UPDATED 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 24, 2013.  He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Read God’s Word, Meet Jesus”

Matt. 13:14-15b (NIV)

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.”

Introduction: In a dated-video I (P. Ryun) recently viewed, a pastor from America, who was visiting China at the time, told a roomful of Chinese underground church leaders, “In my country, we have on average two bibles per family, but we don’t read any of them.”  Is that us?  If we do one thing differently as a result of going through the travails of COVID-19 pandemic, let’s really dig into God’s eternal truth embedded in Scripture.

During my seminary years, I had wondered why some (liberal) scholars didn’t have faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.  It is apparent that people read the Bible for many different purposes.  On the one hand, some unbelieving critics scrutinize the Bible to find errors in order to justify their unbelief; that is to say, they read the text but never perceive the truth in it.

Then there are some believers who read it merely to gain information, that is, insights and principles that satisfy their curious or fertile minds.  Of course, this is not necessarily a bad thing; nevertheless, the goal of reading and studying the Bible should be to meet Jesus.  Reading the Bible with our head inevitably leaves our heart untouched; as a result, our lives remain unchanged.  The goal of our devotions is to have a fresh encounter with Jesus Christ; for that to happen, the attitude of our heart must be in the right place when reading the Scripture, which is liken to a double-edged sword (Heb. 4:12) and fire (Jer. 23:29).

In the Gospel of John, we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning… 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” (John 1:1- 2, 14 NIV). Jesus, the Word incarnate, is co-eternal with God from the beginning; Jesus is the same yesterday and today and tomorrow.  Yet, this glorious Son of God came to earth in the flesh, in the form of a servant; that’s humility (Phil. 2:5-8).  My prayer is that, as we approach the Word of God with the attitude of a humble heart—even more so since we have been greatly humbled by the pandemic—we would encounter this Jesus, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, in every page of the Bible.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be like the Thessalonians who “accepted [the word of God] not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13), so that it will “judge the thoughts and attitudes of my heart” (Heb. 4:12).  Empower and motivate me to discipline myself to really read, study and meditate on Your eternal word.  Amen.   

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 7-8

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on August 15, 2014, is provided by Mei Lan Thallman who serves at Grace Covenant Church in Philadelphia.  Mei Lan is a graduate of Asbury College (BA) and Asbury Theological Seminary (MA) in Kentucky.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Be a FAT Christian”

Psalm 86:11

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

How are you doing all cooped up at home?  It’s sort of a “great time” to be lazy because no one will likely judge us for it.  Excuse me for spoiling the party but it’s very important for Christians to continuously cultivate and maintain an attitude of being a FAT disciple of Christ Jesus.  FAT stands for faithful, available and teachable.  I have discovered that the older I get and the longer I serve in ministry, it gets harder to remain teachable.  But, as we avail ourselves to learn from God, often lessons come in unexpected ways and moments, such as the COVID-19 pandemic that has caught everyone by surprise.

The author of this psalm, David, is a prime example.  God sought out and hand-picked the young shepherd boy David and anointed him through the Prophet Samuel to be the future King of Israel.  But David didn’t become king overnight: he went from being a shepherd boy to a national hero when he defeated Goliath, but then he became a fugitive who constantly had to run from the murderous King Saul.  In fact, when David wrote this psalm, he was hiding in the caves in the wilderness from the relentless and determined pursuit of Saul and his best army.  As a matter of speaking, this was his COVID-19.

Yet instead of focusing on his circumstances, his enemy, or his unjust treatment, David focused on his God, and more importantly, God’s faithfulness throughout his life.  From his own outlook of the predicament he was facing, David could easily have fallen into self-pity and a victim mentality.  But, amid this terrible situation, he remained teachable with the following kind of prayer and attitude toward God:  “I may not understand what is happening to me, O LORD, but I can still trust you and I can still love you with my whole heart, despite of everything that is happening to me.  Teach me your way, LORD.  I need to learn to see my circumstances through Your eyes.  I completely trust and rely on Your goodness, faithfulness, and ability to get me out of this trouble.”

For many of us who are really struggling with the onslaught of the present crisis and are, therefore, fearful and discouraged, may you embody the same spiritual outlook that made David to be faithful, available and teachable unto God in his worst moment.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the author and perfecter of my faith.  Thank you that even as I grow in my walk with you, I will never outgrow my need and dependency on you.  Cultivate in me a teachable spirit all the days of my life and teach me always to rely on your faithfulness.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 6

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Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 5:1-8: On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Questions to Consider

1. This passage doesn’t appear to deal with life’s great issues; after all, it is only about fishing. But what attitude does Peter display here that is critical when difficult circumstances inundate us?
2. How would you define trust?  Why is it difficult to do?
3. What resulted from this encounter?  What, then, is the ultimate goal of trusting God?

Notes

1. Peter is an experienced fisherman, while Jesus, by trade, is a carpenter.  Nevertheless, sensing that Jesus is more than just a man, Peter, despite being tired from fishing all night, trusts Jesus’ words by lowering the net in an area that he might have covered earlier.   
2. It is putting into action the words of a person whom you say you believe.  It is not easy since you have your own ideas as well; in fact, you might have more expertise, as in the case of Peter.
3. Having caught an enormous amount of fish, it dawns on Peter that this Jesus indeed is the Lord, which leads him to say, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.”  The ultimate goal of trusting God, then, is to experience His greatness, love, and this case, holiness.

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Evening Reflection

Did anything happen today that really tested your trust in God, like what Jesus did to/for Phillip?

“Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little’” (Jn. 6:5-7).

Pray for a better day tomorrow in which you live by faith in your Lord Jesus Christ.

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), is an updated version of his blog first posted on February 13, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Mixed Bag Christian”

Psalm 17:1-3

Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer —it does not rise from deceitful lips. 2 May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. 3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

Introduction: When facing life’s difficult moments, we say awful things we wouldn’t normally say.  Freddie Mercury, in “Bohemian Rhapsody, sings, “Sometimes I wish I’d never been born at all.”  That’s so sad and awful.  As difficult days lie ahead for many of us in the aftermath of COVID-19, let’s guard our tongues: instead of self-inflicted curses or complaining, let’s express words of appreciation and gratitude.  With that in mind, read todays’ blog.

Inspired by this psalm of David— “I have resolved that my mouth will not sin” —some may vow to never sin with their tongues.  A good try but that’s not going to happen, for James declares, “If anyone who is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, but no man can tame the tongue” (James 3:2, 8).

Even a cursory look at the life of King David would indicate how he fell short of his vow; that is, at times, David was guilty of deceitful lips as well, like when he was being duplicitous with Uriah, the husband of the woman with whom he sinned.  While David was telling Uriah, whom he had just summoned to the palace from the battlefield, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back” (2 Sam. 11:12), the king was plotting to murder him.

Nevertheless, most of the time, David handled himself well as seen in his dealing with the murderous Saul who repeatedly tried to kill him.  Actually, I don’t recall David ever saying anything negative about Saul even though the latter deserved it; in fact, David continued to refer to Saul as “the LORD’s anointed” (1 Sam. 26:11) even after God had long departed from him (1 Sam. 18:12).  Perhaps, David was thinking of his honorable treatment of Saul when he said, “You will find nothing” (i.e., no fault).   

What these mixed data from the life of David point to is the fact that we are a mixed bag; that is, we are going to have good days as well as bad; on some days we are going to act and speak like a saint; but, on our off days, we may give the devil run for his money.  Considering that, what we desperately need to do is to depend on God who is always good and gracious— “There is only One who is good,” said Jesus (Matt. 19:17).  Because God is good, He forgives us when, “with [our tongues], we curse men” (James 3:9) or utter ungrateful words directed at God (Ps. 44:23).  And He hears our prayers not because we are good; nor does He not hear our prayers because we are bad.  God hears us because He is good, for “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” (James 1:17).

As many of us need to wade through difficult circumstances in the aftermath of COVID-19, let’s keep the complaints to a minimum; instead, let’s use our tongues to express thankfulness to God on account of what His Son did for us.  And let’s continue to bring our petitions before the Lord, knowing that He always hears us.

Prayer: Dear LORD, I admit that I often come to You with a sense of entitlement. For every good deed I do, I act as if You owe me a favor.  I am reminded today that apart from having been made in God’s image and Your Spirit dwelling in me, I cannot do anything that is remotely good!  I pray to You, not based on my righteousness, but Yours. Thank You!       

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 5

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Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11 (ESV): “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours . . . 11  And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Questions to Consider

1. Paul said that the believers in Corinth were already sanctified (holy). Really? How?  Look at some of their problems (1 Cor. 1:11, 3:1-4, 5:1-2, 6:1, 11:20-21).
2. On what basis was Paul able to claim this (1 Cor. 6:11; Rom. 4:22-4)?  Can this become dangerous?
3. Does Paul present another kind of sanctification?  How would you describe this (2 Cor. 7:1; Phil. 2:12)?

Notes

1. Upon seeing how unholy the Corinthian church actually was, we marvel at the magnitude of Paul’s declaration in 1 Cor. 1:2 and 6:11: “You were sanctified.”  This church was beset by immorality, drunkenness, division, envy, lawsuits, to name a few.
2. Paul was able to claim this based on the fact that the believers are imputed with the righteousness of Christ; thus, when God sees them through Christ’s righteousness, He sees holy people!  This is called positional sanctification—we are already in Christ, which is true.  However, one danger of this type of positional theology is that it can induce people to be lazy with respect to disciplining themselves to actually live the holy life.  In some cases, this can lead to licentiousness (Jud. 1:4).
3. Paul introduced the concept of progressive (experiential) sanctification in which the believers are called to actively be involved in their actual sanctification.  Therefore, Paul urged the Corinthians to purify themselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, and the Philippians to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. But if we aren’t mindful that we’re already sanctified in Christ apart from our good deeds, our effort to sanctify us may lead to spiritual pride.  So, we need both.          

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Evening Reflection

In view of what we discussed in today’s Lunch Break Study, consider these questions: Do you think about the need to be holy in your life?  If not, why not?  What are some habits that are keeping you from holiness?

Review today from the standpoint of holiness. What temptations did you face?  How did you handle them?  What did you learn?  Write out a prayer asking the LORD to help you to overcome those habits (thoughts and actions) that are your greatest challenge.

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on November 4, 2013, is provided by Pastor David Kwon who heads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  He is a graduate of Drexel University (BS) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

Who Really Wants to be Disciplined?  Not Me.

Psalm 94:12-15 (NIV)

Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law,
13 to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Tom Landry, former coach of The Dallas Cowboys, once said, “The job of the football coach is to make men do what they don’t want to do, in order to achieve what they’ve always wanted to be.” As true as that may be, very few players are particularly fond of their coach when he institutes a grueling three-a-day practice schedule. Likewise, I’ve yet to meet a child who really believes his parents when they say, “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.” or “I’m doing this because I love you.”  Come on, who really wants to be disciplined?

Human aversion to discipline is an age-old reality. Even those who choose to endure it are often doing just that—enduring it.  But in Psalm 94, the Psalmist says the disciplined are blessed (or “happy”) because God’s discipline points to his commitment to his people—his unwillingness to abandon us when we are found lacking or out of shape. Sometimes God’s discipline looks like that of a coach—when He pushes us and stretches us to uncomfortable limits to train us to be more like Christ. Other times, discipline is a bit graver when God, as our Father, must rebuke and correct us when we err. Often this comes through God allowing trying circumstances—like the COVID-19 pandemic that is affecting our lives—into our lives and sustaining us through them.

Either way, we can rejoice as the Psalmist did in God’s faithfulness to us knowing that no matter how out of shape he finds us or how much we misbehave, his commitment to us is unending and his love for us is demonstrated in his patience to discipline us. With this perspective we can truly experience what Richard Foster dubbed a “celebration of discipline.” Important words to remember as we enter a post COVID-19 world full of uncertainties.  May we come out of it as better human beings and children of God.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for so loving me that You are willing to discipline me to make me better, that is, holier in my actual state.  Thank You also for my permanent standing in Christ in that I am always holy through Your Son. Amen.   

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 4

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Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 12:5-13 (NIV): And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Questions to Consider

1. What kinds of things does the writer of Hebrews say we should endure as discipline? What are some things God has used in your life to discipline you?
2. According to the passage, why does God discipline us?
3. What is the end result of divine discipline? Why is this a great source of encouragement?

Are there situations in your life you need to submit to God, welcoming his discipline in anticipation of what it will accomplish? Offer those things to God and ask for His strength to endure.

Notes

1. The writer says that “hardships” should be endured as discipline. Hardship is a broad term that can include just about any situation of difficulty. The important point to remember is the sovereignty of God. He is in control of all things. Therefore, if He allows difficulties of any kind in our lives, it’s because He has a purpose in doing so, and He promises to work it all together for our good.
2. Because He loves us (vs. 6); Because we are His children (vs. 6); So that we may share in his holiness (vs. 10) – to purge us of our sins and purify us to be more like Christ.
3. Righteousness and peace (vs. 11); healing (vs. 13) God’s discipline leads to us being more like Christ – walking in the righteousness and peace He affords us as we are healed from the brokenness of sin.

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Evening Reflection

Proverbs 15:32 tells us that “If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding” (NLT).  While discipline isn’t the most fun thing in the world, it is a means God’s grace. Our loving Father uses the very brokenness we’ve created in our sin to purify us and train us for righteousness. Spend some time thanking God for his faithfulness in the difficult circumstances you may be facing. Acknowledge that He is in control and purifying you through them. Ask Him to grant you understanding as He enables you to endure.

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 16, 2014, is provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles.  He is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Recommended Lifestyle for the Post COVID-19 World”

1 Timothy 4:1-5 (ESV)

…who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”

It’s no coincidence that some of the most infamous cults in history have forbidden marriages or in the case of David Koresh, that all women belong to him. Most cults have dietary restrictions, not out of common sense or health reasons, but out of desire to be favored by the Lord.

Paul pulls no punches in calling the commands to abstain from marriage or certain foods “the teachings of demons” (v. 1). Why such harsh language? Because the root of avoiding sex in marriage and certain foods for holiness puts the Gospel message in reverse. It is no longer the grace of God that saves and sanctifies us, but it is now my ascetic practices, my self-denial that pleases God. These practices, which in themselves are not wrong, nevertheless become wrong because their motive (that of gaining God’s favor by self-denial) is wrong.

This is a good example of the subtlety by which error begins. When a deviation enters a stream of truth, at the first point of deviation, error looks like truth; it is very hard to see it as error. This is what has misled so many people. They never recognize error until they become engrossed in it.

Here’s the point. There is a distinction between self-denial and denying self. Jesus said, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23). That is denying self. But that is easily confused with self-denial, which says, “I will give up this and that, so I can gain a special favor from God, so I can get something in return.” When our motivation ultimately is to achieve something for ourselves by our actions, we are no longer denying self but practicing self-denial. How subtle the differences are! This is dangerous. This is what Paul cautions us on. Live a life of self-denial! If you deny yourself of anything, do not do it to gain God’s favor, but because it’s a response to God’s favor in your life.

As we all navigate through the aftermath of COVID-19 in which many will live with far less than before, may I offer words of recommendation to those who are left unscathed economically by the pandemic: practice self-denial, that is, avoid ostentatious display of affluence; instead, live the life of modesty and generosity.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that I can enjoy the things You have created. Teach me the difference between self-denial and denying self.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 3

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Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew16:24-28: Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [25] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. [26] For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? [27] For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. [28] Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Questions to Consider

1. Could you say in light of this passage that you are following Christ?
2. What is the one thing you have tangibly denied to follow Christ today?
3. What is the one thing you have to deny yourself in for the rest of this day? How are you doing with this? Convicted, ambivalent or different?

Notes

1. Following Christ is the death of the self, and the rise of the new self. You can truly say you have come to follow Christ until you have come to the end of yourself.
2. Perhaps you resisted the urge to be right in a petty argument or you gave into your roommate’s preference. Whatever may be the case, dying to self is not a matter of theory, but practice.
3. It’s so easy to read through this famous passage dismissively, but the call to follow Christ is startling and radical. We need to sense its impact anew today.

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Evening Reflection

Before we turn in for the night, ask these questions considering what we examined this morning.  What is the difference between self-denial and denying self? Are we careful not to let subtle religious error lead us into a duplicitous faith apart from Christ’s righteousness?  Were you able to deny yourself today?

Reflect on how you can mark your life with self-denial.

NEW Today’s AMI QT Devotional is prepared by Pastor Jason Sato who is currently serving in Japan as a missionary.  Jason is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning 

“To Reassess and To Shine”

Matthew 5:14–16 (ESV)

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

The coronavirus is a disaster in endless ways, yet it is also a unique opportunity for the church on at least two counts: 1) to reassess and 2) to shine.

1. To reassess: In Hearing God in Conversation, Samuel Williamson writes how we ask God, “Should I go right or left?” and His response is “Turn around.”  We ask, “Should I swing at this pitch?” and He says, “Uh…you’re playing soccer.”

In the midst of ordinary life, we can drift unknowingly into the ways and values of this world, and before long we are going down the wrong path or playing the wrong game.  Times of crisis jolt us awake, and they can be opportunities to see and pursue what is actually important. Jesus has always been right:  We cannot love Him and the world, and He invites us to store up our treasures in heaven where thieves and rust, viruses and recessions cannot steal or destroy. 

May each of us come out of these challenging times with smaller longings for the things of this world and greater longings for His glory and the Kingdom than before the crisis.

2. To shine: Most of the time, American Christians do not stand out in any sort of way, but when we do, it’s largely for negative reasons.  In the news, the church is only visible when we’ve condemned someone or our leaders have been involved in an embarrassing scandal.

During a plague in the middle of the third century, 5,000 people were dying every day in the city of Rome alone.  Pagan doctors and religious leaders fled, and families abandoned their own sick.  Yet Christians stayed behind to care for their own ill as well as for their neighbors.  The love they showed to strangers shocked the empire.

Certainly, we have legitimate reasons to worry for those in our inner circles of family and close friends, but especially as lockdowns are lifted and the slow road to recovery begins, we will have unprecedented opportunities to love and serve our neighbors. 

Nearly every community in the world will have been affected and the poor exponentially more so as we are already seeing in inner city communities, slums, and refugee camps around the world.  May we prepare our hearts and churches to love, give, and proclaim the gospel hope in a way that will shock the world.

Prayer: Father, search my heart and take Your rightful place in my life as King.  In this time, as I draw near to You, O Lord, draw near to me.  And please, use Your church to love and draw many who are far off, even enemies of the cross, to know and worship You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 2

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Lunch Break Study 

Read Luke 19:2–10 (ESV): And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” [6] So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. [7] And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” [8] And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”

Question to Consider 

1. What kind of a man was Zacchaeus?
2. What transformed Zacchaeus?
3. What was the sign of Zacchaeus’s transformation?

Notes

1. He was a tax collector and sinner.
2. The love and welcome of Jesus transformed Zacchaeus from a man who loved money and power to a man who knew that knowing Jesus was most important.
3. Since Zacchaeus was free from his greed, he was free for repentant and radical giving.

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Evening Reflection 

Reflect on your day.  What worries and concerns seemed more important than knowing God?  Ask Jesus to free you from all other loves that compete with Him.

UPDATED Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on August 16, 2014, is provided by Christine Chang who serves at Grace Covenant Church in Philadelphia.  Christine is a graduate of University of Virginia (BA) and Harvard University (MA).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

James 1:22 (NIV)

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”

Introduction: There are two ways through which people can access God’s word in general and the gospel in particular.  One way is through reading the Bible and hearing God’s word preached.  The other way is explained by the apostle Paul like this: “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ . . ., written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Cor. 3:2-3). In this blog Christine talks about the latter.

The other day, during my visit to a gastroenterologist, the doctor decided that an adjusted diet would significantly improve my problem.  He, then, proceeded to write down a list of extremely healthy things that I should start eating.  But as the list grew, I noticed that this doctor was incredibly chubby, which caused me to wonder whether he himself maintained a nutritional lifestyle similar to the one he was prescribing (though this was admittedly unfair of me since I wasn’t familiar with his background).

I was then led to the nurses’ office where I sat until they processed some forms.  While waiting, I overheard a conversation between two nurses about an upcoming trip to Disney World that one of them was planning to take.  She said that the highlight of the trip would be ordering “The Kitchen Sink,” an intense dessert that I later discovered to be a thirty-dollar item containing “scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, and mint chocolate chip smothered in every topping we have.”  Her exact words were, “We’re gonna eat this and get fat, then go back to our hotel room and sleep.”

You would think that of all people, healthcare professionals would take every measure to avoid the problems that are presented to them daily by their patients.  Yet, despite their extensive knowledge about health, they are humans first and medical professionals second—naturally living and enjoying life like the rest of us.  While this account is merely ironic, it’s much more serious when this disconnect between mind and action takes place in a spiritual context.  The Bible warns of “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5a).

Having grown up as a pastor’s daughter, I memorized countless verses and became familiar with so many biblical truths, but rarely applied them to my life, much like a house built on sand, which Jesus likened to those who hear his words but do not put them into practice” (Matt. 7:26). I often fooled myself into thinking that the knowledge I had about the Christian life affirmed my identity as a Christian, rather than actively living my life in accordance with the gospel and seeking the Lord earnestly each day.

Today, let’s ask the Spirit to convict us if we have become idle in our worship of Christ and as we abide in Jesus, that we would bear fruit by our obedience to Him.  If we are to truly experience joy and peace in life (the abundant life), there must be an active pursuit to know Him, which leads to obeying Him.  After praying for God’s guidance, carry out an action that would please the Lord.  Remember, our lives, “written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God” on our hearts, is the letter from Christ read by everyone around us.

Prayer: Lord, motivate us to put into practice what we read in the Bible and hear from the pulpit.  Not that we understand everything, “only let us live up what we have already obtained” (Phil. 3:16).  In the post COVID-19 world, use us to demonstrate the truthfulness of Scripture through our spoken words and the way we live. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 1

UPDATED 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 23, 2013.  He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin (B.A.) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Be Aware of the Devil’s Clever Trick; Don’t Lose Your Mission Over It”

John 4:31-35

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.

Introduction: To the extent that going through trials and tribulations increases people’s receptivity toward anything that promises hope, the post COVID-19 world will likely present churches with an unprecedented opportunity to win people to the Lord through the preaching of and living out the gospel.  With that in mind read Pastor Sam’s blog.

This passage, where Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman in John 4, inspires me regarding missions. When Jesus reached out to the Samaritan woman, he broke the boundaries of ethnicity, culture, hatred and conflict, and issues between the male and female sexes. Although his disciples forgot their sense of missions and were more concerned about what they should eat for lunch, Jesus told them, “My food (my mission) is to do the will of Him who sent me to finish His work.”

The disciples probably thought that this was not the time to do missions, especially not in Samaria. So, to them, it was neither the right place nor the right time to reach out; rather, it was time to eat.  And, more than anything else, she was not the right person, not this Samaritan woman, “for”, as John noted, “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans” (Jn. 4:9).

What am I getting at? You know, we are just too smart for the devil to convince us that we shouldn’t make disciples –we will never accept that.  But “we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11), for what the devil does is to whisper into our ears, saying, “Don’t do it here; don’t do it now; and not that person.”  Yet, if we can’t or won’t make disciples here and now, we will not be able to make disciples in another country, or in the post COVID-19 America that may make us feel as if we are living in a different country.  Be aware of the Devil’s clever trick; don’t lose your mission over it.

In closing, note that as soon as the Samaritan woman put her faith in Jesus, she immediately reached the whole town: “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony” (John 4:39).  This is to say, for the Samaritan woman whose life was as broken as yours or that of someone you know, “now” was the right time, the right place, and the right people whose lives were just as broken as hers.  The post-COVID 19 America—full of broken lives—will be the right time and place to preach and live out the good news of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, remind us to start praying for the harvest of lost souls.  Lord, motivate us to desire a life of sowers and reapers of your gospel in the post COVID-19 America.  Seriously!  Amen.   

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 27-28.

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on May 10, 2013, is written by Pastor Matt Ro who formerly pastored Journey Church in Atlanta.  P. Matt is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BS) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Laying It All Down Before God”

Psalm 54:1-3 (ESV)

O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might.  2 O God hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.  3 For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves.

Hardly any Christians would say publicly, “I am not going to bother God with my petty problems when He must be so busy running the universe”—more so now amid the global pandemic.  Nevertheless, we do, at times, feel as if that is true. David, however, was not one of them.

Now, one lesson we see from the psalms is that when David had a problem (granted that the man faced some major troubles), he brought it to God, which is what he does here in vv. 1-3; in other words, he prayed.  But a matter as equally important as praying is whether we are praying in the right way.  As for David, he prayed to the God whom he had come to know by studying the Scriptures and through personal experiences.

First, he appeals to God in the opening verse by saying, “O God, save me by your name.”   We often think of God, but we seldom think about the name of God.  When Moses asked God for His name in Exodus 3 in order to tell the Israelites, God replied, “I AM WHO I AM.”  His absolute sovereignty is in play here.  This means that we have a God with whom all things are possible (Matt. 19:26).  We have a God who hears our prayers (v. 2).  David has confidence that there is nothing that hinders God from hearing us.  In other words, David is praying with the understanding that “whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him’” (Mk. 11:22-23).   This is to say, we need to pray with faith in God “according to His will” (1 Jn. 5:14).  Thus, David, having assurance in God’s willingness and ability to deliver him from all troubles, describes in detail the situation he faces (v. 3):  Ruthless men with no regard for God want to kill him.

As we will soon deal with the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic, tell all your troubles to God in detail.  He already knows, of course, but it will do you good to spell them out.  Mentioning details will remind you that God also knows and cares about them.  Remember that “even the hairs of your head are all numbered” by God (Matt. 10:30).

God’s replies to our requests will come in the form or “yes,” “no,” or “wait”.  Whichever the case may be, we can be assured that God deeply cares for us and that He has our best interests in mind (defined not by the American way of life but God’s kingdom)—even if it doesn’t always appear to be so.  Trust Him.  God is good!

Prayer:  Father, thank you that You are a God who is near, willing, and able to meet me in my distress.  Set me free from the lingering fears that I am going through.  I trust in your power and hold on to you.  I want to “be strong in the strength of your might.”  (Eph. 6:10).

Bible Reading for Today:  Acts 26

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Lunch Break Study

Read Ephesians 3:1-6: For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Questions to Consider

1. How do Paul’s words take on a new meaning when you realize that Paul was most likely lying on a cold floor in the dark with an aching body from repeated beatings in prison?
2. What is the “mystery” of which Paul sees himself as a steward?
3. How should Paul’s calling (“a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles”) affect the way that we ought to live today?

Notes

1. Paul’s primary passion is the gospel.  Though he is beset by difficult circumstances, he says in Philippians 1:12, 18, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.”  We see a single-minded passion for the proclamation of the Gospel.
2. The mystery that Paul speaks of is two-fold: first, it refers to the gospel that had been veiled for ages and kept from the Gentiles, but now Paul is called to share it with them; second, it is also a statement of the mystery that when people come to Christ, Jews and Gentiles together are joint heirs, members of one body.  A joint heirship has to do with possessions.  This was a foreign concept that Jew and Gentile are alike in Christ.
3. Why can’t we get along with one another? Why are there so many family breakups? It’s because when we are still living in the old creation, those things are inevitable. But in the realm of the Spirit, the breakthrough has already occurred. When we begin to walk in the Spirit, then we can love, forgive, and begin to reach out to others.  Also, we’re challenged to live our lives in light of our calling to share the Good News with others.  Not as a secondary aspiration on the side, but through our everyday lives as servant of Christ.  We can experience Paul’s explanation and application of the great mystery.

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Evening Reflection

Before you turn in for the night, consider this: How are you living as a steward of the great mystery that has been revealed to you?  Are there opportunities that you are neglecting in the name of living with a day-to-day view in mind?  Ask God to show you (as you journal) the gravity of the revelation of this mystery in your life and what possible ways God may be asking you to live out your calling.

Prayer:  Thank You, Father, for this revealed mystery of which I am a part of through faith in Christ Jesus. Help me to live as a joint heir and partaker of the promise. Amen.

NEW Today’s AMI QT Devotional is prepared by Pastor Jason Sato who is currently serving in Japan as a missionary.  Jason is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

 Devotional Thoughts for This Morning 

“Hidden and Revealed Things”

Deuteronomy 29:29 (ESV)

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

As the coronavirus pandemic rages across the globe, many of us are glued to our news feeds.  When I wake up, the first thing I want to do is read the latest articles on BBC or The Mainichi (a Japanese daily).  Throughout the day, I find myself distracted and tempted to check these sites for new updates.  Now the question is, “What exactly am I looking for?”

In the midst of this global crisis, there are so many things we don’t know: We don’t know when the virus will be contained in our community.  We don’t know whether someone we love will contract it.  We don’t know what this will mean for our business or career.  We don’t know how this will affect our children’s education.  And this is frightening.

So we are tempted to seek solace and even peace in information gathering.  Of course, having accurate information is important in a pandemic, but my heart is searching for something that daily counts, and reports of new developments in different countries cannot provide this.

According to Deuteronomy 29:29, there are things that are secret and belong only to the Lord; but there are also “revealed things that belong to us and to our children forever.”  Only these revealed things can free us from fear and anxiety so we can love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Two revealed things that I am taking comfort in are as follows:

1. Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
2. Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”

Because my Father is sovereign and always working for my good, I can close my web browser and serve the immediate needs of my children and my students.  I can give them more of my attention, care, and prayer than the bare minimum.  Because pandemics and financial crises cannot stop God from saving lost people from every tribe and nation, I can look forward with great expectation, pray with unreasonable boldness, and reach out to people who do not know Him with compassion and hope.

In these very strange and turbulent times, we cannot know, do, or control hardly anything—and thank God, that is not our job.  But since we have a Father who sovereignly orders human history, we are free to focus on the simple things—loving Him and our neighbors well.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that even in these dark times, I do not need to be paralyzed by fear.  There is much in this world that is unstable and uncertain, but Your promises are rock solid.  Grant me grace to entrust the secret things to You and to boldly claim the revealed things. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 25 

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Matthew 6:27–30, 33 (ESV): And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [28] And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? … [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Question to Consider 

1. According to this passage, does anything good come by being anxious?
2. What does Jesus invite us to have faith in?
3. If we are not to concern ourselves with food and clothing, what are we to focus on?

Notes

1. It does no good.  It cannot even add one hour to our lives.
2. Jesus invites us to have faith in the Father’s love.  He who clothes the lilies values us and will provide for us.
3. Since the Father frees us from concerns about food and clothing, we are free to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

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Evening Reflection 

Reflect upon your day.  To what things were you tempted to turn to for comfort and peace other than Jesus?  Take a moment to wait upon the Lord and invite Him to remind you of His love and promises for you.