REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on October 4, 2014.
Spiritual Food for Thought for This Weekend
“The Heart Problem”
Jeremiah 17:9
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
Many years ago, following the showing of “Schindler’s List” on national TV, the director Steven Spielberg made a special appearance to talk about why he founded a state-of-art facility museum called “Shoah” (“holocaust” in Hebrew). Here, people can access, among other things, interviews with the holocaust survivors. After stating that humans are not born with hatred, he asserted that they were taught and conditioned to hate by their social environment. Spielberg’s hope was that by exposing children to the kind of educational tools available in his facility, they would learn not to hate.
Of course, if education fails to eradicate hatred, then, there is always the force of law, such as hate crimes and ethnic intimidation laws, to eliminate prejudice against racial, sexual and cultural minorities.
If that fails, then there is always the prison. My wife and I, early in our marriage, led a weekly Bible study at a California Youth Authority that incarcerated serious young criminals. Its founding philosophy was to rehabilitate the criminal mind through education, social programs, and job training. One day, impressed by the positive responses I received from some inmates, I nonchalantly asked the guard as to what percentage of them return to prison after being released. His response: “Close to 80 to 90 percent.” During my involvement, I came to realize that one major problem in the prison continued to be hatred between races and gangs.
Should this surprise us? Not really, because though the sincerity of Spielberg and prison officials should not be questioned, the fundamental premise behind social problems is seriously flawed. The truth is, social liberals have always clamored for more education and social reforms to combat various social problems (e.g., teenage pregnancy, racism), being convinced that all social problems are inherently due to either ignorance and/or bad social institutions.
But that’s not how Jesus saw it, stating: “Nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body. . . .What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly” (Mk. 7:18-22). And there is only one cure for the deceitful heart: regeneration wrought through the Holy Spirit.
This happens when we acknowledge our sinful ways and trust that Christ’s death has paid for the penalty of our sins (death). It is in that moment that God renews us “by the Holy Spirit, whom he pour[s] out on us generously through Jesus Christ” (Tit. 3:6). That’s the big start we need for a changed heart, followed by a lifetime of learning to walk with Christ.
Are you lost? Look inside, not out. Ask God to give you the Holy Spirit. The Scripture says He will (Lk. 11:11).
Prayer: Lord, “let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God” (Bob Pierce). Amen.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on August 28, 2015. Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Favor: What Does It Look Like?”
2 Kings 13:4-5
Then Jehoahaz sought the LORD’s favor, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. The LORD provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram.
Jehoahaz had been leading the nation in evil practices, and the oppression was a situation allowed by God because of their disobedience (vv. 2-3). So God had no particular reason to grant His favor when Jehoahaz sought it; they had done nothing to earn or deserve it. And yet He granted it all the same.
What does favor look like? I was once on a flight where the attendants were especially attentive to me but seemed almost to not even see the person sitting next to me. When there was only one blanket left, I got the last one and he had to go without. When there was a last cup of water on the tray, they offered it to me and then actually skipped him when they came back to finish passing out the water, starting the row behind us. When they accidentally spilled Coke on the one blanket left that I had been using, they somehow found a magic cupboard on the plane where there was another blanket after all. I was so favored that I could get a second blanket even when theoretically there should have been no more blankets. Technically, if they had found it earlier, this would have been his blanket. I’d never met these attendants before in my life; there was no reason for them to be nicer to me than the person sitting next to me. And yet it felt like such a clear distinction was being made between the two of us; one favored, the other not—at least in my mind as I was having this personal little mini-epiphany (to his credit, the person sitting next to me didn’t seem to be feeling particularly slighted). But through this experience, God was speaking to me.
For no particular reason, other than that He has chosen us, He hears us when we cry. No matter how wicked or rebellious we have been up to that point, when we repent and turn to Him, He looks on us with mercy in His eyes and delivers us from our self-inflicted misery. This is our God.
Prayer: Lord, I am humbled when I think of how You’ve chosen me. And yet how I wish that others around me could also experience Your kindness. Would you have mercy and deliver them, too? In Jesus’ name I pray.
Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 15
Lunch Break Study
Read Romans 9:1-3: I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people . . .
Questions to Consider
1. What does Paul (the author) feel when he thinks about his people (v. 2)?
2. Why is his heart so troubled (v. 3)?
3. What heart does his “almost” wish express (v. 3)? How do we feel when we think about people close to us who don’t know Christ?
Notes
1. He feels great sorrow, continually conflicted within, and great burden.
2. His people are cursed and cut off from Christ because they have rejected the gospel.
3. How much he wants to share Christ with his people; how not content he is just to be saved himself. Like a child who’s received a special treat but wants so much for his brothers and sisters to have it, too, he’s almost willing to give his own away; but if he did, it would defeat the purpose as his desire is that they all share in this same wonderful experience together.
Evening Reflection
What evidences were there of God’s favor in my life today? Was I able to share it with any others? Take a moment to pray for those you’d most like to share this Christian life with.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on October 9, 2014.
Devotional Thoughts for This Morning
“The Sins of the Parents”
Proverbs 15:27
“The greedy bring ruin to their households . . .”
While traveling in Mexico, I stayed in many different homes, but none was like the home I stayed in Guerrero. At first, the husband told me that his wife was visiting relatives in the states, but his melancholy face and subdued children told another story. Later in the week, the husband told me everything: his wife, after crashing her car into someone’s property, fled the city when an unfavorable ruling resulted in grave consequences. The husband had no idea when she might return; he wasn’t even sure where she was. In the meantime, what’s left of the family was passing another lonesome, silent night.
The prophet Ezekiel made it clear that the children do not share the guilt of their parents, saying, “The soul who sins is the one who will die” (Ez. 18:20). However, the sins of parents can hurt their children. Long before the time of Ezekiel (6th century BC), there was a period in Israel when God “punish[ed] the children for the sins of the fathers” up to the fourth generation (Ex. 20:5). No incident better illustrates this than what greedy Achan (15th century BC) did, which led to God punishing him and his family (Jos. 7:24-6). Instead of obeying God by destroying the devoted things that belonged to the enemy, Achan stole and then buried them. Consequently, Israel, “hav[ing] been made liable . . ., [couldn’t] stand against their enemies” (v.12).
On the one hand, God certainly punished Achan’s children for their father’s sin, but on the other hand, it can be said that the sin of Achan hurt his children. While parents can hold to Ezekiel’s revelation in believing that the children do not share their guilt, that does not, of course, mean that the children do not get hurt because they do; just like the children of the Guerrero mother who fled.
No sin graphically illustrates this better than the sin of divorce: even the “no-fault” divorce hurts the children—a lot. Are you married? Do something nice this weekend to strengthen the marriage. Have you committed something wrong that affects others? Own up to it; rectify it today.
Prayer: Father, I confess that I continue to fall short of your holiness and righteousness. Because of it, I have hurt the very people whom I love. God, I need your help to turn this around. I look to You only to draw the strength I need to live a life that pleases You. Lord, minister to those whom I have hurt. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 14
Lunch Break Study
Read 1 Samuel 30:3-4, 6-10: When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep . . . 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. 7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”
9 David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10 Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.
Questions to Consider
1. What is the main reason the men wanted to stone David? What does this say about how they felt toward their children?
2. Two hundred men stopped searching for their kidnapped children on account of being exhausted, while the rest, who was just as tired, continued the mission and eventually recovered everyone, including the children belonging to the fathers who stayed behind. Describe how this kind of situation could have affected these children?
3. Why did these fathers make a choice that, in effect, was indifferent to the pains of their children? How is our Heavenly Father different from these fathers?
Notes
1. Each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. This shows that they really cared and were concerned about them.
2. These children had to be devastated, realizing that while other fathers risked everything to save their children, their own fathers chose not to rescue them. Since this was a matter of life and death, the effect of this de facto rejection wouldn’t have been resolved overnight.
3. This happened because these fathers put meeting their need to rest above the need of their families to be rescued from those who could have killed them at any moment. Yes, even parents can become supremely selfish, unlike the Heavenly Father who gave us His Son to save us.
Evening Reflection
As this day draws to its end, reflect on the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father who never does anything to harm us but always “looks” for ways to bless us. Thank Him.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Yohan Lee, a friend of AMI, who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches, is an updated version of his blog first posted on June 3, 2015. He is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Making Friends”
2 Samuel 23:13-17
During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 15 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 16 So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord. 17 “Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it.
The state of California has this thing called “transitional kindergarten,” which is basically an extra year of kindergarten for kids who are months too young for regular kindergarten. What is interesting is that in San Francisco, transitional kindergarten is not done at the elementary school where the kids will eventually matriculate—meaning, just because kids are in the same school for TK doesn’t mean they will be in the same elementary school. As a result, my son will be separated from his “bff” (as they call each other) next year. My wife and I are heartbroken over this, but I think we are taking this worse my son is.
One of the unique attributes of King David that we see in the Bible was his ability to draw people to himself—to make friends if you will. Although we do not often think about David’s mighty men as his friends, these men were drawn to serve David out of a love that resembled friendship more than a sense of duty that soldiers have for their king—why else would these three men risk their necks to make this incredible water break? (As an aside, husbands, if your pregnant wife asks you to make a “craving run” and you don’t want to do it, think of this story.) David also is to be admired, for he understood and respected their commitment and service and did the best thing he could do with such a humbling gift—he devoted it to the Lord.
While at GCC, Pastor Young probably spoke on or mentioned the value of Christian friendships at least every month or so. Sheepishly, I must admit that it has taken me almost 20 years to start to take to heart what he was talking about. I’ve always had friends, but I think in my younger years, I relied on them less and trusted in myself more. As I am getting older, and the stakes in my life get bigger and bigger (marriage, kids, ministry, etc.), I realize how important it is to have friends who can help me think through things, share prayer requests with—and yes, even laugh with.
What kind of friendships do you have? Do you truly value these relationships? What kind of friend are you? Do you share and speak with your closest friends about things that truly matter? Do you push each other on to love and serve Christ more? If not, let’s make it a goal today to deepen some of the relationships we have.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the friendships I have. Help me to be someone who sharpens my friends, and grant me the humility to allow them to speak into my life as well. Ultimately, help me to love others. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 13
Lunch Break Study
Read Acts 2:42-47: And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe[a] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Questions to Consider
1. What was the community devoted to?
2. How did the early church take care of one another?
3. What happened in this community?
Notes
1. The early church was devoted to the apostle’s teaching (consider it the Bible), fellowship (being together), breaking of bread (communion or remembering Christ), and prayer.
2. They shared their possessions, continually met together, ate together, and won the favor of people. It is also important to note there was power in this community.
3. God added to their number those who were being saved.
Evening Reflection
How do your views of or commitment to community/church need to change? Do you have friends who help you love Christ more? Do you help your friends love Christ more? Is there giving and sacrifice, as well as genuine love for one another in your church or cell group?
REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on October 6, 2014.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“A Man Who Wasted His Life”
Matthew 25:25, 6
“I . . . went out and hid your talent in the ground . . . His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant.’”
When I first met Carlos at the church we were attending in Mexico, he was part of a construction crew to add another floor to the church for the expanding Sunday school. During this period in his life, Carlos, a proud father of three daughters who sang like professionals, was heavily involved in the choir, was happy, and apparently not drinking.
When the job ended, though, he hit the bottle– again, and nothing could stop him; and soon, he hit rock bottom– again. During his binges, he had even hocked his daughter’s precious violin for quick cash to buy more drinks, and would frequently leave home. Though claiming to be a Christian, he once joined a cult, soliciting donations on the streets. Desperate, he checked himself into a rehab center, but that didn’t help him either. Sometime afterwards, Carlos was found dead in a run-down hotel, presumably after drinking. He was barely 50.
The funeral was truly sad, but his wife kindly said many wonderful things about him. But me, as his friend, I was “mad” at him for fumbling away the potential to have a wonderful life and even his family. The pastor of the church who knew the family well, and who once told the wife to show tough love to her wayward husband, was judicious with his words: He didn’t say where Carlos went, not convinced that he had shown any fruits (James 2:26); he wanted to avoid emboldening the conscience of those who were straddling the fence. Instead, after reading Hebrews 9:27, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” the pastor simply said, “Carlos’ journey has ended and now he stands before the judge of the universe. If he really believed in Jesus, he would be with him forever.”
One sad thing about Carlos’ life: he wasted it. Not only did he bury it, but he let it rot. How are you doing with the life, family and talent that God has given you? Don’t bury them; don’t let them rot. Get right with God; find a body of Christ that really cares for you; stick with them; and serve God.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I admit that I could have gone astray and could have completely destroyed myself. It certainly wasn’t because I’m so smarter or more spiritual that people like Carlos, but simply because of your overwhelming grace and mercy in my life. Keep them coming Lord, because I need them. Thank You. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 12
Lunch Break Study
Read Luke 13:6-9: Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
John 15:1-3:“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
James 2:14, 17:“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? . . . . 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
Question to Consider
1. Is God merely content that we are saved? What do these verses indicate?
2. Why is this so important to the Lord?
3. What is God willing to do so that the believers can bear fruits? Are you bearing good fruits?
Notes
1. God, as the owner of the fruit tree and vine, wants to see more fruits. Evidently, the Lord isn’t content with just us going to heaven; He wants us bring many people there. That’s the ultimate fruit: sharing and living our lives in such a way that others would want to join our faith in Christ.
2. For one thing, good works prove our salvation. Martin Luther was correct when he said, “We are saved by faith alone but not by faith that is alone.” A true faith, soon or later, produces good fruits.
3. Cutting the tree and pruning (no doubt a painful experience for the plant) suggest God’s discipline to jolt or motivate the lethargic believers to actively participate in their spiritual growth to be able to bear good fruits.
Evening Reflection
Did you make the most of what God gave you today? Briefly write down some positive and negative things you did today with what God gave you to make Christ known and to serve others.
REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 22, 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
“Spiritual Amnesia”
Hosea 8:14 (ESV)
For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces, and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; so I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour her strongholds.
The purpose of Thanksgiving Day is to give thanks and be content. For Christians, it is to remember the faithfulness of God, as He is the source of every blessing. Yet the tragedy of Black Friday is that not even a day later, many who supposedly gave thanks and were “content” end up being consumed by greed and selfishness. Now, we might look at these people and think that we are not like them, but we are all similar to a certain degree. Although Thanksgiving was a month and a half ago, I can already think of the many times I have forgotten the faithfulness of God. We all are guilty of forgetting His goodness.
So why did Israel turn from God even after He had demonstrated His faithfulness time and time again, from leading them out of slavery into the Promised Land? Perhaps this passage serves as an explanation of why we often turn to other idols and worship them alongside our God. We suffer from a condition called gospel amnesia—that is, we forget God’s faithfulness and love towards us. This is not something that is unique to Israel, as this is a constant trend in the relationship between God and man. Whether it is the Israelites wandering through the wilderness, grumbling at every turn even as God was providing for them and showing them signs and wonders, or our own grumblings today of where God is when we need Him the most, we all forget God’s faithfulness to us.
We forget, and that is why the Lord specifically reminded His people not to forget, lest when they have “eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them… then their hearts be lifted up, and they forget the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Deut. 8:12-14). Too often we live a life that says to God: “What have you done for me lately?” We can be grateful in the moment when we see the direct correlation of God’s blessing in our lives, but we forget Him soon thereafter. When we forget who our God—our Provider and Sustainer— is, then we start turning to our own strength and idols, and to finite and trivial things (money, success, relationships, knowledge) to fulfill our needs. Today, remember the faithfulness of God in your life—He is the true source of every blessing!
Prayer: Lord, how easy it is for me to forget Your goodness towards me. In the visible and invisible ways You are moving in my life, I give thanks and desire to remember Your goodness and faithfulness. Forgive me for the times I forget; and even when You strip things away from my life, help me to understand that it is so that my gaze might be directed back to You. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 11
Lunch Break Study
Read Deuteronomy 8:11-18 (ESV): Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Question to Consider
1. What is the context of this passage, and why does God need to remind them to remember Him?
2. Why was the wilderness experience good for the people, according to the Lord?
3. From this passage, what is the biggest temptation for us when we are in a time of comfort and prosperity?
Notes
1. God led Israel out of Egypt from slavery, through the wilderness and times of hunger and thirst, and leading them into Promised Land. Here, they were about to cross the Jordan to enjoy the riches of that land. He was preparing them so that they would know it was God who had blazed the trail for them into the Promised Land.
2. Often, wilderness seasons are meant to strip away things—particularly identities that we should not hold so tightly on to. For the Israelites, they needed be stripped of the spirit of slavery and learn how to live as inheritors of the promises of God. For others, like Israel in the time of Hosea, it might be a time to strip off the arrogance and idolatry that they were holding on to so that they might once again turn towards the true God. We all go through seasons of wilderness because we need realignments for our identities.
3. We might be tempted to say in our hearts that it is by our own power and might that we have become accomplished and have become wealthy. Let us not deceive ourselves, but know that it is the Lord our God who has even given us the strength to have what we have—He is the source of the fruitfulness of our lives.
Evening Reflection
It’s extremely important for us to have methods that work for us in remembering the goodness of God. Do you need to set reminders in your calendar? Maybe you need to get away on a personal retreat and reflect on His goodness? Or you need an accountability partner, a friend, a spouse—someone that will re-direct your gaze to the source of blessing? Whatever works for us, we need to have tangible means of remembering the faithfulness of God so that we might attribute the blessings in our lives correctly.
REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on October 5, 2014.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“The Power of God to Change Worthless Lives”
Philemon 1:11 (NIV)
“Onesimus . . . formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.”
I used to teach and preach at the CERESO prison of Chihuahua while living and serving in Mexico during the 2000s: at first, every week, later, once a month. A comical thing happened one Sunday as our group was entering the prison building in order to have our service there. An inmate named Javier met us by the entrance door, for he was released that day, but when Javier motioned to re-enter the prison with us, the guard swiftly rebuffed him. All Javier wanted was to not miss the Sunday service! This ex-drug dealer, who served 12 years in a prison known for trying to rehabilitate inmates, was so changed, upon embracing God’s love expressed in Christ, that after his release, the largest Baptist congregation in the city made him their custodian. Javier’s story reminds of me another convict whom I read about many years ago.
Ron Sharp was an ex-con, ex-drug addict and a dealer! He was only 25 years old when he was sentenced to 25 years for armed robbery of a drug store. He didn’t get much education, and was tested at the fifth-grade reading level in the prison. Twenty years went by after he was paroled when Sharp again found himself in prison. But, “unlike the 75 percent of ex-prisoners who return prison” for recommitting crimes, Sharp was back, this time, as an invited guest. At that time, he was a Regional Director for Prison Fellowship Ministries who oversaw $1 million each year and directed 12 employees and thousands of volunteers. This man, who could not read, “supervised men and women who had master’s degrees!” Sharp, who became a believer after getting out of the prison, was using the leadership ability he once used in the drug world, for rebuilding the ruined lives of prisoners. He had already personally mentored some 75 ex-prisoners over the past 20 years.
This is what God’s power can accomplish: completely and thoroughly transforming wasteful lives. The apostle Paul was under no doubt that one reason God chose him was because his life clearly demonstrated that no one, regardless how bad, was outside of His power to be transformed. Paul confessed that he was the “worst of sinners,” because “formerly [he] was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” of the Christian faith. The apostle felt that “for that very reason [he] was shown mercy so that in [him], the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and received eternal life” (1 Tim. 1:16 NIV).
Many moviegoers have chosen “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994), which, at the end, shows two ex-inmates about to enjoy a life on the beach with stolen money, as the best movie ever. No, that flick isn’t as good as “The Javier, Ron and Paul Redemption” that shows how God can transform anyone to be fit for His kingdom work, including Onesimus, a runaway slave who stole from his master, but after his conversion to Christ, became a useful servant to the Lord!
Many are locked in prisons without bars because we continue to make self-centered decisions that keep us away from the abundant life that God wants for us. Turn to Christ today. Begin with a confession and repentance; and then plug yourself into a church or Christian group that can mentor and encourage you. Do it today!
Prayer: Dear Father, awaken me from my despair and apathy to smell and taste the real hope available in the redeeming love and power of Jesus Christ. In this new year, help me to make tangible and concrete steps to live up to the potential You have vested me in Christ. Amen.
UPDATED Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought was first posted on August 15, 2013.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“If You Only Knew What You Can Ask from the Son”
Luke 5:12-14
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
I wonder how much the leper knew of Jesus. His knowledge of Christ most likely came from others as “the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area” (Luke 4:37). His request was simple yet deep— “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Certainly we can never fully know and understand God’s will behind every circumstance we face in life. Yet have we pondered to consider His will over the problem we may be facing? In prayer, we need to just rely on His mercy and will.
Two things should be noted here: The context in which this event took place was still under the Old Covenant. Jesus was being consistent with what was written in the Law. The second thing was that until Jesus faced the cross, His true identity would be misunderstood as just a miracle worker; that is one reason, therefore, the healed man was told not to tell anyone about what just happened. Only through the cross, the inspired New Testament and the illumination of the Holy Spirit are we able to fully understand His identity, Jesus the Son of God. Until His blood redeems us, we would never be able to see Him for who He is.
What about now? What keeps you from telling others of what He has done for you? Jesus said, “I am willing . . . immediately the leprosy left him” (v. 13). If you cannot think of anything to share, maybe you have never asked Jesus for anything (James 4:2)? If you only knew what you ask from the Son! Any request you might have tonight, take it to the Lord, since nothing can hinder Him from reaching out to you—not difficult circumstances, impossible situations, or incurable diseases.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, in this new year increase my knowledge of who Your Son truly is, so that I may obey him more fully. Amen.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on July 15, 2015. Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Have You Ever Felt Like Giving Up”
1 Kings 17:9-16
12 And she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.”
Have you ever felt like throwing the towel in, where your situation was utterly hopeless, where you felt like your back was up against the proverbial wall, and that no matter what you did, you weren’t going to make it? Such was the case of the widow in today’s reading. She, along with her son, was faced with starvation and was fixing their final meager meal when the prophet Elijah met her. And through this impossible situation, both Elijah and the poor widow would find out that God is the God of the impossible.
Imagine asking a widow, a single parent raising her son alone in the middle of a famine, for the last morsel of food she had. This is by all accounts an unreasonable, if not a ridiculous request. She was in a hopeless situation with no means of solving her dilemma. But here is what God wanted to show her: He wanted the widow to take the focus off of herself and the situation and focus on the Lord and His power. And for this to happen, she needed to first offer what she had –which was a jar of oil—to the Lord. Though she didn’t have much, she still had something that God could use.
God is going to do miracles—but first, He wants us to offer what we have. God can actually create something out of nothing, but He wants us to first see what He has given us and offer that to Him. We see this all throughout the Scriptures: Moses’ rod became the “rod of God,” and the little boy gave up the few loaves and two fishes to God. For Jesus taught: “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matt. 17:20). God will bless you respectively to the degree you empty yourself to Him.
The truth is, the Lord doesn’t always let us in on what He’s doing, but trust fills the gap when we don’t understand. We must give our good Father the benefit of the doubt: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).
Prayer: Dear God, help me to lean on You today in all that I do. Increase my awareness of Your constant presence all around me. May I truly depend on You today. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 7
Lunch Break Study
Read 2 Corinthians 9:7-8: So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Questions to Consider
1. Why does God love a “cheerful giver”?
2. Why are we not to give “grudgingly or of necessity”?
3. Consider how you give your offering to the church? Is it with a cheerful heart?
Notes
1. God loves joy-motivated giving to others because it expresses contentment in God’s gracious giving to us.
2. To give grudgingly—or out of a sense of obligation—is to not thoroughly understand God’s blessings, the way he has blessed us and continues blessing us.
3. Personal response
Evening Reflection
“As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor. It can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.” –A.W. Tozer
REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor David Kwon of Journey Community Church in Raleigh, was originally posted on May 11, 2015.
Devotional Thought for Today
“Unthinkable Things We Humans Do”
2 Samuel 13:1-20
Now Absalom, David’s son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David’s son, loved her. [2] And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. [3] But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. [4] And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” [5] Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’” [6] So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”[7] Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house and prepare food for him.” [8] So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. [9] And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him. [10] Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. [11] But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” [12] She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing. [13] As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” [14] But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.[15] Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!” [16] But she said to him, “No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her. [17] He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.” [18] Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. [19] And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. [20] And her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s house.
If you turn on the news on any given night, you will often hear about a crime that seems unimaginable. I recently watched a story of a nurse who burned down a hospital, which resulted in 5 newborn infants dying all because she received a bad review at her job. Shock, anger, and confusion are just a few of the many emotions that come to mind when we read these stories.
This is one of the most heartbreaking and shocking stories in the OT. Just like an unthinkable crime, this passage brings various emotions because of the depravity in display. In 2 Samuel, we see uncontrollable lust, rape, and murder, and at the heart of it all we see the destructiveness of sin.
Amnon, in love with his half-sister Tamar who refuses to sleep with him, deceives and rapes her; in addition to such a crime, it was an act of incest, which was explicitly forbidden in the covenant law (Lev. 18:9; Deut 27:22). Tamar pleads with Amnon and tells him to consider the consequences of his actions, but we see those pleas are ignored (v.12-14). After his physical passions are satisfied, Amnon feels “intense hatred” toward Tamar. Feelings of guilt and shame heighten Amnon’s emotions, so that he now “hated her more than he had loved her” (v. 15).
What can we learn from this passage? First, we need to ask the Lord for self-control in our fight over sin – We see a classic case study of what happens when sin is not controlled and takes over our lives. Amnon is overtaken by his lust for Tamar and the consequences are severe. We need to remember that as believers, God gives us the spirit of self-control to fight sin in our lives. In addition, we must find the right people to help us fight temptation. It is important that we find the right people to keep us accountable – a mature believer/friend; a small group; a leader, etc.
Finally, there are always consequences to our actions, that is, the sins we commit. We hurt others and ourselves when we fall into sin. Therefore, pursue God’s holiness as if your life depends on it, because it does. Say no to sin when it is pliable, but don’t wait until it has fully grown and about to give “birth to death” (James 1:15).
Prayer: Lord, may my heart grieve over the sins in my life because it breaks Your heart. Help me to depend on Your Spirit that empowers and enables me to have victory over sin in my life. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 6
Lunch Break Study
1 Corinthians 10:13: No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Luke 22:40: And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Questions to Consider
What do we learn about temptation and sin according to 1 Corinthians 10:13?
What do we learn about God and His character?
What are some practical applications we can live by in order to fight sin in our lives?
Notes
Whatever temptation you face, regardless of how seemingly insignificant or how great it is, know that your struggles are common to all. You are not the first person to experience the temptation, and you most certainly won’t be the last.
God is always faithful, and He will not let you to be tempted to the point that you must give in.
There are others out there who can relate to whatever temptation you suffer at any given moment, which is why a strong community is vital in overcoming temptation.
Evening Reflection
What are the temptations that you are facing today? Fighting sin is a battle and can often be discouraging. Spend some time praying for strength and victory in our pursuit of overcoming temptation and sin.
