NEW Today’s AMI QT Devotional is provided by Stephanie Moon who, together with her husband Jon, serves as a missionary in Coban, Guatemala. She is a graduate of University of Washington (BA) and University of California, Berkeley (MBA).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Are We Really All that Different?”

James 2:1-4, 8-9

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? {….}8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

While I dare not equate what I am feeling to what African Americans have been putting up with for centuries, my heart, nonetheless, does break for them. It is time to confront the fact that racial bias is alive and well in many people’s hearts. While the horrific deaths of Ahmaud Abery and George Floyd are incredibly upsetting acts of injustice, what Christian Cooper experienced in New York City—the sin of subtle partiality outlined in James 2—hits closer to home.  It may be easy to point our fingers at the culprits in these cases and think that we would never act that way, but are we really all that different?  Aren’t we culprits of some form of partiality, favoritism or racism as outlined in James 2?  Ultimately, when we have widespread acceptance of even subtle acts of racism (e.g., “These types of people are like this”; “I’m safer living in this neighborhood”; “I would rather do business with this type of person”), this gives way to larger acts of racism.

James 2 clearly states that anything less than loving our neighbor and treating people the way we want to be treated is a transgression against God.  What can be so soul crushing for the victims of racial bias in the U.S. is that this sin has been so integrated with the fabric of our country’s history that it may not seem wrong or a sin by the perpetrators. Nevertheless, while these systemic injustices can feel endlessly large and frustrating, God calls us to radical grace and radical justice.

The first step is to acknowledge the sin of racial bias or partiality in our lives. We must uncover the areas where we have “made distinctions among yourselves and a judge with evil thoughts.” The next step is to confess it to God and share with others—friends, family, and church. We need to collectively become more aware and conscious of the subtle ways we sin against our neighbors.  Once we recognize the injustice in our hearts and communities, we should be compelled into action to fight injustice. This will look different depending on what community we are in. For us, it is finding ways to support the indigenous families in our Guatemalan village. For you, it might be learning more about people of color, educating your family, writing to your politicians, meeting physical needs of victims, or volunteering. If you do not know where to start, ask. Wonder. Question. Get information.

Remember, while governments may pass laws to legislate justice, God uses people—those who have been transformed by Christ—to bring justice at a personal level.  Yes, we can have the greatest impact by changing the communities to which we belong and have influence, by “do[ing] to others what you would have them do to you” (Mt. 7:12).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, remind us that we are called to radically love our neighbors. Help us to go beyond merely talking about wanting to do this or that for people; instead, convict us to reach out and tangibly love those who have been so unloved. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 49

---

Lunch Break Study*

Read Philippians 3:10-11: “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

Questions to Consider

1. What can we say about Paul’s desire here?
2. What is one thing of which everyone is afraid but Paul seems to have overcome it?
3. How can we know Christ more intimately?

Note

1. Paul is not speaking merely of having a greater mental awareness of God, but that he has a passionate longing to encounter a deeper personal union with Him.
2. Because Paul’s love for Christ, there is nothing that would hold him back, not suffering, not death, not anything!
3. Think about pursuing these things:
   1. Ask God to nurture in you a desire to know Christ that outweighs every other desire.
   2. Think about the obstacles that hinder your love for Christ and give thought as to how you should deal with them.
   3. Meditate regularly on passages like Phil. 2:6-11 and Col. 1:15-20
   4. Study the Gospel, such as the book of Mark or John with Phil 3:10-11 prominently in mind.
   5. Worship and adore him in song and in prayer. Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You.  There is no greater thing. You’re my all, You’re the best. You’re my joy, my righteousness. And I love You, Lord!

---

Evening Reflection**

Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Heavenly Father, You call me forth to let my light shine so that people would see these good works. Yes, I desire to show forth Your light, for You delight in me and You are worthy of all praise.  I thank You that I am Your workmanship and You have destined me to do Your righteous works! With the greatest wonder and delight, I partner with You to be a blessing to people around me.  Again and again, I am reminded of how You have revealed Your righteous character and Your kingdom through me to others. Thank You for using me and working through this weak vessel.  Amen.

*Prepared by Pastor David Alas (first posted on September 21, 2013).

**Prepared by Pastor Bruce Yi, the leader pastor of Remnant Westside Church (first posted on September 21, 2013)

UPDATED Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, prepared by Pastor Jason Sato who is currently serving in Japan as a missionary, is an updated version of his blog first posted on November 2, 2014.  Jason is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“I Am a Fool!”

Proverbs 1:10-16

My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. [11] If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; [12] like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; [13] we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; [14] throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—[15] my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, [16] for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

Introduction: As our nation is reeling from a double-edge sword of COVID-19 (its toll on human lives and economy) and intense racial conflicts, we need to envelop ourselves with God’s wisdom.  We need to be part of the real solution, which starts with our relationship with God, not problem.  Keep that in mind as you read today’s blog.

Following the introduction to the book of Proverbs, the author dives straight into his first piece of wisdom: do not join a gang of murdering thieves.  I find myself hard pressed to argue with that, though I am tempted to ask, “How stupid do you think I am?”

Before we jump to conclusions, let’s follow the author’s argument.  In verse 11, the sinners attempt to entice the reader to lie in wait for blood.  The promised reward is precious goods and plunder (v. 12).  In short, commit sin and gain an immediate benefit for yourself.

From elementary school through high school, my go-to move was to lie if I thought I could avoid displeasing my parents, teachers, or friends.  My lying wasn’t very frequent; it generally seemed harmless, and there was an immediate benefit that appeared to outweigh the harm in lying.

Perhaps we’ve doubled or tripled (or more!) in age since our days as students, but all of us face moments when a “white lie” seems far more prudent than the truth.  And what our spouse, friend, or pastor doesn’t know won’t hurt them, right?  We don’t cut corners because we enjoy evil; we’re just trying to be efficient.  We’re peaceful people.  It’s better to just ignore someone than stir up trouble and try to reconcile.  Essentially, we’re masters of rationalization.  And that’s very dangerous.

The author of Proverbs does not simply think I’m foolish: He knows I am.  I’m tempted to sell my integrity for convenience, damage my relationship with my children for five minutes of peace and quiet, and lie to my small group rather than admit I need their prayers.

The Word of God warns us today to avoid immediate gain and death and pursue immediate obedience and everlasting life.  How are you tempted to pursue immediate “blessing” by disobeying God?  Ask the Lord to give you courage to seek His kingdom first and trust that He will add all things to you.  That is the wise way to live.  Be committed to it because difficult days lie ahead for many of us in which we will be tempted to take the shortcuts in life.

Prayer: Lord, what I am is not a mystery to You—I am a weak-willed person whose faith easily wilts when facing difficulties or temptations.  I am doomed apart from Your mercy!  I need You.  I depend on You.  I can do nothing apart from You.  Amen.    

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 48

UPDATED Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor Sam Lee who leads Catalyst Agape Church in Northern New Jersey, is an updated version (in collaboration with Pastor Ryun) of his blog first posted on October 19, 2013.  He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Root of All Our Conflicts”

Romans 12:2

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

2 Corinthians 2:11

“In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”

The Bible says that our battle is not with flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12), meaning our fundamental problem is not with our spouses, children, parents, or in-laws.  Neither is our battle with the church pastors or church members.  And the same holds true with respect to racism that has, once again, reared its ugly head in the worst possible way and is engulfing our nation with rage and fear. Yes, there should be a time, like right now, for elected officials to put aside their partisan differences and really deal with the scourge of racism; yet the political realm isn’t where the real battles are being fought.

Then what is our battle and where is it being fought?  We are called to fight the spiritual battle, and much of this battle takes place not in our homes or in our churches or in the halls of congress, but in our minds. If we can’t win the battle of the mind, we won’t be able to resolve conflicts in our homes, in our churches and certainly not in our nation.

Marriage conflicts are first lost in the mind even before the husband storms out of the house or before the wife shuts her heart. The battle that divides the church happens months before, in the minds of the leaders and members before two opposing camps are formed.  Racism is no different: long before that vigilante-wannabe in Georgia pulled the trigger that killed an African American man, and long before that policeman in Minnesota kneed a suspect’s head until he could hardly breathe (allegedly contributing to his death, if not directly killing him), their minds had been spoon-fed by the lies of the devil.

Yes, your family members, church families or people in different racial groups are not your enemies. We have one enemy and he is not of the physical but of the spiritual realm.  The entire Ephesians 6:12 reads, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”.

Don’t be outwitted by the enemy; be aware of his schemes.  When we believe the lies of the devil, whether they are transmitted from the rumor mill or social media, that’s when we start losing the battle of the mind, and as a result, our conflicts become more intensified all on their own. We become more bitter, angry, critical, judgmental, and violent even though we may not even see or talk with the person with whom we are in conflict, showing that we are losing the battle of the mind.

Today, let’s fight the real battle. Let’s cast down all wrong thoughts and take back the territory of our minds for the Lord.  Start reading the Bible seriously.  Memorize Scriptures.  And before you are about to utter those hurtful words or pull the trigger, declare, “In the name of Jesus, I renounce selfishness and indifference and callousness; instead, I embrace self-control, forgiveness/the need to be forgiven, vulnerability, and trust in God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask that You reveal all my wrong thoughts and that the Holy Spirit will begin to govern my thoughts.  Help me to renew my mind with godly thoughts rooted in Your eternal truth. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 46-47

UPDATED Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought—first posted on April 11, 2014—is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee, a friend of AMI, who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches.  He is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Revisiting This Thing Called ‘Grace’”

Galatians 3:1-5

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Let’s be honest; most of us still struggle with grace.  In our high-achieving culture—that, for the moment, has been jolted by the pandemic—we think grace is a little unfair, don’t we?  For example, let’s say at work you are in line for a promotion; in fact, you’ve worked for years to get this position, but instead of giving it to you, your boss gives it to the fresh MBA grad who happens to be his son.  This would probably drive you bonkers!  Today, let’s revisit this thing called “God’s grace”.

Now, I understand that there is a vast difference between nepotism in the marketplace and salvation through grace, but might I suggest to you that fundamentally, the idea that some people get far more than what they merit bothers all of us.  In the church, we see the same phenomenon.  Some of you may have been praying for a particular gift or ministry opportunity for several years, and lo and behold, the guy who has only been a Christian for like two months gets it.

The truth is, we gravitate toward works because it appeals to our sense of economics; if we work, then we can say we have accomplished.  Unfortunately, we have to acknowledge our sinfulness in this line of thinking, and to see that we are trying to steal away from the glory and power of the cross.  The Galatians made this mistake; they wanted their works to count toward their salvation. But the reason God poured his Spirit on them (and us) was because they simply believed.  Let’s be clear; our works and efforts do count toward our sanctification (becoming more like Christ) and rewards in heaven, but they can never justify us (take away our guilt) before God.

Today—amid so many people who have lost so much during the pandemic—instead of growing in jealousy, let’s come to grips with the fact that we have received far greater than a job promotion, and we were far less deserving than even the boss’ bumbling son.  Let’s clothe ourselves in thankfulness that God would choose to save us and to use us for his Kingdom.  As we work/serve, let us remember that while our labor is not in vain, God is never obliged to do anything for us; his love, mercy, and favor are a gift.

Prayer: Father, help me to serve You faithfully with my hands, but let my heart depend on Your grace.  Remind me that I was lost and hopeless without You; make me thankful for Your mercy; and never let me rely on my own righteousness. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 45

---

Lunch Break Study

Luke 16:28-32: “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Questions to Consider

1. What do we observe about the older brother?
2. What do we observe about the father?
3. With whom do you relate the most in this parable?

Notes

1. Let’s not kill the older brother, for we would all be angry with the younger brother.  But we see that the older brother is jealous of the father’s love, and does not understand the fullness of the father’s love for all his children.  We also see that the older son has viewed his labor as “slaving,” being self-righteous.
2. The father is lavish with his love.  He was the one to initiate reconciliation with his older son by pleading with him to come in.  The father didn’t stop loving the older brother, but at that moment, it was more appropriate to celebrate the younger son’s return.
3. Many of you who have been in the church awhile probably feel like the older brother; but know that your labor is not in vain.  Some of you may be able to relate with the younger son, who have come to your senses and have run to God.  Others who have wayward children may feel like the father; be ready to celebrate your son’s return.

---

Evening Reflection

Were you able to cultivate a thankful heart today?  Did you allow jealousy, comparisons, or self-righteousness too much free reign?  Did you serve or work to honor God?

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Barry Kang who heads Symphony Church in Boston, is an updated version of his blog first posted on September 17, 2014.  He is a graduate of Stanford University (BA), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (D.Min.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Starting is Easy—Finishing is What Counts”

Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 (ESV)

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9 Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.

I love to go to Home Depot.  There is something about purchasing the materials and tools needed to start a home improvement project that makes me feel “handy,” even though I’m not really “handy.”  And sometimes I will start a project and never finish it, but I still give myself partial credit for starting.  For example, I might make plans for Symphony Church, but never implement them; I still give myself credit for even thinking about it.  Oh, the absurdity of the human condition!

We are all capable of beginning something, for it’s quite easy.  Beginning appeals to our sense of pride and ambition, but finishing it is much harder.  We need more than pride or ambition to finish; finishing requires patience:

 

1. The patience to fight through difficult circumstances.
2. The patience to do hard and sometimes inglorious work.
3. The patience to resist getting angry when our pride or ambition is thwarted.

Every beginning holds the seductive promise of glory, while finishing requires endurance and humility.  Though I lack in patience, our God does not; He is patient and enduring.  Furthermore, God is the furnisher of the patience we need to finish what He would have us start. Thank God that Jesus finished his mission!  Thank God that Jesus cried out, “Let your will be done!” in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He finished every step needed to walk to the cross!  Thank God that on the cross, it was finished!

“Therefore . . ., let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1b-2). In that spirit, let’s finish what we have begun whether at home, work, or church.

Prayer: Father, this morning, I place myself in your hands.  I know that I am driven by pride and my own ambition, but I want to have Your patience and humility.  I look to Your cross again and surrender myself to Your finished work.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 44

---

Lunch Break Study 

Read Luke 14:25-33: Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Questions to Consider

1. Why is it important to “count the cost” before taking on a task?
2. Why did Jesus stress the need to “count the cost” of following Him?
3. Are there any costs to following Jesus that you have not counted?

Notes

1. Being unprepared for a task leads to failure. Generally, it’s better to stop yourself rather than begin something without being prepared. Take the examples in this passage: Think of the waste in starting to build a tower and then stopping because you are unable to finish it.  All the time and resources put into the building are wasted.  Or likewise, for a king going to war, if he doesn’t first prepare and assess the battle, he will lose the war and suffer much casualty.
2. Following Jesus is demanding, for there will be challenges as well as sufferings.  Christ warns us of this, which is why we need to count the cost beforehand and prepare ourselves for the challenges.  If not, then we will find ourselves falling away as pressure mounts. Counting the cost helps us to prepare for the battle of faith and enables us to persevere despite the oncoming obstacles.
3. Take this time to reflect on your spiritual walk: What unexpected challenges have you faced? How did these affect you?  After thinking through what you believe it means to follow Jesus, develop ways to prepare yourself. We know challenges will come; Jesus assured us of that!  But He also assured us that He will be with us to the very end of the age. Let His presence be your strength as you prepare for the challenges of obedience to the gospel.

---

Evening Reflection

Have you started anything recently that you haven’t finished?  Have you made any commitment to God that you have not followed through?  What is stopping you?  As we journal, let us surrender to Him anything the Holy Spirit brings to our minds.

NEW Today’s AMI QT Devotional is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Always Perfecting Timing”

Galatians 4:4

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law . . .”

Luke 1:13

“But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.’”

One thing we must get used to—the earlier, the better: God’s timing and ours are not usually synchronized.  That is to say, God always moves according to His “internal clock”, and no one can rush or delay Him (unless, of course, God sovereignly allows it—see Joshua 10:12-14).

Consider the case of an old couple—Zechariah and Elizabeth (“they were both well along in years”—Lk. 1:7)—who had been praying for a child for an awfully long time.  They were godly people whom Luke describes as “upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandment and regulations blamelessly” (Lk. 1:6).  Nevertheless, being childless led the old couple to suffer “disgrace among the people” (Lk. 1:25).

In a perfect world made according to our thoughts and ways, which, of course, are different from God’s thoughts and ways (Is. 55:8-9), you would expect the LORD to gift this godly couple with a child.  No, that didn’t happen for a long time, not until Zechariah was so old that, when an angel told him about the impending pregnancy of his wife, he said, “How can I be sure of this?  I am an old man and my wife is well along in years” (Lk. 1:18).

So, why did God choose that moment to grant this couple’s wish?  Well, their son—to be known, one day, as John the Baptizer—was going to be the last prophet of the Old Testament period whose role was to “prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him” (Lk. 3:4).  So, the divine mind determined that John would precede the birth of Jesus in line with John’s role as the trailblazer for Christ.  Subsequently, the birth of John had to occur precisely “when the set time had fully come [for] God [to] sen[d] his Son.”  No sooner and no later!

Are you experiencing the anguish Zechariah and Elizabeth felt over uncontested prayers?  It’s tough, right?  Nevertheless, God is good, and His wisdom is infinitely greater than ours; at the end we are the ones who will be blessed by delayed answer to prayer.  In the meantime, I recommend this old Maranatha song to you: “In his time, in his time. He makes all things beautiful. In his time. Lord please show me everyday. As you’re teaching me your way. That you do just what you say. In your time . . .”  Let us “extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on [our] lips” (Ps. 34:1).

Prayer: Lord, I praise You this morning.  Truth be told, I don’t have the strength to be patient as I wait for You to answer my prayers.  So, please help me to be patient and praise You in the meantime.  Help me to serve You faithfully as I wait for the arrival of Your time.  Amen.

 Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 43

---

Lunch Break Study* 

Read Philippians 2:12-13: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Questions to Consider

1. In what way can verse 12 (“…work out your salvation with fear and trembling”) cause a bit of angst among Christians?
2. How can we reconcile the apparent theological problem in verse 12?
3. What is your understanding of the phrase “fear and trembling”?

Note

1. The statement seems to suggest that salvation can be obtained through good works.
2. Salvation through faith in Christ alone, is a theological doctrine that the apostle Paul himself, under the Spirit’s leading, developed throughout his epistles (cf. Eph. 2:8-9). Therefore, Paul is not suggesting here that we are to earn our salvation through our good works which pertains to our justification.  Paul, here, is mindful of sanctification, a process of transformation that ought to take place after we are justified in Christ.
3. “Fear and trembling” isn’t so much this awful dread that God will zap them if they mess up; but rather, given the majesty of Christ portrayed in the preceding verses (vv.9-11), the idea appears to be that of reverent awe and wonder.

---

Evening Reflection

A day can go by so quickly.  Before turning in for the night, consider these questions:

What are some personal or work issues that are causing you to lose sleep at night, or at least make you feel stressed? Did anything happen today that caused you to stress out even more?  What have you done about them? Have you earnestly sought after God regarding these issues?  If not, do you know why you haven’t?  Do you have trust issue with God?  Write out a prayer to Him honestly telling the Lord how you feel.  Pray about your condition.

*First posted on September 14, 2013, it was prepared by Pastor David Alas.

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S.F., is an updated version of his blog originally posted on March 28, 2015.  Mark is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Approaching God Daily with Confidence”

1 John 5:13-15 (ESV)

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

Many people see eternal life as just a fairy tale ending to the gospels and something that doesn’t impact our day-to-day lives.  We can mistake the resurrection as simply a happy ending to a life filled with sin, discouragement, stress, and heartache.  Since all of us go through difficulties in this life—literally all at the same time amid the present pandemic—it’s tempting to see eternity as nothing more than a way of escape.  However, the resurrection of Christ is far more than just a guarantee of life after death:  It also guarantees that we will have sufficient power to overcome this world and to find joy in the present age.  I love the pastoral cliché, “Christ came not to add years to our life, but life to our years!” 

A great part of our joy in this life comes from having confidence that God hears and answers our prayers.  Some of the most amazing experiences that I have had spiritually have come as a result of answered prayers.  I’ve always wondered how we will pray in heaven without the presence of pain and sorrow because so many of our prayers are driven by difficulties.  From that perspective, praying presently with an eternal mindset is one of life’s greatest gifts.  Our personal assurance of eternal life allows us to approach God daily with confidence.

However, there is nothing that hinders this relationship with God faster than a lack of conviction, because, ultimately, mistrust ruins relationships.  If we are not convinced that a person is trustworthy, or convinced that he’s genuine, then our relationship with that person will fall apart.  Our relationship with God and our prayers to Him need to be based on conviction. The resurrection of Christ gives us the power to believe that God is everything that the Scriptures tell us, that He sent His only Son to take the sins of this world, and to bring the hope of the resurrection.  We need to believe and live out the impact of eternal life here and now.  And we will need plenty of this conviction as we all are entering the uncharted territory of post-COVID world.  So, remember the resurrection of Christ and continue to approach God with confidence.

Prayer: Father, we ask that You give us the confidence to approach You daily with all our needs and struggles.  Teach us how to trust in You and to pray with the assurance of eternity in our hearts.  As we receive answers to our prayers, help us to be content and satisfied with Your will and that we would imitate the prayer of Your Son, “Not my will but yours be done.”  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 42

---

Lunch Break Study 

Read James 5:13-18: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.”

Questions to Consider 

1. How does James teach us to pray for the sick?
2. What is the connection between sickness and sin?
3. Who has the power to pray for healing?

Notes

1. James accents the need to pray in faith for the sick.   Obviously, we should always pray with faith, but the prayers of faith are most visibly noticeable in our ministry to the sick.       
2. The Scriptures frequently allude to sin as a sickness.  There is clearly a connection between sin and physical maladies.  Emotional sins like unforgiveness, anger, resentment, and bitterness are often the cause of headaches, back pain, and other ailments.
3. This passage reminds us that the prophet Elijah had a nature just like ours (sinful and human), and yet God answered his prayers miraculously.  We can have the same conviction that God will do the same for us when we pray according to His will and purpose

---

Evening Reflection

How is your prayer life?  Do you feel like God is hearing you or do you feel as if your prayers are hitting a spiritual ceiling?  Ask the Lord to search your heart and to give you the desire to pray according to His will in faith.

NEW Today’s AMI QT Devotional is provided by Pastor Joseph Chung who heads Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  He is a graduate of Bethesda Christian University (BA) and Evangel Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Let the Justice Roll”

Amos 5:23-24 (ESV)

“Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. 24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Oh no, not again!

After watching what can only be described as hateful and senseless murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota, I spent the day praying and mourning. Like many I felt deeply troubled.  As I prayed, having been reminded of Amos 5:24, I prayed that God’s justice will roll on like a river and his righteousness like a never-failing stream.

What a broken, injustice-filled world we live in.  As I watched that horrible video—even with my heart pounding—I felt a piece of my soul dying.  So much pain.  So much anger.  The issue isn’t what Mr. Floyd allegedly did or did not do that made the police involvement necessary at the outset; rather it has everything to do with the self-evident fact that NO ONE BEARING GOD’S IMAGE DESERVES TO BE TREATED LIKE THAT—NO ONE!  As God’s handiwork, we all are, despite being marred by sin, precious in His sight.  John 3:16 says so: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

When will this injustice and hatred end?

Amos 5:24 starts out with a “BUT” because of what is said in previous verses: God’s condemnation of the nation of Israel—His people—for oppression and injustice.  “You trample on the poor,” said “the LORD to the house of Israel,” and “you exact taxes of grain from him . . .” (Amos 5:4, 11).  It is after that the LORD declares, “But let justice roll on like a river.”

So, amid all the chaos and hate, let God’s justice flow. As His people, we must love His justice.  And as we worship Him, the way we live must demonstrate His justice!  Please note what verse 24 says: Worship without justice, to God, is a noise; He will not listen.

Let us, therefore, cry, cry out to God for His justice to reign.  Let us stand and mourn with those who are oppressed and treated unjustly.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for “JUSTICE.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come to You heart-broken, deeply grieving as we have witnessed the murder of George Floyd.  We live in a deeply fragmented community where injustice and hatred run rampant. Lord, would You pour out Your mercy and compassion over us, that we may truly grieve and mourn with those who are hurting because of injustice.  Open our hearts so that we have the courage to include and stand with those who are victimized and oppressed.  May we find such joy in being vessels of Your justice. Help us to love as You have loved us. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 41

---

Lunch Break Study* 

Read Colossians 1:11-14: May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Questions to Consider

1. What does the apostle Paul pray that we may be strengthened for?
2. What is the source of our joy?
3. What is the inheritance of the saints?

Notes

1. Endurance and patience with joy.  The fact that Paul was in prison at the time underscores the importance of these spiritual virtues.  How many people let go of their faith when difficult times come?
2. The inheritance of the saints.  This begs the question, “What is our inheritance?”
3. The inheritance consists of two components:
   • First, being redeemed and forgiven on account of the work of Christ, and as a result, freely receiving eternal life; second, rewards, which are based on what we did for the Lord while living on earth (2 Cor. 5:10).

---

Evening Reflection*

What are the sins that seem to habitually entrap you?  Considering what was addressed this morning, it behooves to ask, “How is your attitude towards people of other races?”  Pray that God would supernaturally grant you freedom from all that plagues.  Commit to confessing your sin to a close brother or sister who can pray for you and remind you of your inheritance in Christ.

*First posted on December 15, 2013, it was prepared by Pastor Jason Sato who now serves in Japan.

NEW Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang who serve as AMI Teaching Pastor.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“It’s Not Enough Just to Believe”

Luke 1:1-4

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”

Among the books included in the New Testament, two really stand out—Gospel of Luke and Acts of Apostles produced as a two-volume set—because they are written by a Gentile, namely Luke, while all the rest are penned by Jewish people.  And, as any good writer would, Luke, at the outset of his letter to Theophilus—likely a Roman sponsor of  Luke’s writing project—states his purpose:  “So that you many know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (v. 4).  This is to suggest that it is not enough just to hear the gospel message and believe; in addition, we need to read and study God’s word so that we can be more certain of the things we have been taught.

Note that in the parable of sower, people who have no in-depth understanding of God’s word are liken to seeds sown on rocky ground, and the eventual outcome of their “faith” is not pretty.  Jesus says, “And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away” (Mk. 4:16-17).  Notice that the root here can stand for the depth of one’s understanding of God’s word.  So, what happened?  A shallow faith without a strong root crashed and burned when troubles came (as they always do in life—Jn. 16:33).

So how is your root?  Maybe not too deep, much like the faith of Theophilus, probably a young believer who was at a disadvantage compared to the Jewish Christians since he didn’t know the Old Testament like the latter. While knowledge isn’t everything—in fact it can putt you up (2 Cor. 8:2)—“people [can be] destroyed from lack of knowledge” as well (Hos. 4:6).  One way this can happen is when biblically illiterate believers are led astray by “deceiving spirits and things taught by demos” (a.k.a., unsound doctrines—1 Tim. 4:1b).

Pray that you may be more certain of what you believe based on 2 Peter 1:19: “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts . . .”  Diligently study God’s word.  Start today.

Prayer: Dear God, help me to increase my appetite for Your eternal word.  May I become tired of always being attracted to latest teachings just because they sound good.  Lord, strengthen my resolve to love You with my mind as well. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 40

UPDATED Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, prepared by Pastor Jason Sato who is currently serving in Japan as a missionary, is an updated version of his blog first posted on December 15, 2013.  Jason is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Freedom from Oppression”

Psalm 129:1-8

“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—let Israel now say—2 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me. 3 The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” 4 The Lord is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked. 5 May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward! 6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, 7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms, 8 nor do those who pass by say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord

Have you ever been oppressed, not psychological but politically? Those who grew up in other countries may have but I doubt whether any of us who was born and raised in U.S. can say “yes” with a straight face.  But the nation of Israel was very familiar with oppression: first, Israel suffered as slaves in Egypt; and later, in the days of the judges, she was repeatedly oppressed by the surrounding pagan nations (i.e., the Canaanites).  Eventually, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks and finally the Roman Empire took turns in crushing this nation.

Yet in the midst of affliction, the Psalmist exudes hope.  While the common saying is, “Greatly they have afflicted me from my youth,” he adds, “yet they have not prevailed against me.”  The hope stems from his belief that the justice and blessings of God are still to come; the plowers have plowed his back but the righteous Lord will not abandon his people.  

What about us?  While very few of us have experienced political or material oppression, we are certainly familiar with slavery to sin.  Sin is a hard master, for it intends to inflict harm, causing misery (e.g., unfruitful life) and death (e.g., eternal separation from God).  But in Christ Jesus, we have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of the Son of God.  Now, as we cooperate with the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we can gain tangible freedom from those things, such as selfishness, insecurity or addictions that makes us miserable and unbearable to others.

Thank God for your freedom won by the body and blood of Christ.  Pray for and rejoice in the coming day when sin and death will be utterly destroyed.  Therefore, we who are in Christ can be joyful while leading a meaningful life—even in the midst of oppression or, in our case, pandemic.  Thank you, Lord.

Prayer: Father, my heart is often heavy in this world ruined by sin.  At times, suffering and disappointment are overwhelming.  I thank You that death does not get the last word.  I thank You that You stand by me and prevent sin from prevailing against me.  I trust in Your righteousness.  You will make all things right.  Mercy and life are coming soon.  In Jesus’s name I pray.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 38-39