February 11, Friday

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on September 10, 2015, is provided by Pastor Mark Chun who pastors Radiance Christian Church in S. F.   He studied biology at University California, San Diego and completed his Master of Divinity at Talbot School of Theology.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Can Modern Christians Commit the Sin of Idolatry?”

2 Kings 16: 10-16 (NIV)

Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. 11 So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. 12 When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings up on it. 13 He offered up his burnt offering and grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings against the altar. 14 As for the bronze altar that stood before the Lord, he brought it from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the temple of the Lord—and put it on the north side of the new altar. 15 King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.” 16 And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered. 

Principally speaking, the entire Bible can be summarized as man’s struggle against idolatry and the restoration of our relationship with the one true God.   Admittedly, most of us probably don’t see this as a problem because we don’t necessarily have physical idols and statues that we bow down to.  However, the most dangerous idols are the ones that we have in our hearts.   John Calvin, the theologian of the Reformation, once described human nature as a factory of idols; and because no one has perfect faith, all of us, to varying degrees, hold onto our idols.  The problem of idolatry is not merely a Christian issue, nor simply a matter of religion: It is a human dilemma that permeates through our entire existence.  Even the ardent atheist Fredrick Nietzsche cites this as a problem in one of his books as he describes our relationship to money and success:

What induces one man to use false weights, another to set his house on fire after having insured it for more than its value, while three-fourths of our upper classes indulge in legalized fraud…what gives rise to all this?  It is not real want—for their existence is by no means precarious…but they are urged on day and night by a terrible impatience at seeing their wealth pile up so slowly, and by an equally terrible longing and love for these heaps of gold…What once was done “for the love of God” is now done for the love of money, i.e. for the love of that which at present affords us the highest feelings of power and good conscience.

It would seem that the natural inclination of the human heart is to worship something or someone; and in the absence of God or a weakened relationship with God, we will find other alternatives to fill that void.  The human problem of idolatry really only makes sense through the lens of a biblical worldview:  We have been created by God in order to worship Him but sin has corrupted that original purpose.  In time, the sin of idolatry leads to unspeakable disaster for Ahaz and the people of Israel.  In the same way, idolatry left unchecked in our lives will lead to great tragedy.  Take a moment, therefore, to examine what’s really fueling our drive to accomplish and accumulate: Is it a desire to further God’s kingdom or mine?  

Prayer: Gracious Father, would you reveal the hidden idols of our hearts through your Spirit so that we may not sin against you.  Help us to love you more than the things that You have created, whether that be money, power, success, or even our families.  We confess our tendency to stray from You and ask that You keep our hearts from wandering.  We pray in name of the one true God, Jesus Christ, Amen!

Bible Reading for Today:  Isaiah 45

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 1:19-25: For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 

Questions to Consider

  1. Why are people without excuse in regards to their ignorance of God?
  2. Why do people exchange the glory of God for their idols?  
  3. What is God’s punishment for those who continue in idolatry?

Notes

  1. A common argument against Christianity is the notion that it is unfair to judge people who have never heard of Jesus.  However, Paul reminds us that what can be known about God is plainly evident to all through His creation and is rejected freely; therefore, no one has an excuse.
  2. Never one to mince words, Paul teaches us that we exchange God’s glory for our idols due to our futile thinking and foolishness of heart.
  3. The most frightening judgment that God can sentence on anyone is simply giving them over to the lusts of their heart and allowing them to freely do whatever they choose.

Evening Reflection

Theologians talk about the different levels of idolatry that we can get entrenched in.  All of us have a surface level of idols and these are relatively easy to pinpoint: beauty, wealth, fame, relationships, children, sex, and the list goes on.  But there is a second level of idol at a deeper level where the idols are harder to identify—such as independence, control, people’s approval, reputation, and so forth.  Generally speaking, these deeper idols drive the worship of the surface idols.   Ask God to help you identify these deeper idols in your life and to give you the wisdom to deal with them.  

February 10, Thursday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on October 16, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Good Friend”

Proverbs 18:24 (ESV)

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Having good friends certainly made our life in Mexico more enjoyable; and one person, Pastor Javier (PJ), pastor of the largest Baptist church in Chihuahua, really stands out (not just because he was 6’3”).

I first met him when I visited his office to offer classes teaching his leaders. After reviewing my course material, he later called back, saying, “I don’t want you to teach my leaders, but can you teach the pastors in our Baptist convention?”   My dismay quickly turned to elation!  And that’s how God led me to the all the Baptist pastors in that region whom I taught from 2003 to 2010.  

Later, PJ told me how someone had warned him about me (a strange Korean), but he wanted to find out for himself what I was like.  His wife told me how I was an answer to her prayer, after seeing how encouraged her husband (who was never trained in seminary) was to continue learning.  Later in our relationship, I would run to his house every Monday morning to walk with him so that he could lower his weight.

In truth, I received so much more from him than he gained from me.  I had absolute confidence that he had my back all the time: He invited me to speak at his church several times a year, as well as his group’s important gatherings.  Once, after finding out that one of my classes could no longer meet at this facility, he called me to offer his church.  And when we needed to move from Mexico to the states, he not only let us use the church’s truck and trailer, but he crossed the border with us to ensure our safe passage.

I thank God for PJ for showing me what friendship with God is like; for Abraham was called God’s friend on account of believing God (Jas. 2:23).  And His Son not only taught but demonstrated with his life and death that “greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Today, do something costly for a friend or someone who is friendless, to let him/ her know that we always have a friend in Christ.   

Prayer: Lord, it is an unfathomable concept that the You, the God of this universe, would consider me Your friend.   Instead of pondering upon why God would do that, I am going to just enjoy this great privilege.   Thanks for always being there for me, listening to my cries and complaints.  You are truly a great friend!  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 44

Lunch Break Study

Read Proverbs 18:26: “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray”; 22:24: “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered.”

1 Cor. 15:33: “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”

John 15:14-5: “You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Questions to Consider

1. Do you have a best friend?  How many friends do you have?  In light of the passages from Proverbs, what is often amiss in that type of friendship-making?

2. We rarely think of friendships in terms of being commanded to do something.  Ultimately then, what is the true nature of our friendship with the Lord? 

3. Why should we be selective in choosing friends?  What are your criteria for choosing friends?

Notes

1. Basically, we are making friends with people whom we do not know:  we know neither how they actually live nor their character.  And if we think we know them, we only know the parts that have been embellished and “photoshopped.”

2. Our friendship with Christ must be defined from the standpoint of his Lordship, which makes us his servant; that is, one who eats only after his master is done eating (Lk. 17:8).  The friendship aspect helps us to understand that his Lordship is neither coercive nor harsh, but rather invitational and gentle.  

3. People with whom we spend the most time affect how we feel, think and evaluate.  Thus, it is important that we surround ourselves with people who are not wicked, hot-tempered, and devoid of good character.  That doesn’t mean that we don’t reach out to them so as to help them change. 

Evening Reflection

As you wrap up another busy day, reflect on God’s friendship with us.  Friends spend much time talking to one another.  When we do that with God, it’s called “praying.”  Talk to God!   

February 9, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional Thought, first posted on June 4, 2015, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee, a friend of AMI, who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches.  He is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Rock and a Hard Place”

2 Samuel 24:13-14

13 So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.” 14 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

My wife, being in pediatric healthcare, used to treat a pretty rare condition called hyperinsulinism, which is basically the opposite of diabetes—too much insulin is produced and the body is left without sugars.  In some cases, children with HI will have large portions of their pancreases removed (where insulin is produced).  An unfortunate byproduct of this operation is that patients inevitably become diabetics because the remainder of their pancreases cannot produce enough insulin.  The alternative to this surgery is to constantly monitor the patient (8-10 times a day) and have the child be hooked up to a sugar-water IV, which severely impacts the quality of life.  

Talk about being caught between “a rock and a hard place.”  One has to feel for the parents who have to opt for or against this surgery, because it seems like a no-win situation: give my child diabetes or hook him up to an IV until he’s six.  I am told that in medicine these types of difficult decisions come up almost daily.  

In today’s passage, David is presented with a difficult situation: three years of famine, three months of persecution, or three days of plague.  Granted, all of these represent punishment for something he did wrong, but it was up to David to choose.  In the end, he opts for the plague, for in David’s mind, because the plague will come directly from the hand of the Lord, it represents the best chance to receive mercy from the Lord.  What challenges me in this passage is David’s ability to hope in the mercy and goodness of the Lord in times where no “good” option presents itself.  This is a trait that we must develop within ourselves because many times, life does not present us with good vs. bad choices.  

So, whatever situation you may be facing today, “have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7 RSV).

Prayer: Lord, please give me the faith to believe that You are still able to show Your mercy despite difficult circumstances.  Help me to remember that You are sovereign, and that You are working even in seemingly impossible situations.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Isaiah 43

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 8:18-30: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Questions to Consider

1.  How are the redemption of creation and our redemption related?

2.  What do we learn about the work of the Spirit from this passage?

3.  The doctrines of predestination and perseverance of the saints generate a lot of talk within the church, but how does Paul use these ideas as a source of comfort (vv. 28-30)?

Notes

1.  In verse 23, we see that the Spirit within each believer groans for the redemption of our bodies; similarly, creation is also under the curse (v. 21) and longs for our redemption (v. 19).  God’s children are truly esteemed in creation.  

2.  The Spirit intercedes on our behalf (groans for us, v. 26); but it is also the Spirit within us that will carry out the work of our salvation.  

3.  For whatever angst the ideas of predestination and the inability to lose one’s salvation may cause, Paul’s point in introducing these doctrines (vv. 28-30) is to bring comfort to the suffering church.  Paul is essentially saying, “Look, I know you are suffering for your faith now, but remember that God finishes what He starts; and He started a work in you.”  

Evening Reflection

Does the sovereignty of God impact your life and give you peace and freedom?  Or do you fret about everything, as if life or death depend on you making the right choices?  Do you believe that God works for the good of those who love Him, even in difficult situations?  

February 8, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on November 17, 2015, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children, serves in Japan as an AMI missionary.  Jason, a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), recently planted an English-speaking church in Tokyo. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Would You Have to Gain?  

Nehemiah 11:1-2 (ESV)

Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten remained in the other towns. [2] And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem.

When you consider where to live, what factors are important?  A good school system?  A hip restaurant scene?  Plentiful job prospects?  I would imagine that an abandoned ruin destroyed by war would not be high on your list of options—but this is the state of Jerusalem.  Imagine a war torn city in Syria or Yemen and you’ll get the idea.  Now Jerusalem is not experiencing active war, but the enemies of Israel are waiting for an opportunity to strike, the city itself is in great need of repair, and the people are still struggling to provide basic necessities for their families.  Yet the city must be repopulated at great cost and great risk to the families who participate.  Why?  

More is at stake than the glory of a capital city—God is fulfilling His promises to His people.  After enduring a devastating exile, the people have returned with the hope of a restored relationship with God.  In the Old Testament, the temple is the center of worship and God’s presence.  An empty Jerusalem—and thus an empty temple—is a sign of a curse, not a blessing.  Therefore, the Israelites must repopulate the city.

Leading from the front rather than the rear, the leaders of the people commit to live in Jerusalem (v.1).  The rest of the people remain reluctant, so lots are cast and one of every ten are called to live in the city.  How would you feel if your family was called to move into Jerusalem?  What would you have to risk?  Safety?  Comfort? Finances?  

But what would you have to gain?  The people called to live in the city have a front row seat to the promises of God being fulfilled.  They live in the place in which God’s presence particularly dwells.  They can see with their own eyes whether God’s Word is sentimental, wishful thinking—or rock-solid, certain truth.  Would we all be so blessed!

Prayer: Father, You have blessed me so abundantly.  May I never be afraid of what I might lose when I risk for You, but give to me faith that gaining You is better than gaining the whole world.  Help me to not give in to my fears that I might follow You and know from experience that every promise in Your Word is true.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 42

Lunch Break Study

Read Mark 10:29-31 (ESV)

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, [30] who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. [31] But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Question to Consider

1. What types of things may we need to leave for the sake of Jesus and the gospel?

2. What rewards are received by those who leave such things behind?

3. According to v. 31, “many who are first will be last, and the last first.”  Considering what Jesus has said in our passage, why might that be?

Notes

1. Good things – homes, family members, and land. 

2. Jesus promises a hundredfold return in this time of homes, family members, and lands.  In addition, the faithful will receive persecutions in this life, but they can look forward to eternal life in the age to come.

3. The end of v. 29 indicates that sacrifice in and of itself is not what Jesus is looking for but sacrifice for His sake.  We may gain the respect of our peers, as well as other rewards in this life for self-centered sacrifice, but in the age to come, only that which is done for Jesus will matter.

Evening Reflection

Take a moment to reflect.  What priorities have guided your decision to live in your particular nation, city, or neighborhood?  How does Jesus provide those things for you in a way that a physical location never can?

February 7, Monday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 12, 2015, is provided by Phillip Chen who is associate pastor at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego.  Phil is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Would You Like Me to Give You?

1 Kings 3:11-14 (ESV)

And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

Have you ever played the ice-breaker game “Desert Island’? In this game, you are trapped on a desert island and need to think of three things that you would want to bring to this island that you will be on for the rest of your life. In a sense, this shows what the desires of our heart truly are. In a way, God asks Solomon this question as well – What would you like me to give you?

God is pleased with Solomon as he asks for wisdom to rightly rule over Israel so that the people would be faithful to God. Not only does God honor Solomon’s request, He gives Solomon much more than is requested. A king can acquire riches and honor by his own strength, but wisdom is not something that cannot be bought. Wisdom is truly a gift from the Lord.  

God is not opposed to giving people riches and honor. What He is opposed to is the mixing up of priorities in the things we seek after. Oftentimes we get our priorities mixed up as we seek riches and honor before we seek Him and the wisdom He has for us. When we have our priorities mixed up, we end up idolizing the very riches and honor He wants to bestow upon us. This becomes problematic because we begin to value the gifts more than the Giver of gifts. Also, having wisdom allows Solomon to be a good steward of the riches and honor that is entrusted to him. Without wisdom, there is a high chance the riches and honor will be squandered. 

We do not strive to imitate a formulaic faith in seeking Him so that we will be guaranteed riches and honor. But we know that He is a God that blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others. He is not a stingy God, but a generous God who desires to bless His people greatly. As we journey through life, let us seek His wisdom above ours. Let us ask Him to give us wisdom and a discerning mind and believe that is much more valuable than any riches or honor this world can provide.

Prayer: Father, give us the right perspective. We pray that we would desire the wisdom that You have for us. Though it is difficult for us at times, we pray that our eyes would be fixed on You and the eternity more than just the temporal things in front of us. Give us wisdom and an understanding mind.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 41

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 6:33(ESV): But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Question to Consider

1. What is the reminder that Jesus gives us in this passage?

2. What are “all these things that will be added to us”?

3. Why do we worry?

Notes

1. Jesus reminds us not to be anxious about anything – that God, our Father, really cares about us and that He sees our every need and is in control of all things. 

2. When we seek the Kingdom of God first and foremost, His promise to us is that everything we need shall be provided for us. We must trust that He understands us far better than we understand ourselves in what we need. He doesn’t promise we will all be rich (in the worldly sense), but that we do not need to be anxious about anything.

3. We worry when we are not in control. When we come into the full understanding that God is in control of everything, we no longer need to fear chaos because Jesus was thrown into the cosmic chaos on our behalf so that we might enter into an eternal rest.

Evening Reflection

Something important that we constantly need to evaluate is what the desires of our heart is. Jesus tells us that what we see as our treasures is where our heart will be. Take a moment to evaluate what you believe your treasures to be, and what your actions display as your treasures, and ask God that they be aligned with the Kingdom of God. 

February 6, Sunday

Updated Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on October 25, 2014.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“What Conservatives and Liberals Don’t Get”

2 Corinthians 5:18-9

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 

The recent protest in Ferguson, Missouri showed that racial reconciliation may still be an illusion in America.  Hope for a better future for Black Americans started, not with electing the first black president, but with the Great Society programs launched under the Johnson administration in the mid 60s.  Did it help?  Prominent African American scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., referring to policies such as Head Start, the Elementary and Secondary Education, the Civil Rights Act, commented: “Through five heady years, the Great Society seemed to . . .  usher in a bright new day.  [However] in the ensuing decades, it came to look a lot more like liberalism’s supernova; a final, white-hot burst before its dark collapse.”

As to why it didn’t work, many social conservatives are likely to agree with the late Rush Limbaugh, who once declared: “I believe in the individual, in less government so as to allow that individual maximum freedom to create and achieve; that societies which are founded on restraining the government rather than the individual are optimum; that the individual is smart enough to solve his own problems and does not need to depend on big government for resolution of all his problem.”   Evangelicals, some of whom have supported this conservative radio personality, should be troubled by his premises because the individual, instead of being the solution, has always been and still is the problem!    

If the liberals are concerned with poverty and hate, then the conservatives should be concerned with greed.  And neither education nor social reform can adequately change the inner man from these because the root problem reaches deeper into the human heart.  That is, the brunt of poverty, hatred and greed are mere symptoms caused by men who, having been alienated from God because of sin, try to find meaning apart from their Creator.  So, to fill their void with as much power and money they can grab, men are seduced to exploitation, deception and greed; these plague the rich as well as the poor. 

Ironically, the ultimate solution to our problems lies with the one whom humanity has long rejected: God.   Nonetheless, He has initiated the peace process with the offering of His Only Son Jesus Christ who bore all our hatred on his body and died to it (1 Pet 2:23-24).  Realizing that we are headed to heaven on account of Jesus, instead of suffering in hell for the consequences of our hatred and greed, certainly ought to make us grateful to God.  It is in this process of realizing God’s incredible love toward the undeserved that our hearts slowly change; what education and reforms can never accomplish, God, through His Son Jesus Christ, can.   

1 John 4:19-21 says: “We love because he first loved us.  If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”  It is when we accept God’s love that we can love the unlovable.  What the people in Ferguson need more than any material thing is this: God’s love tangibly expressed by those who have already been reconciled back to Him.  At the very least, we can pray for them.  So pray for them. 

Prayer: Lord, give us the strength and conviction to love the unlovables, beginning with me.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 40

February 5, Saturday

Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was first posted on June 20, 2015.  A graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), Doug is the UC site pastor of Grace Covenant Church in Philadelphia. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Upon Closer Examination”

1 Kings 7:1; 13-14

Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house. And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.

Once King Solomon was finished with the construction of the Temple, he began working on his own house and ended up spending more time building his house than building the Temple.  However, “upon closer examination,” something is way off!  Solomon may have finished building the temple, but he had not yet furnished it! That means the Temple sat idle for thirteen years, unused and unfurnished, until Solomon had completed construction of his personal house. 

We do not know the exact reasons Solomon had for delaying the furnishing of the Temple, but perhaps he just got distracted by the prospect of building a grand house for himself.

This story seems to show a lack of spiritual concentration and endurance on the part of Solomon. How true is this in my life! I have spiritual highs, from activities like retreats or mission trips, but then as time goes on, these highs wear off and I fall back into normal, self-centered living. I have made convictions but continue to be someone whose action centers on feeling and circumstance, rather than firm, unwavering beliefs, and commitments. We often characterize our spiritual life as sine waves, going up and down, but is that how God wants us to live, tossed by circumstance or feeling?

I believe that our Christian life was meant to be one of constant striving, of constant endurance.  As the author of Hebrews says, “…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Our culture is one of fads and short-lived excitement, while endurance and focus seem a thing of the past. Let’s reflect together on the life of Jesus; He knew His purpose, and He lived His whole life focused on that purpose.  He endured to the end. Let’s think through our own lives. How enduring is our faith? How focused are we on seeking the Kingdom of God? Or are we easily distracted by things around us?

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You persevered to the end for me. You took the cross, bore all the shame, and rose again so that I could have a relationship with You. You gave it all, yet somehow I so easily lose focus on You. Help me to okeep my eyes fixed on You knowing that You are the highest treasure. Give me endurance to run this race with true conviction and focus until I see You face to face. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 38-39

February 4, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on September 18, 2015, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian who leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.  Shan is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Why God Does What He Does”

2 Kings 19:32-37

“Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. 33 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. 34 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.” 35 And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 36 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. 37 And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

Hezekiah and the people of Judah were facing a terrible enemy, Sennacherib king of Assyria and his mighty army.  They had come with frightening threats against Hezekiah that left him and his people in great fear.  Hezekiah was deeply distressed by all of this, and he does the best thing that any one of us can do when we’re faced with such hardship—he prayed.  Hezekiah goes to God and cries out to Him for help; and He responds.  The LORD assures Hezekiah that He will defend Jerusalem and save it from the encroaching enemy.  

This, on its own, is an important truth: God answers our prayers.  Hopefully, we’ve all experienced this for ourselves at some point in our lives.  Personally, there have been many times when I cried out to God and He answered my prayers.  And that’s exactly what happens in 2 Kings 19, where Hezekiah cries out to God for victory for His people—and God answers just as Hezekiah had asked: God decimates the Assyrian army, and Sennacherib is forced to go home in defeat.  God answered Hezekiah’s prayer and He answers our prayers as well.  

Why does God answer Hezekiah?  God says in verse 34, “For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”  God comes to the aid of His people for His own sake.  It might seem a bit strange to think that the reason God would save His people is for His own sake.  Shouldn’t the real reason be that God is a benevolent Father who wants to protect his children?  Or that God is a God of love and compassion?  These reasons are true too, but God doesn’t say that here—He says that it is for His own sake and His own glory.  

God came to the aid of His people because His glory was at stake.  That is to say, Israel’s defeat at the hands of the Assyrians here would have meant the diminishing of God’s glory in light of the fact that God had covenanted with David that his house and kingdom would reign forever.  Remembering that covenant, God declares here that this battle, this conflict with Assyria, was not just Hezekiah’s battle—this battle belonged to God.

Sometimes, we can start to think that God’s will or God’s love is centered around us.  Maybe we think that God should answer our prayers because we are worthy or because God has to.  God, however, is not just for us, but He is for Himself in the sense that He cares about His “reputation.” Ultimately, this benefits us because we are impressed to place our hope and trust in such a worthy God.  In the New Testament, because God has covenanted with us through Jesus Christ, when we turn to God in prayer, He answers.  In this manner our battles belong to the Lord and He will contend on our behalf for the sake of His own glory and honor. 

Prayer: Father, be glorified in my life today.  Help me, Lord, to live for Your glory and honor and praise, and not for my own.  I surrender all of my battles and burdens to you, not just because you care for me, but because I know that they all belong to You.  Thank you for this covenant with You through Jesus Christ.  In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today:  Isaiah 37

Lunch Bible Study

Read Joshua 5:13-15: When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Questions to Consider

  1. This passage happens right before Joshua leads the Israelites into the battle for Jericho, and it is after he takes the place of Moses as leader of God’s people.  How do you think Joshua felt at this point in Joshua 5?  What would have been occupying his mind?
  2. What was this commander’s response to Joshua’s question of being “for us or for our adversaries”?  What do you think this response means? 
  3. What struggles are you facing?  How does it help you to know that the battle is the Lord’s?

Notes

  1. Joshua probably felt a lot of pressure at this point in time.  He had incredibly big shoes to fill in succeeding Moses as leader of Israel.  Maybe he felt that all of the eyes of the people were watching him to see if he would measure up.  And at the same time, he was facing the mighty walls of Jericho.  Some scholars believe that these walls that were surrounding Jericho were five feet thick and up to seventeen feet high, and that it was surrounded by a moat that was 27 feet wide and nine feet deep.  This city was impenetrable.  And we must remember that at this point, Joshua did not yet know about God’s plan to bring the walls down, so his mind was likely occupied with the fear of this battle to come.
  2. This commander (very likely God himself) replies to Joshua’s question with the curious answer of “No.”  He is saying that he not on the side of the Israelites or that of Jericho, but he comes as commander of the army of the LORD—meaning that he is on God’s side.  While God was definitely with the Israelites—His chosen people—and while God is definitely with us—His children—God is on His own side, for His own glory.  God will fight for us, watch over us, and protect us, all for our sake, but ultimately, it is for His glory.
  3. We all face struggles like Joshua did, fear of not measuring up or fear of the battles ahead; but if we remember that the battle is the Lord’s and that God will fight for us for His glory, we can rest assured that He will take care of us because we are His children and His own glory is at stake.

Evening Reflection

Today we were reminded that the battles we have in our lives belong to God.  Were there any battles or struggles that you faced today?  How does it make you feel when you remember that you can surrender all of them to God?  We will all face trials of many kinds but as children of God, we can rest assured that our Heavenly Father is in control and He will fight for us.  Spend some moments reflecting on this truth and in thanksgiving to God for His care for you.

February 3, Thursday

UpdatedToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on October 10, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“I Don’t Know What We Did Wrong”

Luke 15:22-3 (ESV)

But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.”

As people were leaving after the Pastors’ Conference held in Chihuahua this past March (2014), I ran out to say goodbye to Maria whose husband, Pastor Juan, wasn’t able to attend the last session.   Right after moving to Mexico in 2001, we met the couple and stayed close all throughout until we left in 2011.  I was so overwhelmed when they came to my house a few days before our departure to give $2,000 pesos ($170) as a gift.  Having known their generous heart, I took the money in gratitude even though I knew that things were hard for them, since Juan was working at a gasoline station to supplement their income. 

After some small talk, I asked about her college-aged son, Jorge.  With a look of relief, she said, “Oh, he has a girl friend now.”  It wasn’t an odd response because of what they confided in me a few years back:   After everyone had left my house following a meeting of pastors, they remained to tell me that their son confessed that he might be homosexual.   A sobbing Maria murmured, “I don’t know what we did wrong?”   To some people in our society, this is acceptable, but for this Bible believing parents, it was a great shock.   We prayed together and talked about how we can help Jorge from falling into that lifestyle. But it didn’t help that in the following class when one pastor, who was unaware of the situation, remarked within an earshot of this couple, “Parents should be blamed for their child’s homosexuality.”

Ultimately, this isn’t about how we would respond if our child says he is a gay; but rather what we would do if our child rebels against the values and beliefs that we cherish.  While I certainly don’t want to find that out personally, I’ve learned from the Parable of the Lost Son that you continue to love that child.  Such love may take various forms (including discipline), but the core remains: unconditional love, which God continues to pour out on the undeserved.

So today, whether you are a parent or not, demonstrate God-like love toward someone who doesn’t deserve it.  

Prayer for Parents: Lord, the more I try to raise my child, I feel so inadequate and hypocritical.  Oh God, I cannot do this alone; please help my child to love Jesus, know right from wrong, and have the courage and discernment through the Holy Spirit to choose what pleases You.  Amen.   

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 36

Lunch Break Study

Read Rom. 5:8: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

1 John 4:10, 19: “This is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins . . . . We love because he first loved us.”

Rom. 8:35, 38: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”  38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Questions to Consider

1. Describe several components to God’s unconditional love. 

2. How should God’s unconditional of God affect us?

3. What is the greatest obstacle to loving like this?  What are you struggling with presently?

Notes

1. First, unconditional love is loving the undeserved; second, it initiates the love, that is, God’s love doesn’t wait until the other person makes the move; third, it doesn’t allow anything to get in the way of persevering in love. 

2. Since we received God’s unconditional love for free, we ought to initiate loving those who don’t deserve it. 

3. Of course, when the person doesn’t reciprocate our love, it makes it hard to continue.  As we mature in Christ, we should also grow in the area of loving others for Christ’s sake.  

Evening Reflection

Did you encounter God’s love today?  Maybe you need to be quiet and reflect on His love.  If you are a parent, pray for your child; then go to your child to pray for him/her in gentleness.    

February 2, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on June 22, 2015.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Symbol of Covenant”

1 King 8:6, 9

“The priests then brought the ark of the LORD’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim . . . There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.”

Particular during June, otherwise known as the wedding season, some of us can find ourselves attending several ceremonies, and though each one will bear the unique mark of that particular couple, it is actually the elements that all weddings have in common that seem to make them special: the moment the father presents the bride to the groom, the making of vows, the declaration before friends and family.  The celebration of a covenant.  One classic element is the exchanging of rings, a visible symbol of the covenant made between man and wife.  Their circular shape, the line without beginning or end, represents the unending devotion of the couple to one another, for a lifetime.  

When God made a covenant with his people, the Israelites, he, too, gave them a visible symbol of what their relationship to one another was to be.  What was the symbol, and what did it represent?  Today’s passage records what happened when Solomon finished the temple and ushered in the presence of God by having the ark of his covenant brought into the inner sanctuary.  When describing this moment, the author thought it important to remind us that “there was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets” (9).  The ark represented the promise of God’s presence with his people, and at the heart of it was his Word.  That the two stone tablets were the only thing inside the ark speaks to how important it was to God that his people keep his Word close to their hearts and honor his commands.

As Christians living under the covenant of grace, we can sometimes not honor God’s Words as much as we should.  Our reasons may vary—too hard, too costly or too invasive—but the outcome is the same: we dishonor the God whom we say we love.  Thus, God reminded the Israelites who often dishonored him by heeding the empty promises of territorial gods, “Those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed” (1 Sam. 2:30).  

I have a challenge for you today.  Take your Bible to work or school, and then read a chapter (perhaps during lunch break) whether or not people are looking; then do what it says.  Read God’s word and uphold his truth with a life of faith and integrity. 

Prayer:  Dear Lord, I am yours and you are mine.  I belong to you, bought at such a price.  Yet living in your grace, sometimes I forget how important it is to you that I make every effort to honor your commands.  Would you forgive me, Lord?  And let your word be precious to me once again.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 35

Lunch Break Study 

 Read Exodus 32:19, 34:1: “When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain . . . . The LORD said to Moses, ‘Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.’” 

Questions to Consider

1. What happened to the first copy of the Ten Commandments Moses received from the Lord?  Which means which set of stone tablets was actually in the ark?

2. When they thought of the stone tablets in the ark, what did God want his people to remember? 

3.   What do you think is the significance of the fact that the second set was just like the first?  What do we need to keep in mind about God’s nature today?

Notes

1. Moses destroyed them when he saw the people worshipping an idol instead of the One who had really delivered them.  In the ark was the second set that God gave Moses, after he forgave the Israelites their sin.

2. That they had sinned, that from the beginning, he knew they would need his forgiveness, but also that he was a God who would give them a second chance.  

3. To show his nature, that though he is a God who forgives and gives second chances, his righteous standards do not change.  Not only his merciful grace but also his unchanging standards of righteousness.

Evening Reflection

How was my attitude towards sin today?  Was it casual, or did I have a sincere heart before God to obey his commands?  Not out of performance-orientation but out of love, honor and respect for him and the relationship I have with him?