REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King who serves as associate pastor at Remnant Church in Manhattan, was first posted on November 22, 2014.  Cami is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.).  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Burger Theology”

Proverbs 12:10

A righteous person cares forthe life of his animal, but even the most compassionate acts of the wicked are cruel.

A few years ago, I met a woman who truly loved her cat. She had a sickly cat that required constant care, medications, doctor’s visits, and she faithfully cared for him through it all. When I first met these two, I thought their relationship odd – such devotion to an animal that couldn’t give the same in return and likely didn’t understand the care he was receiving didn’t make sense to me. But if you asked her why she did it, she’d say because God made and loves her cat. 

And then one day, it hit me. I was sitting at the lunch table, about to enjoy a burger, when all of a sudden my heart was moved with what I can only describe as compassion… for my burger. I thought of the animal whose life was no more all so that I could enjoy my delicious (and it was delicious!) burger. And then I thought of all the inhumane ways that cow come to be beef on my plate. And my heart was moved (there may or may not have even been a tear in my eye). In that moment, I was sincerely thankful to God for creating the cow and for the privilege of being able to enjoy a burger. And I was deeply repentant on behalf of my society for not taking more care in the process by which the cow became my burger.

It was a weird moment, if I’m honest, but it was one in which God taught me a thing or two about His heart. God is a being marked by kindness, compassion, tenderness, and mercy. And that mercy is so great, that it can’t help but flow forth to His creation – and not just the human creation, but the animals too. And when God made man in His image so that they might “rule” over the earth (Genesis 1:26), he intended our rule to be one that looked much like his own – marked by kindness and overflowing with mercy. 

I don’t tell this story to suggest that Christians should run around hugging trees, but I do wish to say that the compassion and mercy of God within us should be evident not only in our dealings with one another, but with all of creation. Our societal consumerism programs us to see all of creation (people, animals, and nature alike) as objects for our use and consumption. But God did not intend things to be this way. So, as we go through our day today, may we look at the squirrel and the bee and the tree anew. May we care for and appreciate all life around us the way our Heavenly Father does. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your kindness and gentleness and compassion from which I benefit everyday. Open my eyes to see all life around me the way You do. Help my heart to be so full of your kindness and compassion that it marks my dealings with all that You’ve created.  

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 26-27

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor David Kwon who heads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, was first posted on November 28, 2013.  He is a graduate of Drexel University (BS) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Reason to Praise the Lord”

Psalm 117:1-2

Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! [2] For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!

This is the shortest Psalm in the Psalter, but as Derek Kidner rightly notes, its faith is “great” and “its reach is enormous.”  He added, “The shortest Psalm proves, in fact, to be one of the most potent and most seminal.”  How so?

The first striking feature of this Psalm is its call for all nations and all people to praise God. It is, therefore, a missionary psalm, calling on all peoples everywhere to extol God.   The second important feature is the reason why all nations should praise God: His steadfast love and faithfulness, which endures forever.  

On this day, we should be reminded of the greatness of His love for the nations as well as for us.   God expressed the fullest measure of His love for us in Christ; in Him, we have abundant life (Jn. 10:10) in this age and eternal life in the age to come.  The innumerable promises of the Lord, such as tarrying with us in our trials or answering our prayers, are as fresh and intact now as on the day they were made; and they will remain so.  

Take some time this morning praising and thanking the Lord for His love and faithfulness.  Meditate on the Cross and how it shows His great love for you.  May worship and praise arise as you think about Christ.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You are at work in my life despite not seeing it clearly at times.  Help me to be faithful and continue to trust Your plan for me.  Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 25

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Lunch Break Study

Read Ephesians 2:1-7: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2] in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—[3] among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—[6] and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Questions to Consider

1. According to Paul, what is the true condition of humans?
2. What does man desperately need from God?
3. What moves our Lord to send Jesus to die for ours sins?

Notes

1. Man is not only spiritually dead but is an object of the wrath of God, who is holy and just.   
2. Paul describes man’s condition apart from the grace and mercy of God. Thankfully, Jesus has not left men in their miserable state, but has chosen to rescue those chosen from the foundation of the world (1:3–6).  
3. It certainly is not any good we have done; being separated from God because of sins, we were undeserving of His love.  Whatever righteousness we thought we possessed was nothing but dirty rags (Isa. 64:6). What moves Him, Paul tells us, is His own mercy, love, grace, and kindness (Eph. 2:4–7).  It bears repeating that God has shown His grace and mercy when we did not deserve it.  

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Evening Reflection

One of our greatest needs as human beings is to be loved.  We have the need to know that we are important to somebody and that someone truly cares and accepts us unconditionally.  If this need is not met, we are liable to develop unacceptable behavior patterns to compensate for this need.

Remember, there is nothing we can do to make Jesus love us more, and nothing we will ever do will cause Him to love us any less. He loves us perfectly and completely regardless of how we perform; His love is unconditional.  Even if we don’t love ourselves, He still loves us. 

Having known and experienced His great love and mercy, we should show that same kindness to others in our lives.  Take some time to pray so that God’s love and mercy would be manifested abundantly in your life.  

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Barry Kang who heads Symphony Church in Boston, is an updated version of his blog first posted on April 11, 2013.  He is a graduate of Stanford University (BA), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (D.Min.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Honest Prayer Looks Like”

Psalm 35:22-24

O Lord, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. 23 Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. 24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, O Lord my God; do not let them gloat over me.

Did David really believe that God was sleeping and needed waking?  My guess is no. But we receive here a great example of honest and authentic prayer.  One of the reasons I love the book of Psalms is that we are shown that we can pray very honest prayers.

One of the practices that will kill our prayer life is to pray “Miss Universe” type prayers, praying for world peace, etc.  Shallow, inauthentic prayers will eventually lead us away from praying.  After-all, even the most determined hypocrites among us have our limits!  David shows us that prayer is not necessarily about saying the right thing, but is first about honest communication with God.  

I don’t believe God judges us based upon the wording of our prayers. (He doesn’t need to since He can look right into our hearts.)  As we open our hearts up to God in honest prayer, then God can work in our hearts to begin to pray more theologically sound prayers.  But it starts with honest prayer.

How authentic are your prayers?  Remember that God can see your heart already.  There’s no point faking it before God!

Prayer: Father, I thank You that we can approach You in complete honesty.  I also thank You that no matter how messed up my heart is, You still desire my prayers and a relationship with me.  I also confess that like David, I don’t understand Your ways.  Sometimes You seem so far away or slow to act.  I know that You are not sleeping, but I don’t understand why You don’t act more obviously and quickly to halt the injustices in my life and to bring healing when I ask.  Help me to trust in You and Your timing.  Help me to keep pressing on in prayer, believing that this is what You desire of me.  In Jesus’s name, I pray.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 24

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Lunch Break Study

Read Exodus 32:11-14 (NIV): But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “O Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” 14 Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

Questions to Consider

1. By happy coincidence, the daily readings coincide today with the lunch break study!  So this should be a relatively easy question to answer: What is the context of this passage?
2. How does Moses intercede for his people?
3. In Numbers 12:3, Moses is described as a “very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.”  What does this incident teach us about the nature of true humility?

Notes

1. In Exodus 32, the people of Israel get tired of waiting for Moses, who was receiving the Law from God on Mount Sinai. They ask Aaron to make for them gods that they can see. Aaron makes for them a golden calf, of which he declares, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.”
2. Moses boldly reminds God of his promise to bring his people out of Egypt, and his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (aka Israel) to bless their descendants. Interestingly, Moses also argues that God should be concerned with his reputation among the Egyptians (v. 12).
3. Humility is obviously not the same as shyness or a lack of boldness. Moses, “the humblest man on the face of the earth” boldly confronts God even in the face of God’s anger, and reminds God of his promises. This is not arrogance on Moses’s part. We see elsewhere that Moses is not concerned about his reputation (for example, he does not respond to the challenge of his authority in Numbers 12), but rather, in his humility, he is zealous for God’s reputation. The truly humble person is more concerned about God’s reputation than his/her own.

Additional comment: As much as this passage tells us about Moses, we also learn something about God’s character.  God could have rebuked Moses for his presumption.  A small and petty god might have punished Moses for daring to challenge him.  Instead, God listens to Moses’ intercession.  We have here a picture of a God who deeply cares about those he is in relationship with, and hears their petitions and concerns.

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Evening Reflection

In your journaling tonight, make every effort to be as honest as possible.  We are not journaling so that our future selves might have a certain picture of us, but to wrestle (if necessary) with the Spirit of God, and to root and establish ourselves in His love!

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What It Means to Bless Others”

Philem. 1:2

“To . . . Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home.” 

Rom. 16:3, 5

“Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. . . . Greet also the church that meets at their house.” 

I have always enjoyed attending a church that met at someone’s home.  For one thing, you get real food (and lots of it) after the service instead of refreshments that always leave you hungrier.   To those who think church in terms of a great cathedral with stained glass windows, meeting at someone’s home for church makes little sense; this also shows their lack of understanding of what the church truly is.  

While building is important since a place is needed to meet, keep in mind that “the Lord . . . does not live in temples built by hands” (Acts 17:24).  What’s more important is that the believers in whom dwells the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13) are gathered together to praise God first and fellowship with one another afterwards (Acts 2:46-7).  Before this gathering became too big, thereby needing a larger space, the earliest churches always met at someone’s home.  Unfortunately, the closeness and personableness that one felt there did not always translate very well once the meeting took place in a large cathedral.   

Can you imagine hosting a family or cell group, or a startup Sunday service at your home?  If you are going to lose sleep over people spilling coffee on your carpet or leaving stains on your wall, then, I understand that you would rather not.  But every good gift from above (James 1:17) comes with a purpose; perhaps the big house you are blessed to own is so that many can gather there to worship the Lord in an intimate setting.  Of course, the same thought can extend to other things that we have received from the Lord; whether it is wealth, knowledge or skill, we ought to share it with others.  Luke said the following about the early church: “All the believers were one in heart and mind . . . They shared everything they had” (Acts 4:32).

So, how is your generosity and willingness to share with others?  In 2021, how about blessing others with your space, food, and time?  Turn your home into a house of worship.  

Prayer: Lord, I admit that I always want a little more than what I have.  Instead of wanting less, I would like to ask for more so that I may use what you give me to expand your kingdom.  God, if I start hoarding what you give me solely for my own comfort while turning blind eyes to those in need, please decrease your material blessings in my life so that I may not offend you with my inappropriate usage of them.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 23

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Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 10:38-41:

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’  41 ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”

Questions to Consider

1. Martha always gets a short end of this narrative but what are some things we can learn from her?
2. In light of Martha’s predicament, what are some potential hazards of hosting a cell group or Sunday service at home?
3. What is the ultimate purpose of the gathering of believers whether they meet at someone’s home or in a bigger space called the local church? 

Notes

1. She opened her home for Jesus so he can teach and minister to others.  In addition, she spared no expense in preparing many sumptuous dishes to celebrate his presence and to feed others. 
2. The primary hazard is this: being so preoccupied with making sure that everything goes perfect that the host of the meeting does not participate in the worship itself.  The second hazard is complaining about people: Martha was piqued at Mary for not helping out.  We might get upset at people for eating too much, or not cleaning up after themselves, or not saying thank you; however, let’s curb our complaint since we did it for the Lord.  
3. It is to draw near to the Lord while worshiping him through praising him and listening to his word.

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Evening Reflection

Did you have an opportunity to be generous today?  How did you fare?  Were you a recipient of someone’s generosity?  How did you feel?  Wrap up your day around these themes.  Let’s do better tomorrow. 

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by then (2013) staff of Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan, was first posted on September 2, 2013.  It has been updated. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning 

“How We Pray When Facing Messy Situations“

Psalm 83:1-18

O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God! 2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads. 3 They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones. 4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!” 5 For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant— 6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, 7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8 Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah 9 Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, 10 who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground. 11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, 12 who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God.” 13 O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind. 14 As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze, 15 so may you pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane! 16 Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O Lord. 17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace, 18 that they may know that you alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.

What do we do when we find ourselves in a great big mess?  It’s good that we pray in times like that but what do we say to God?  In today’s passage we see how the psalmist prayed when facing a very difficult and threatening situation.  

As we have all noticed, many times, the Psalms that we read appear quite difficult to connect personally.   For instance, the Psalmist here is expressing his grave concern over a multitude of enemies of Israel who seek to annihilate God’s people.  However, instead of asking for strength to overcome his enemies or power to experience the victory, the writer asks that God would manifest Himself in His glory.  It is not a great personal victory that the Psalmist is looking for, but rather, the raising of the name of God above all names.

While our oppositions certainly are not as militant and brutal as those in this Psalm, we face other pressures that are quite real to us.  The secular world in which we live entices the people of God to conform to its pattern (Rom. 12:2) and expects them to put up with the mockery of their faith and God.  All around our society, there is a great uproar of secularism that seeks to quiet the name of God from being proclaimed.  

Therefore, in addition to praying for God to meet our daily needs such as provision and strength, let us also pray that God would manifest Himself in such a victorious manner that “every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:11).

Prayer: “LORD, I shout ‘AMEN’ as You tell me to inquire of Your wisdom, seek Your knowledge, depend on Your strength, and ultimately, be content in Your presence.  Oh, God, what can I possibly do that can bring the honor that You alone deserve?  LORD, I give you my heart!”  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 22

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Lunch Break Study

Read Philippians* 1:1-2: “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

*The Book of Philippians was written while the apostle Paul was under house arrest in Rome (59-61 AD).

Questions to Consider

1. What two aspects of our identity does this passage address?
2. What does it mean that we are addressed as saints even though we often do not act saintly? 
3. How is your service to Lord today? Are there specific ways that God is calling you to serve? Are there other “masters” that we need to renounce so that we may serve the one true Master?

Notes

1. These verses speak to two aspects of our identity in Christ, namely being servants and being saints.  Servant connotes that there is a Master to whom we are submitted. Saint, or holy one, references our justified standing before God.  
2. Though our sins make us unholy and utterly deserving of God’s judgment, we have been justified by the atoning work of Christ; as a result, we can rightly stand before the holy God.The Christian life is about growing into conformity to the identity that God has already established in us in Christ.
3. Personal response

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Evening Reflection

As we wrap up this day, let us celebrate our triumphant and righteous God who causes joyful hope to prevail in our hearts even during the most challenging and troubling times.  Offer a prayer of thanksgiving unto the Lord.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by the then (2013) staff of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, is an updated version of their blog first posted on July 22, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning 

“What Will It Take for Us to Truly Trust in God?”

Psalm 78:17-22

“But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. 18 They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.  19 They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the desert?  20 When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food?  Can he supply meat for his people?”  21 When the Lord heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, 22 for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. 

Can you believe how faithless the Israelites were in this passage?  After all the miraculous things that God had done for them, such as helping them cross the Red Sea, guiding them in the wilderness by fire and clouds, providing them with water from rocks, they were still plagued with unbelief.  What did God have to do for them to believe?  They wondered, “Can God spread a table in the desert?  Can God supply meat for his people?”  It’s hard to believe, after all the things that God had done for them, how the Israelites could still doubt God.  

Yet at the same time, this is something that we know all too well.  How often have we taken matters into our own hands instead of trusting in God?  God has done so much for us but how easily we forget or we limit what He can do.  When we stop trusting in God and start trusting ourselves, we become like the Israelites in this passage who were disobedient and faithless, incurring God’s wrath upon themselves.

There are natural consequences to our sins.  Also, God disciplines us for our lack of faith and disobedience.  But keep in mind that God disciplines those He loves, hoping that through it, we would repent, trust in Him, and bear much fruit.  

Prayer: Father, I confess that many times I forget the amazing things that You have done in my life.  Forgive me for trying to control my circumstances and not trusting in You.  Help me to rely on You alone when hardships come.  Forgive my restless and rebellious heart and help me to remember Your faithfulness.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 21

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Lunch Break Study 

Read James 4:5-6 (NIV): “Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’”

Questions to Consider

1. What does God jealously long for? (cf., Ex. 20:5) 
2. What does God provide to those who reject friendship with the world? 
3. Take an inventory of your life and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what He longs to take hold of.   

Notes

1. God jealously longs for our spirit to stay with him and break our friendship with the world. Since He created us and also purchased us through the blood of His precious Son, He jealously longs for us.
2. God provides His grace and His favor for those who humble themselves. His grace is also given to those who have been humiliated. And the grace that God provides is not only “more” but extraordinary.  
3. Personal response

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Evening Reflection

As you begin another week, what “distractions” or “noise” could you place aside this week so that you can better hear His voice? 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to always recognize that I belong to You and You alone. You are deserving of my worship, my life, my service, my spirit. Amen.

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 April 13, 2014.  He is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“When Do You ‘Wear’ Christ?”

Galatians 3:25-29

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

I am generally not a soccer fan, except for about two weeks to a month, three times every four years, men’s World Cup, women’s World Cup, and the Summer Olympics.  During these events, I just can’t turn the television off; I can’t get enough soccer, and of course, I will stay up to ungodly hours to watch my team play live.  I can admit this, because I know that at least 50% of the people reading this post have done the same.  

Question, who do you root for in the World Cup or they Olympics?  I root for the red, white, and blue baby because I am an American!  However, I know that a lot of my friends and family members as well as many of you reading this post probably root for a small peninsulaic nation renown for making smartphones, tablets, and televisions.  

In sports, it’s harmless to root for one country while being a citizen of another, but in the Christian life, you will not function properly if you do not have your identity straight.  The Galatian Christians wanted to be Jews and Christians or Gentiles and Christians, but the problem was that their ethnic and cultural identity superseded their spiritual identity as followers of Christ.  Instead of relying and living by the blood of Christ, they fell back into living by the law.  

How do you identify yourself, are you a doctor, lawyer, investor, programmer, father, mother, wife, husband, son, daughter, etc.?  Practically speaking, do all of these come secondary to being a child of God?  Here is a litmus test, how do you treat people, especially those “beneath” you at work?  Do you play to the corporate games and politics even if it is a little dishonest?  Have come to terms with what it means to be a Christian in your profession?  Obviously, in your life being faithful to what God has given you and where He has placed you entails wearing several different “outfits,” but beneath it all, do you “cloth yourself in Christ” or is He just someone you wear on Sunday?  

Prayer: Dear Father, help me to remember that I am first a follower of You and everything else comes at a distant second.  Give me wisdom and boldness to discern that that means for me.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 20

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor Sam Lee who leads Catalyst Agape Church in Northern New Jersey, was first posted on December 5, 2013.  He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Combatting the Religious Spirit”

Matthew 12:1-13

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” 3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” 9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him. 11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Religious spirit is a demonic spirit that wages war against our identity in Christ, Christ work on the cross, and freedom and love in the body of Christ. It is a demonic spirit that influences us to do the work of ministry without intimate relationship with Christ. It operates so we function in the church without loving relationship with one another. It is a spirit that plagues us to either fill you with guilt and condemnation, so you never feel good enough, or it plagues you to look down on others because you think you are better than others. 

Religious spirit influences the people in the church to do the work of God out of self righteousness and self effort. It has the ability to make someone believe they are holy when they are in bondage. Religious spirit will make you become stuck in sin, shame, guilt, and pride. 

This evil spirit comes clothed in human righteousness but not God’s righteousness. Throughout history people wrongly admire people operating under this spirit’s influence; instead of rebuking it, we lift it up as a model to emulate. 

Let’s come together today and break its power. Let’s spend some time in confession and repentance. Let’s come together representing the church and ask God for forgiveness. Ask the Lord to cleanse His church from this evil spirit. Spend some time humbling ourselves before God. Break down the foundation of self and ask God to replace it with foundation of grace, love, and His righteousness. 

Prayer:  Dear Father, we know that one positive way to war against religious spirit is to proclaim the work of Jesus Christ in our live and in our churches. So now, I proclaim my love for the Lord, for His church, and for my community! Thank You, Lord. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 18-19

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on December 26, 2013.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning 

“For as Long as I Shall Live, I Will Testify to Love”

Psalm 145:1-2, 9, 21

“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name forever and ever . . . 9 The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made . . . 21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name forever and ever.”

“For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love . . .” ~Avalon (Dec. 1997)

A few days ago, a daughter of some friends celebrated her sweet 16.  This winter break she’ll be traveling abroad on her first short-term missions trip to share God’s love with a people living in poverty.  As a daughter of missionaries, she has been on the field for much of her life because of her parents’ choices, but this is the first time she has made a decision on her own to dedicate a portion of her life to the Lord in this way.  Needless to say, her parents feel proud and gratified. 

It’s interesting to think of how she is living her life in tune with this song (by Avalon) that was in the air around the time she was born.  A song that sings of all the ways in which God has shown his love and how our response is to want to tell the world, both in words and actions.  It certainly is not a new theme; the identical thought runs throughout many of David’s psalms, including our scripture for this morning.

Meditate on the Lord’s goodness to all this morning.  Isn’t he worthy to be praised?  As my heart is filled with the wonders of his love, can I keep it in?  Will I have chances to testify to his love today?  Who can I share with?  Who can I tell?  Ultimately, the realization of God’s greatest love ever displayed, in Christ, compels us to be missional (i.e., reaching out to the world). 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as I think upon your goodness, let the knowledge of your love fill my heart that it bursts with overflowing.  Let it be that my testimonies of your goodness cannot be contained but that I have to speak forth, share with friends, family, and all those around me this day. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 17

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Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 145:14-20: “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.”

Questions to Consider

1. Psalm 145 is an acrostic, which means that the writer took the letters of the alphabet and tried to begin each line of his song with one of the letters, in order.  Something like:

Notes

1. The psalmist chooses the topic of “God is good” for this acrostic psalm because there is so much to say about this topic.  
2. Verses 14-20 are where he lists some specifically.
3.  When we meditate on God’s goodness, what we will find is that the list is endless, so long that there is enough there to praise him all our lives.

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Evening Reflection

 How was it when I testified of his love today?  Was there any new experience of God’s goodness today that will be my testimony for tomorrow?

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King who serves as associate pastor at Remnant Church in Manhattan, was first posted on April 10, 2014.  Cami is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.).  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“‘Usefulness’ of Religion That Leads to Blindness”

Galatians 2:15-21 

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

God gave His chosen people various commandments to follow and guidelines to live by so that they would be able to enjoy a relationship with Him, living lives of love of God and others. Yet over the years, that relationship (from their end) became mere religion – a system of rules and boundary-driven identity markers. It was this religiosity that eventually blinded them to God, so much so that they were not able to recognize Him when He was standing right in front of them (literally). 

Justification by faith in Christ should have been an easy jump for the Jews. After all, it was by no merit of their own that they were chosen as God’s people. It was a grace. And it was that same grace upon which they relied for generations as they failed to meet God’s standards. Over and over again God rescued them, not because of their works, but because of His faithfulness. But religion gives the illusion that it is something we’re doing (or not doing) that earns God’s favor. 

It is very easy for faith-based people to get wrapped up in religion. Our lives need order and the faith-based life is messy. We aren’t always able to see in the natural what we believe in the spiritual and we don’t have all the answers. So we create these systems to help us organize it all and get a handle on things. And, in this regard, religion serves us well. 

But while religion is important, it is not ultimate. It’s our way of systematizing what we’ve learned from God, but we don’t have it all figured out. So, we have to be careful not to let our religion blind us to what God is doing. God’s people didn’t intentionally misunderstand justification by faith (nor were they intentionally racist toward Gentiles). But they’d clung so tightly to their system (as opposed to their God) that they were blind and dumb to both. Whether it’s denominational standards or conservative/liberal values, we have to remember the God behind our systems (and the people He loves) is ultimate, but not the system. 

Prayer: Father, I thank you for the religious system(s) I’ve grown to adopt over the years. I know these are a help to me, but help me keep them in their place. Help me not to cling more tightly to my religion than to You. Jesus’ name, amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 16

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Lunch Break Study 

Read Isaiah 58:5-8: Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?6 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Questions to Consider

1. What were God’s people doing wrong? 
2. What did God want instead? 
3. What is the result of proper fasting? 

Notes

1. They were going through the religious motions of fasting without a heart of fasting. Their bodies seemed to be doing Godly things, but their hearts were not concerned with the things of God.   
2. He wants their religious actions to lead their hearts to love of God and care for others. Otherwise, it is of no use. 
3. God’s people experience His glory! Religion alone cannot do this, but relationship (in our hearts) with God guarantees it. 

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Evening Reflection

Are there areas in your life where you’ve settled for religion as opposed to a living relationship with God? Pray and ask God to identify these areas and to exchange stale religious ritual for a fresh relationship with Him.