September 15, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on May 19, 2014.  Peter is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Don’t Give Yourself Too Much Credit”

Titus 3:3

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

Do you ever read a passage like this in the Bible and think to yourself, “C’mon God, I wasn’t that bad, was I?” While it’s easy for us to point our fingers towards Cain, Korah, King Saul, Nabal, Jezebel, and all of the Assyrian army, we’d like to give ourselves a little more credit than what  this passage describes. 

We often become critical of others and see faults rather easily in the Cains and the King Sauls around us. All the while, we neglect to see our own brokenness and sins. We insinuate that while others are gossiping, we’re only “sharing” pertinent information; others are hoarders, but I’m a saver; others struggle with fears that immobilize them from making decisions, while I’m merely waiting on the Lord. Why do our motives seem so pure while others seem so sinful?  

Jeremiah says, “The heart is deceitful above all else.” Adding insult to injury, the Devil, the “father of lies,” takes our deceitful hearts and masterfully complements that with his own set of lies so that we remain in a dangerous place of self-deception. Inevitably, that leads us towards self-righteousness. The last time that Jesus had a taste of a self-righteous group of believers, he said that he was about to “spit” them out of his mouth (Rev. 3:14-22). The Greek word “spit” depicts someone having a gag-reflex. Self- righteousness must have been very disgusting to Jesus. 

Some of us may have grown up with proper manners and good outward behaviors towards others. Good.  However, we know that our hearts were far from the glory of God. All of us came to Christ with our hearts full of foolishness, disobedience, deception, enslavement to all kinds of sinful passions and pleasures, malice, envy, pride, and hatred. But now Christ has fused His Spirit into our hearts so that His grace and power are at work transforming us into the image of Jesus Himself. Let’s stop looking at others; instead, let’s agree that we, too, struggle with our sin and brokenness and are in deep need of Christ’s grace each day. 

Prayer: Dear God, Your word says that You oppose the proud but give grace to the humble. Grant to me your grace, for I confess my need for You in my struggle with my personal sins. Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 10

Lunch Break Study  

Read Luke 7:36-47 (NIV): When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Questions to Consider

  1. What does Simon, the Pharisee, fail to do to Jesus who was the guest at his table?
  2. What does Jesus’ parable reveal about the reality of the relationship between forgiveness and love? 
  3. As you are getting older as a Christian, are you becoming more aware of your personal brokenness and sin tendencies which lead you to appreciate God’s grace more deeply?  

Notes

  1. Simon fails to provide any water to wash Jesus’ hands/feet; he fails to greet the teacher with a kiss; and he fails to provide olive oil to refresh his guest. These weren’t subtle mistakes that Simon overlooked, but was a passive aggressive behavior at its best. To extend an invitation, only to deliberately slap Jesus in the face. Maybe Simon wanted to put Jesus in His place or was kind of afraid of being too closely associated with Jesus.  
  2. Jesus concludes that the woman has shown great love, and she understands her many sins have been forgiven. Jesus communicates to Simon that he has yet to be aware of his own sins and need for a Savior. 
  3. Personal response

Evening Reflection

The Gospel of Jesus Christ deals, first and foremost, with our sins rather than our needs. Yes, God is our Provider and promises to meet our needs. However, the Gospel asks us, “Jesus is Lord – what are you going to do about your sins?” Spend time confessing your sins and allow the Lord to purify you from all unrighteousness.   

September 14, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on May 13, 2014.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Meaning of Work”

Titus 2:9-10

“Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, [10] and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” 

“What is the chief end of man?  To glorify God and enjoy him forever.”

~ paraphrased from the Westminster Shorter Catechism

When it comes to the workplace, every believer has two jobs:  One is to do the work for which we were hired by our human bosses; and the other is to fulfill the purpose for which we were created and placed on this earth by our eternal master, God himself.  Of the two, which would you say is more important?

Though both are important, there is a hierarchy.  The most important is to fulfill our main purpose for existing – to glorify God, yet being good and faithful workers is also important because it helps us achieve our higher purpose.  As Paul notes above, when believers are good employees, they make God look good (i.e., bring him glory).

To open someone’s heart to the gospel is never an easy task; all the harder when that person is in a position above us.  With co-workers, there is the similar challenge that one has with family – those who see us at work every day see us at both our best and worst – but with our bosses, there is the added obstacle of being at different levels socially.

Yet in our passage for today, slaves are encouraged to have the vision that they could make the gospel attractive to their masters.  By their work ethic, respectful attitudes and integrity, they could have the power to influence those above them, even seeing their masters become attracted to the message of the gospel.  Do we have that kind of vision today?  Or have we written off our bosses, removed them from the list of people we thought we could influence for Christ?

Also, glorifying God in our work contexts is not just limited to how faithfully we do our work.  Sometimes we glorify God most by the joy that we have in him.  What kind of person are we at work?  Always cranky, tired, or complaining?  Or full of joy and purpose?  When others see us, is there a brightness in our spirits that attracts them?  Or would they come to the conclusion that the love of God in a person’s life doesn’t seem to be doing all that much for them?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, let me experience more of Your love this day, that I might be filled with the joy of knowing You.  May my glorifying You not be a chore but a natural outflow of all I receive from You.  May I make You attractive today not just by my attitude at work, but also by my attitude towards life.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:2 Chronicles 9

Lunch Break Study

Read Ecclesiastes 3:9-14: “What do workers gain from their toil? [10] I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. [11] He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. [12] I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. [13] That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. [14] I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

Questions to Consider

  1. How does verse 13 answer the question raised in verse 9?  What do people get out of work?
  2. In addition to work, what is the other main topic of this passage (vv. 11, 14)?  Why do you think the writer discusses these two subjects together (v. 12)?
  3. Are you happy and enjoying your work?  Are you able to see your work in light of an eternal perspective?

Notes

  1. In addition to daily provision, there is the satisfaction of a job well done.  This is God’s design in giving us work, and the satisfaction we get out of work is a gift from him.
  2. The topics of eternity and the work we do in our lifetimes are juxtaposed to give us a sense of perspective.  Temporary things, like our work, can be beautiful in the time they exist (v. 11) and therefore do have value, but there is more to our existence than just this lifetime.
  3. It is good to enjoy our work, and if we are not enjoying it right now, we can ask God for this gift of satisfaction.  At the same time, we cannot take our work too seriously, or let it become more important than the kind of work God does that lasts forever.

Evening Reflection

Did I have a good day at work today?  Was I able to find satisfaction and joy in a job well done?  Did I glorify God today?  Was my attitude towards work or life attractive to others today?

September 13, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Shan Gian, who serves as Fenway Site Pastor at Symphony Church in Boston, was first posted on September 27, 2014.  He is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Lay Down Things Too Great and Too Marvelous for Me”  

Ecclesiastes 11:5 (ESV)

 As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

It’s fun to talk with children at a certain age when they keep asking questions such as: “Why is the sky blue?”; “Why do we go this way?”; “Where do babies come from?”  But after a while, of course, it’s annoying taking on question after question, and we end up replying with, “BECAUSE!”  

Ecclesiastes is a book that keeps asking questions:  Why do we work?  What is wisdom?  What is joy?  What is the meaning of life?  But as Solomon is bringing this book of questioning to a close, he comes to this conclusion:  We “do not know the work of God who makes everything.”  Solomon is resigned to this fact that God is God, and we are not.

This can be difficult for us to accept.  In our day, science has made incredible advances and seemingly gives us answers to everything.  When we have questions about anything or need advice on a project, we just go to Google and Wikipedia, and we find our answers instantly.  But when it comes to the things of God, we have our questions such as: why this has happened; how something will come to be; or when we will we know; but we won’t always get answers to all of our questions.  

David, in Psalm 131, says, “I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.  But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.”  The weaned child is still and content, because he has been satisfied by solid food, knowing that his parents will take care of him and provide for him. 

And in the same way, David tells us that he can lay down his questions and desires to understand the great and marvelous things of God, because he knows he can trust in God and is satisfied by his presence.  Let us lay down our questions and our need to understand why, and let us be like the weaned child who trusts that our heavenly Father is in control.

Prayer: Father, thank You for being my Father and for Your love and care for me.  I confess that I have questions and desires to understand that I need to lay down for You.  Lord, I surrender it all to You because I know that You are in control and that Your presence is enough.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 8

September 12, Saturday

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 29, 2013.  He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Blessings of Remembering” 

Psalm 7:11-12 (NIV)

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

My daughter has a habit of keeping things that are associated with pleasant memories, such as birthday cards, notes, and letters. Some time ago, my family and I went to Honduras for three weeks during the summer.  My daughter made many friends there and when it was time to leave, they gave her many small gifts and notes, and even now, she treasures them. As for my wife and I, when we left a ministry, we had received a jar filled with personal notes, but after reading them, we tosses out the notes and kept the jar.  Upon seeing this, my daughter looked at us in shock as if she were saying, “How can you throw away such precious things?”

There is great value in remembering what the Lord has done in our past, especially during our dark and rainy seasons in life, for it brings us hope that He will come through for us with even greater works.  One reason people turn away from God and go astray is that they forget the great things the Lord had done for them; even those of us who have walked with God for a long time tend to be nearsighted. More than often, we tend to forget the good that God has done but dwell on our bad situation and complain to God rather than giving thanks.

No sooner had Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to Baal. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side (Judges 8:33, 34 NIV). We see this pattern repeated in the Bible as people apostatize over and over.

But as for God, He remembers all the good things we try to do and forget the sins we repented of, for God is love and keeps no record of wrongs. Of course we should not live by just dwelling on the past glory of God as though that was the greatest thing He ever did, but as we remember all His great works, it should give us greater faith to expect even greater things from Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You know my going in and my going out. You know my innermost thoughts. Sovereign Lord, You, in Your infinite grace and mercy, always remember the somewhat good and forget the bad I have done.  Thank You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 6-7

September 11, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on August 6, 2014, is provided by Phillip Chen who is associate pastor at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego.  Phil is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Close Look at Incarnational Ministry”

John 1:14-18 

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

While many of us may understand incarnational ministry theologically, we don’t quite grasp it in real life.  I would like to share an illustration that I found in a book that really helped me to understand it better.   

Some Navy SEALs made their way to a compound where the hostages had been imprisoned for months. The hostages were curled up in a corner, terrified.  The SEALs stood at the door and called to the prisoners, telling them they were Americans.  They, then, asked the hostages to follow them, but no one moved.   The prisoners just sat with their eyes close in fear, not believing that the rescuers were really Americans.

The SEALs stood there, not knowing what to do. They couldn’t possibly carry everybody out.  Then, one of the SEALs put down his weapon, took off his helmet, and curled up tightly next to the other hostages, getting so close his body was touching some of theirs. He was trying to show them that he was one of them since none of the prison guards would have done this. He stayed there for a little while until some of the hostages started to look at him, finally meeting his eyes. Declaring their identity and intention once more, the Navy SEAL asked, “Will you follow us?”  Once he stood to his feet and one of the hostages did the same, then another, until all of them were willing to go. The story ends with all the hostages safe on an American aircraft carrier.

What a beautiful depiction of the Word became flesh, that Christ would humble himself, taking on an infinitely lesser nature in human form so that we are able to trust him for saving us from the bondage of sin. No longer can anyone say that God is a distant God who doesn’t understand us, but we have a high priest who understands us, was tempted like us, but was perfect without sin (Hebrews 4:15).  

Today, this same Jesus is looking to you; he graciously and gently invites you to tear down any remaining defense mechanisms, any walls of hostility, so that he may lead you to safety.  Allow him to come near so that you may sense his love and care for you. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, I am eternally grateful to You for taking on the flesh, not only to die vicariously for our sins but also to sympathize with our weaknesses.  I know that I can go to You with utmost confidence, knowing that I will be heard and loved.  Thanks.  Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 5

Lunch Break Study

Read Phil. 2:5-8 (ESV): “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

John 17:5: “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

Questions to Consider

  1. This is a classic passage that clearly depicts the incarnation of Christ.  What did Jesus give up by becoming a man?
  2. A key theological concept based on this passage is called kenosis (emptying of self), which is undergirded by two attitudes on the part of Christ.  What are they?
  3. In what way can you demonstrate the incarnational attitude with someone in your life? 

Notes

  1. Jesus gave up his glory he had with the Father “before the world existed.”  He momentarily gave up equality with God the Father.  That’s one reason why Jesus didn’t know the day or hour of His Second coming (Matt. 24:36).
  2. The two attitudes are humiliation (Jesus was humiliated) and condescension (Jesus was disdained).
  3. I think Romans 12:16 and 14:1 gives good examples of this: “Be willing to associate with people of low position”; “accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.”

Evening Reflection

Looking back, did you have an opportunity to demonstrate the incarnational spirit or attitude to anyone today?  Reflect on it; pray for that person. 

September 10, Thursday

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), is an updated version of his blog first posted on January 24, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Our God of Mercy”

Psalm 9:6-8

Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.  7 The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. 8 He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.

There have been talks about the United States of America as an empire and whether she can avoid the same fate that befell all the other empires that preceded her. Augustine’s City of God is a poignant reminder that no empire or nation established by men’s might will pass the test of time.  

Why? The people of empire, living in prosperity and unrestrained freedom, will corrupt themselves and soon the empire will collapse from within, much like how the Western Roman Empire fell apart from within in 476.  That, ultimately, is the judgment of the world (vs. 7) by a just and righteous God.  

Yet Paul said to the pagans in Lystra: “In the past, [God] let all nations go their own way” (Acts 14:16)” and to the Athenian pagans, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance” (17:30). Are you surprised to find that God was merciful (i.e., not punishing those who deserve punishment) toward the nations and the pagans who didn’t follow Him?  Not Habakkuk who confidently prayed, “LORD, in wrath remember mercy” on Israel (3:2).  And this God continues to have mercy on us and the nations today.  

Maybe you see an angry God because you have had father issues; but remember this: the just and righteous LORD is long on mercy!  This means that if God were to judge the American Empire, it would be after exhausting all His mercie. And if God were to judge us, it would also be after exhausting all His mercies.   

Are you living in sin? Then, here is a suggestion you should heed.  Romans 2:4b says, “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.”  God’s kindness is the Lord being merciful to us when we are not walking with Him, and that’s the moment given to us to repent. Turn from your sin and come to the merciful God today.  

Prayer: Father God, I thank You that You are a righteous and just God whose judgment is fair, and above all, merciful!  God, “I’ve heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your merciful deeds. When I am in need of Your discipline, remember mercy!” Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:1 Chronicles 4

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15: According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Questions to Consider

  1. What do “wood, hay or straw” represent as building materials for how we live our lives (Matt. 23:5, 6:5)?
  2. What other things will God consider as criteria for His judgment of our live (Matt. 12:36-7; Lk. 12:16-21)?
  3. Ultimately, will God judge a few areas or every area of our lives (Matt. 25:34-46)?

Notes

  1. These perishable items represent those things done in the body, which we assume will reap rewards from God, but will be rejected due to impure motives of our hearts.  Regarding the Pharisees, they won’t receive any rewards in heaven for their good deeds because they already “received their reward in full” on earth.  We can conclude from this that any good thing that we do just to impress men will be burned up.
  2. Our words and how we spend our wealth will be part of divine criteria to judge our lives.  Regarding our words, it is not just whether we used swear words but whether our words built people up or tore them down.
  3. God will judge the entire body of work of how we actually lived, whether with compassion and mercy toward those suffering, or with utter indifference towards the people. Only an omniscient God can conduct this sort of complex judgment. 

Evening Reflection

Before turning in for the night, meditate on the following questions:

  1. What righteous (or unrighteous) actions did I do today?  
  2. What positives did I derive from them?  Were there any negatives?    
  3. If God were to judge my life today, how would He evaluate it? What would He say to me?
  4. What are some areas of my life that I definitely need to improve? Jot them down here and ask Jesus for guidance. 

September 9, Wednesday

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by the then (2013) staff of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, is an updated version of their blog first posted on July 17, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Cross”

Psalm 77:10-15

Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. 11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” 13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

Have you ever felt like God is nowhere to be found? The psalmist sure did. So, when he feels abandoned by God, he begins to meditate on the deeds of the Lord.  He does not give the works of the Lord just a passing, superficial glance.  He ponders them until his heart is stirred to declare the holiness and greatness of God above all other gods.

Consider the cross.  The Hebrews writer says,“Look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb. 12:2).  Consider how the Father sent the Son to suffer and die in your place.  Though the Son begged that this cup might pass from Him, the Father called His beloved Son to endure His wrath.  

Think about who Jesus died for – rebels who reject the One who came to save them, who prefer the death of God over having a relationship with Him.  Dwell on the tremendous outcome of Christ’s suffering; death gives way to life; enemies become adopted sons and daughters; and nothing can separate you from the love of God.

Sing a song of worship to the Lord.

Prayer: Dear God, there are many confusing and troubling challenges in my life.  I often do not understand what You are doing or why life must be so difficult, but I thank You for the cross, for it shouts to me that You are never indifferent to me or absent from me.  Though I may not understand my circumstances, I know that You love me.  I thank You that nothing can separate me from Your love.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 3

Lunch Break Study

Read James 3:9-12 (NIV): With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Questions to Consider

  1. What is the major problem with the tongues of people? 
  2. What do the metaphors in verse 12 imply to the listeners?
  3. Try to be deliberate in your speech today. Ask the Lord to use your tongue to build up rather than tear others down.

Notes

  1. The major problem that makes the tongue so evil is its duplicity. Blessing the Lord and yet cursing people reflect the best and the worst of human speech and heart. 
  2. The implication of the metaphors in verse 9-12 shifts from the initial claim that one person cannot utter both good and bad statementsto the claim that a person of one kind cannot utter statements of another kindand finally to claim that a bad person cannot utter good statements.
  3. So what does bad speech pattern reveal about your heart? 

Evening Reflection

Are there some speech patterns in your life that you feel God needs to get a hold of? Invite the Lord to change your heart towards Him so that your speech pattern will reflect His character. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask for wisdom and your Spirit to fill me so that my speech patterns will edify and build up those around me. Amen. 

September 8, Tuesday

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, prepared by Pastor Jason Sato who is currently serving in Japan as a missionary, is an updated version of his blog first posted on April 28, 2014. Jason is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Doing Grace Better”

Galatians 6:1-5 (ESV) 

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. [2] Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. [3] For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. [4] But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. [5] For each will have to bear his own load.

If you ever happen to see me struggling to carry a heavy piece of furniture, please do NOT walk alongside me and critique my lifting posture.  Help me!

After detailing the fruit of the Spirit (the characteristics of a spiritual person), the apostle Paul encourages the Galatian Church to “bear one another’s burdens” (v. 2). Burdens can come in the form of worries, hardships, or even conflicts.  But here, Paul is referring to the burden of “transgression,” or the burden of sin (v. 1). The burden of sin includes guilt, shame, alienation from others, and ultimately estrangement from God. God calls us to set our brothers and sisters free from such burdens.

Do we love our brothers and sisters enough to confront areas of sin in their lives? If we do, do we remind them of the grace of God and offer to strive alongside them or just berate them? 

More often than we’d like to admit, our brother’s sin becomes an opportunity for us to love ourselves rather than love him. We begin to compare and think we are something (v. 3). We boast about ourselves in light of our brother, conveniently forgetting how we compare to the perfect holiness of God (v. 4). 

But such boasting will be cut short when we stand before the judgment seat of God (v. 5). Before God, there is only one thing we can boast in: the perfect righteousness of Christ. And so, knowing the wickedness and deceitfulness of our own hearts, we can come to our brother with a spirit of gentleness. Rather than demanding he try harder or do better, we can point him to the Savior who died for sinners.  

And as we offer free and full reconciliation purchased by the blood of Christ, we are blessed to remember that that same grace and forgiveness is offered to us as well.  Philip Yancey writes in his What’s So Amazing About Grace? (1997), “The world can do anything the church can do except one thing: it cannot show grace. In my opinion, Christians are not doing a very good job of dispensing grace to the world.”  Let’s do grace better today.   

Prayer: Father, I thank You for my brothers and sisters. I am blessed to be a part of this family. Lord, give me supernatural love that reaches out to those who are trapped in sin. May I not rejoice in the failures of others, but plead for Your grace to be poured out on them and on myself. You alone can save. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 2

Lunch Break Study  

Read Matthew 23:4 & 11:28-30 (ESV): “[The scribes and Pharisees] tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger . . . [28] Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Questions to Consider

  1. Contrast the implied invitation of the scribes and Pharisees with that of Jesus in 11:28.
  2. Contrast the result of the Pharisee’s ministry with that of Jesus’ ministry.
  3. Contrast what the Pharisees were willing to do for their disciples with what Jesus has done for His.

Notes

  1. The scribes and Pharisees invite their hearers to follow rules and carry heavy burdens. While Jesus is concerned about ethics, He invites us to Himself. Jesus invites us to have a personal relationship with Him.
  2. The Pharisees’ ministry results in burdensome weariness. The ministry of Jesus results in rest for our souls.
  3. The Pharisees were unwilling to help their disciples with their finger. Their disciples were left to deal with their burdens alone. Christ died for His disciples. His perfect life, death, and resurrection accomplished everything we need for complete redemption and restoration to the Father.

Evening Reflection

Reflect on your day. What opportunities were you given to encourage a brother or sister with the Gospel? How were you tempted to favorably compare yourself to others? Invite the Lord to humble you and cause you to boast only in Christ.

September 7, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S.F., was originally posted on March 25, 2013.  Mark is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Enamored by the Beauty, not the Functionality, of the Lord”

Psalm 27:4, 7-8 (ESV)

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.  7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! 8 You have said, “Seek my face.”  My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” 

King David begins this psalm by talking about how God functions in his life, a God who would defend, protect, and fight for him, but he quickly realizes that there is something more important than the functional role of God in his life.  He sees that above and beyond this, the one thing that is most important is to see the beauty of God.  

Beauty is what captures the human heart and stirs it.  Beauty gives birth to our passions and fulfills our longings.  Beauty is what awakens the human spirit and separates us from the animals.   

Now, animals in the wild have been known to make simple tools so that they can secure food and scare off predators.  While they can create things for a functional purpose, only humans pursue beauty for the sake of beauty.  Appreciating what God does is important but being captivated by His beauty is far more vital.  

We know that the Gospel is the pinnacle of what God has done for us—that He gave His only Son as atonement for our sin and that faith in him leads to eternal life.  But if our understanding of the gospel stops there, while we might live our lives in gratitude, we are unlikely to live our lives out of love.  The gospel is not only an account of what God has done for us but it is also a window to who God is.  

Moreover, as we look through the gospel, we see a God whose beauty is beyond description.  We see the perfect symphony of love and justice, of humility and might, of mercy and holiness.  Only when this beauty of God is captured in our hearts can we truly fall in love with Him.

This morning, reflect on the beauty of God.    Make this psalm your prayer, that you may behold the beauty of God and fall deeper in love with Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, it is so easy to forget how beautiful You are.  I pray that as I experience the ordinary things of life that I would be mindful of the extraordinary God who made all things possible.  Help me to fall deeper and deeper in love with You, counting one day in Your presence as better than a thousand apart from You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Chronicles 1

Lunch Break Study 

Read John 8:12 (ESV): Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Questions to Consider

  1. At what event in the Jewish religious calendar did Jesus speak these words?  (John 7:2)
  2. What did this event celebrate and bring remembrance of? (Exodus 40:36-38)
  3. What is Jesus referring to when He calls himself the “light of the world”?  

Notes

  1. Jesus spoke these words at the Feast of Booths, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles.     
  2. The Feast of Tabernacles was a celebration of God leading the people of Israel through the desert for 40 years.  If you have watched the Ten Commandments or the Prince of Egypt, you will recall that God guided the nation of Israel using a cloud by day to protect them from the desert heat and then the cloud would be illuminated at night by fire so that they could make their way through the darkness. 
  3. When Jesus refers to himself as the “Light”, it has a very narrow range of meaning.  He isn’t simply saying, “I am the source of enlightenment that will guide you through life like Buddha or a New Age guru.”  He is literally saying, “I am the shekinah glory of God,” which is the dwelling of God’s presence in a specific location that makes it perceptible to the human senses.  During the Feast of Tabernacles, as the people gathered each evening, the priest would light the candelabras for two reasons: first, as remembrance of how God’s glory led them through the darkness; second, as an expression of longing for the visible presence of God to fill the temple again. 

St. Irenaeus, a leading theologian in the early church, is famous for stating that, “The glory of God is a man fully alive.”  I would take that one-step further and say that the glory of God is what causes man to be fully alive.  Without the light of God’s glory shining into the darkness of our hearts, there is no chance for true spiritual life.  

Evening Reflection

As you start the week, think of ways to center your daily routine around the gospel.  Write down how God has reminded you of His sacrificial love.   

September 6, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Barry Kang who heads Symphony Church in Boston, was first posted on March 2, 2014.  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

“The Relationship Between Theology and Ethics”

1 John 2:6

“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

hussain-badshah-7nrrf9581Qg-unsplashEven now, one of the most important questions we wrestle within the Church is how our ethics (how we live our life) interacts with our theology (what we believe).  As many already know, the apostle John’s primary message was “love one another” (Jn. 13:35). But what does it mean if we don’t actually love one another?  Since we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8), does that imply that loving others is not required in order to be saved?  Is doing what God commands necessary for salvation?

The first letter of John was likely written to the church in Ephesus, a church with an outstanding pedigree.  Planted by the apostle Paul, pastored by Timothy and later by the apostle John, the church had a solid foundation of pastoral and theological leadership.  Yet, as Jesus had prophesied (Matt. 7), false teachers had begun to influence the church (Acts 20:29-31); and much of their teachings had to do with this interplay between theology and ethics.

In time, from their false teachings would arise a non-Christ centered system of philosophy known as “Gnosticism,” which taught that only those who had received the secret knowledge (i.e., gnosis) would become enlightened and saved.  An essential component to Gnosticism was dualism, which taught that the soul was good while flesh was evil.  Interestingly, this led to two vastly different ethical applications.  Some dualists preached a severe form of asceticism (i.e., a strict lifestyle that avoids physical pleasure) under the premise that wicked flesh needed to be disciplined.  Many others promoted licentiousness under the pretext that since the soul will be saved in the end, what was done in the flesh didn’t matter.

In contrast, the gospel writers taught that God did the work of salvation.  We play no role in obtaining our salvation because God’s redemptive work is affected neither by our righteousness nor our lack of it; we simply receive this grace through faith. Knowledge (knowing what Jesus did) has a role, but salvation is more than intellectually assenting to that knowledge.  For John, faith cannot be separated from one’s ethics, any more than Christ’s humanity can be separated from his divinity.  If you believe in Jesus, then you would want to live like him and you can, since the Spirit (a.k.a., the helper) lives in us.  Yes, “whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

Evidently, the errors of Gnosticism still affect many of us today.  How?  We are inclined to listen to the voices that preach knowledge (resulting in accumulating information) over faith.  Some emphasize grace so much that all efforts toward holiness are dismissed.  For others, imbalanced focus on faithfulness has turned good works into a means to justify ourselves and to judge others.  As we read through 1 John, let us ask that God would help us to find the radical middle of grace and faith.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus!  Now, despite our imperfections, we can have fellowship with You and even fellowship with other imperfect people.  Help me to become a person who proclaims Christ inside and outside the Church, that our joy would become complete!  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Obadiah 1