REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on December 31, 2014.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Qualities Are You Looking for in the Marriage Market?”

Proverbs 31:10-12, 29

“A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.  11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.  12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life . . . 29 ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’”

“27 yrs old, 5 ft 3, female.  College grad; art major.  Monthly salary: 2500 RMB ($400).  Good-looking.”  So read the hundreds of letter-sized flyers posted along the walls near the entrance of the park.  It is  Saturday afternoon, and the area is full of men and women in their late 30s and 40s milling around looking for spouses… for their children.

The infamous “marriage market” of Shanghai.  Parents used to stand around holding these signs advertising the more desirable qualities of their yet unwed offspring.  Other parents would come up to express interest; phone numbers would be exchanged.  Now it seems in an effort to be more civilized, the signs are posted on a wall in orderly fashion, and sometimes even the younger people will come by to take a look for themselves.  

What qualities to look for in a spouse?  The Bible doesn’t say directly, but it does say that if a man ends up finding a wife of noble character, he has found a treasure.  What man wouldn’t want a wife he could be fully confident in?  Proud of (v. 11)?  A wife who will bring him good and not harm, not just temporarily, but for a lifetime (v. 12)? This is what a woman of noble character can be to a man.

What woman wouldn’t want to hear her husband say that there are no other women who compare to her?  That to him, she is the best (v. 29)?  What woman wouldn’t want to know that her husband feels so lucky to have her because she is such a rare find (v. 10)?  This is the love and regard that a noble woman can bring out in a man.

Those looking for wives, look for true value.  Those looking to be wives, develop a noble character.  Those who are wives, continue to be noble.  Those who have wives, treasure and honor the noble qualities in your spouse.

Prayer: Lord, help me this day to value the things your word tells me is important to value in people.  Help me to value and honor noble character, in myself and in others.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 9

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Lunch Break Study

Read Proverbs 31:25-27, 30: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.  26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.  27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness . . . 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”

Questions to Consider

1. Describe a wife of noble character in your own words (vv. 25-27).
2. What are not necessarily the qualities of a wife of noble character?  What kind of a woman should be praised (v. 30)?
3. What qualities do I value more in others?  What qualities do I spend more time investing in developing in myself?

Notes

1. She is not an insecure woman but one with a strong sense of self and her worth.  She does not worry about the future, but not in a foolish, careless way.  When she speaks, the content of her speech is quality content, not empty chatter.  She is responsible, hardworking and not lazy.
2. Being charming or beautiful.  One who respects God and lives her life to honor Him.  If you encounter someone of noble character today, consider praising that person, giving a word of encouragement.
3. In others, am I attracted more by charm and appearance or inner character?  In the mornings, do I spend more time preparing to present my outward appearance to people than I do preparing my heart to meet them as I spend time praying and meditating on God’s word?

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Evening Reflection

Was I a person of noble character today?  Did I look for and encourage those qualities in others?  How were my words?  What is the state of my household affairs?  Did I make the best use of my time today?

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional Quiet Time, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on October 12, 2014.  Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  Congratulations to Christine for her recent nuptial.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

Psalm 77:5b –12

One problem that I struggled with for a long time was the idea that God was in the business of forgetting me. I began to notice all my friends excelling in areas that I was diligently working at (seemingly in vain). I saw the people I wanted to deeply invest into instead gravitating towards others and asking for their company instead. All the things I was asking for, I saw other people receiving plentifully!

While I knew of God’s generosity and knew that I had experienced much of it in my own life, the disappointments and hurts slowly began to gnaw at me until I allowed myself to believe that my job on earth was being passed over by the LORD. I did not think that God was not good, but I thought I would never feel like I received great things from Him; and that I was doomed to live a life of learning to be thankful and content with all the things that I considered second-rate. 

If you find yourself going through something similar or want to avoid wandering in such a desert, I can offer you the directions that the psalmist gives: we must actively take time to meditate on the works of God in our lives. And we must remember that the LORD is not like us at all – He does not forget us, though we are forgetful; He does not forget our prayers, though we forget the words we hear from others. 

While the psalmist thinks of God’s faithfulness and generosity to all of His people, we can counter doubts about His personal love for us by reflecting on God’s mighty work in our own lives. Are we no longer awed and glad that He sustains us breath by breath? Have we forgotten about the way that He has removed a former pain or struggle in our lives? Have we forgotten perhaps a purposelessness that He has overcome for us? Let’s think back to some mighty works that God has done in our lives so that we may have hearts that anticipate the work He is doing and will be doing.

As we take time to consider the works that God has done in our lives up until now, He will help us get into a mode of being thankful for all the things He has brought in our lives. Though we find ourselves dismayed by circumstances, He will place us on a firmer ground to trust in His loving generosity for now and in the future. 

Prayer: Dear LORD, we confess that oftentimes we do not trust Your goodness; we doubt your generosity and we doubt Your love for us. Let Your truths speak more clearly and loudly than our hurts and discouragements. Give us again a heart of thankfulness and a heart of hope.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 8

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 October 20, 2013.  He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Shaking of God”

Exodus 20:18-21

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”  20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” 21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. 

What an opportunity for the people of God!  In the book of Exodus, God said when the ram’s horn sounded a long blast, everyone had an opportunity to go up the mountain of God (Ex. 19:13). The people heard the trumpet, but at the same time, they saw and heard the thunder, lightning, mountain shaking, and the dark cloud. It was time to encounter God, but what they saw and heard made them too afraid to approach the mountain of God, thus Israel rejected God’s invitation.

Great encounter with God requires great risk. People need to know that real encounter with God is not just business as usual. It is much riskier than hearing a good message on a Sunday. A real encounter with God is scary because there needs to be change and transformation; you cannot remain the same when you encounter God. 

People who sincerely seek after God and want to see Him move more in their life is not afraid to have their life radically changed. Those who hunger after God’s presence are not afraid to go through the shaking, lightning, and the dark cloud. The spiritual earthquake that God brings will shake everything in your life; all the things that should not be standing, all idols in your life, all the things that are false and weak, God wants to bring it all down. This kind of shaking from God is not to expose you, nor to crush you, but to transform and strengthen your life.

The trumpet is sounding. Let’s go up to the mountain of God together!

Prayer: Lord, help me to change even if it shakes everything that has provided comfort and security to me.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 6-7

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional was first posted on July 1, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Art of Disobeying God”

Jonah 1:1-4 

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. 4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

As a prophet in Israel (2 Kings 14:25), Jonah’s life revolved around familiarity and obedience to God’s will. So when the Word of the Lord came to him, this was nothing new. Yet, instead of saying yes to God, Jonah bought a ticket for Tarshish, which was in the opposite direction of Nineveh.  Clearly visible in Jonah’s reaction is the ultimate outcome of disobedience: “Jonah rose to flee . . . from the presence of the Lord.” Disobedience is deadly because it drives us away from God, whether we intend it to (as Jonah did) or not.

While it was a potentially life-threatening call to rebuke the city of Nineveh (who committed atrocities against Israel), which Jonah refused to obey, my own disobediences come in smaller and more numerous areas. How many times have I skipped my devotions because I’m “busy”? There have been numerous times I would crank up the music on my iPod when I felt God’s conviction to pray for a stranger on the subway. The call to love, to forgive, to be patient have been disobeyed more than I can count.

It’s easy to paint Jonah as the villain for this disobedience, but when I stack all of mine, both in action and thought, then I might be considered vile at best, for I have mastered the art of disobeying God. Yet in verse 4, we are given hope. It says, “The Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea.” This may seem like punishment, but it is God’s grace. True, it came in the shape of a storm, which is not pleasant, but the alternative is worse. God could have simply given up on Jonah.

This is the encouragement we have when our disobedience separates us from God. He pursues us relentlessly.

Do you feel far from God? Maybe it’s pointing to areas of God’s will you have been disobeying? This morning, God wants to show you how relentlessly He’s pursuing you because of His love. He’s asking you to remember His goodness: Say yes to Him, and be restored into a right relationship.

Prayer: God, I want more of Your presence in my life. Forgive me for running away from You. Remind me of Your vast love that pursues me, and may that give me the strength to say yes to You again and again.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 5

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Lunch Break Study

Re-read the passage given for this morning’s devotion.

Job 38:34-5: [God tells Job] “Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? 35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?  Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’”?

Questions to Consider

1. What is the significance of Nineveh?
2.  In verse 2, God tells Jonah to “arise” (Quwm), and in verse 3 it says that Jonah rose (Quwm) to flee. Immediately, it says that he went down (Yarad) to Joppa and down (Yarad) the ship. What image is the author trying to paint for us?
3.  What has God revealed concerning Himself through the sending of the storm?

Notes

1. Nineveh was the capital Assyria. The Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, at least 30 years after the events of this book.
2.  The word “arise” is often used to connote the taking of action. In the beginning of Jonah, his actions of disobedience brought him spiritually lower.
3. He revealed His power and control over nature, His desire for Nineveh to hear His word, and His great desire to use Jonah.

Evening Reflection

As you reflect on your day, it may have been filled with complete obedience or many moments of running away. Before the day is done, listen to God’s heart that calls for us to be with Him. Are there areas in your life that He’s calling you to examine? Is there a deeper calling for His presence in your life? Reflect and respond to Him.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, prepared by Pastor Jason Sato, was first posted on April 24, 2014.  Jason, along with his wife Jessica, is currently serving in Japan as a missionary.  Jason is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Flesh, Law and Spirit”

Galatians 5:16-18 (ESV)

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

Day and night are opposites. Wet and dry are opposites. The desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh are opposites. The flesh and the law are…opposites?

In v. 17, the apostle Paul is clear: the desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh are complete opposites. The desires of the Spirit actually keep us from doing the desires of the flesh and vice versa. This makes sense. But the next comparison Paul makes is rather surprising. Verse 18 tells us that being “led by the Spirit” and being “under the law” are opposites.

Spirit and flesh are opposites. Spirit and law are opposites. So flesh and law . . . are the same?

At first glance, this seems absurd. How can breaking the speed limit and driving under the speed limit be the same exact thing? How can someone who completely abstains from alcohol be the same as an alcoholic?

When Paul refers to the law, he is still thinking about the battle between faith and circumcision. The law is not just a reference to God’s law in general but the desire of some to justify themselves before God with their good works. So Paul is saying that the person who indulges in their sinful desires and the person who keeps the law in order to earn God’s favor are the same: Both are driven by their self-centeredness.

The alcoholic is self-centered; he cares only for the pleasure of drunkenness even if it hurts everyone around him. Likewise, the self-righteous teetotaler is self-centered; she cares only for her own reputation and reward.

But Christians are no longer driven by the fleshly desires. No longer under the law, those led by the Spirit are free to serve and love others with no ulterior motive. No longer driven by selfish desire, we are free to be concerned solely with glorifying Christ.

How is your sin a form of self-centeredness? How are you tempted to become more self-centered amidst your good works? Ask the Lord to fill you with His Spirit that you might be led by Him.

Prayer: Father, free me from my obsession with myself! May I walk in Your Spirit and reject the desires of my flesh that You might be pleased. May I do nothing for my own glory or name that You might be honored. I thank You that I can trust You to take care of me as I forget myself and live for You alone. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 4

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Lunch Break Study

Sometimes our self-centeredness and self-reliance expresses itself, not in pursuing wicked pleasure or self-righteousness, but in securing our material needs.

Read Matthew 6:26-27, 31-33 (ESV): “Look 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? [27] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Questions to Consider

1. Where does our anxiousness stem from? What does it accomplish?
2. What reasons are we given to trust God?
3. As we trust God, what are we free to do?

Notes

1. Our anxiousness often stems from our material needs and fear of the future (“What shall we eat?”; “What shall we wear?”). Unfortunately, our anxiousness does not accomplish very much.
2. Our Father feeds the birds of the air and He values us much more greatly than them (v. 26). God knows all of our needs. He does not dismiss them as unimportant and He is able to meet them (v.27-28).
3. We are free to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Our unwillingness to follow God wholeheartedly boils down to a trust issue.

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Evening Reflection

Reflect on your day. Were you tempted by the desires of the flesh? Were you tempted to build your own ego and reputation? Reflect on the beauty and grace of Christ that enables us to walk by the Spirit instead.

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King who serves as associate pastor at Remnant Church in Manhattan, was first posted on April 9, 2014.  Cami is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.).  We offer our condolences for the recent passing of her younger brother. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Sneakier Form of Hypocrisy”

Galatians 2:11-14 

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

One of the most common insults hurled at Christians is that we are all a bunch of hypocrites. Whether it’s our unsavory history of Crusades or appalling picketing at funerals, most of us can at least see where the world might get this idea. For many outsiders looking in, we talk about love but aren’t very loving; we talk about morality but aren’t very moral. Our Scriptures talk about caring for the poor, needy, and even the environment and animal kingdom, but how many of us actually make this our priority?

The reality is, most of the world is a bit hard on Christians. They don’t understand the process of sanctification – that while we seek to live like Christ, we all fall short of His glory (thank God for forgiveness!). It takes a while (a lifetime to be exact) to perfect it.   

But what the rest of the world doesn’t seem to notice is a sneakier form of hypocrisy among us. Many of us are content with living double lives where we shape shift depending on the crowd. This can take many forms: we are Christians on Sundays, but quickly adjust to “blend in” with the rest of the world for the rest of the week; we describe a weekend retreat as “fun” or “insightful” instead of glorifying God for the ways He moved. 

Like Peter, many of us are so concerned with fitting in and being accepted (or just living average lives, realizing the American Dream), that we give into the tendencies of culture even when they are contrary to the culture of the Kingdom of God. This is precisely what it means for salt to lose its savor or a lamp to be hidden under a bowl. 

We aren’t called to be perfect, but we are called to be consistent and genuine. When we find ourselves bifurcating our lives based upon whom we are around, we’re headed for trouble. Our faith may lead us into some awkward conversations, uncomfortable moments, or difficult choices, but sometimes it’s these precise moments that give God an opportunity to move. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to live out a consistent and genuine faith before the on looking world. I know I don’t have to be perfect, but help me to be honest and resist the temptation to just fit in. Help me to be salt and light to the non-Christian communities in which you’ve place me. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 3 

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Lunch Break Study 

Read Matthew 5:13-16: “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Questions to Consider

1. Why is salt a good metaphor for believers? 
2. Why are we to let our light shine before others? 
3. What are some places God is calling you to let your light shine? 

Notes

1. Salt has two primary functions – flavoring and preserving. A little salt goes a long way to change the taste of food. Salt also has the power to preserve food that would otherwise decay without it. 
2. So God can be glorified.  

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Evening Reflection

What are some things that keep you from being salt and light in your various communities?  Are there specific people before whom God is calling you to live out genuine faith? Pray and surrender these areas to God. Ask for boldness to become bright and salty! 

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 September 25, 2014.  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

“Effectiveness, Not Efficiency”

Ecclesiastes 10:8-11 (ESV)

He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones is hurt by them, and he who splits logs is endangered by them.  10 If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. 11 If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer. 

Do you get the sense that Solomon was a glass-half-empty kind of a guy? Reading these verses in isolation, it might seem that way; however, the context of this passage is about how wisdom is better than folly.  So Solomon is not necessarily prophesying doom in our workplace, but rather pointing out examples of folly in our workplace. 

A foolish person does not account for risks and dangers; but a wise person, on the other hand, knows the right way to dig a pit, break through a wall, quarry stones, split wood, or even charm snakes.  A wise person works better; not necessarily harder, keeping his/her tools sharp along the way.  

Let me give one warning:  Sometimes we can confuse this wisdom with being efficient.  Our modern world craves efficiency – doing things faster and quicker.  Not only do we microwave our food with this mentality, but we practice this in our work habits and our relationships—including our relationship with God.  

Instead of efficiency, I suggest it would be wiser to pursue effectiveness.  While an efficient person asks, “How can I do this better and quicker?” an effective person asks, “What work should I be doing?”  A Christian who asks this question also prays: “Let your will be done on earth just as it is done in heaven!”  Today, let us invite God to reveal the work he desires for us to do!

Prayer: Father, I know that I can be seduced by the mantra of bigger, faster, and better.  Though I desire to be better at my work, I also want to do the right kind of work.  I ask for Your wisdom that comes from above so that I would be effective for the sake of your Kingdom.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 2

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Matthew 25:24-30: He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Questions to Consider

1. What was the third servant supposed to do with his talent?  What did he do instead? (cf. verse 18)
2. Why was the master angry with the third servant?
3. What happens to the third servant?

Notes

1. Each servant was given a number of talents to do business with.  The first two servants ended up doubling the number of talents they had been given.  In contrast, the third servant simply buried the talent.
2. Instead of doing the work that he had been assigned (i.e. invest the talent), the third servant did nothing.  In addition, he accused the master of profiting from other people’s work. 
3. The third servant has his talent taken away, and he is thrown out from the master’s household. 

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Evening Reflection

A wise person not only works harder and better, but also knows the right work to do.  Are you doing what God wants you to do (in all spheres of your life)?  As we journal, let us ask God if there are things we should cut out from our lives, even as we ask whether we have neglected His work.

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, is an updated version of his blog first posted on May 22, 2014.  Peter is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“At the Very Least, Obey the Part that You Understand”

Titus 3:9

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

The first century believers finally understood that they were justified through their faith in Jesus Christ. However, after thousands of years of observing the Law, they naturally had questions, concerns, opinions on the matter of the Law. Thus, conversations among the church members sprang forth at times getting heated, but eventually becoming fruitless “arguments and quarrels” about the Law. Paul saw these as “foolish” arguments because they were unprofitable and useless. 

The benefits of our knowledge and our response to God’s grace were so great that Paul makes it clear that no other priorities should creep into our ministries. He tells Titus to avoid such useless and even divisive issues, because those who engage in such arguments only distract the church from its mission and purpose. Paul tells Titus to warn “a person who stirs up division” up to two times and after that to “have nothing more to do with him.”

Admittedly, there are some passages in the Bible that are not easy to interpret. It is not without reason that Peter said, “His [the apostle Paul’s] letters contain some things that are hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16).  Culture and language gaps sometimes make it difficult to come to a dogmatic conclusion and can lead to controversial arguments and quarrels today. However, there is still a wealth of passages that are easy to comprehend. 

Are you sometimes tempted to overlook some of the most basic and easy to understand commands of Scriptures in search for some deeper understanding of obscure passages? A lady boasted to an old seminary professor, “Brother Hendricks, I’ve been through the Bible 17 times.” Not impressed, the professor responded, “Good. But how many times has the Bible been through you?”

The Word of God points us to many plain commands that calls for simple obedience. To obey the Father’s will was food to Jesus’ ministry and life (John 4:34). Imagine how full and satisfied you would be if you’d simply obey the obvious commandments. Let’s place aside our complaints that we just aren’t getting fed by pastor so-and-so because he does not expound on the theological importance of the spirits that “look like frogs” (huh?) in Rev. 16:13. Rather, when the preacher calls us to love another, forgive one another, serve one another for the umpteenth time, let us obey and be spiritually fed. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know that in this life, I don’t live on bread alone but on every word that comes from Your mouth. Thank you for making Your word so accessible and so clear to me. Enable me to obey Your commands daily as I receive from You revelations and reminders of what pleases You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 1

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Matt 22:15-22: Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

Questions to Consider 

1. How was this controversial question about taxes to Caesar an attempt to entrap Jesus?
2. Jesus’ reply to the question not only amazes the inquirers, but it sends them away. What does Jesus’ reply reveal about the hypocritical and greedy nature of the so-called “religious leaders”?
3. Do you sometimes raise controversial matters as a smokescreen in an attempt to divert what the Lord truly wants to teach or do in your life? 

Notes

1. The unlikely coalition of the Pharisees and the Herodians hoped to trap Jesus. Either he would support taxes to Rome, undercutting his popular messianic support, or he would challenge taxes, thereby aligning with the views that had sparked a disastrous revolt two decades earlier. In the latter case, the Herodians could charge him with being a revolutionary-hence showing that he should be executed, and executed quickly.
2. It shows that while the Israelites resented Caesar and his Roman army for having occupied their land, they didn’t mind using and hoarding the very coins that bore his image.  In other words, their dislike of the Romans was a distant second to their greed. By contrast, surrendering to God what is God’s implies the surrender of all one is and possesses.
3. The Pharisees and the Herodians brought up a controversial matter to Jesus; however, Jesus wanted to deal with the hypocrisy and greed in their hearts. 

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Evening Reflection

How were your words used today? Were they foolish, unprofitable and useless? Or were they full of wisdom, edifying others? Reflect on Proverbs 17:28: “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.” 

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, prepared by Pastor Jason Sato who is currently serving in Japan as a missionary, was first posted on November 8, 2014. Jason is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.). 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend 

“Freedom and Rewards that Come from Submission to God”

Proverbs 4:10-14

Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many.[11] I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness.[12] When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.[13] Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. [14] Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.

“Hear!  Accept!  Keep hold!  Do not let go!  Guard!”  Throughout our passage, the author is pleading with his son; he is looking out for his good.  

We too have been taught wisdom and led towards paths of righteousness, yet it’s still so easy to decide that sin and death are much better options for us, undoubtedly because they appeal to our flesh.  Subsequently, God’s commandments seem more like arbitrary rules than the path to life; his wisdom seems like slavery rather than freedom.  But we know this is not true!

When I stop to actually consider what my own life would be like if I had gone my own way and followed my own whims, I’m filled with gratitude.  I know I would not have my family, my calling, and so many other blessings that I now enjoy.  Instead, I would be trapped in anger and depression, and beset by ruined relationships.

Knowing this compels me to warn my own son who, at times, wants to run into the street by himself or eat only goldfish for dinner; therefore, I impose restrictions and guidelines.  I hope that, as my children grow older, they’ll understand that there is no freedom in being dead; there’s no joy in self-inflicted suffering.

Yet I still struggle with it myself.  I find myself preferring the “freedom” to walk hampered steps, to stumble rather than run, and to choose death over life.  My “freedom” does not leave me free to enjoy God or love my family sacrificially.  It doesn’t free me from fear or anxiety.  It only frees me to sink further into sin and its consequences.

Jesus tells us, “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25).  While it may appear that we are giving away our freedom and our very lives, only when we abandon everything and follow Jesus will we have the abundant life that we are seeking.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray that You would give us the glorious freedom of obeying You immediately and completely, knowing You will take care of us and reward us with life itself.  Thank you, God.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 16

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 13, 2013.  He is a graduate of Stanford University (BA), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (D.Min.). 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend 

Philippians 2:12-13

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. 

Last weekend, I introduced the concept of training for Christ-likeness vs. trying to be Christ-like.  The traditional name for this idea of training is “spiritual disciplines”.  I remember one Christmas many years ago, I received Dallas Willard’s The Spirit of the Disciplines AND Richard Foster’s The Celebration of Discipline as Christmas presents.  Clearly, someone was trying to tell me something!  

The problem with “Spiritual Disciplines” of course, is that just by hearing the title, we don’t want to do it!  There is also the very real potential for pride and legalism.   So before we continue in our discussion of spiritual disciplines, let me share some thoughts on what spiritual disciplines DON’T do.  

1. The practice of spiritual disciplines doesn’t save us.  Only the grace of Jesus Christ on the cross saves us from our sins.   We cannot earn our salvation. 
2. The practice of spiritual disciplines doesn’t make us holy.  I remember when I first began practicing the discipline of fasting, some friends thought that made me very holy, but I knew better.  Fasting made me more aware of my un-holiness!

So what do spiritual disciplines do for us?  Spiritual disciplines are a way for us to “work out our salvation”.  This doesn’t mean that we are contributing to our salvation, rather we are working out the effects or implications of our salvation.  Put another way, spiritual disciplines done with the right heart, are our ways of opening our hearts, minds and bodies to “God who works within us to act and will according to his will.”  Spiritual disciplines aren’t a human-centric way to achieve sanctification.  Rather they are the ways we focus on making our lives God-centric so that we don’t hinder his work within us.  

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You forgive my sins anew every morning.  I thank You that the blood of Jesus covers every one of my sins.  Help me to discipline myself so that my life can reflect Your love and holiness in this world full of darkness. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 14-15