The AMI QT Devotional for today, first posted on August 4, 2014, is provided by Phillip Chen who is the associate pastor at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego.  

 

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“A Little Hope vs. A Lot of Hope”

John 1:1-5 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

In the first of the Hunger Games movies, one of the characters, President Snow, says something that I found to be particularly insightful. He said “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous.” He was speaking in regard to the people that his government was oppressing. By giving them small doses of hope from time to time, he is able to keep them and their expectations at bay, but if and when the people were to realize that there is a greater hope that they can lean upon, it could be a dangerous one for his regime. But, when it comes to hope promised by God, nothing can be further from the truth. 

As this portion of the Gospel of John mirrors the beginning of the book of Genesis (the Hebrew eye would not have missed this), we see that the gospel writer is introducing Jesus and the commencement of his ministry. As we take a closer look at verse 4, we see that in Jesus is life, which is the hope of all mankind. Why? Because the light shines into the darkness, and the darkness has not and cannot overcome it. The light of the world, the hope of the nations is Jesus, the eternal God who has come into the world to defeat the kingdom of darkness. 

Friends, as we remember that we live in a kingdom of darkness that so desperately needs the light of Jesus to pierce through, we must remember that we hold onto a different hope. The world may offer small doses of hope (a promotion here, recognition there), but we have set our hope on the living Christ. Let us remember that the hope we have in Jesus is not a weak one. If it were, there would be nothing we could do to infiltrate this kingdom of darkness. Rather, Jesus is the light of the world that has come to bring hope for the nations. We carry that message of hope with us, so powerful and dangerous, that it is able to penetrate the darkest places in the kingdom of this world and infiltrate the strongest forces of the enemies.

Prayer: Lord, I believe you are the hope for the nations. Today, remind me that I carry a dangerous and powerful message of hope that can destroy the kingdom of darkness in my life and in others lives as well. Help me live in a way where this hope is evident in my life!

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 41

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Lunch Break Study

Read John 1:6-10: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.”

Questions to consider

1. Who is John the Baptist, and how is our role similar to his?
2. Verse 8 tells us that he was not the light, but simply came as a witness to the light. In what ways do we end up claiming to be the light rather than a witness to the light?
3. Are you being a creditable witness for Christ to people around you?

Notes

1. John was a messenger of God, sent to carry the message of hope to all people. He was to testify of the light and living hope found in Jesus, and we also, as ambassadors, are sent to declare this message to the nations.
2. For some, we can use our faith to point to ourselves rather than God. We can use our good works, our ministry, our character to promote ourselves rather than Jesus.
3. Personal response

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Evening Reflection

The New Testament is loaded with passages that speak of our identity as Christians. We are ambassadors. We are a royal priesthood. We are messengers of God. We testify of the light. Today, may we be reminded that we play an important role in the kingdom of God. If you’ve been burnt out and are standing on the sidelines, remember the glorious part you play as a messenger of the living hope of God! Remember this message for yourself and bring it to everyone else around you as well.

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor David Kwon of Journey Community Church in Raleigh (N.C.), was originally posted on November 10, 2013.

 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“God is Holy”—What Does That Even Mean?

Psalm 99:1-9

The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! 4 The King in his might loves justice.  You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the Lord, and he answered them. 7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. 8 O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 9 Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!

In the world of sports, there is a phrase often used called the “holy grail,” which refers to a record or achievement that seems out of reach or “set apart.”  For example, in the world of track and field, Usain Bolt set the 100m record at 9.58 seconds which seems out of reach for any normal runner. In tennis, it is often the grand slam in which you win all the major tournaments in a single year.  All of these records are viewed as out of reach because of almost “impossible to attain” status.

In Psalm 99, the Lord is referred to as one who is “set apart,” which means the holiness of God.  Holiness is not an easy concept to define or understand. We can think of it as moral perfection, purity, or right conduct, but it’s far deeper than that.  At its root, holiness is not an ethical concept, but rather, it is the very nature of God that distinguishes him from all else. One commentator says that “holiness is a word to emphasize the distance between God and man: not only morally, as between pure and polluted, but in the realm of being, between the eternal and creaturely.” The holiness of God is important for us to understand if we are to appreciate the character of this supreme and reigning Monarch.  

Does the holiness of God lead you to worship?  Does it cause you be in awe of the one who is “set apart” from anything on this earth?  The Bible calls God holy more than anything else, more than sovereign, more than just, more than merciful or loving.  Take some time this morning to reflect on the holiness of God. Pray that the Lord would give you a higher view of His holiness that you may stand in awe of Him.

Prayer:  O Creator God, You are eternally set apart from us creatures.  Lord, help us to never forget the infinite distance that stands between You and us.  Yet, You’ve abridged that gap, through the reconciliatory work of Christ on the cross, so that we, who were once far away, have been ushered into Your holy presence.  Thank you. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 40

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Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Peter 1:13-16: “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Questions to Consider

1. How should the holiness of God affect our daily lives?  
2. According to Peter, how should we handle our desires? 
3. What are some areas in your life that you desire to be more holy (pure)? 

Note

1. Peter writes in his letter that those who are in Christ should strive to be holy in all of our conduct.  The Christians’ lifestyle is not to conform to the basic desires that formerly dominated them and kept them from God.
2. Peter exhorts believers to control their desires rather than to be controlled by them. Before Christ we were in ignorance; and now because of the grace that brought us to revelation of Jesus, we have come to know God and his will.
3. Maybe it’s sexual purity, love for others, pride, desire for material things, etc.  Surrender whatever it might be to the Lord, and pray that he would give you purity of heart and mind, as you desire to become more like Jesus.

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Evening Reflection

At the beginning of Psalm 99, the nations are exhorted to praise God but regardless of how the nations respond, God is great in Zion, and this means that he is to be praised by his people.   The renown 19th century British pastor Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The ignorant forget him, the wicked despise him, the atheistical oppose him, but among his chosen he is great and beyond compare.  He is great in the esteem of the gracious, great in his acts of mercy, and really great in himself: great in his mercy, power, wisdom, justice and glory.”  

Let us worship our great and holy God as we close our day.

Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, prepared by Pastor Jason Sato, was originally posted on December 8. 2013.  He and his wife Jessica (along with their three young children) recently moved to Japan in 2019 to serve as missionaries. 

 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“God, a Very Present Help in Times of Greatest Needs”

Psalm 121:1-8

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Regardless of what we face today—minor inconveniences or even overwhelming challenges—our help comes from the Lord.  He is not just any God, but the Almighty One who made the heavens and the earth. Our God neither slumbers nor sleeps.  He is never indifferent, too busy, or too tired for His children. Unlike Cain, who rejected his role as his brother’s keeper, our Father will keep us in our going out and our coming in forever.

Our Lord is faithful, and He is able to do what no other god could ever do.  Beyond simply resolving difficult circumstances, God is actually able to replace our easily discouraged hearts with hearts of courage that will remain unmoved.  He gives grace to people like us in whom is found a deceitful heart (Jer. 17:9); He transforms us, through His word and the Holy Spirit, so that we may delight in good.  If we ask, God can do more than change our circumstances; He can change our hearts.

As you begin your day, take a moment to pray that the Lord would give you grace to be steadfast in Him and that He would keep you from evil.  Pray that amid many distractions, He would keep your focus on one thing today: Loving and obeying Him. Pray that when you need help to do so, and you will, that you would turn to Him and He would be your help.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You are always there to come and save me.  I am tempted to doubt your nearness and care, but You alone are my Keeper, my Savior, my God.  I thank You that ultimately You save me from myself. Lord, I commit this day to You. Give me grace and strength to hear, obey, and please You today.  Help me to trust You. Grant me a heart that loves Your will. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 39

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 10, 2013. 

 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“What Intercessory Prayer Looks Like”

Matthews 6:9-10

This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” 

Our prayer needs to be balanced with personal prayer and intercession. Intercession is a prayer focus outside of self. We need an encounter with God not so that He knows what we want, but so that His purposes are revealed in us—i.e., “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” 

Intercession makes us have compassion for the things that is in the heart of God.  Furthermore, intercession burdens us for the things God is burdened. Intercession brings heaven on earth. 

Today, pray for others. Pray for your church and government leadership. Pray for people who do not know the Lord. Pray for your community. Pray that researchers can soon find the vaccination for the coronavirus.  As you read or listen to the news, pray for the thing God highlights in your heart. Pray for people who are being spiritually attacked. Pray that God would raise up worker for the harvest. 

By the way, don’t forget to pray for yourself as well. 

Prayer: Father, remind and empower me to take praying seriously. Help me not only to pray for my own needs but for the needs of others.  Constantly remind me not to just talk about prayer but actually pray. Call out my duplicity when it comes to prayer (since I don’t pray much) so I can really pray. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 29-30

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on May 9, 2013, is written by Pastor Matt Ro, who formerly pastored Journey Church in Atlanta.  

 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Difference between the Wicked and the Righteous: Whom Do You Want to Please?”

Psalm 52:1-4, 8-9 (ESV)

Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. 2 Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. 3 You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah 4 You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue . . . 8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.  I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. 9 I will thank you forever, because you have done it.  I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.

The introduction (vv. 1-4) references Doeg the Edomite, who incited Saul to order the killing of the priests.  In fact, Doeg was the accomplice who struck down 85 priests and destroyed the town of Nob. So, David is talking about the wickedness of Doeg and how he will face God’s righteous judgment. 

However, the verses above (vv. 8-9) give a contrasting portrait of the righteousness of David.  It gives us a look at what the proper attitude of the righteous should be, using David himself as an example.  Though he did not always live up to that righteous standard, at the time he wrote this, he could say that he was “like a green olive tree in the house of God.”  An olive tree tends to last better than most trees and is valuable in its ability to produce yearly crop.  

According to Psalm 1, there is a contrast between the wicked and the righteous. David believed that God was in control of all things and that evil would be judged and righteousness would be rewarded in the end, even if evil seemed to be prevailing at that moment.  In light of this, David does three things in this text: First, he praises God; second, he trusts God for the future; third, he testifies of these truths to others.

So, let’s not live like Doeg who did all that killing to please a man, namely, King Saul (1 Sam. 22:18-19); rather, let’s live like David who praised, trusted and testified because he wanted to please God.

Prayer:  Father, like David, we praise You and trust You for Your steadfast love.  Help me to trust You when I see evil prevailing around me. Your character of justice will manifest in due time.   I want to be like that “tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all he does, he prospers.” Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Isaiah 36

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Lunch Break Study

Read Ephesians 2:19-22: So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Questions to Consider

1. Paul says that when we are united with Christ, we are no longer strangers and aliens.  What does it mean that we are “fellow citizens of God?” What are the unique privileges and resources available to those who are citizens in God’s kingdom and members of His household?
2. What does it mean that we are “fellow members of God’s household?”
3. How does vv. 20-22 stress the closeness of the members of God’s household?
4. Cliques and racism are problems in most places.  Examine if you are in conflict with other believers of the body of Christ.  How should our oneness change the way that we interact with others?

Note

1. We have entered a new kingdom, meaning we have a new citizenship, under a new authority, as well as new privileges. Just as being an American citizen comes all its privileges and protection, we are protected under the care of the King.  We have access to the infinite wisdom of God and His plan for our lives.  God invites us to call upon the resources that we have as kingdom citizens.
2. The moment we are saved, we immediately become members of God’s own intimate family. In real life, a child of the authority would always outrank a general or a vice president.  For instance, if one of President Obama’s daughters has an urgent situation and knocks on the President’s Oval Office door, she has immediate access to the head of the country.  We have access to a Father who has ultimate authority and power in the affairs of the world.  It also means that we are placed in a family with brothers and sisters in Christ.  There is a concern for the entire family (body of Christ).  We must learn to love each other on the basis of our membership within the same spiritual family.
3. Verses 20-21, Paul goes on further by saying we are in a close relationship.  A building might be considered a cold and impersonal way to compare our relationship within our spiritual family.  But what he is saying is that in the structure of the building, we fit tightly together as stones or bricks cemented side by side.  If the building materials were separated, the building would crumble.  This reveals the intimate nature of our relationship within the household of God.
4. Personal response

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Evening Reflection

Think about your best friend.  You probably spend a good deal of time hanging out, talking, and just having fun with this person.  Imagine that you got into an argument with this friend, and afterward, you de-friended him on Facebook and deleted his number from your contacts.  But one day, your friend apologizes and asks for your forgiveness. You talk about it and start spending time together, forgetting what has happened.  That is reconciliation. In a similar way, we are reconciled with God through Christ. Spend some time journaling ways in which this “reconciliation” has impacted our families, relationships at work as well as in the church. 

Prayer:  Father, help me to remember that in times of difficulty I have privileges and resources that many have never claimed.  Help me to live in the fullness of the provision You have made for me—not as a servant but as a child of the living God.  Thank you for the brothers and sisters that you have placed alongside of me. Help me to live as one who strengthens the family of God.  Amen.

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, prepared by then-staff of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on July 9, 2013.

 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Our Faithful God”

Psalms 74:20-22

Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. 21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name. 22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.

Finally, the psalmist finds hope in the covenant of God.  In the Ancient Near East, a covenant was a treaty sealed in blood.  In a covenant ceremony, animals were cut in half and the parties of the covenant walked between the pieces.  In this way, they vowed to keep their covenant promises or face the same fate as those animals.

When God makes a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, God alone walks through the halves of the animals.  God takes full responsibility for fulfilling His promises to His people. While our circumstances and feelings may tempt us to doubt God’s promises, our God is not a liar.  Ultimately, the Son of God Himself shed His blood to guarantee the fulfillment of every word He has said.  

God may not give us whatever we want, but He is absolutely faithful to fulfill His promises to us.  What promises address your concerns this morning? Pray with boldness that God fulfill His promises in your life.

Prayer: LORD, You are the God of promise.  I thank You that You have given to me more than empty words and sentimental thoughts, but the blood of your Son has secured every promise You have ever spoken.  Even in the midst of frustration and struggle, grant me grace to cling to your promises. I wait for the day when You bring each promise to its full fruition.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 35

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Lunch Break Study

Read James 1:26-27 (NIV): Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Questions to Consider

1. For those who do not keep a tight rein on their tongue, what are they doing to themselves? 
2. What two qualities make up the “religion” that is pure and faultless that God accepts?
3. Check your own tongue for patterns of gossip, lies, complaints, slander, etc.  

Notes

1. Wrongful speech can come in various forms, maligning another’s character. Gossip, for example, does not merely annoy those who are maligned; it threatens the gossiper’s own spiritual health. Those who gossip are not merely slipping into a bad habit but rather, they are betraying their inner selves. 
2. The first requirement is to visit orphans and widows in their distress. Visit implies to also provide care. God often promises to judge his people based on how well they care for the husbandless and fatherless (Matt 25:31-46). The second requirement is to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Here emerges a perfect example of being “in the world but not of it” where we must function as salt and light to the needy but not lose our ability to illuminate the darkness. 
3. Personal response

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Evening Reflection

Are there some Biblical promises that guard your heart from sinking into a sea of insecurity? Spend some time journaling about a few of those promises. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask that my tongue be used to bless and not to curse; to build up and not to tear down; to speak truthfully and not deceptively. Amen.

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on February 6, 2013, is prepared by Pastor Ryun Chang who is the AMI Teaching Pastor.

 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Triggers the Hiddenness (i.e., silence) of God?”

Psalm 13:1-3

How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?  How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.  Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.

Solitary confinement awaits those prisoners who behave badly. Enclosed by darkness and silence, it seeks to break the will. There may be no worse punishment on earth than being left all alone in such a confined space with all humanity hidden from them; with all humanity having forgotten them.  

What, then, does it mean that God hides His face, that He has forgotten us?  Does it mean our prayers fall on deaf ears; our situations go from bad to worse; our hearts know no peace?  Perhaps, no one knows that better than Moses, who spent 40 years in “the solitary spiritual confinement” in the desert,” during which time he didn’t hear from God even once. He put it, “I have become an alien in foreign land” (Ex. 2:22). To Moses, who once lived in the palace of Egypt, the desert—the place to which he ran after killing an Egyptian—was his solitary confinement. 

So why did God hide Himself from Moses for a such a long time? The LORD permitted this to break the self- sufficiency of Moses, who at the age of 40, felt very confident of his own ability; for, “Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not” (Acts 7:25).  While God wasn’t willing to use him then, once Moses became weak, He said to them, “Now, go” (Ex. 4:12a).

So when you feel like God is hiding His face from you, remember that He is teaching you to depend solely on Him.  Ask yourself this question: Do I really depend on God?

Prayer: Dear God, how often have I depended on my own strength and resources to seek success and solve my problems.  Even though I always make mess of things, I don’t seem to learn my lesson. Father, please forgive me of my self-sufficiency; help me to trust and depend on You more and more.  Amen

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 34

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Lunch Break Study

Read Micah 3:4: “Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.”  

Is. 59:2: “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

Ezekiel 33:11: “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”

Questions to Consider

1. What other factor can provoke the silence of God?
2. As far as it depends on us, what’s the quickest way to end God’s silence (Ez.  33:11; Jer. 29:12-14)?
3. In view of this, how can you characterize God in terms of His attributes (Jos. 24:19, 1Jn. 1:5)?

Notes

1. When we continue to sin, after having been advised and warned against it, we run the risk of provoking the silence of God, meaning He won’t respond to our pleads.  Even if one finally repents, while God will certainly forgive, the penalty of sin will still be meted out against him. (See King Manasseh in 2 Chr. 33:12-13 and 2 Kings 24:3.)  
2. No other kings were more wicked than Manasseh and Ahab (1 Kin. 21:25-9) but when they repented, God immediately showered them with grace and mercy.
3. Of course, we who have been so desensitized by sin can’t really grasp God’s holiness; thus, when God seemingly acts “angrily” toward sins, we want to say, “LORD, lighten up!”  Inasmuch as light and darkness cannot coexist, God will neither coexist nor put up with sin. Of course, in His grace and mercy, God will give us ample time to turn away from it but not forever!

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Evening Reflection

Let’s return to what we studied this afternoon.  

If God were to be silent in your life, would that bother you, or it would fuel (being irked at God) your desire to live for yourself?   How is your relationship with God right now? Is it time for an honest evaluation so that you can get right with Him? As you review today, did you seek His presence in the decisions that you had to make?  Did you seek out His face? It’s not too late!

Today’s AMI QT Devotional (new) is provided by Pastor Doug Tritton who serves as the Young Adults pastor at Symphony Church in Boston. 

 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“New Creation!”

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

If someone presented you with two iPhones – one is an iPhone X and the other is an iPhone 11 – and this person told you to pick one, I think we would all mostly choose the iPhone 11, though it really would not make too much difference. The new one is shiny, has some better features, and might last longer. New things are usually better – more reliable, more durable. But now, imagine someone presenting you with a brand new iPhone 11 and a smart device that was brought back from 100 years into the future. This is not just a new model of an iPhone – it is completely different. It does not simply have better features, it is categorically better, with 10G data speeds and holographic projections and other cool things. I imagine people from 100 years ago would feel similarly comparing an old-fashioned rotary-dial telephone with today’s smart phones. It’s not just a newer model – it’s a complete upgrade. 

In the Greek language, there are two words to that are translated new. There is neos and there is kainos. If you have an iPhone X and then buy a new iPhone 11, that is a neos iPhone. They are basically the same thing, but the iPhone 11 is newer in time. Substantively, they are essentially the same thing, just one happens to be newer. But if you compare a rotary-dial phone compared to an iPhone 11, the iPhone is a kainos phone. It is not simply a newer model – it’s categorically and qualitatively new. It is better in every way.

When Paul says that anyone in Christ is a new creation, he uses the word kainos. We are a new-in-every-way creation. When we believe in Jesus, we are not only wiped clean, as if we are given a fresh start. That would be neos. We are fundamentally changed. If we water down the gospel to just forgiveness of sins, as if believing in Jesus is like going to a store to a get cracked screen on our phone fixed, we are missing the depth of what God is doing in us. We are a truly new creation when we believe in Jesus. Yes, our sins are forgiven, but there is so much more. We are given the power of the Spirit. We are partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). We can actually change.

This is important for us to remember. Change is possible in us because we are a kainos creation. We are not called to simply cope with the struggles we face; we are called to overcome. The world will say that real change is not possible, that people just adapt. But the gospel tells us we are a new creation and have the power of heaven in us, being born from above to be a completely, fundamentally new person. Let’s invite that power of heaven to work in us in a deep way.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you that your gospel is a gospel of great depth and power. Thank you that you have re-created us into a kainos creation through the power of your Spirit. May we not be satisfied with simply managing sins and struggle, but I pray that you empower us to have victory in our lives. Let us truly be a new creation in you. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 33

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Lunch Break Study  

Read 2 Peter 1:3-7: His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

Questions to Consider

1. What has granted us all things for life and godliness?
2. What does it mean to be a “partaker of the divine nature”?
3. How can you live out a divine type of humanity today?

Notes

1. “His divine power” is what has given us all that we need for life and godliness. God’s power is at work in us when we believe in Jesus. We do not pursue godliness by our strength; rather, it is God’s power at work within us.
2. As radical as it may sound, by partaking of the divine nature, we are in a sense being made divine. Though we are obviously not God, we become like Him. Our very natures are changed. To be a new creation means to lose the fallen nature of the world and to take a new heavenly nature. If you read vv. 5-7 in the passage, you will see that there is a progression; as we take on the divine nature, we grow and the ultimate fulfillment becomes love, the last thing mentioned in that list. By taking on the divine nature, we become beings of love, just as God is.
3. Invite God to grant you his power that you might be a being of love to those around you. We are new creation and this means we can be like God to the people around us by the way we love. Ask God to help you to love and to demonstrate to those around you that you are a kainos human.

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Evening Reflection

Remind yourself this evening that because of your faith in Jesus, you have been re-created. Take time to surrender the lies you hear in your mind that change is hopeless, that you are stuck as you are. Ask God to replace those lies with the truth that in Christ—you truly are a completely new creation.

Today’s AMI QT Devotional (new) is provided by Pastor Doug Tritton who serves as the Young Adults pastor at Symphony Church in Boston. 

 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Afterlife Starts Now”

John 3:1-8

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

 Is there life after death? That is a question that every person who has ever lived has wondered. Hopefully, most of us have asked ourselves that question and found that the answer is “YES” – if we believe in Jesus, there is life after death, when we will be with Jesus for all eternity.

But, are we missing something when we say that the “afterlife” comes after we die? Is this life simply a time of waiting until that fateful day when we pass and are transported up to heaven? I think Jesus would say something different; I think he would say that the afterlife starts as soon as you put your faith in him and choose to follow him. 

In our passage, Jesus tells Nicodemus that we must be “born again.” He is saying that for someone to experience the Kingdom of God, they must be radically changed by the Holy Spirit, changed in a way that fundamentally alters who they are. Jesus says it is like being born a second time. When you believe in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit, you are made completely new. Simply put, you become a new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). 

So, back to the question of the afterlife—When does the afterlife begin? For those in Jesus, the afterlife actually begins when you believe in him. When you put your faith in Jesus, you are born again; you are made into a new creation. Further, the word Jesus uses in the original language for “again” is a word that also can mean “from above”. When Jesus says you must be “born again”, it also has this connotation: “born from above.” This second birth, this re-creation, is heavenly. Many people think the afterlife is about us going up to heaven one day; but for Jesus, the afterlife is heaven coming down to earth. We experience the afterlife now when we believe in Jesus, when heaven comes down and impacts our life such that we are born again. If you believe in Jesus, you are living in the afterlife now.

If this is the case, what does this mean for our lives? This means that we bring heaven with us where we go. Jesus called us to be ambassadors for his kingdom and we model the kingdom when we demonstrate a life that is born from above. When you go to work or school or wherever today, remind yourself, you are bringing heaven with you and pray that God would work the power of heaven through you.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you have given us a second birth, a birth from above. Thank you for changing us by the power of the Holy Spirit and recreating us to be ambassadors of heaven. May we seek to bring heaven wherever we go. Use us to demonstrate heaven through our lives.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 32

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Matthew 13:33: He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

Questions to Consider

1. What does it mean that the kingdom of heaven is like a leaven?
2. How can you be leaven for the kingdom?

Notes

1. According to this short parable, the kingdom of heaven is like leaven that influences the whole batch of dough. A little leaven can influence something much larger; in the same way, the kingdom of heaven is small at first, but grows quickly by influencing its surroundings.
2. Remembering that we are new creation, born from above, this means we bring the kingdom of heaven wherever you go. We are leaven that can influence are neighborhoods and workplaces and everywhere else we go. Think about how you can consciously bring the kingdom to these places such that the leaven in you leavens everything around you.

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Evening Reflection

Tonight, spend time in prayer, inviting God to use you this week to be an influence for the kingdom. We can only do this by his power, so invite the Holy Spirit to empower you to bring heaven this week to the areas around you.

Today’s blog, written by Pastor Ryun Chang, was first posted on February 8 and 9, 2013.

 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

‘Life of Substance over Style” 

Haggai 2:3

“How does it look to you now?  Does it not seem to you like nothing? 

1 Samuel 16:7

“The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

The comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who performed as recently as 2001, and the second temple named after Zerubbabel have one thing in common: they got no respect.   Dangerfield’s typical routine starts out with, “I get no respect,” followed by a line that makes merciless fun of himself such as, “My father carries around the picture of the kid who came with his wallet” and “I met the surgeon general; he offered me a cigarette.”  At least the entertainer became famous and rich, but Zerubbabel’s temple, built by the Jewish returnees from Persia, was not so fortunate.  Having been forgotten by most Christians, Herod’s temple is routinely dubbed as the Second Temple.  Once, a conference speaker, after listening to my sermon about Zerubbabel’s temple, said to me, “I always wondered about why Herod’s temple was called the Second Temple.”  The fact is that Zerubbabel’s temple gets no respect. But why? Had Dangerfield done Christian comedy, he might have said: “Zerubbabel’s temple was so ugly that a commentator, writing about the temple of God, mentioned Solomon’s and Herod’s temple, and instead of Zerubbabel’s temple, referred to Ezekiel’s temple, which had never been built!” (Ez. 40-47).   One so-called biblical scholar actually did that! But God is into substance, not style!

So, what was it about the temple of Zerubbabel that made it hardly noticed?  While its dismissal may stem from the fact that it didn’t lead to the glorious return of the Davidic Dynasty, its ordinary appearance, in comparison to the glitz and glamour of Solomon’s temple, didn’t bode well in terms of popularity.  God Himself, to the builders of Zerubbabel’s temple, rhetorically asked: “Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?” (Hag. 2:3). Fortunately, it was said only for effect because He quickly made it very clear as to which temple was more pleasing to Him: Zerubbabel’s temple.  God said, “The glory of this present house (Zerubbabel’s temple) will be greater than the glory of the former house” (Hag. 2:9a).  Why?  It’s because while “man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” In short, God was moved by the heart of those who gave up a comfortable life in Persia to return to Jerusalem, still lying in ruins, for the sole purpose of rebuilding the temple that was destroyed earlier.  Such a dedicated heart is what God is still looking for today.  

So how is your heart?  Are you more concerned about how you appear to people than pleasing God? Is your life adorned with a fine cover but nothing else to read thereafter?  Turn to Him and pray . . . 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to REALLY deal with my sense of inadequacy and insecurity that induces me to focus on impressing people.  Please help me to REALLY root myself in the love of God expressed through Christ. Help me lead a life of eternal substance; help me to unshackle myself from a flimsy lifestyle through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 31