REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 5, 2015.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Cost of Self-Autonomy”

Luke 15:14-6 (NASB)

“Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. [15] So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. [16] And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.”  

Lev. 11:7-8 (NASB)

“And the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you. [8] You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.”

Jesus has the penniless, younger son work alongside of, not sheep, but swine—the very animal he was told from a young age not to touch, much less eat.  The downward spiral of sin had reached its destination; there was no place to sink lower for this Jewish man who wished to eat the very pods that the pigs were consuming only if someone would offer them.  Perhaps, he whispered to himself, what good are the lessons my father taught me when my stomach is empty?

His spiritual regression was now complete: “After desire [for self-autonomy was] conceived, it [gave] birth to sin; and sin, when it [was] full-grown, [gave] birth to death” (James 1:15).  Having broken the father’s heart with ease, and wasted all his wealth on a reckless lifestyle, nothing sacred remained in his life; now, everything was negotiable. 

King Ahaz of Judah grew up under a godly father (Jotham) who “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Ki. 15:34).  But unlike his father, Ahaz “follow[ed] the detestable ways of the [pagan] nations.”  While it was hunger that made the younger son let go of the values he grew up with, for Ahaz, it was the invasion launched by a united army of Aram and Northern Kingdom that led to forsaking his values.  Though desperate, instead of calling upon the God of his father for help, Ahaz sent messengers to the Assyrian king, saying, “I am your servant and vassal.  Come up and save me.”  To bolster his request, Ahaz “took the silver and gold found in the temple of God . . . and sent it as a gift” (16:7-8).  

An unchecked sin has a snow ball effect: once allowed to reach a critical stage in our lives, we “may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Heb. 3:13); as a result, we “remain stiff-necked after many rebukes . . . [and] suddenly be destroyed—without remedy” (Prov. 29:1).  Thus, it is imperative that those who live in sin heed Isaiah 55:6: “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near” (NASB).   Don’t wait until God is in the disciplinary mode (Heb. 12:7-12).  Repent today. 

Prayer: O holy and righteous God in whom there is neither darkness nor deception, I worship and exalt You this morning.  Strengthen me, Father, to hate sin and to flee from the evil desires of youth; help me to pursue righteousness and a pure heart instead.  Thank You always for Your loving kindness.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 14

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Lunch Break Study

Read Ezekiel 18:1-5, 10, 13-14, 17 (NIV): The word of the Lord came to me: [2] “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?”  [3] “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. [4] For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die. [5] “Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. . . . [9] He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws.  That man is righteous; he will surely live. . . .[10] Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things. . . . [13] He lends at interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live?  He will not!  Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head. . . . [14] But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things: . . . [17] He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them.  He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live.”

Question to Consider

1. While we recognize parental influence over our children’s thoughts and behavior, this passage shows a different side to parenting.  What is it?

2. What does this passage reveal about free will and the basis for God’s judgment (2 Cor. 5:10)?

3. What are some issues in your life which you have failed to take full responsibility for?  Make a short list and then own them—meaning confess your sins to God and to the wronged party.   

Notes

1. Children do not automatically imitate the examples set by their parents, whether good or bad.  A righteous father may end up with a wicked son; while from a wicked father may derive a righteous son.  

2. This passage ultimately dismisses any excuse offered by men who would rather blame their parents or social environment for their spiritual failures; God will hold each individual responsible for his  actions because the proper exercise of freewill can overcome even the worst parental example.

3. Once, I found out to my horror that I came to the airport without my luggage.  So as I began to shift the blame on my wife who drove me there, she reminded me, “I came out of the house first.”  Oops.  So I ended up taking this international flight without any clothes other than what I was wearing.

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Evening Reflection

For most of us, at the end of day, it is hard to tell whether we actually sinned or not.  One reason is because our conscience has been so dulled to the point of normalizing what is clearly sin.  Take a moment to reflect whether you lied today or told something that wasn’t completely true for some gain.  Did you say anything that was intended as an insult or slight?  Confess; ask the Lord to help you not to repeat these sins. 

Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on March 13, 2015, is provided by Andy Kim who is an associate pastor at Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco.  Andy is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Myth of Multi-Tasking”

2 Kings 17:24-33

And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 25 And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the Lord. Therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So the king of Assyria was told, “The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land.” 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, “Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there, and let him go and dwell there and teach them the law of the god of the land.” 28 So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the Lord. 29 But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the shrines of the high places that the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities in which they lived. 30 The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 They also feared the Lord and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. 33 So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.

There’s a good chance that as you are reading this QT (perhaps after having returned from church), you are in transit, planning out the rest of the day, preparing your next project, etc. Efficiency and productivity is life’s game and multi-tasking is the winning chip. However, recent studies have shown that multi-tasking is simply a myth that doesn’t exist. No matter the activities involved, multi-tasking has counter intuitive consequences such as losing focus, creativity, productivity, and time. 

Today’s passage shows us the consequences of multi-tasking, or in the case of the pagan nations, “multi-worshipping.” Ironically, these pagan nations are brought into the land of God where they are taught to fear God.  Rather than simply turning from their previous religious practices, they took the “best of both worlds” approach—they worshipped both their own gods while fearing God Himself.  That’s like mixing gasoline and water; it is good for nothing.

Many of us take the same approach with God. We think that we can live for God while still living for many of our own desires.  That’s like mixing gasoline and water as well; it is good for nothing.  As long as our theology includes the fear of God and our apologetics prove His existence, we feel everything is okay—even though how we spend time and money indicates a divided heart.  Just as the mind was not created to multi-task and focus on different activities, the heart was not made to love more than one God.  In other words, we cannot follow both the world and God; to do both would rob us of fully experiencing God.

Let’s take some time to evaluate our own hearts. What are the areas that we still hold onto and put before God? At the root of multi-tasking is a fear of losing something. In the same way, many of us are scared to surrender some of the things we hold onto, having the fear of losing out. However, it is only when we fully surrender ourselves to God, can we fully experience His presence and faithfulness over our lives. Let’s stop following after things that bring temporary satisfaction; and let’s worship Christ who is the only One who can truly satisfy us. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I confess that my heart is divided and there are still things that I put before You. I repent of the areas that rob my devotion to You. As it says in Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 13

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor David Kwon of Journey Community Church in Raleigh, was originally posted on May 16, 2015.  He is a graduate of Drexel University (B.S.) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Overcoming Obstacles in Life”

2 Samuel 15:13-37

 And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” [14] Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” [15] And the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” [16] So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. [17] And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house. [18] And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king. [19] Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. [20] You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” [21] But Ittai answered the king, “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” [22] And David said to Ittai, “Go then, pass on.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. [23] And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness. [24] And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. [25] Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. [26] But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” [27] The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. [28] See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” [29] So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there. [30] But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. [31] And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” [32] While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. [33] David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. [34] But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. [35] Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. [36] Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” [37] So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

One of my favorite movies of all time is Rudy, an account of the life of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, who harbored dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame despite significant obstacles.  Though he achieved some success in high school as a football player, he not only lacked the grades and money necessary to attend Notre Dame, but the talent and physical stature as well to play for a major intercollegiate program.  He was met with many obstacles in achieving his goal of playing football for Notre Dame: people telling him he was not good enough, his grade not being up to par, not having the physical stature, and his own parents not believing in him.  But despite the many hurdles, he had unwavering faith that one day his dream of playing Notre Dame football would come true.  

In our Christian journey, our faith is often tested as well; and when it is, it often reveals our trust in the character and sovereignty of God.  In today’s reading, David is running away from his son Absalom who has won the heart of Israel, though there are a handful of people still loyal to David.  We first see David’s trust in the Lord when the Ark of the Covenant is brought to him by two priests, Abiathar and Zadok (v. 24).  David orders the priests to take the ark back to Jerusalem because he does not want to “use” God to his advantage.  It reveals David’s trust in God’s judgment and sovereignty, submitting himself to God.   

David also prays and trusts God when he is in trouble.  In verse 30, we see one of his trusted counselors, Ahithophel, who was in on the Absalom conspiracy. One commentator writes, “Athithophel was sharp; he had no peer; savvy and success oozed from this advice (16:23).  Hence David met the dreaded report with instant prayer.” (2 Samuel – Dale Ralph Davis)

What do you do when your faith is tested?  Do you trust in God’s sovereignty and turn to Him in prayer?  We see that even when David is betrayed, his kingship is up in the air, and his life is threatened, he turns to the Lord in trust and confidence.   Maybe you are in a season where you are facing difficulties—turn to the One who has a purpose and plan for you.  Turn to the One who is faithful in every season of life. 

Prayer: Lord, I turn to You today asking for unwavering faith in all the seasons of my life.  In hardship and in blessing, I want to trust that You know what’s best for me.  Whatever may be happening in my life, help me to depend on You in prayer.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 11-12

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on October 30, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Peril of Over-Righteousness”

Ecclesiastes 7:15-6, 8 (NIV)

“In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness. 16 Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself?. . .  18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other.  Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.”

When I was invited to preach at the year-end prayer meeting of pastors in Chihuahua (2003), I asked the pastor who invited me whether they were actually planning to pray from 8 PM to 1 AM.   He said that the night will be devoted to praying, worship, special musical performance as well as preaching (me).  Feeling righteous, I said, “Why not just pray 2-3 hours straight, instead of dragging this out and end up without praying much.”  Then I added, “Find me a place near the meeting and I will pray there until it’s my time to preach.”   So they found me a shack where I prayed until someone came to get me.  And it was COLD.  The next day, as I lay in bed with a severe flu, I kept seeing this word: PRIDE, i.e., I was overly righteous for my own good!

Overly righteous means, while you assume your action to be pleasing to God, in reality, it isn’t.   The disciples often fell into this.  Once, they expected a pat on the back after informing Jesus how they tried to stop a man from driving out demons in his name because he wasn’t one of them.   Jesus responded, “Do not stop him” (Lk. 9:49-50).  Another time, when the disciples rebuked those who brought babies to Jesus for prayer, instead of a nod of approval, he corrected them, saying “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them” (Lk. 18:16). 

The error of overrighteousness is often committed by people who seem to care about the things of God, so much so that they have set ideas as to what or how things ought to be done.   Once these thoughts, though not necessarily wrong, are idealized, then, anything that deviates from them becomes inacceptable. While key doctrines are always a matter of either/or, many things in Christian life aren’t like that.  Thus, Paul declares, “Accept him whose faith is weak (i.e., from your standpoint), without passing judgment on disputable matters” (Rom. 14:1).      

Is there anyone whom you are holding in “contempt” because you don’t approve of their way?  Pray about whether it is legitimate or your idealized belief judging others.  If so, ask for forgiveness.

Prayer: Father, I praise You for your awesome presence full of wonderful attributes like love and holiness.  Thank You that Jesus’ righteousness has been so imputed on me that in Christ, it is as if I had never sinned.  Forgive me for trying to add my own righteousness to elevate myself.   May I always be content with the perfect righteousness of Christ that thoroughly covers me.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 10

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Lunch Break Study

Read  Luke 18:9-14: To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Rom. 14:5-7: One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. . . . 10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat

Questions to Consider

1. What motivated the Pharisees to conform to external requirements for holiness and righteousness?

2. What distinguished the Pharisees from the tax collectors?

3. How should we handle situations where one is tempted to judge someone over his stance on a disputable matter?

Notes

1. They were motivated by receiving accolades (Matt. 6:1-2) from people for their apparent holiness and righteousness.   To express them, they amplified their strength while exposing the weakness of others. 

2. The Pharisees really had no need for God’s approval since they were quite content with the attention they were getting from the easily fooled people.   On the other hand, the tax collectors, whom the people despised  since they worked for the hated Romans, had nowhere to turn to other than God.

3. The first thing is to discern whether or not the matter at hand is essential; that is, whether the rise and fall of the historic Christian faith hinges on its stance.   If not, then, while we can hold to our convictions and even try to persuade others to its rightness, we will not allow the difference to cause disunity.

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Evening Reflection

Rare is a day when we have no discussion with anyone, sometimes quite contentious.  Did you engage in one today?  How did you handle it?  We began the day talking about overrighteousness; let’s end it with thanking God for Christ’s righteousness that frees us from the condemnation (Rom. 8:1).  

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King, now a friend of AMI, was first posted on March 10, 2015.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Take Heed When God Warns” 

1 Kings 13:26-34

And when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of the Lord; therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word that the Lord spoke to him.” 27 And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it.28 And he went and found his body thrown in the road, and the donkey and the lion standing beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body or torn the donkey. 29 And the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back to the city to mourn and to bury him. 30 And he laid the body in his own grave. And they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!” 31 And after he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 32 For the saying that he called out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass.” 33 After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places. 34 And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth.

If I’m honest, passages like this always make me uncomfortable because of how harsh God seems. The man of God, who had been obedient to God up to this point (1 Kings 13:1-25), was now disobedient to the strict command God gave him (to eat and drink nothing while on his journey). As a result God judged him and took his life. So accustomed to God’s grace, I often lose touch with His justice and am alarmed when I read about it. However, it is good to be reminded of the consequences of rebellion of any kind against God. This story serves as an object-lesson to us all of the destruction that sin inevitably accomplishes in our lives. 

With that said, let us turn again to King Jeroboam. The man of God came to the king to warn him about his wicked deeds (building idols for God’s people to worship) and the judgment of the Lord that would come upon him as a result. Jeroboam refused to listen to the man, and so God supernaturally destroyed the altar Jeroboam had constructed right before his eyes. God also miraculously struck Jeroboam’s hand so that it withered when it was stretched out against the man of God. Two miraculous signs God had already done before the king to get him to listen—but he refused. Finally, the news of this prophet’s disobedience to God (to what seems like a much smaller degree than the king’s disobedience) and the punishment for his disobedience spread. But even after this, we find that King Jeroboam still refused to listen to the Lord. 

From the outside looking in, it’s easy to grow frustrated with King Jeroboam. It is clear to us what he should do – turn away from the idols and worship the Lord properly. But the way that we should go, especially when our judgment is clouded by sinful desires, is often much more clear to others than to us. But God gives grace – in these moments He will often send warnings (through friends, through circumstances, through Scripture, even through signs and wonders) to help us choose His way. When this happens, may we have eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts to respond to the Lord, lest we find ourselves devoured by our sinful ways. 

Prayer: Lord, help me to have eyes to see You at work, ears to hear Your words, and a heart to respond to Your prompting. I believe that You, through Your Holy Spirit, are leading me and guiding me daily. Help me to listen and obey. May I not harden my heart and insist upon my own way and so suffer the consequences for disobedience.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 9

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Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 95:6-11: Oh come, let us worship and bow down;let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!7 For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture,and the sheep of his hand.Today, if you hear his voice,8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,9 when your fathers put me to the testand put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.10 For forty years I loathed that generationand said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,and they have not known my ways.”11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,“They shall not enter my rest.”

Questions to Consider

1. What is the psalmist calling God’s people to do and why? 
2. What is the warning the psalmist gives to those who hear God’s voice. 
3. What example does he use to illustrate his point? Why do you think he makes this reference? 

Notes

1. The psalmist calls the people of God to worship Him and acknowledge who He is (kneel down before Him). We do this precisely because of who God is. The Bible tells us that once we see God and truly understand who He is, our only reasonable response is to bow down and worship Him – not just in songs or prayers on Sunday morning, but with our whole lives. 
2. When God speaks, the people of God have to be careful to listen. The psalmist says not to “harden your hearts” – this is a warning not to be callous to God and His instructions. We want to have soft hearts that are convicted by the words of God, so moved internally by His voice that we act accordingly. 
3. The psalmist uses an example from their own history to illustrate his point. In the wilderness, God’s people demanded that He provide for them on His own terms (see Exodus 17) – they did things their own way and did not trust God enough to soften their hearts toward Him. The psalmist mentions this to remind them just how prone they are to this kind of behavior. This should be a warning to us as well, for we are equally as prone to harden our hearts to God’s voice.  

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Evening Reflection

Are you a person who struggles with a hardness of heart? Think back to the last time you heard God speak – as your read Scripture, spent time in prayer, listened to a sermon on Sunday, sang a worship song, received instruction or correction from a brother or sister in Christ. How did you respond? Was your heart moved with conviction? Or did you feel apathetic? Did you walk in obedience or did you continue in the same paths as before? Pray and ask God to give you a softened heart that is responsive to His voice. 

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on October 28, 2015.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“God Behind the Scenes”

Nehemiah 2:2-8

And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3 I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” 6 And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. 7 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.

One of the most comforting truths for God’s children is that everything that happens to us, and everything that we do, can ultimately have a meaningful expression of purpose. Four months have passed since Nehemiah had begun praying about the condition of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was intimate enough with King Artaxerxes that he noticed Nehemiah’s burden as conveyed by the sadness in his heart. What was otherwise a crime punishable by death (appearing sad before the king) actually caused Artaxerxes to ask Nehemiah about his state of mind. 

How was Nehemiah, a Jew, even in the presence of the Persian king to begin with? He was selected to be the king’s cupbearer, and one of his main duties was to taste the food and drink before the king would eat it. For Artaxerxes, this was personal because his father had died from being poisoned, so he would not have chosen lightly his cupbearer. And as the cupbearer who had the trust of the king, Nehemiah alone was in a unique position to influence the king. 

Whether it is cup bearing to a king or a nine to five job in a cubicle somewhere, we see through the life of Nehemiah that God is always working behind the scenes, that He never calls us to something without a reason. He works and maneuvers to place us right where He wants us. So often we question why God allows certain things to happen to us; but as we learn to trust Him, we realize that God has actually positioned us. And when the moment comes, we find that it has been worth every bit of effort—our waiting time has not been wasted time. 

Nehemiah reminds us today that God’s sovereignty is quietly at work in our lives. In what we might call coincidences, insignificant events, we can be confident that God can and will use it for our good. 

Consider the ordinariness of your life; know today that God has placed you. What you are doing, where you are located at this point in your life, it is no accident. You may not know what God is up to behind the scenes of your life, but you are positioned. It may be difficult to see the connection now; but in time, it will come together.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 8

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Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 8:28-30: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Questions to Consider 

1. What is required for God to act in our interest, for our good according to verse 28?  

2. In verse 29, we are told that God “foreknew” us and that God “predestined” us? What is the aim of God knowing us and choosing us?   

3. Paul tells us we are predestined by God, not to be theologically controversial, but to show us the strength and security of God’s love. Does the word “predestination” bother or comfort you? 

Notes 

1. We need to love God; making that as the ultimate goal of our life is what’s for our best interest.  

2. To be conformed to the image of God. 

3. Personal. 

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Evening Reflection

Consider this thought: “Success comes when a thousand hours of preparation meet one moment of opportunity.” – Anonymous.  Are you preparing yourself? 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on September 23, 2015.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Teamwork”

2 Kings 22:3-4, 8-12

“In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the LORD.  He said: 4 ‘Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the LORD . . . .’ 8 Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD.’ He gave it to Shaphan, who read it . . . 10 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.’ And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.  11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.  He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant . . .”

Fall is football season, and there are few sports in which the beauty of teamwork is more evident.  Marathons are by nature individual, basketball can be played one-on-one; but with football, you need a team.  Even before the quarterback throws the ball, he is only able to because he has teammates protecting him from getting tackled, giving him the time he needs to assess the overall situation on the field and make the best decision.  The quarterback could then run with the ball himself, but most of the time it’s more effective for him to pass it to another in a better position to run with it.  Teamwork is therefore essential and a great part of what makes the game enjoyable.

In today’s passage we see an example of a healthy team dynamic between a leader and his staff, all the more highlighted by the stark contrast of how his father died several verses prior (“Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated the king in his palace.” 2 Ki 21:23).  In Amon’s case, he is betrayed by those who should have been his chief sources of support and wise counsel.  In Josiah’s case, he has people who are on board with his spiritual leadership, working together with him for the common good.

King Josiah steps up to his role of setting the spiritual direction of the nation by giving orders regarding restoring the temple; and his faithful chief aides carry out his orders and communicate back to the king important developments found in the field—namely, discovering the Book of the Law.  Most impressively, we see the king listen to his staff and respond.  And finally, we see him make decisions and give orders to his staff based on the information they have provided to him.  In this way, the king led the way but at the same time relied on and worked together with his trusted council.

Whether we are leaders or people who carry out orders and turn intentions into reality, how can we work better with our teammates today?  Do we need to listen better?  Better obey?

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the team.  Help me to realize more and more what my specific position is and to fulfill it well.  Help me do my best to work with others today.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 8

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Lunch Break Study 

Read 1 Peter 5:1-7: “To the elders among you . . . : 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock . . . 5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”  6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Questions to Consider

1. Who is Paul addressing when he says “one another” in verse 5?  What is the main point of this verse? 

2. While it is relatively easy to understand how the younger are to submit to the elders, how are elders to “submit” and show humility towards those in their care (vv. 2-3)?  

3. When we humble ourselves before others, who are we really submitting to (v. 6)?  What can keep us from submitting to others (v. 7)?  Is there anything I am anxious about today that keeps me from submitting to those around me?

Notes

1. One another = older and younger.  Verses 5-6 can be seen as an echo of Ephesians 5:21: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” 

2. By being eager to serve them (v. 2) and not lording their “elder” positions over them (v. 3) (i.e., being “bossy” or giving orders just for the sake of enjoying telling people what to do).  

3. God.  When we get anxious, it is because we are having a hard time trusting which leads to a hard time submitting.  When we cast our anxieties on God, we can relax and not feel like we have to have things our way (under our control) all the time; we can submit and yield to others.

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Evening Reflection

How did I do today in terms of submitting to others around me, whether “above” (my leaders) or “below” (those I take care of or who serve me)?

Updated Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on October 24, 2014.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Sins of the Past”

Matthew 10:26 (NIV)

“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.”

Heb. 13:4, 10:18 (NIV)

“Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure”;“their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 

Many years ago, a young woman was dating this youth pastor, both of whom I knew well personally.  Noticing that their relationship was becoming more serious, I advised the woman to tell him about her past, because I thought that it could hurt their future marriage and the ministry if it were to be divulged later.  I reasoned that as long as the man knew and hopefully was able to deal with it, then things would be fine.   But unfortunately, it wasn’t okay and they went their separate ways, which made me feel bad and wondered whether I had made a mistake.  But a trip to Durango, Mexico in 2004 alleviated me of that– somewhat.     

I went there to train a group of pastors at the invitation of their superintendent, without knowing that the young pastor of the church hosting the class had already informed the leaders of his resignation from the church.    The reason for his leaving was neither a scandal nor a better offer to go elsewhere: He was seeking to divorce his wife of less than 2 years because, not long after the wedding, the he found out about the sordid past of his wife; and he just couldn’t cope with it.  Knowing his denomination’s stance on divorce, he resigned rather than be removed.

Obviously, we needn’t tell everything we ever did to our future spouse; nevertheless, since “there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed” (Lk. 12:2), a prudent honesty is the best policy.  Also, for those who desire to be married, it would seem best to save oneself for that special someone instead of engaging in activities that would bring shame later on.  

The most important lesson here, however, is this: while man may not cope well with our sordid past, God certainly does.  He declared, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” because “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 8:12, 10:10).   Who doesn’t have a shameful past?  So, come to God today who forgives and forgets.  

Prayer: O God of forgiveness, how quickly I forget that You have chosen to forget everything of my shameful past, full of sins and transgressions.  How swiftly have I forgotten your mercy that spared me of a just punishment and your grace that has given me an eternal life that I don’t deserve!  Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 7

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Lunch Break Study

Read Matt. 1:5-6: “Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,6 and Jesse the father of King David.  David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife….” Heb. 11:31: “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”

Questions to Consider

1. What is so significant about what happened to Rahab and her life?

2. Do you think Rahab was honest with Salmon about her past?  Perhaps, he already knew.  Assuming that he did, how do you think he dealt with it before deciding to marry her (think about the Hebrews passages given above)?

3. What are some things about your past that you need to share with those whom you should?

Notes

1. Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho but after coming to know the Lord, the authenticity of her faith was verified by her changed life: she married a man and stayed faithful to him, even producing a son who was going to be the great-grand father of King David.

2. I am sure Salmon already knew, since her earlier role in the eventual defeat of Jericho was very helpful to Israel.  The only way for him to overcome Rahab’s sordid past was having an understanding of God’s love and mercy: “God has forgiven me (a sinner), who am I to hold judgment against Rahab?”

3. One thing that really upset my newlywed wife was that I had asked her, before getting married, whether she had any student loans, but I didn’t mention that I had $4,000 student loan (I had completely forgotten about it!).  It wasn’t the amount of loan that bothered her, but she thought that I had hidden it from her.

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Evening Reflection

The most important point to take away from today’s QT is God’s willingness to consider each day a new beginning for us.  Isn’t that great?  Why don’t we thank the Lord right now?

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought provided by Cami King, now a friend of AMI, was first posted on August 16, 2015.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Missing Out on God’s Best”

1 kings 7:15-20

They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king. 16 so the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the lord. 17 now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. 18 it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.” 19 then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, “now behold, if the lord should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.” 20 and so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died.

We talked yesterday about the joy that comes from experiencing the fulfillment of God’s promises in our lives. Often times we have to wait – sometimes until we reach eternity with Him – to experience the manifestation of promises God has made. But there are those precious and holy moments when, in our own lifetime, we see God make good on his word. 

On the converse side, there are people for whom this is not the case.  The king’s royal officer (as an extension of the king himself) was not given the privilege of enjoying the blessing of God’s promise fulfilled for Israel (bread in the midst of famine). Because of doubt in God’s promises and in God himself, the official missed out on partaking in God’s blessing. This is not the first time we see this happening in Scripture. When God’s people lose heart and lose hope, we can sometimes cut ourselves off from experiencing the fullness of the work that God is doing in, through, and around us. 

If you’ve been a christian for a while, you’ve probably heard someone talk about “missing out on God’s best” in your life. What this means is, regardless of what our reasoning may be, we can (like the king and his royal officer) position ourselves in such a way that we are unable to partake fully in the blessings that God so desperately desires to bestow upon us. More often than not this happens because we are unwilling to let go of our own imaginings of what can be, our own plans for the future, and ultimately our own understanding. 

One pastor tells the following story – “my family and I recently got back from a cross country trip to L.A., and in the name of preserving our sanity, we gave our kids a bundle of apple products to play with on the trip. My old iPhone became my son’s obsession (nothing makes you feel like a better parent than being at the grand canyon and all your 7yr old can talk about is how much he needs to charge his iPhone). To the point where as soon as we got home, we had to take it away and hide it from him. Because we love him, we took the phone away, before it destroyed his ability to enjoy anything else. The sad part is that my son has something better than my old iPhone. He has me. He’s my son, I’m his dad. And even though I fall short in so many ways, our relationship is worth so much more than an old iPhone. I’m the one who even made it possible for him to have an iPhone in the first place.”

Much like children, we can hold too tightly to our own way of doing and seeing and risk missing out on God’s best for us. Of course, there is grace and God will be faithful even when we are not. Yet with that said, the abovementioned sentiments should give us pause. May we not hinder ourselves in any ways from experiencing God’s best. May we hold our lives with open hands, willing to trust in God’s way over and against our own. 

Prayer: Gracious Father, help me to follow You faithfully and always position myself to receive Your best for me. Help to lean not on my own understanding or my own desires or my own ways of doing things. Help me to lean exclusively on You and Your power and willingness to fulfill Your good promises to me.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 6

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional Thought, first posted on June 6, 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).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks”

1 Kings 1:1-4

When King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. 2 So his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.” 3 Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her.

In the English language the common idiom, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” points to an idea that once a person has reached a certain age, he or she cannot change by giving up the old ways to learn new habits, ways of thinking, skills, etc. In other words, as you get older and more set in your ways, you become less teachable, and more stubborn.  Although I have never been particularly fond of the idea conveyed by this expression, I do have to admit that I have found it to be incredibly true.  In fact, most people I’ve encountered to whom this idiom holds true aren’t even that old.  I can’t tell you how many people in their 20’s and 30’s I’ve talked to who do not heed good advice or who have surrendered into a resolve of, “Hey, this is who I am, and I will never change.”  

Here is the spiritual truth: If the Holy Spirit is truly living inside of you, not only are you capable of change (no matter your age), but you are expected to change more and more into the image of Christ.  Unfortunately, I’ve noticed two primary thought patterns that have inhibited growth in many believers.  First, is the aforementioned defeated position where some settle into saying and thinking things like, “I’m just an angry guy with a short fuse, and I’ll never be gentle.  I can’t change.”  The other pattern is that we actually like our old selves too much and do not want to embrace the characteristics of Christ, thinking, “I like being the snarky, sarcastic, say what I feel, guy.  I don’t really need to season my conversations with salt” (Col. 4:6); neither way of thinking is becoming of the disciple of Christ.    

Though weird, I find today’s passage to be quite encouraging.  Think about David’s biggest sin—sleeping with Bathsheba and killing her husband to cover up the conspiracy.  It was a sin sparked by lust.  As we read about David many years later, we see how far he has come to overcome lust.  The beautiful young Abishag was brought in to keep the king warm at night—you know the royal advisors had R-rated intentions,  yet the Bible is clear that King David never slept with her.  In essence, Abishag became a professional teddy bear (odd job put on your resume), and this odd relationship took on a sweet PG tone.    

For those of you who are struggling with a persistent issue, David is proof that every sin can be overcome by the follower of Christ.  In other words, we are not “too old to be taught new tricks.”

Prayer: Lord, help me to see some of the thought and life patterns that have been beating me.  Give me courage and the resolve to overcome.  Fill me with the Spirit.  Also bring to light any areas that I need to change but am hesitant to submit to You because I actually like these things.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Romans 4-5