November 7, Friday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on February 1, 2019, is provided by Joshua Chzen. After many years of leading worship at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, he recently moved to Houston to join a new church plant led by Pastor Phil.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Always Worthy”

Habakkuk 3:17-18

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

Our church has been going through a study on the book of James in our life groups. (We just finished up the first chapter this week.) Since James begins his letter talking about enduring through trials and testing of our faith, we naturally spent a lot of time discussing the topic of suffering.

If I’m being completely honest, I haven’t experienced much suffering. As someone who grew up in relative stability and now lives in relative comfort, there hasn’t been a lot in the way of adversity or trauma. Depending on your perspective, you could argue that it was to my benefit, or to my detriment (or both). You may find yourself relating to my background, or you might be reading this as someone from the opposite end of the spectrum.

Looking to the prophet Habakkuk, we see someone who understood the pain of suffering, for God had shown him the impending destruction and violence that was to come upon the people of Judah. They would be subject to attack, plunder, and oppression by Babylonian Empire, and consequently, experience the ultimate humiliation and injustice. In response, Habakkuk voices unhappiness, confusion, and pain—even questioning God’s method and challenging His motive in allowing something like this to happen to His own people. And at the end of his closing prayer he paints a bleak picture of complete desolation: there is no fruit on the trees, no crops in the fields, no animals in the farmland; there is nothing left in which to find value, comfort, or joy. However, it’s in this same breath that Habakkuk reaffirms his faith and joy in God, and that He is still worthy of praise. It makes little sense from a worldly perspective, but Habakkuk knew God so deeply that his conviction to worship Him remained even in the worst of circumstances.

Having only a limited experience with pain and trial, it can be easy for me (and likely many of us) to default to unhappiness and confusion when difficulties arise. That combination can often give way to doubt—doubting God’s character, His intentions, and His plan. Paul presents one way to keep suffering grounded in perspective—it produces perseverance, character, and ultimately hope (Rom. 5:3-5). James writes that trial leads to maturity (Jas. 1:2-4). And while these are good reasons to rejoice in difficult moments, ultimately, they are grounded in God Himself. He is our deepest source of joy. Tough circumstances may change (for better or for worse), or they may not; but God himself is always good, always faithful, and always worthy to be praised.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You’re unchanging in character, intention, and plan. I could have nothing going my way, or everything going my way; but God, You are still the same, and You’re my greatest reason to rejoice. Help me to remember who You are when things are hard. In Your name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 19

Lunch Break Study

Read James 1:2-8 (NIV): Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Questions to Consider

What does James say about trials? What is the ultimate result?
What does James say about doubt?
What role do you think wisdom plays in this context?

Notes

James states that trials serve to test faith, which produces perseverance, which ultimately leads to maturity and completeness. It’s because of this that we should approach these situations with joy.
James refers to those who doubt as “double-minded and unstable in all they do” and demonstrates this with the imagery of waves. He also says those who ask with doubt should not expect to receive anything from God.
Those who lack wisdom presumably have not completed the process of becoming “mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Evening Reflection

Are you going through any sort of difficulty? Are there circumstances you’re unhappy with? Relationships that only bring you frustration? Ask God for joy to fill your heart and wisdom to live out His will – He might not change our surroundings, but He will change our hearts when we are open.

November 6, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on June 7, 2019, was written by Pastor Phil Chen, who recently relocated to Houston, Texas, to plant a new AMI church. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Character of God”

Exodus 34:6-7 (NASB)

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; ⁷who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

God’s loving kindness and mercy and compassion is on display here. If you recall where we are in this story, Moses has returned up Mount Sinai to renew the covenant on behalf of Israel. Israel has broken covenant with the Lord by worshipping a golden calf, and there is a key moment where the wrath of God comes down upon Israel, and three thousand are killed that day. Where is the mercy of God there? Where is the compassionate and gracious God who is slow to anger? First of all, we need to understand that God has already been incredibly slow to anger. Even though God has shown Himself again and again by taking His people out of Egypt through signs and wonders and pledged Himself to them, they committed spiritual adultery by worshiping a golden calf, a god made from their own hands.

Secondly, it’s important to understand what God is saying here, because it can be easy to see His statements as contradictory when read the wrong way. Yes, He does show loving kindness, forgiveness, and grace, but only for those that will repent and turn back to Him. In Exodus 32, Moses cries out “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!” The sons of Levi gather to him and they are spared from the wrath of God. This is a picture of God’s call to us – whoever is for the LORD, return to Him and receive His forgiveness, His compassion, His loving kindness. However, God will not leave the guilty unpunished, and He will punish the sins of those that remain unrepentant, even to the third and fourth generation. Does this sound familiar? The first time God makes a covenant with the people of God (in Exodus 20), He tells them not to make any idols, because God is a jealous God who visits the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Him.

As much as God is Love, Mercy, Compassion, Forgiveness, God is Just. His justice and wrath will come upon those who hate Him, and it makes sense for Him to do so. Because God is love, He must hate sin, and He must punish and wipe away that sin. May this be a reminder for us – to hate sin as our God hates sin, and to turn to Him, knowing that when we do, He will shower his forgiveness and mercy upon us. Do not take His grace and mercy as a license for sin and rebellion. Rather, love Him because of His incredible love for you.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for your love and compassion. Thank you for your forgiveness and mercy. Soften my heart so that I may walk in the path of your forgiveness and mercy – that I may know the fullness of your love and compassion and be a recipient of your blessing. In Jesus’ Name I Pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 18

Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 12:7-11 (ESV):Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Question to Consider

1. What does this passage list as the importance of discipline?

2. What is the fruit of discipline?

3. What are ways you are currently experiencing the discipline of God?

Notes

1. Discipline is for all who are considered children. When discipline occurs, it reminds the one that is being disciplined that they are legitimate children (of God). Sometimes, we don’t care for the discipline, nor do we understand the reason, but we submit to the Father who disciplines for our good.

2. Discipline produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Those that have been disciplined and have experienced the fruit of discipline are not as allergic to the thought of further discipline, for they know that there is more fruit to come out of the discipline.

3. Personal Response.

Evening Reflection

Sometimes the discipline of God can feel like the judgment of God coming down on us. However, we know that as children of God, we have been shown mercy and compassion. Even though we mess up and turn away from Him, we know that He disciplines us so that we will be restored to Him. However, as we learn today, the judgment of God will come upon those who continually choose to turn away from Him and reject His forgiveness and mercy.

November 5, Wednesday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on March 14, 2019, is written by Tina Pham who, along with her family, is serving in E. Asia as a missionary.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Meal that Nourishes Faith”

Exodus 12:23-27

For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you. 24 And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever. 25 When you enter the land which the Lord will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’ 27 you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.’” And the people bowed low and worshiped.

The Lent season has already started, and we are about five weeks away from Easter Sunday. This is a great time in the year to consider ways to prepare our hearts to remember the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry before His death and the victory He won for us through the resurrection. Before we consider how we will make room in our schedules to recount the victory Jesus won for us, let’s look at how the Lord in the Old Testament taught the Israelites to remember His works through the Passover meal.

After they had prepared the Passover lamb for their deliverance and before the deliverance actually took place, God instituted the Passover meal as an ordinance that Israel should keep every year as a remembrance of God’s salvation. It would also serve to teach the future generations about God’s salvation for His covenant people. The key spiritual principle to draw out in this passage is from the phrase, “When you enter the land which the Lord will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite.” What is already apparent is that God will give Israel His promise. Israel can look forward to enjoying God’s promise and blessing, but obedience to God’s law, which in this case is the law to observe the Passover, will enable them to continuously live in God’s promise. For them to remain in the promised land for the long haul, they must hold fast to God’s rule and what He requires of them. Where there is grace, there is also a response of obedience required.

God requires His people to commit to observing the Passover, and “re-enacting” the night of their deliverance, because it will lead them to worship God and remember that He is the source of their salvation and the fountain of life. Observing this ordinance regularly will protect them from the temptation to trust in other gods, as they will see other powerful, successful nations worship their gods and be enticed to draw security from their gods instead of from God of Israel. Obeying the Passover ordinance will ascribe to God the worship that is worthy of Him, but the benefit is for the Israelites, for it will keep them steady and faithful to trust in God in their future battles.

How will you make room in your schedule in these next several weeks to remember the victory Jesus won for you? What are new blessings or promises that God is leading you to possess this year? In preparing for these new seasons, what habits do you want to build to regularly recount God’s goodness and making thanksgiving a regular part of your worship to Him?

Prayer: Dear Father, thank You that You are the God of my salvation! Thank You that You place spiritual habits in my life because they lead me back to you and remind me of how You have led me from the beginning until now. Preserve me from my own forgetfulness and tendency to wander. As You lead me to walk into Your plans and promises, teach me to obey what You command so that I can continuously remain in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 17

Lunch Break Study

Read Joshua 1:3-7: Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.

Questions to Consider

When and where is God saying these words to Joshua?
What is God promising to Joshua?
What is the most important task for Joshua?

Notes

God is speaking to Joshua after Moses died and when the right time came for Joshua, as the appointed one, to lead the Israelites to possess the promised Land. The Israelites are on one side of the Jordan River and are preparing to cross over to the land.
God is promising that the land which He has promised to give to the children of Abraham indeed belongs to them, even before they go in to physically possess the land. He not only promises the land but His presence and protection as well.
Besides conquering the land, the most important task for Joshua is to keep God’s word close to him and to obey all that he has been taught through the Law. By holding onto God’s word, he will not only be able to conquer the land, but will also be able to continuously possess God’s promise and live in God’s promise.

Evening Reflection

Hebrews 13:15-16 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

What key events and breakthroughs in your life could you give thanks for today? In what way would it breed hope for you regarding the future?

November 4, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on May 7, 2019, is provided by Pastor David Kwon who leads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“God with Us”

Exodus 25:10-16

“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. 15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.

Throughout history, mankind has constructed many remarkable structures and buildings. Just think about the Great Pyramids in Egypt, the palace at Machu Picchu, the Parthenon, the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China. But, probably the most important structure that was ever built in history was the Ark of the Covenant. The very center of God’s presence was the ark, which was placed in the Holy of Holies – the innermost tent in the tabernacle.

Like the other articles in the temple, it was made from acacia wood (v. 10), which was a highly durable wood. The ark was covered with pure gold and it had been treated to remove any impurities (v. 11). Obviously, anything less could not be a fitting piece of furniture for the King of kings. Basically, the ark was a box fitted with poles so that it could be lifted onto the shoulders and carried without being touched directly. These poles were never removed (vv. 12–15), probably so that the ark could be carried off at a moment’s notice. The ark went everywhere that Israel went, even into battle (Josh. 6), and the ark’s constant availability to be picked up and carried off symbolized God’s willingness to go with His people wherever they might go. I like how one author, Daniel Hyde, describes the Ark:

“Here is such a mind-blowing idea about the God of the Bible that we have to pause for a moment. The eternal God who is not constrained by the existence of time, the infinite God who is not bound by the constraints of space, the transcendent God who dwells above and beyond all time and space, and the immense God who fills all time and space condescended to the weakness of His people and became manifest for their benefit in one locale. This God is not bound by time, but He bound Himself to the time-bound experience of His people. This God is not bound by space, but He bound Himself to this box. He is above all creational constraints, but He bound Himself to them. He is everywhere, but He was there.”

One lesson we can apply today is that God’s presence is with us now and forever. In John 17:17-18, Jesus reminds us that the Holy Spirit is in us which ensures us that his presence is always there and He will never leave us. This means we can have comfort amid pain, joy amid sorrow and assurance that God is with us even when it does not seem like it. Have confidence and draw near to Him!

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the story of the Ark of the Covenant because it reminds us that You are a God who is still dwelling in our midst. Thank You that we can come to You freely because of the blood of Jesus!

Bible Reading: Acts 16

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 23:1-5: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Questions to Consider

As believers, what do you think it means to not be ‘in want’?
How should this truth free us from anxiety and worry? Why is this important to understand?
How can these verses challenge and comfort you today?

Notes

As a shepherd, He is the one who is our provider. He satisfies my needs. That is the place where God wants to bring us. He wants us to be independently dependent upon Him, to need Him alone.
It also means that he provides for our practical needs such as food, job, possessions, etc. We should never worry or be in want but rather continually trust in Him. Even in the darkest moments of our lives, God’s goodness and mercy follow us (v.6), which ought to give us confidence in our Great Shepherd.
Take some time and mediate on what this means for you in every area of your life.

Evening Reflection

James 4:8 – Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Be encouraged that we can have intimacy with our Holy and Majestic God! Take some time in prayer and worship to draw near to him!

November 3, Monday

REPOST Originally shared on June 10, 2019, today’s AMI QT Devotional—written by an anonymous contributor—continues to offer quiet insight and reflection.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The High Priest’s New Clothes: The Ephod and Breast Plate”

Exodus 28:6-14

“And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.

In spending time in the New Testament, I came across a passage that fascinated me deeply in the Gospel of John: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39) [ESV].

In the first century, to refer to the Scriptures would be to refer to the Old Testament. If the books of the Tanakh (i.e., Law, Prophets, Writings) testify of our Lord, then they ought to be studied and enjoyed with every bit of fervor as the New Testament, right? Thus, studying Exodus 28 was an opportunity to have some fun looking for Jesus in the Old Testament. Here’s some of what I found.

In the latter half of Exodus, God instructs the Israelites to function as His representatives on Earth. This includes protocols for worship and the priesthood, down to the clothing of the high priest (Aaron, brother of Moses). Exodus 28 covers the details of Aaron’s attire, seemingly painting a picture of the coming Jesus in the process. Painstakingly made, the priestly garments are “… for glory and for beauty,” (Exod. 28:2 ESV). Aaron’s coat, undergarments and turban are all white, signifying purity. The ephod is made of gold and woven skillfully with blue, purple and scarlet yarns matching the inside of the tabernacle (Exod. 26). On its shoulder pieces, the ephod has two onyx stones engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel. The breast piece is made in the style of the ephod, with the same blue, purple and scarlet yarns. On its front, the breast piece contains four rows of stones, each engraved with the name of the sons of Israel (Exod. 28:15-21).

Now, Aaron, as the high priest, is tasked with bearing the tribes of Israel on his shoulders and his heart (Exod. 28:12, 29). Apparently, only once a year Aaron would shed the breast piece and the ephod, and that was on the Day of Atonement. On this day, Aaron was simply to wear the all-white coat, turban and undergarments; this is to say, he was to shed his glorious clothes, and enter the tabernacle dressed humbly and pure.

Interestingly, Jesus is called our High Priest numerous times in the Book of Hebrews. To perform His work of atonement, Jesus entered creation without extravagant garments, temporarily setting aside His glory and standing pure within Himself. However, rather than bearing the weight of just Israel on His shoulders and heart, Jesus bore the weight of all His people when completing His work. Could it be the Aaronic priesthood and its garments were a glimpse of the true High Priest to come? If all of creation speaks to God’s invisible attributes (Rom. 1:20), then is it possible Jesus can be found in much more of our lives than what we currently perceive? I challenge us all to look, and then worship Him and serve Him.

Prayer: Father, Your Word speaks of Your works and wonders from beginning to end; thank You for leaving us pictures of Your Son to look forward to as we spend time in Scripture. Holy Spirit, as You dwell within us, I pray You would open our eyes wider, giving us daily reminders of the Son, His work and the cost of our atonement. Thank You, for everything. In Christ, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 15

Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 4:14-16: Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of nee

Questions to consider

1. What are some differences between Jesus and the Aaronic priests?

2. What makes Jesus a better High Priest for us?

3. Think about the last time you were comforted and encouraged by our high priest.

Notes

1. While the Aaronic priests needed priestly attire to outwardly display themselves as God’s priests on Earth, under the garments stood, still, a sinful man. By contrast, Jesus’ outward appearance was humble, being that of a simple carpenter. Jesus carried the necessary glory and purity to serve as God’s Priest on Earth within Himself.

2. I think Hebrews 4:15 hits this one on the head: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (ESV). We do not serve a God who arbitrarily makes rules for us to follow and punishes those who cannot keep to them. Rather, our God leads by example, having been tempted in the same way as we are, yet walked among us without sin. What’s more, our God provided Himself as the final sacrifice for His people to draw near to Him.

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Clearly there are parallels between the garments of the Aaronic priesthood and the true High Priest, Jesus. Sometimes people refer to the parts of the Old Testament where specifications of the tabernacle are described, or the Law is given to the people, as the “dry” sections of the Bible because the narrative of the story is somewhat paused. Professor Dave Talley (Talbot) once remarked, “…it seems everyone likes watching the dominoes fall, but not so much watching the dominoes get set up,” while commenting on the Old Testament. I had never thought of it that way. So, if we love Jesus, then we should love the whole Old Testament as well, dry stretches and all, because Christ is all over it.

November 2, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on November 11, 2018, is written by Pastor David Son who pastors the Thrive Church in Taipei. Stay up to date with the church by following her here: https://www.instagram.com/thrivechurchtaipei/

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Grace from a Guy Named ‘Evil’”

Jeremiah 52:31-34

And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table, and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, until the day of his death, as long as he lived.

I love movies from the 90’s. Not necessarily because they are higher quality films (although many are), but mostly because after you watch a 90’s movie, you feel a fantastic sense of closure. But these days, nearly every major film that comes out ends with a cliffhanger. I concede that some of them are fairly well done, and they leave the viewers with a sense excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, many others are poorly executed, leaving the viewers angry at the fact that they have to shell out another $15 to find out what happens next.

Journeying through the book of Jeremiah, the primary theme has been about exile, judgment, and God’s impending wrath upon the nations. But this final chapter in the book is a cliffhanger of the best kind. Amidst all the language of destruction and hopelessness, the final paragraph tells us a story of grace and hope. After 37 years of imprisonment, Jehoiachin (the king of Judah) is shown incredible grace and favor, and that from a guy whose name happens to be “Evil-merodach” (his name doesn’t actually mean “evil” it just sounds like that in English). I love how the last words of this book hint at the coming redemption of God by telling us about a man who is freed from prison, and then given a seat at the king’s table, for no apparent reason at all. If that’s not a foreshadow of God’s redemptive plan, I don’t know what is! This morning, let us remember God’s final plan is always to redeem us.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for the book of Jeremiah, which reminds us of the seriousness of sin, but also the hope of a redeeming God. We worship You today for who You are. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 14

November 1, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on August 25, 2018, is provided by Hee Jung Lee. Hee Jung, a graduate of Biblical Theological Seminary, serves at Catalyst Agape Church (New Jersey) along with her husband Pastor Sam Lee.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Why God Does What He Does”

Jeremiah 32:26-30

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it. And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come and set fire to this city and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger; because the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands,’ says the Lord.

In basic literature, it is understood that in every story there is a protagonist and an antagonist. The protagonist, who is the main character and is generally the “good guy,” is provoked by the antagonist, the “bad guy.” The protagonist is the hero usually abhorring evil and preserving good.

In Jeremiah, God can be understood as the protagonist, despising wrongdoings and idol offerings. When a heart is rich in love, its natural tendency is to despise unrighteousness, because love does not delight in evil but always rejoices with the truth (1 Cor. 13:8). Also, an upright heart is attracted to all that is good and beneficial to another. Love celebrates the promotion of others and gives up of oneself (John 15:13). To elaborate, sincere love abhors the ways of the flesh and is drawn to whatever is right, honorable, pure, and holy (Philippians 4:8). This truth magnified to perfection is the reason that sin separated people from God, causing Jesus to be the only qualified sacrifice to pay the penalty of iniquity.

Therefore, it is healthy as a believer to do an inventory of our thoughts, words, and behaviors to gauge how we are progressing spiritually. Spiritual maturity is to love God with our whole being and then to love others as we love ourselves (Matt. 22:39). Is your heart increasing in love or is it stuck in self-preservation? Increase in love reveals that the heart is submitting to the ways of the Lord, while self-preservation is a sign that you have not allowed the Lordship of Christ to reign over yourself (thoughts, attitudes, & will).

In Jeremiah, we see a Father who is not passive but active in bringing about correction and alignment in His children, in order that we may live in the richness of our true identities as His royal children. This is love. Take time today to consider this: Do you despise the ways of the flesh and wrongdoings? Are you drawn to all that is upright and beneficial to others? The answers to these will give you a good gauge as to how you are doing spiritually. Bring all unhealthiness to the Lord and allow Him the issues of your heart—this is the way of love!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for modeling the ways of love for me! Thank You that as I submit to Your ways and am not be ruled by my feelings, I am allowing Your love to be perfected in me. Thank You that losing is actually gaining in Your Kingdom. I choose to submit myself to You, in order to live as one who is in Christ and can serve as a blessing to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 12-13

October 31, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was originally posted on July 31, 2019. Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Truly Human”

Genesis 1:26-28

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

What does it mean to be human? Is it simply our biology as a homo sapiens, the result of millennia of evolutionary tinkering? Or does it have something to do with the ability to reason – to think and create? Or is it something more?

Well, the Bible has a pretty clear answer to what being human is all about and it’s found right on the first page! When God created humankind, He created them in His own image. So, simply put, to be human is to be God’s image. Simple enough, right? But what does this actually mean? The word image comes from a Hebrew word that almost always is used to speak of idols of other gods. If you visit ancient temples of other gods, often you will see images of those gods on the walls of the temple. The word to speak of those kinds of idolatrous images is the word used to speak of humans as the image of God. What was the purpose of those images on the walls? Those images were meant to tell a story about who that god was so that people in the temple could worship.

When God created the heavens and the earth, on the last day, at the end of creation, He created humans and called them His image. He created a massive temple – namely, all of the world – and adorned it with his image, humans. He placed them in creation and said, “Look! This is my image. They point creation to me! They are my objects of worship.” If creation wanted to know who God was, humans as God imagers were to show this to the world. And thus, worship comes to God.

We exist as worship. We are objects of worship in God’s great big creation temple. To be truly human means to know that our life is all about worship. A life without worship is a subhuman life. We were created to be worship of God, to point creation upwards to the reality that God is our creator and thus worthy of all creation’s worship.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that you created us, Your image bearers. Help us to remember our primary function is to bring worship to You. May we not neglect worship in our lives. Rather, may we truly be human and lead all of creation into worship of You! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 11

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 12:1-2: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Questions to Consider

According to this passage, what is our spiritual worship?
What is the barrier to us being living sacrifices of worship to God?
How can you offer your life today as a living sacrifice? What worship is God asking of you now?

Notes

Our spiritual worship, according to this passage, is to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. This means our whole lives – our actions, thoughts, emotions, relationships, time, money, possessions, all of it – is meant to be given as worship of God. Our identity as humans is worship so that means everything in our lives is meant to be for God.
Being conformed to the world is the barrier to living out our identity as objects of worship. When we as the image of God stop imaging Him and rather image the world, we have become a broken and useless image. We have been corrupted. The source of an image’s identity is the one who is being imaged – to conform to anything else destroys the worship we are meant to bring.
Pray and allow God to speak and show you how he wants you to worship him this day!

Evening Reflection

As you get ready to sleep tonight, reflect on your identity as a worship-bringer of God. Reflect on how worship has been incorporated into your life and invite God to show you how you can make His worship more central in your life.

October 30, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on May 5, 2018, is provided by Pastor David Kwon who leads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The God of Provision”

Exodus 25:23-30

“You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 24 You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. 25 And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs.27 Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table.28 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. 29 And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.”

When I look back on how we started our church, JCC, I am always reminded of God’s provision through the years. Whether it is a church van, sound equipment, financial and human resources, it is evident that God provided everything we needed at the right time. We still continue to pray and trust that he will provide for us as a church. Have you ever looked back at your life and see how God has provided for you?

Continuing our look at the building of the tabernacle, we will now look at what is commonly called “the table of the Presence”. This table, along with the lampstand, was to be set up outside the Holy of Holies in the Holy Place of the tabernacle where the light from the lamps could illumine the table. This title identifies the most important thing about the table – namely, what was on it. The table in the Holy Place held twelve loaves of sacred bread (1 Sam. 21:6) as well as various plates, dishes, pitchers and bowls. What did this all mean?

We are utterly dependent on God for everything we need. This is what the bread signified. Bread represented God’s provisional care.

God is the great provider. God had been with the nation of Israel from the very beginning and met all of their needs. Week after week, year after year, century after century the bread of Presence was a sign of God’s providence

God’s fellowship with this people. When the priest ate the bread, they were eating the presence of God, gathering around his table. One commentator said it like this, “In the ancient Near East sharing a special meal together was an act of friendship and personal communion. Thus, God invites Israel to share a meal with Him and enjoy him presence.”

Are you trusting God for provision? Let’s trust that He will provide for us, as we are dependent on Him.

Prayer: Lord, we want to recognize that You are the great Provider in our lives. Give us the strength to trust in You every moment of our lives. Amen!

Bible Reading: Acts 10

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Questions to Consider

When it comes to the area of worry, what is the main issue Jesus is pointing to?
What is the solution to anxiety over our future?
How can we be comforted by this passage?

Notes

The reason we get anxious about our life and future is because we lack faith. We lack faith that God’s ways are best and that He will provide for us in His time.
The way that we overcome worry is by making His kingdom the highest priority (v. 33). We seek His kingdom and we trust that He will add things that we need.
We can be assured that God knows and cares for our every need. He desires us to trust in and to seek the things of His kingdom.

Evening Reflection

In what areas do you need greater trust in God? Be specific and lift those areas up to the Lord in prayer.

October 29, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on April 3, 2019, is provided by Ulysses Wang who pastors Renewal Church in Sunnyvale, California.

Devotional Though for This Morning

“God Who Redeems our Pain.”

Exodus 18:1-12

Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). 5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” 12 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

Moses, after delivering the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, is reunited with his wife, two sons, and father-in-law. Scripture specifically highlights his sons by not only naming them, but also by explaining the meaning of their names. This is interesting because in the case of Gershom, we already know the meaning of his name from the account of his birth in Exodus 2:22. So why repeat it? It’s almost as if the names of his sons took on new meaning in light of Egypt’s deliverance from slavery. It’s as if Moses’ sadness at his plight in Exodus 2 had been redeemed, with the names of his sons reminding him of how far God had taken him and the Hebrews.

There’s great encouragement to be received from Moses’ story. It reminds us that God is a Redeemer, and that we can hope in Him for the redemption of our pain and adversity. Moses is a reminder that truly, “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). And this even becomes a testimony to the nations, for Jethro, a Midianite, declares, “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods”! And this was God’s aim all along. The apostle Paul writes in Romans 9:17, “Or the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’”

We must not lose sight of the fact that our suffering and eventual redemption serves as a light unto the nations. When we face adversity, put our hope in God and persevere, we experience God’s faithfulness, and that speaks volumes to the watching world about who our God is.

Prayer: Lord, grant me the perseverance to walk with you faithfully, even through the valley of the shadow of death. Grant that I may come to see the Gershoms and Eliezers of my life in a new light, trusting that God is a Redeemer, as He has shown us through the cross. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 9

LUNCH BREAK STUDY

Read Acts 6:8-15: Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Questions to Consider

How would you describe the manner in which witnesses against Stephen were produced as well as the nature of the accusations?
How might you have felt or reacted if you were in Stephen’s shoes?
According to v.15, how did Stephen react? What can we learn from him?

Notes

The witnesses were “false” and the accusations egregious distortions of Jesus’ teachings, abused to the benefit of Stephan’s accusers.
A sense of anger, indignation, or injustice?
No matter how we are wronged, no matter the injustice we experience, can we face it with “the face of an angel”? This doesn’t necessarily mean succumbing to whatever evil befalls us, but it does mean approaching every situation with love, forgiveness and blamelessness.

EVENING REFLECTION

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

Have a wonderful rest in Lord. Good night.