September 26, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on April 5, 2019, is provided by Ulysses Wang who pastors Renewal Church in Sunnyvale, California. Pastor Ulysses is a graduate of New York University (BA) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.).  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“‘No One Tells Me What to Do’—Oh, Be Quiet”

Exodus 18:24-27

So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.

At this point Moses had a decision to make: Listen to his father-in-law’s advice (not always easy, as many a married man will attest) or keep doing what he was doing. But why should he listen to Jethro? After all, Moses was the one who just led the Israelites out of slavery, defying and defeating the world’s greatest superpower at the time! And it was Moses who performed miracle after miracle, wonders the likes of which the world had never seen. It may have been very tempting for him to assume that he was the one God uses, therefore he needs to do everything.

Maybe it was Moses’ great humility that saved him at this point. After all, he was “more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). A younger, prouder man might have balked at advice from “mere mortals,” no less from one’s own father-in-law! Moses, however, was willing to receive such advice. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”

How willing are you to listen to advice? Are there things going on in your life, whether difficult decisions or relationship issues or confusion about the future? Do you seek counsel from others? Or do you feel like you need to figure everything out on your own? Do you have a difficult time asking others for help or appearing “weak” by admitting you don’t know what to do? Let us consider the example of Moses, the man who the Scriptures declare “was faithful in all God’s house as a servant” (Hebrews 3:5), and learn from the wisdom of his humility.

Prayer: Lord, grant me a humble heart. Forgive me of my pride, self-reliance, and insecurity. Help me to be willing to be weak, vulnerable, or uncertain, and to be willing to reveal such things before others. Encourage me with the power of community and the wisdom of many counselors, that I may receive conviction to walk more and more with others by my side. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 21

Lunch Break Study

Read Joshua 7:1-6: But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. 2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.” 4 So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, 5 who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.

Questions to Consider

  • How formidable was the city of Ai?
  • Why did the Israelites lose the battle?
  • What effect did Achan’s sin have on the rest of the people? What does this tell you about the nature and impact of sin?

Notes

  • Ai was puny, especially compared to Israel’s army.
  • The Israelites lost because Achan broke covenant with God. God had been fighting for Israel and now His favor was removed.
  • Even though Achan did not involve other Israelites in his sin, nevertheless the entire nation was affected. The effects of sin go beyond what the eye can see and can affect the entire community.

Evening Reflection

What’s something in your life that you know isn’t right and need to begin taking more seriously? What’s one step, no matter how small, that you can take to begin addressing it?

September 25, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on July 18, 2018, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee.  He is a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Lateral Moves”

Jeremiah 41:11-18

But when Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, 12 they took all their men and went to fight against Ishmael the son of Nethaniah. They came upon him at the great pool that is in Gibeon. 13 And when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him, they rejoiced. 14 So all the people whom Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites. 16 Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him took from Mizpah all the rest of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam—soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs, whom Johanan brought back from Gibeon. 17 And they went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt 18 because of the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

Career-wise, is a lateral move a bad thing?  I’ve had many friends telling me they wouldn’t consider changing companies unless they got increase in salary, position, or both.  The logic behind this line of thinking is that since you have a certain amount of years vested in your current job, you’ve accrued more benefits like seniority, vacation time, 401k matching, etc.  And of course, in your current company, you have a known commodity.  You know what your life is like within your current workplace; you know your company’s culture, your boss, co-workers, best places to eat within a five-mile radius; maybe you’ve even found the deserted office to sneak in an afternoon nap.  Changing jobs presents a bunch of unknowns doesn’t it?  From commute to office culture, there’s a lot that can surprise you that you couldn’t really pick up during the interview process, and if you’re not being compensated for it, a lateral move could easily turn into a net negative.  I find that most people would only consider a lateral move if their current jobs were what they consider “toxic” (horrible bosses, terrible coworkers, unreasonable hours, etc.) 

Perhaps I’m exaggerating when I call the leadership from Ishmael to Johanan a lateral move.  Johanan never executed a coup like Ishmael did; in fact, his defeat of Ishmael was definitely a correction of a wrong, but make no mistake about it, this was no return to the glory days of Israel’s past.  We also see that Johanan still planned to leave the promised land, but instead of going to Ammonite country, he planned on fleeing to Egypt; as we’ll see in the next chapter, the Lord was not pleased with this plan either.  

Here’s my point, change simply for the sake of change isn’t always the best move.  This is why spiritual gift of discernment is so valuable.  In one sense, we don’t want to be people who are so resistant to change that we miss what God is asking us to do.  In another sense, we don’t want to be so impetuous that we bounce from one situation to another, and never develop the fruit of perseverance.  We need discernment to tell if God is leading us to stay where we’re at or go on a new path.  

What are the circumstances you are struggling with now?  Do you feel like the Lord wants you to remain?  Does the other alternate route feel like a lateral move?  Ask the Lord for guidance; generally speaking, I don’t think he’s asking you trade a bad situation for one that is slightly less bad.  

Prayer: Lord, I’m struggling with __________.  I don’t want to change simply for the sake of change, but I also don’t want to remain the same because it represents a known.  Please give me discernment to follow your promptings.  

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 20

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

1.  What are the prerequisites of discerning God’s will?

2.  What are the benefits of discerning God’s will?

3.  What are you struggling with concerning God’s will?

Notes

1.  In verse 2, Paul tells us that we should not be conformed to the world, meaning, among other things, we shouldn’t have the same value set and worldview of the world.  Perhaps our pursuits and goals are just like everyone else’s; if this is the case, that’s a problem.  On top of that we need to have a renewed mind, which among other things, means we need to have the same value set and worldview that God has. 

2.  God’s will is good, acceptable, and perfect.  This is something that most Christians do not fully embrace.  Do we genuinely believe that God is good and he wants what is good for us, or in our hearts, do we think that we know what will make us happy, even more than God does?  Until we can believe His will is good, acceptable, and perfect will, we’ll never desire it.  

3.  Personal response

Evening Reflection

Today’s theme has been about choices we make.  Is there something that is in front of you that requires a major decision?  Where do you feel he is prompting?  Do you believe He genuinely wants good for you?  Take some time tonight to ask the Lord for the gift of discernment.  

September 24,Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on March 27, 2019, is provided by Pastor Matt Ro. Matt is currently pastoring a church in the state of New York.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Am I God-Centered or Self-Centered?” 

Exodus 15:1-18 (ESV)

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider[a] he has thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. 4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. 5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. 7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. 8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ 10 You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? 12 You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. 13 “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. 14 The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. 16 Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. 18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.”

Our self-worth/value is greatly affected by whether we are anchored to a God-centered or self-centered viewpoint.  We know that self-centeredness, which originates from our fallen nature, focuses everything on the self, thereby causing our self-worth to become diminished or bloated based on our performance.  No doubt that we live in a culture where an individual’s value comes from an external and superficial perspective, rather than from something greater than the self.  

Often, we are swayed by other people’s opinions, or comparison to others, which, then, leads us to doubt or question our intrinsic value as God’s child.  So we say to ourselves: “My friend landed a better job and makes more money than me.  What I’m doing is nothing in comparison”;“My friend is skinny and really pretty.  She’ll have no problem getting matched, but what about me?”; “my friends do and say things I don’t agree with.  I feel they won’t like me if I disagree with them.  I want to be accepted, that’s why I support them, but what if standing up for what I believe in means I’ll lose them as friends?”Given this situation we all face (some more than others), to develop and strengthen our original God-given value, we need to intentionally make the effort to change our perspective, that is to say, it won’t change unless we make that effort.  

Notice in this passage that this great song of Moses is completely God-centered, glorifying God from beginning to end.  We may think that it took a great leader’s courage to lead approximately two million people out of the land of slavery and into the wilderness.  Yet, there isn’t a word about Moses the entire song.  The name of God is mentioned twenty-seven times (by my count!), including pronouns referring to God.  The song even moves from a celebration of God’s past deliverances to the future victories yet to come.  This is the God-centered faith that we are called to live in!

When the people stood at the edge of the Red Sea and Moses told them to go forward, they obeyed by faith.  Moses said, “Stand firm and you will see the Lord’s deliverance,” and that is the challenge to faith today.  F.B. Meyer puts it very well: Learn what God will do for his own.  Dread not any result of implicit obedience to his command; fear not the angry waters which, in their proud insolence, forbid your progress; fear not the turbulent crowds of men who are perpetually compared to waters lifting up their voice and roaring with their waves.  Fear none of these things.  Above the voices of many waters, the might breakers of the sea, the Lord sits as king upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth as king forever…Dare to trust Him.  

In light of this passage, make sure to:

  • Ask the Lord to show you how He sees you and what kind of value He has assigned to you.  Can you think of an example where you connected to your unique value as God’s son/daughter?
  • Surrender areas of your life where you have allowed society’s perspective to affect how you feel about the values and beliefs you cherish because they are rooted in God’s truth.

Prayer:  Lord, I always want to trust in You.  Thank You for Your past deliverances as well as the ones that are yet to come.  Help me to see things as You do.  If more of You is less of me, then take everything from me!  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 19

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 1: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Questions to consider

  • Psalm 1 is a contrast between two ways in life: the self-directed vs. the God-directed life.  What are the benefits of the one who strives to make the Word of God (God-centeredness) the focus, rather than external accomplishments and opinions?
  • It bears repeating what was asked in the morning devotion: Ask the Lord to show you how He sees you and what kind of value He has assigned to you.  Can you think of an example where you connected to your unique value as God’s son/daughter?

Notes

  • The imagery in Psalm 1:3, paints a picture of several results in a God-centered life:
  • Stability (“he is planted”)
  • Vitality (“by streams of water”)
  • Productivity (“yields its fruit”)
  • Durability (“does not wither”)
  • Prosperity (“in all that he does, he prospers”)

2. Personal response

Evening Reflection

I invite you to think of a situation where you feel conflicted about seeing this situation from God’s viewpoint or a self-centered viewpoint.  Make a commitment to ask a close friend what he or she thinks is God’s perspective on this situation; also ask how he or she feels about the perspective you’re taking.  How would that impact your proactive approach to the situation?

September 23, Tuesday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on March 12, 2019, is written by Tina Pham who, along with her family, is serving in E. Asia as a missionary. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Called by Love”

Exodus 11:6-7 

There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 

Deut. 7:7-8 

The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

One of the privileges I have in ministry is walking alongside young adults as they figure out the big topic named CALLING. It’s an issue many gravitate towards because it’s exciting to think about our purpose and future; but it also leads to a lot of questions and patient waiting since no individuals can get the clarity they are hoping for in one instance. Our instinct is to find out what to do with our lives, but we don’t get that “microwave answer” because calling is actually something that is realized through an ongoing relationship with God and the clarity of what to do matures overtime. 

From what we can glean from the Exodus story, God first calls Israel to Himself—to a love relationship with Him. He identifies himself as a Father and Israel is His “firstborn son” (Ex. 4:22). In today’s passage, God is about to send a final plague unto Egypt, but the calamity will not hit any of the Israelite homes. The plague will “pass over” them, and the loud cry in the land will cause Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Today’s Scripture shows us that God’s act of deliverance makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. Israel is not only set free, but is “called out” of the darkness of slavery and “made distinct” as a people for God Himself. God calls Israel out of their “former life” to a relationship with Him, in which He would be their new Lord and Master. He called them because of His love for them and His promise to their forefather Abraham, and not based on their works or merit. Through the ministry of the tabernacle and the giving of the Law, they would spend the first season outside of Egypt learning what it means to obey and relate to God. 

Later, after being delivered from Egypt, God then reveals His vocational calling for them, which is to be a kingdom priests and a holy nation (Ex. 19:6). They would be a vessel through which other nations would get to know God. As Christians, we each have a unique calling, or vocation, to fulfill in God’s kingdom, but the foundation to our vocation is the same, which is a calling to God Himself. We are distinct in that God pursue a relationship with us first, and it is through our response to a relationship with Him that the task He has for us becomes clear. This morning, let’s bask in the reality that God has delightfully chosen to be our Father and calls us to a personal relationship with us. 

Prayer: Dear Father, thank You that You have called me to be, first and foremost, Your son/daughter. Help me to be an unhurried recipient of Your grace and love. I praise You because there is no other God like You, who chooses people based on Your love and an invitation to a relationship with You. May Your grace and love empower to respond to Your mission and assignment for me as You make it clear to me. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 18

Lunch Break Study

Read Hosea 11:1-4: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. 2 But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. 3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. 4 I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.”

Questions to Consider

  • What kind of relationship does God have with Israel?
  • What event is Hosea referring to in the first verse?
  • What does this passage reveal about God’s purpose for delivering Israel out of Egypt?

Notes

  • Through the prophet Hosea, God reveals that his relationship with Israel is like a father to a son. He loves Israel like a father raising his child – teaching him to walk, taking him by his arms and bending down to feed him. 
  • Hosea is referring to the Exodus event, when the Lord delivered Israel out of slavery in Egypt by hardening Pharaoh’s heart and sending the 10 plagues which eventually caused Pharaoh to drive the Israelites out of Egypt. 
  • He delivered them, not only to set them free, but it was a calling to a relationship with Him. He delivered them so they could enter into a relationship of trust, faithfulness and obedience to Him. Israel had a history after the Exodus of turning to other gods and abandoning God as their God, yet God faithfully kept calling them back to Himself through his covenants and prophets. 

Evening Reflection

The apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:13-14, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Reflect on whether you are really living the life of the kingdom of the Son in whom we have received the forgiveness of our sins.  This behooves us to ask: Are we still holding onto old grudges that is keeping us from forgiving someone close to us? Perhaps, tonight is the night we let that go—because of Jesus.

September 22, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on February 4, 2019, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato. Jason, along with his wife Jessica and their three young children, is serving in Japan as an AMI missionary.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Promise Keeper”

Exodus 1:8-14 (ESV)

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. [9] And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. [10] Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” [11] Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. [12] But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. [13] So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves [14] and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

Many years ago, I served in a high school youth group.  Some students were very concerned about their grades and they could feel as if the presence or absence of God in their lives was as simple as whether they got an A or a C on their latest test.  While this is sort of silly, we are also prone to let the circumstances of our lives dictate what we believe about God.  If we are in a season of success, God is good and He loves us.  If we are in a season of suffering, we wonder whether God is absent and if He may be angry.

During the time of Joseph, God’s people are honored and shown great favor in the land of Egypt.  They flourish economically and numerically.  They can clearly see how God is fulfilling His promise to Abraham to make of his offspring a great nation.  Yet this time quickly comes to an end and there arises a new king who does not know Joseph.  The Israelites are feared and then enslaved.  God’s people had risen to the top of Egyptian society only to then plummet down to the very bottom.

Yet “the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread abroad.”  In the midst of suffering and oppression, God’s people are being grown into the very nation He had promised they would be.  While God’s people are confused, this is His chosen plan to set the people apart for Himself, to prepare them to go into the Promised Land, and to demonstrate His greatness.  Thus their suffering does not occur because God is failing to keep His promises but because He is faithful to keep them!

Many times the challenges or suffering we face are God’s ordained means of fulfilling His promises in our lives.  Jesus promises to cleanse and heal us, to set us free from bondage, to make us into His likeness, and to draw us near to Him.  Even when we cannot understand how, He is sovereignly working all things to fulfill His promises to us and give us life and joy in Him. 

Prayer: Father, thank You that You are always faithful in Your love for me.  There are many things in my life that I do not understand, but I do know that You love me and are working all things for my good.  I put my hope in You! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 17

Lunch Break Study

Read Genesis 37:5–11 (ESV): Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. [6] He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: [7] Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” [8] His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.[9] Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” [10] But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” [11] And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. 

Questions to Consider

  • What does God promise Joseph?
  • In this passage, what was the immediate fruit of Joseph’s dream?
  • Based on your knowledge of Genesis, what necessary events occur in Joseph’s life that lead to the fulfillment of God’s promises to him?

Notes

  • God promises Joseph that his brothers and even his parents would one day bow down to him.
  • Joseph’s brothers hated him even more than before and he was rebuked by his father.
  • In order to bring Joseph to a place of authority, he needed to be sold into slavery, falsely accused, thrown in jail, and forgotten in prison.

Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day.  Did you encounter any unexpected suffering or challenges?  Bring these things before the Lord.  Ask Him to draw near to you as the God of all comfort.  Ask the Father to help you trust and walk in His sovereign plan for you.

September 21, Sunday

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Though, first posted on September 9, 2018, is provided by Pastor Mark Chun. Mark is now serving as a staff at Radiance Christian Church in S.F. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Suffering for Christ”

Jeremiah 36:26-32 (ESV)

And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them. 27 Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 28 “Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned. 29 And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, You have burned this scroll, saying, “Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?” 30 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. 31 And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear.’ ” 32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them. 

How many of us would be willing to endure persecution and suffering in order to proclaim and preserve God’s truth?  If there was a law that was passed in our country that called for everyone to turn in their copy of the Bible, and it became punishable by death to possess the Scriptures, who among us would be willing to pay such a price?  The answer to that question is something that I wrestled with as I read through a book entitled Wide as the Waters.  The book chronicles the history of the English Bible and details the lives of the men who made it possible for every English speaker in the world to have copy of the Bible in their own vernacular. 

Unknown to many Christians is the fact that the Book we possess in our hands didn’t come merely from the hard work of translators and editors; what we now enjoy freely has been bought by the blood of the martyrs.  The story of the English Bible, and subsequently the Reformation, began with a man by the name of John Wycliffe.  Born in 1328, he has been called “the forerunner” and “the morning star” of the Reformation.   Christian history teaches that the precursor to the start of the Reformation was the debate over who has true authority—the pope or the Scriptures.  The Roman Catholic Church operated, and still operates, under the principle of papal monarchy.  Their view on authority can be summed up by the decree of Pope Gregory VII:  “The pope can be judged by no one; the Roman church as never erred and never will err till the end of time; the Roman church was founded by Christ alone; the pope alone can depose and restore bishops; he alone can make new laws….”  This was accepted without question until one corrupt pope after another ascended to the papacy; and tiring of this, people began to doubt the doctrine of papal authority.  But if the pope doesn’t have the final say, then who does?  Well, it dawned on a few men that the Scriptures should be the ultimate authority, since men are prone to error, while the Word of God is perfect.  Instead of papal authority, they deduced that all matters of faith should be decided by the Scriptures alone.  

But in order for this vision to become a reality, men like John Wycliffe decided that every believer ought to have a copy of the Bible in their own language.  This was met with fierce resistance from the Catholic Church, and those who agreed with Wycliffe were labeled as heretics.  Although Wycliffe died a natural death, many of his followers were burned at the stake.  Eventually, Wycliffe was denounced as a heretic.  His remains were dug out of consecrated church ground and thrown into the Avon river in England, and from there a prophesy arose among the people:  “The Avon to the Severn runs, the Severn to the sea, and Wycliffe’s dust shall spread abroad, Wide as the Waters be.”  His life became the inspiration for a group called “the Wycliffe translators,” many of whom have sacrificed their own well-being in order to translate the Word of God into every language.  

As we think about the lives of these people who were willing to sacrifice so much for the spread of God’s word, we might ask ourselves, Why?  What is their motivation?    For these men and women, they have put their absolute trust and their complete hope in the Word of God.   Trusting in God is identical to trusting in His Word—there is no division between the two.  And so for us to really trust God, we need to start by trusting in His Word.  

Prayer:  Father, teach us to delight in Your Word and to trust in all Your promises.  You alone have the words of life, and You have spoken them through the life of Your Son.  Fill us with the same type of conviction that inspired the prophets and the saints of old to risk so much to share Your Word.  Although the grass may wither and our lives pass before us, the Word of our God will endure forever!  Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 16

September 20, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on July 21, 2018.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Legacy – What Will You Leave Behind?”

Jeremiah 22:8-19 (NET Bible)

“‘People from other nations will pass by this city. They will ask one another, “Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?” 9 The answer will come back, “It is because they broke their covenant with the Lord their God and worshiped and served other gods.” 10 “‘Do not weep for the king who was killed. Do not grieve for him. But weep mournfully for the king who has gone into exile. For he will never return to see his native land again. 11 “‘For the Lord has spoken about Shallum son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but was carried off into exile. He has said, “He will never return to this land. 12 For he will die in the country where they took him as a captive. He will never see this land again.” 13 “‘Sure to be judged is the king who builds his palace using injustice and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms. He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor. 14 He says, “I will build myself a large palace with spacious upper rooms.” He cuts windows in its walls, panels it with cedar, and paints its rooms red. 15 Does it make you any more of a king that you outstrip everyone else in building with cedar? Just think about your father. He was content that he had food and drink. He did what was just and right. So things went well with him. 16 He upheld the cause of the poor and needy. So things went well for Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘That is a good example of what it means to know me.’ 17 But you are always thinking and looking for ways to increase your wealth by dishonest means. Your eyes and your heart are set on killing some innocent person and committing fraud and oppression. 18 So the Lord has this to say about Josiah’s son, King Jehoiakim of Judah: People will not mourn for him, saying, “This makes me sad, my brother! This makes me sad, my sister!” They will not mourn for him, saying, “Poor, poor lord! Poor, poor majesty!” 19 He will be left unburied just like a dead donkey. His body will be dragged off and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.’”

Let’s talk about LEGACY. Merriam-Webster defines legacy as, “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.” We often employ this word to mean “memory” – how each of us will be remembered. Depending on our age and season of life, this may or may not be a question we’ve pondered extensively. But the older we get, and the closer we come to the end of any season, the more pressing the questions of what we will leave behind and how we will be remembered tends to matter to us. 

In today’s passage, the legacy of these kings is abysmal to say the least. Instead of leaving behind a thriving nation that loves God, they left a destroyed city, the survivors of which are in exile. The former city will only be remembered as the site of the Lord’s judgment. Unlike their father, who was a king content with God’s provision, did what was right, cared for the poor and needy, and (as all this demonstrates) knew the Lord (vv.15-16), these kings are awful. They built large palaces for themselves by unjust means – not compensating their workers fairly (v.13) – more concerned about building large opulent buildings for themselves than about building the nation with which they’d been entrusted. They were concerned with accumulating wealth for themselves and did so dishonestly (v.17). They oppressed, defrauded, and even killed innocent people. And God wasn’t having it!

Although we are not in this kind of relationship with God (though I sometimes wish nations still were…), we stand to learn from the mistake made by these kings. So what kind of legacy will we leave behind? We are unlikely to leave a legacy of exploitation and murder (well, hopefully not), but what about one marked by greed, selfish ambition, a lack of care for the needy, or a failure to invest in God’s Kingdom? Furthermore, what kind of world will we leave for those coming after us? 

Recently former President Barack Obama finally reemerged in the public sphere to give a lecture in South Africa on the legacy of the late Nelson Mandela in celebration of Mandela’s 100th birthday. (I highly recommend the lecture and a closer look at Nelson Mandela’s life!) Mandela devoted his life to the fight for equality in South Africa and paid a high price in the process. His commitment to his people, his selfless determination to win justice for oppressed, his ability to forgive decades of imprisonment and horrendous treatment are all part of the legacy he left behind. The host of a satirical news talk show summed up my sentiments well, “Let’s just acknowledge how dope [awesome] you have to be for people to keep throwing you birthdays after you’re dead” (Trevor Noah). I hope I’ll be that “dope” – maybe not on a global stage, but certainly in the lives of those God entrusts to me along my journey. What about you? How “dope” will you be? 

Prayer: Gracious God, help me today to reflect on my legacy. At the end of my current season and the end of my time on this earth, may I leave behind, if nothing else, a witness to Your Great Name. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 14-15

September 19, Friday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was originally posted on September 19, 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.”

Yesterday, we talked about how, as humans, we exist as worship to God. As God’s image, we are objects of worship in the temple of God’s creation. But in the passage in Genesis 1, after God proclaims humankind as His image bearers, He gives them a follow-up command. He says 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.” Subdue the earth and have dominion over it. Basically, as the image of God, we are called to rule God’s creation in His place. Being human, then, means firstly existing as worship and, secondly, means ruling over God’s creation. But what does that look like?

The Bible actually speaks quite frequently about how people ought to rule. These passages often speak of kings in the line of David, which ultimately points to Jesus as the true king. But, remember, Jesus is the true human and we learn what it means to be human by looking at Jesus. So, if Jesus modeled certain royal attributes, we as humans should seek to follow suit. We were created to rule and Jesus shows us how.

When you read passages about kingship in the Bible, there are two words that often stand out: righteousness and justice. For example, we read in Psalm 72:1-2, “Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!” Similarly, in Isaiah 16:5 we read, “Then a throne will be established in steadfast love, and on it will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness.” In God’s eyes, a true ruler would seek righteousness and justice. Being human, as rulers of creation, we ought to likewise seek righteousness and justice. This is what Jesus did – He promoted righteousness (i.e. people being made right with God) and promoted justice (i.e. the availability of healing and wholeness for all people).

What this means is that doing justice and seeking wholeness in our communities is not just something for the “justice-minded” people to think and care about. To be truly human means to truly care about righteousness and justice, to care about communities being healed and systems being promoted that contribute to flourishing for, not just humans, but all of creation. Being human means desiring to see God’s will being done on earth as it is done in heaven. This is what Jesus did. This is what it means to rule over God’s creation in His image. Just as not living as worship is to be subhuman, to not care about righteousness and justice is likewise subhuman.

Today, invite God to show you how to rule with righteousness and justice. See the world with God’s eyes and see the hope of justice and healing, a justice that could even come through you.

Prayer: Lord, teach us to be truly human. May we seek to be bringers of righteousness and justice to this world. There is so much brokenness around us – may our response not be hopelessness, but rather hopefulness. We are Your image and so we can do justice – here and now. May Your Spirit empower us to do this.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 13

Lunch Break Study  

Read Micah 6:6-8: “With what shall I come before the Lord,and bow myself before God on high?Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

 with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Questions to Consider

  • According to this passage, what does the Lord require of us and what does he not require of us?
  • What do you think it means “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God”?
  • In what ways can you do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God today?

Notes

  • The Lord does not require from us empty religion; rather, He requires us to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. Now, this does not mean that church does not matter, that anything religious does not matter, and that all that matters is doing good works. There is a both/and here. Religion is empty when it does not seek justice and righteousness, but there is a place for religion, for church, for worship. Remember, worship is primary. But our worship is empty if we are not loving and caring for those around us. Jesus gave us the great commandment, “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” Both are necessary.
  • In Micah’s day, when this was written, there was a lot of oppression in the nation of Israel. The rich were exploiting the poor, rulers were corrupt, and worship of the Lord was hollow. The people had gotten so caught up in the routine of religion that they neglected what really mattered. Jesus summed up the law by saying we must love God and love people. That was meant to be primary. To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God is to do just that – to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. 
  • Invite God to show you how you can do this today. Allow His Spirit to guide you.

Evening Reflection

This evening, reflect on what we have talked about as being truly human. We all fall short, that’s why we need God’s help. Invite God to fill you with His Spirit so that you can live out your calling as a human by worshiping and by ruling creation with righteousness and justice.

September 18, Thursday

REPOST Todays’ AMI Quiet Time, originally posted on July 4, 2019, is written by Pastor Ryun.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Direct Line to God”

Psalm 4:1-3

Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.  Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. 2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?  How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah 3 Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him.

The truth be told, we often take for granted how God is readily accessible to us (Rom. 5:2); but that’s not something the Israelites in the OT had enjoyed: God was near them but not yet with them. They heard God’s word from the mouth of prophets, but both they and the prophets could never experience “the Spirit himself testify[ing] with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Rom. 8:16).  The adoption into God’s family would become a reality only after the coming of Christ (Jn. 1:12) and the sending of the Holy Spirit into our hearts thereafter, thereby enabling us to hear God’s voice from within—based on Scripture (Jn. 7:39; 2 Cor. 1:22; 1 Cor. 7:29; Acts 17:11).  This is one main reason “many prophets and righteous people [in the OT] longed to see what [we] see, and did not see it, and to hear what [we] hear, and did not hear it” (Mt. 13:17).

This is to say, what David had longed for is a reality to us in Christ, but are we taking advantage of it?  Foremost, if you are still not a believer, you are wasting a golden opportunity to be part of God’s family, along with its many privileges and blessings (and responsibilities to follow). If you are already a believer, then, how is your prayer life? You should really pray, even more now (NT) because we have a direct line to God Himself. Yes, God is waiting for you to call! 

So, what are some activities in your life that seem to sap your desire and energy to pray consistently? Prayerlessness is nothing less than not depending on God.  Anyone who says, “I depend on the Lord” but rarely ever prays is no different than a politician elected on a pro-environment platform who drives a Hummer!  In addition, those who say prayer doesn’t work really haven’t prayed to give it a fair shot, for biblical prayer is not like talking to a waiter; rather it is an unhurried time of intimate dialogue with God and crying out to Him!  And He hears you.  

Considering this, earnestly evaluate your prayer life: What does it say about your dependence on the Lord (Ez. 8:21-3)?  Remember—to add something to our agenda, sometimes we have to make room for it.  To pray or to add more time to our existing prayer life, certain activities may need to be eliminated or reduced.  My suggestion is reducing the time devoted to internet surfing, such as updating your Facebook and/or perusing that of others!  A lot of time is wasted on that activity alone. Pray today.

Prayer: Dear God, I thank You for this privilege of being able to speak to You freely. Help me to draw closer to You because I desperately need You to navigate my life toward where You want me to be.   

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 12

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 18:1-8: And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Questions to Consider

1. To whom was this parable said?

2. Why was this taught?

3.  In the parable (Lk. 18:2-5), the unjust judge is an antitype of God.  What is Jesus driving at through this literary device (Lk. 18:6-8)?

 Notes

1. Jesus told this to his disciples.

2. Probably foreseeing the future in which his men would encounter persecutions and trials in carrying out the Great Commission (Mt. 10:17-22), Jesus shared this parable to inculcate in them how they should never give up on prayer.

3. Through this anti-type, Jesus’ point is even more clear: even an unjust judge will grant a petition presented daily by a relentless petitioner just to get her off his back. But God is completely opposite from this man in character and affection toward those who would petition Him.  If He is not granting your request at the moment, there is a good reason for it; but in time, He will grant your wish “if we ask anything according to his will” (1 Jn. 5:14b).

Evening Reflection

We began the day reading about David’s crying out to the Lord.  Did anything happen today that would make you do the same?  Did you get to pray today? If not, what kept you from praying? Pray about it. 

September 17, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was originally posted on May 1, 2019.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Another Look at Sabbath”

Exodus 23:10-13 (NIV)

“For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, 11 but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. 12 “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed. 13 “Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips.

When was in college, shortly after I decided to follow Jesus, I was drawn to the scripture “Be still and know that I am God,” in prayer. I naturally concluded that the best response was for me to sit really still (and be very quiet) during my prayer time.  After some days of living with this scripture and thinking through the idea of what it means to rest in God, I read an alterenate translation that translated “be still” as “stop striving,” and realized the Lord was inviting me to trust God with some anxiety-inducing situations I was facing at the time. Rest is about trust. 

Every year I was in professional ministry, I taught discipleship courses to church leaders. My favorite segment of the course was one on Sabbath. Sabbath – the seventh day (or year) of rest commanded by God in the Ten Commandments – is so much more than a day to sleep or slack off on one’s regular duties. It’s far more about rest – resting in God’s presence and delighting in God’s provision. Through many books on discipleship and spiritual disciplines, I’ve learned that rest is also about delight. Much like God on the seventh day of creation, we cease our work not just to catch our breath (I imagine God didn’t need a breather from creating), but to delight in the work of our hands, our many gifts from God. Through Sabbath, we trust and delight. 

The principle of Sabbath is certainly beneficial for personal wellness and growth. But the observation of this principle by the people of God was also of great benefit to those around them for two reasons: Sabbath creates margin for the needy and refreshment for those in our care. God commanded the Israelites to rest from tending their fields (the primary work in an agrarian society) so that the poor could gather food. God’s people were to organize their lives in such a way that those in need found opportunities to have their needs met. Sabbath was also for the purpose of others finding time for refreshment, particularly for those under one’s care. If we live busy lives, it’s likely our children, natural or spiritual, will too. If we structure our work environments with restless rhythms, those under our charge inherit those rhythms. If we create a society that doesn’t honor rest, the vulnerable among us (e.g. the foreigner) will have the least access to rest and refreshment.  

Honoring the sabbath means leaving margin in our time, talents, treasures so that we (and our resources) are available to be a conduit for God’s blessings to others. It also means choosing life rhythms that allow those in our care and the vulnerable among us to find rest and refreshment in their lives.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 11

Lunch Break Study

Read Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV):Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Question to Consider

  • What does Paul tell the church at Philippi will enable them to exercise gentleness in their dealings with others? How might this help you do the same? How might this help us to always rejoice in the Lord?
  • What are the recipients of this letter encouraged to do instead of being anxious? What will be the result? How might this approach be useful to you as well? How have you experienced God’s peace in the face of anxiety in your life? 
  • Why is it helpful to focus on that which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praise worthy? What can this do for a heart that is facing anxiety-inducing circumstances? Spend some time thinking on such things in your life.

Notes

  • Paul tells the Christ followers in Philippi to remember that “the Lord is near.” This fact would help them to exercise gentleness in their dealings with “all” people. Remembering who God is, what God has done and will do, and that God is always near in every season will enable us to treat others with kindness.
  • Paul tells them to pray (talk to God) and petition (specifically, tell God of their needs and desires) while also giving thanks (acknowledging what is good and expressing gratitude). This will give the believer access to a peace, God’s peace, that the mind cannot produce or even fathom. 
  • Difficult circumstances tend to be all-consuming and the mind is not necessarily wired to remember (in any palpable way) our former experiences of good when we are in the depths of pain, fear, or heartache. When a person disciplines herself to remember the true, good, and beautiful, we overcome that limitation and are able to see beyond our present difficult experience. As we do, we begin to remember (as Timothy Wright and the Chicago Interdenominational Mass Choir sang in the 90’s) that “trouble don’t last always!” 

Evening Reflection

Exodus 23:13: “Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips.”

In the same breath that God gives commandments regarding Sabbath rest, God also warns against idolatry (or worship of anything other than God). What is the connection between the temptation to dishonor the principle of Sabbath and idolatry? What are the other “gods” in your life that tempt you to overwork or fail to stop and rest? In what ways have you seen a lack of resting in God (trusting, delighting, and caring for others) affect your life and the lives of those in your care? Spend some time reflecting on these things with God.