke 15 suggest otherwise. The lost coin and the lost sheep didn’t return home on their own willpower; instead, they were found by their respective owners who searched for them.

The lost son, who, at this point in the parable, has yet to encounter his father’s grace, is no different. Lost in his sin, he is still clueless about his father’s heart, believing that his anger will only subside unless he becomes a servant. The son’s decision to return is a desperate attempt by a desperately hungry man who, once again, was scheming to get what he wanted: it worked once (making him rich) and it should work again, that is, if the right things are said with the right emotions, so that he can eat.

Once, the Israelites were upset at God for not noticing their fasting and humility. So God responded, “[You] . . . seem eager for [me] to come near [you]. . . yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please. . . . You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high” (Is. 58:2). Like the younger son, the Israelites were scheming to get what they wanted from God, thinking, if we skip a few meals and shed some tears, God will be moved to see things our way.

But that’s not how it works, since God knows “what [is] in man” (Jn. 2:25). God is not moved by our cheap ploys, however holy they may appear to others. Instead, what He wants is this: “Experience first my kindness expressed in my Son Christ, then allow that to ‘lead[] you toward repentance’” (Rom. 2:4). Are you scheming these days to bend God’s arm to get what you want? Don’t. Encounter once again His grace; repent then obey.

Prayer

Father in heaven, I adore You this morning for your kindness towards me. Though I have tried numerous times to trick You with my superficial spirituality, thank You that the Spirit in me has always shown me a better way—loving You with all my heart and obeying You wholeheartedly. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 12

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 5:4-8 (ESV): “And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ [5] And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.’ [6] And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. [7] They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. [8] But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’”

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

Rom. 2:4 (ESV): “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

Question to Consider

1. What did Peter and Zacchaeus first encounter; and afterward, how did they respond to Christ?

2. In what ways was Christ being kind to Peter and Zacchaeus?

3. In what ways is God showing His kindness toward you these days? How should you respond to it?

Notes

1. They first experienced Christ’s kindness expressed towards them; as a result of being touched by Christ in this manner, they responded with penitence and repentance.

2. Regarding Peter who obviously was both tired and disappointed over not catching a single fish despite working all night, Christ cared that he had enough fish, among other reasons, to feed his family. With respect to Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector whom everyone hated, Christ showed kindness by befriending him, even willing to stay at his house. Zacchaeus was moved and felt very grateful.

3. Personally, God has been very kind to our two children by allowing them to complete college without incurring any debt. A proper response should consist of a grateful heart and being generous with those in need.

Evening Reflection

As you reflect on this day, did you scheme to somehow bend God’s arm to get Him to do what you want? While God will never do that, it is amazing how frequently we choose that route. What is the situation that is causing you to scheme? What should you do instead?

March 28, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional Thought, first posted on August 19, 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 Today

“Don’t Play with that Kid”

2 Kings 8:16-19

In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 19 Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.

When I was a kid, I hated when my parents would tell me to stop hanging out with a such and such friend because they perceived him to be a bad influence on me. Of course, as a kid, I didn’t believe that people were that easily influenced (certainly not me). And besides, I was probably the worst influence in the neighborhood.

Now that I am a parent, I am shocked at how my thinking has done a 180 degree turn on the matter. There is this one boy in our neighborhood whom I wish my kids would steer clear away from—I find myself constantly thinking this kid is such a bad influence on my son. In fact, I cannot help but feel that every time my son comes home from hanging out with him, he’s picked up some more attitude and is more prone to say things like, “What the heck!” The truth of the matter is that I just want to blame my son’s attitude and semi-potty mouth on others, and not come to grips with the fact that my boy is a genuine sinner. That is, what I once believed—that good kids do good things while the bad ones do bad—isn’t true. So as a sinner, all children are prone to disobedience, but it is also true that their sinfulness is augmented by influences (i.e., environment) around them.

I think this is the point that the Scripture writer was making when he discussed Jehoram’s alliances. Jehoram was clearly a wicked king who “walked in the way of the kings of Israel,” but his wickedness was augmented by his alliances, particularly his wife, the daughter of Ahab (one of the most wicked kings of Israel). It would be incorrect to assume that had Jehoram not married Ahab daughters, he would have been fine—just like it is wrong to blame others for our shortcomings. Sure, others can be bad influences on us or some others may know how to push our buttons in just the right way, but at the end of the day, we need to take responsibility for what lies within our hearts.

That being said, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’” (1 Cor. 15:33). Ahab’s wife probably did not help Jehoram to honor and serve the God of Israel. We must understand that some of our relationships will not help us to grow in the Lord either; therefore, be wise with the company you keep.

Prayer: Lord, change my heart so that the fruit of my life will reflect a tree that is good. Help me to be responsible for myself and my actions and never to blame others. Also, help me to keep good company. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 11

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 6:43-45:“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Questions to Consider

1. What good fruit do you see in your personal life/character?

2. What good fruit do you see in your ministry?

3. Are there bad batches of fruit that come out of your life that need correcting?

Notes

1. This is a reflective question, but I want you to think about your character and who you are or are becoming. How is your family doing? How is your marriage? These are some areas of personal fruit which come from a either good tree or bad tree.

2. Are people growing as a result of your ministry (either formal ministry or informal)? Does your ministry help the church?

3. What are some areas that you are having struggles? Perhaps, the list includes anger, materialism, lust, judgmental thoughts, etc. Bring these before the Lord and ask him to prune the tree.

Evening Reflection

Similar to this afternoon’s study, how is your personal life, character, and ministry doing? Are you bearing good fruit? Did you blame others for the things that may have been your own doing? What areas of your life and character would you like to change for God’s glory?

March 27, Sunday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on June 28, 2015. Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia.

Food for Spiritual Thought for the Weekend

“Seeking Wisdom from the Right Place”

1 Kings 10:23

“King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift – articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.”

Have you ever just wanted to talk to someone wise? It seems like the people of Solomon’s day did – enough to make long journeys, bringing caravans of gifts. They prized wisdom. Is there an example who we can be challenged by today?

Often in the course of life, we come to points where we simply need wisdom from above. When facing big decisions, we can try to list the pros and cons of taking this course or that one, looking at the situation from all possible angles. When we have difficulties in our relationships with others, we wonder what it is that we did wrong: do we need to change or does the other person; do we need to keep giving it a chance or make the hard choice to keep our distance. But as much as we try to think through problems to figure out the best solution, at the end of the day, we still find ourselves not really knowing what to do.

As believers, our great advantage is that we can take these matters to God in prayer, listen for his “voice,” read His word, and seek His wisdom. And one of the ways God grants us His wisdom is through the community of believers, by giving us wise people among us, by even granting some in the body of Christ the spiritual gift of the word of wisdom (1 Cor 12:8) for the common good. Sometimes we can err on the side of seeking people’s help first before seeking God because it is easier to talk to someone than to wrestle with God in prayer. But sometimes, we need to reach out to someone older and wiser, to seek a mentor, to seek building relationships with people who can speak into our lives, who can share God’s wisdom with us. Sometimes, building those relationships costs us – time, energy, effort. Taking a long drive to meet up with someone. Making time on a precious weekend when we could be out with friends, watching T.V., or simply just sleeping in. Are we willing?

In the community of Christ, we have people available to us who are willing to share God’s wisdom with us, whether through a message given during a Sunday service, in the counseling office, or over a casual meal. We don’t have to figure out all life’s problems on our own. For this, let’s be thankful today and take a lesson from these people of long ago, to be willing to go to some lengths to seek wisdom where it may be found.

Prayer: Lord, give me wisdom. Above all, give me more of You, Lord! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 10

March 26, 2022

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Jabez Yeo, now a friend of AMI, was first posted on August 1, 2015.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Undergoing the Challenges of Life”

Hebrews 5:7-9

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him”

One of my favorite movies is the original Karate Kid. The main character, Daniel LaRusso, is the new kid who gets picked on by bullies who know karate. To learn how to fight back, Daniel asks his neighbor Mr. Miyagi to teach him karate. Mr. Miyagi agrees but immediately instructs Daniel to begin washing cars, polishing floors and painting fences. After a week of frustration, Daniel confronts Mr. Miyagi about the lack of training; but only after sparring with Mr. Miyagi does he realize that those exact chores were the means to develop his muscle memory for karate.

All of us, like Daniel, will go through seemingly fruitless life circumstances. Our Lord Jesus did so Himself. He who was omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent endured His own suffering by being made in human likeness (Phil. 2:7). Like us, Jesus was exposed to hunger, temptation and hard work. And though He was able to discuss religion superbly at age 12 (Luke 2:41-52), He was raised as a carpenter and did not began preaching until age 30. Why was this?

Hebrews 5:7-9 answers by stating that Jesus had to be made perfect by learning obedience through suffering. “This does not mean that he was once disobedient and then became obedient,” as John Piper writes. Rather, “it means that Jesus moved from untested obedience into suffering and then through suffering into tested and proven obedience.” Piper then explains that “if Christ is going to lead us to glory, then He must succeed in sufferings where we failed.” Thankfully, Jesus did exactly that by becoming completely obedient, even to the point of death on a cross (Phil. 2:8).

If Jesus, who knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21), had to be perfected through life’s trials, how much more do we who are sinful need that perfection process? In our lives today, let us pray that we will have a willing heart to undergo challenges God has placed in our lives. Let’s pray that from those challenges, we may be perfected in order to do the good works God has prepared us to do (Eph. 2:10).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being the example of complete obedience and submission. Thank You for being the High Priest who has been tempted in every way but did not sin; thank You for being able to empathize with my weaknesses. Lord, help me to confidently approach Your throne of grace, so that I may receive mercy and find grace to help in times of need. In Your Name I pray, Amen

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 8-9

March 25, Friday

UPDATEDToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 2, 2015.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Freewill”

Lk. 15:11-2 (TLB)

To further illustrate the point, [Jesus] told them this story: “A man had two sons. [12] When the younger told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now, instead of waiting until you die!’ his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.”

Gn. 2:16-7 (NIV)

“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

“I want my share of your estate, now, instead of waiting until you die!” To a typical Middle Eastern father, this was a preposterous request. A brazen son making such an inappropriate request would’ve been thrown out of the house instead of being “coddled.” So why does Jesus allow this father to appear so weak? While that certainly doesn’t depict the Father in heaven whom we love and fear, Jesus is implicitly showing what free will is capable of: rejecting or accepting God; or obeying or disobeying Him.

Who hasn’t complained to God who allows evil in the world, but have we considered its alternative: A world without free will wherein the push of a divine button set in motion human actions that would be predetermined? Loving God in this manner wouldn’t glorify Him in the least. Thus, one great gift that God bestowed upon humanity is free will, beginning with the first man; and whatever man decides—whether good or bad—God will honor. And God has equipped us to make the right choices, but the responsibility of making those decisions belong squarely to man.

Around Christmas time in 1981, I made an important decision that would affect the rest of my life. A few months after I became a believer in Los Angeles, my church sent me to Fresno to study at a Bible college. While there, my faith had become so weakened that I decided to return home to Virginia. Despite a friend’s plea to reconsider, I took a ride with another friend who lived in Silver City, NM. While there, I was hoping to earn enough money to fly home, but while attending the church pastored by my friend’s father, an inner voice kept telling me to go back to L.A. After struggling with this decision, I took a bus back to L.A. with borrowed money. Upon meeting my pastor, I asked him to disciple me at his church, which he did for the next two years; and that became the spiritual foundation for the rest of my life.

So, what decision are you facing today? Don’t be hasty; spend time in the Word and prayer, and then listen. You are free to disobey, but that would be an unwise usage of God’s great gift to us: free will.

Prayer: Dear God, I praise and exalt You this morning. I especially thank you for the gift of free will that I would choose You out of my own volition. What an awesome and terrifying responsibility, but at the same time, I am at peace knowing that You have not left me alone to figure this out on my own. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 7

Lunch Break Study

Read Joshua 24:15 (ESV): “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

John 14:26 (ESV): “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

Question to Consider

1. What similarity do you see between what Joshua did with the Israelites to what the father in the parable did?

2. What are some important ways in which God helps us (the believers) to make the right decisions?

3. What are some decisions you are facing right now? How are you approaching them? What changes do you need to make to wisely use your free will to submit to God’s will for your life?

Notes

1. Joshua, recognizing the free will that the Israelites possessed, showed what the choices were. The father in the parable simply honored the choice his son made, even though it wasn’t the right choice. They both showed the importance of making the right decision.

2. At the moment of salvation, God pours out the Spirit on us generously (Tit. 3:6). The Holy Spirit’s main task is to guide the believers toward the right path by reminding them of the Words of Christ. In this way, God has provided the necessary means—the Spirit and the Word— to make the right decisions. Of course, this works best in the context of belonging to a body (i.e., church) where the different parts with unique giftings can minister to each other.

3. As I am writing this, I am thinking about how I can help my children to make the right decisions for their lives that would honor God (such as, why go to college, and what to do afterwards).

Evening Reflection

As you look back to today, what important decisions did you face? Did you already make them? If not, spend some time in prayer, reflecting on the Scriptures (e.g., Proverbs 16:1-4), and to be led by the Spirit.