September 5, Thursday

Today’s AMI Quiet Time Devotional by Tina Hsu was originally posted on August 3, 2015.

 

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Two Prerequisites to Experience God’s Miracle: Faith and Obedience” 

2 Kings 4:1-7 (NASB)

Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sins, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.”…When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is no one vessel more.” And the oil stopped.

In this story, we meet a widow in great distress. Her husband is dead and she is not able to pay off her family’s financial debt. Her creditor threatens to take her two sons as slaves. In the ancient world, a widow is vulnerable to poverty and social alienation. After her husband’s death, a widow’s security is her son’s ability to provide for her. To lose her sons to the creditor would be a tragic loss for her.  Here, she cries out to Elisha for survival and protection.  

By obeying Elisha’s instructions regarding her small jar of oil, the widow and her sons experience God’s miracle. God takes her small amount of oil and multiplies it to fill several large empty vessels!

We can learn from this story that the experience of God’s miracles is directly related to our faith and obedience. We can’t work for or earn God’s miracles. However, as children of God, we are called to position ourselves to trust God and to readily receive His provision. The widow shamelessly asks her neighbors for vessels, shuts the door of her house, and begins to pour oil. She positioned herself to experience God’s miracle. Her neighbors might have wondered, “Why do you need all my jugs, buckets, and jars? Where will the oil come from?” By her obedience, she demonstrated her faith in what only God could do.

Second, in our distress, God invites us to offer to Him our “little jar of oil” or  “empty vessels.” This is an act of trust, which demonstrates our belief that nothing is too hard for God. Surely, God will provide in His way!

I am encouraged by the widow’s faith and desire to see my anxious thoughts as an opportunity to believe in God’s miracle. Is there anything causing you distress today? What is the “little jar of oil” or “empty vessel” you can entrust to God? Be encouraged by Psalm 50:15, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

Prayer: Dear God, I confess to You my fears, distress, and anxieties today. Help me to trust in You and Your ability to provide abundantly. Give me the courage to believe in Your miraculous power, and help me to honor You through steps of faith and obedience. 

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 28

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (NASB): 

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.”  

Questions to Consider

  1. How did the apostle Paul respond to the affliction he faced?
  2. How did the apostle Paul encounter God in and through his suffering?
  3. In light of this, what does it look like to set your hope in God? How are you doing in trusting God as your hope? 

Notes

  1. The apostle Paul, speaking about Timothy and himself, acknowledged that the affliction they faced in Asia was beyond their strength. They saw clearly that they had no control of their own lives. They saw the purpose of suffering as an opportunity to trust not in themselves, but in God, who is their deliverer and hope.
  2. Through his experience of suffering, he personally encountered God as the one who raises the dead. His encounter of God as deliverer enables him to declare in faith that God will continue to deliver him.  
  3. Personal Response

Evening Reflection

Did you recognize any fears, doubts or unbelief in your heart today? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you confess the distress in your heart and to fully set your hope in God. What characteristic or attribute of God do you think He wants to reveal to you through your current circumstances?

September 4, Wednesday

Today’s AMI Quiet Time devotional is provided by Tina Hsu of the Church of Southland.

 

Devotional Thought for Today 

2 Kings 23:21-23 (NASB) 

Then the king commanded all the people saying, “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God as it is written in this book of the covenant.” 22 Surely such a Passover had not been celebrated from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the Lord in Jerusalem. 

How amazing is it that we effortlessly fill our brain with trivial stuff (e.g., batting average of your favorite player) while neglecting the important matters, which, in the end, will cost us dearly.  2 Kings 23 shows us that when God’s people disregard God’s Word (in Israel’s case, she didn’t even know where the “Bible” was), not only their hearts turn away from God, but they end up doing the unthinkable.

When the Passover was observed during the reign of King Josiah, it was the first time observed since the days of the Judges (v. 22).  It is absolutely mind-boggling that in a span of nearly 500 years, the Israelites neglected the Passover because they were busy turning away from the Lord and serving other gods. 

The purpose of the Passover was to remember and honor God, who brought them out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (Ex. 12:42), and made them His treasured possession (Ex. 19:5). By observing the Passover regularly, they would remember, among many attributes of God, His mercy. Could their spiritual decline be related to their neglect of the Passover, to their neglect of remembering God’s mercy? By forgetting to remember God’s mercy, their hearts became less and less devoted to God. 

So what is the outcome of reflecting on God’s mercy? The outcome is that we are moved to obey and worship God. God’s mercy is the reason and the power behind a steadfast devotion to God and to His commandments. Out of the riches of His mercy, God delivered us out of darkness and from our bondage to sin. His mercy enables us to obey His commands. Works righteousness or legalism doesn’t lead us to delight in obedience, but God’s mercy, forgiveness, and love move us to obedience. So what happens if we regularly reflect on God’s mercy? His mercy compels us to obey and worship Him. Take some time this morning to sit and to receive God’s abundant mercy. May He empower you to love and obey Him today. 

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I praise you because Your mercies are new every morning!  In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 27

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 12:1-2 (NASB): Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Questions to consider

  1. What does Paul mean by “the mercies of God”?
  2. What are we called to because of the mercies of God?
  3. In what ways do you see or sense transformation in your life lately?

Notes

  1. In Romans, “the mercies of God” sum up all that God has done in and through Jesus Christ to save us from the eternal consequence of sin and to give us eternal life on the basis of His death and resurrection. 
  2. We are called to offer our entire person, or life, to serve and worship God. We are called to be holy, which means to be set apart as God’s people. By the power of God’s mercy, we are called to be changed from the inside out. 
  3. Personal Response

Evening Reflection

Take five minutes to reflect on God’s mercy today. How did God show you His mercy today? How did God’s mercy impact you?

September 3, Tuesday

Today’s AMI Devotional Quiet Time is provided by Tina Hsu of Church of Southland in Anaheim, California. Tina (M.Div.), who was recently licensed by AMI, is a co-leader of college ministry at the church. 

 

Devotional Thought for Today

“Speaking Strength to Your Inner Being”

1 Samuel 30:6 

“But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

Psalm 103:1 

“Bless the LORD, o my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.”

In 1 Samuel 30, King David faced an extremely stressful and devastating situation when the Amalekites burned down the city of Ziklag with fire and took the women and children of Israel as captives. After David and his men wept until they lost strength, the latter took out their anger and sadness on David, threatening to stone him for what had happened to the city and their families. There was no physical refuge or comfort to turn to in this overwhelming situation, but the author records that David strengthened himself in the Lord his God and then inquired Him for his next plan.  Eventually, David successfully rescued the women and children, and destroyed the Amalekites. 

What did this time with God look like that caused David to regain strength? What prayers did he pray and what did he say to God? David’s psalms give us a glimpse that David often ministered to himself with songs that declared to his own soul the goodness of God. He commanded his being to bless and praise God’s name, even when his emotions did not catch up to joy and gladness yet. He spoke truths about God’s character and deeds in times of distress until his own soul would regain awareness of and thanksgiving to God. These prayers in the secret place gave him strength to carry out his public leadership. 

More often than not, we are taught to pray prayers of petition in our time with God and when we pray for others. Scripture teaches us to present our requests to God as a way of overcoming worry – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). King David displays for us another form of prayer that is just as important, and that is the prayer of declaration, or command prayer. Where strength was lost, he commanded his own being to declare praise to God, until his inner being would be strengthened and hopeful again.  

Today, what is your morning declaration over your own soul? In order to strengthen yourself in the Lord, attempt to lead your own soul to bless and praise God’s name until your awareness of God outweighs your awareness of your anxieties.

Prayer: God, You are my refuge and You are my strength. I command my soul this morning and all that is within me to bless and praise You for who You are. As I wait upon You, I pray for a renewed strength to arise from within me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 26

Lunch Break Study

Read Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV): For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Questions to Consider

  1. The apostle Paul is the writer of Ephesians. To whom is he writing?
  2. What is Paul’s prayer?
  3. Why do you think being strengthened with power in one’s inner being is directly correlated to grasping the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge?

Notes

  1. Paul is writing to Christians in the city of Ephesus. He also desires this prayer to be answered and to become real for “all the Lord’s holy people.”
  2. His prayer is for the Holy Spirit to strengthen every church member’s inner being with power to comprehend the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. He understands that a man/woman’s inner being is transformed by the love of Christ, but also needs to continuously be strengthened by the love of Christ in order to live fully as Christ’s followers. 
  3. Personal Response. 

Evening Reflection

Reflect about your day and courageously mention to God what you were lacking today. Was it joy, peace, love, patience, kindness, or wisdom? Activate and practice a prayer of command/declaration over you heart and may the Holy Spirit give you an overflow of His power and strength.

September 2, Monday

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Mark Chun (Radiance Christian Church), was originally posted on March 11, 2013.

 

Devotional Thought for Today

“Just As We Are”

Psalm 24:3-6 (ESV)

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?  4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. 5 He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah 

In today’s contemporary Christian culture, the idea of approaching the presence of God with reverence is something that has been lost to many.  Billy Graham and the Calvary Chapel movement made coming to God “just as we are” a very popular notion but their intention was never to make it as casual and as irreverent as it has become.  Although, it is true that we can come to God just as we are, it is equally true that He loves us too much to keep us the way we are.  

As we approach God daily, we should desire change in our lives.  These verses remind us that our character is made up of the things we do, the things we say, and the things we set our affections on.  This is why the requirements for entering into God’s presence are a desire to have clean hands, pure hearts, and a mouth empty of deceitful words.  As we seek God’s face in this manner, we are promised the blessings and the righteousness of God. We don’t come to God because we are righteous, we come to Him to be made righteous by the blood of Christ.  

Take a few moments to seek the presence of God.  What are the areas of your life that He is asking you to change?  Ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to help bring about this change in your life.   

Prayer: O God, give me a heart of repentance so that I might desire the same change that you desire from my life.  Help me to acknowledge that Your way is best and that following Your commands produces godliness and character.   Even as I struggle with sin, give me the confidence to seek Your face not based on my own righteousness but by the clean hands and pure heart that is given to me by faith in Your Son.  I want to spend today in the fullness of Your presence. 

Bible Reading for Today:  Acts 25

Lunch Break Study

Isaiah 6:5 (ESV): And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Questions to Consider 

  1. In what context were these words spoken?  (Isaiah 6:1-4)
  2. What help did Isaiah receive for his sinful condition?  (Isaiah 6:6-7)
  3. What was the result of Isaiah’s encounter with God?  (Isaiah 6:8)

Encountering God’s presence is something that is hard to describe.  Each of us experiences it in a different way but there is usually one word that is common to everyone who has come in touch with the glory of God: Overwhelming.  Like Isaiah, may we be overcome by the sight of God’s glory.  

Note

  1. Isaiah encountered God at a very pivotal point in the history of Israel.  King Uzziah had a very long and prosperous reign but five years before his death, he had brought the nation into the brink of war.  After his death, Assyria threatened the sovereignty of Israel and perhaps Isaiah drew comfort from the vision of the heavenly king.
  2. We see that God sends one of the seraphs (angelic beings) to minister to Isaiah by touching a live coal to his mouth.  This is symbolic of cleansing and reveals that God ministers to the sinner at the point of our confessed need. This is why confession before God is so important.  
  3. The result of this encounter was the calling of Isaiah into his prophetic ministry.  To the Lord’s question of “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah famously responds, “Here I am, send me.”    

Evening Reflection

Have you spent some time worshipping God today?  Has life been so busy that you feel like you have no time to spend in prayer?  Try to take a few moments before going to sleep to pray and listen for the voice of God.  Write down what you feel like He is saying to you.

September 1, Sunday

Today’s devotional, provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church (San Diego), was originally posted on May 25, 2014.

 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

Is God a Taker or a Giver?

John 3:16 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son . . .” 

Do you sometimes feel that God is a taker and not a giver? That He takes away from you things that actually make you happy, or at least He withholds them from you? Maybe we feel as though there are so many things that we need to “give up” for God, making our lives less convenient, less prestigious, less practical because God keeps taking things from you.   

But we need to know that our Father is a Giver and not a taker. His desire is not merely to provide for our needs, but to lavishly give. 

One day, as I was getting into the car to go to a staff meeting, my 6-year-old son runs up to me and asks me, “Dad, on your way back home, can you stop by Target?” When I ask him why, he says, “Can you just buy me a toy?” Naturally, the good and proper parenting side of me said, “NO!” 

That day was not his birthday, nowhere near Christmas, not even Children’s Day: It was just a normal Tuesday. Neither had my son completed reading a list of books, raked the backyard leaves, nor helped with any other household chores to deserve a reward. A parent recognizes that caving in to such random requests would only move a child closer towards becoming a rotten spoiled kid. And I abhor the thought that our family would be the next family for a visit from “Super Nanny”!

Rationally, all of those reasons make sense. But there is something in a father’s heart that wants to say, “Yes son, I will stop by Target and I will bring you that box of Lego’s that you’ve been eyeing. When I get home let’s build it together. I know it’s not any special day, and you haven’t done anything to deserve it. But, of course, I’ll stop by Target.” 

That sentiment is a tiny echo of our Father in Heaven’s heart: God is a Giver. And the gifts that He gives are “good and perfect” (James 1:17): He gives wisdom (James 1:5); He gives peace (John 14:27); He gives spiritual gifts (Rom 12:6); and He gives us grace (James 4:6). Ultimately, the Father gave His one and only Son. 

Today, ask God the Father to give to you His good and perfect gift that He’s already prepared in advance for you. It may not be your birthday nor any special occasion; you may have done nothing to deserve it today. Nevertheless, ask the Father, for He is a Giver, not merely a Provider. 

Prayer: Father, thank You for loving me even though I haven’t done anything good.  Thank You for loving me even though I’ve done many wrongs. Thank You for loving me out of Your own goodness.  I am so blessed to have You as my Father in Heaven. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 24

August 31, Saturday

Today’s blog is written by Pastor Ryun Chang. 

 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Not Three Modes, but Three Persons” 

Genesis 1:26

Then God said, “Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness. . .” 

One popular analogy for the Triune God is water—as liquid, vapor or ice. That, unfortunately, supports one early attempt to understand the Trinity called “modalism”, which is completely unbiblical.  As readily seen, water cannot be liquid, vapor and ice all at the same time—meaning, it can only exist one mode at a time; the Trinity is not like that at all.

From the very beginning of Scriptures, the Triune God is implied: the word for Elohim, translated in Genesis 1:1 and 1:26 as God, is the plural form of Elowahh.  So then, how do we define the Trinity? In Hinduism there exists three main gods—Brahmin, Vishnu and Shiva—which would constitute tri-theism!  What about the Trinity?  

Returning to the novel The Shack, the Father says, “We are not three gods, and we are not talking about one god with three attitudes, like a man who is a husband, father, and worker.  I am one God and I am three persons, and each of the three is fully and entirely one!” That’s better said than any definition found in theological books.  And among them exist unity and intimacy. 

So how are your relationships with the people around you?  Remember, the Trinity is very practical, because we can look to it for inspiration and as a model, to base our relationships—among family members, church staff, friends—upon the foundation of unity and intimacy!  

Prayer: Lord, help me understand the Trinity better.  Help me to apply the Trinity to my life. Help me, O Triune God, to base the many relationships I have me on unity and intimacy that has eternally existed among the Father, the Son and the Spirit. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 22-23

August 30, Friday

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Barry Kang of Symphony Church in Boston, was originally posted on April 5, 2013.

 

Devotional Thought for Today 

“Experiencing God in Taking Refugee in Him”

Psalm 34:8 (NIV 1984)

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 

What an invitation!  Over his lifetime, David had experienced over and over again the faithfulness and goodness of God.  And in this psalm, he invites us to do the same.

Psalm 34:8 tells us that our God is delighted when we personally experience him.  Our knowledge of God is not meant to be just intellectual and theological; it is also meant to be experiential.  God’s goodness, love, presence, and grace are the truths that He invites us to experience.  

So how can we “taste and see that the LORD is good”?  Psalm 34:8 gives a clue: We experience the goodness of God when we take refuge in Him, that is, when we actively put our lives in his hands.  We cannot experience God’s goodness from afar any more than we can taste the delicious food just by looking at the pictures. We have to draw near, that is, take refuge in God; then we will taste and see!

Are you putting your life in God’s hands?  Can you say that you are taking refuge in him?  Today, whenever troubles come your way, lift them up in prayer before you try to solve them on your own.

Prayer: Father, what an awesome God you are!  Help me to taste and see Your goodness as I put my life in your hands.  I put my trust in you alone for I know that you are faithful. May I continue to grow in my knowledge (both theological and experiential) of you.  In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 21

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NIV): For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 

Questions to Consider

  1. The early church read Psalm 34:8 whenever they took the Lord’s Supper.  In what way is Psalm 34:8 an appropriate verse to read?
  2. What does Jesus mean by the New Covenant? (cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34)
  3. How exactly are we to remember the death of Jesus?  What does it mean to remember?

Note

  1. In eating the bread and taking the cup, we are tangibly and viscerally reminded of the sacrifice of Jesus.   At the Lord’s Supper, we remember that Jesus suffered and died to forgive our sins and to restores us from the ravages of sins.  In this way, we are literally tasting and seeing the goodness of God!
  2. Jeremiah 31:31-34 foretold of the New Covenant that God would one day establish with his people.  A covenant is a solemn agreement between two parties, which establishes a relationship. The New Covenant, in contrast to the Old (which God established with the Israelites through Moses), is one where the relationship with God is characterized not by adherence to the Law but by God writing the Law on our hearts.   We enter into this relationship with God when we believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty of ours sins and shed his blood to forgive us. This is when God’s Law is written on our hearts when the Holy Spirit regenerates us so that we can believe. Thereafter, we need to continue to follow Jesus and worship him.
  3. Remembering Jesus’s death means more than recollecting the event of Jesus on the cross in our minds.  We can see here in 1 Corinthians 11 that remembering Jesus is an active process that involves not just our minds, but also our actions and senses (via the partaking of the Lord’s Supper).  This means that we can actively remember Jesus’s death and the New Covenant (established on his shed blood) throughout our lives by partaking of this sacrament.

Additional commentary: In the New Testament, the primary way we “taste and see” the goodness of God is when we survey the cross and then actively remember the death of Jesus.  The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper reminds us that our remembrance of Jesus is not just with our minds, but with our tongues and actions as well. The Lord’s Supper is itself an evangelistic drama that shows the audience a God who loved us so much that he gave his one and only son that all who believe in him will not perish but have eternal life!

Evening Reflection

Write of your experiences with God this week.  How have you experienced his goodness and faithfulness?  In what ways have you experienced the power of the resurrection?

August 29, Thursday

Today’s devotional, provided by the staff of Kairos Christian Church (San Diego) led by Pastor Peter Yoon, was originally posted on July 4, 2013.

 

Devotional Thought for Today

“Importance of Corporate Worship”

Psalm 73:16-17

When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

As Asaph reflects on the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous, he is deeply troubled.  But understanding comes when he enters the sanctuary of God; it’s likely that Asaph is referring to corporate worship.  Israelites did not have open access to the temple of God. The Lord gave strict guidelines for the temple and the sacrificial system.  While the value of personal prayer can never be downplayed, Asaph finds understanding while worshiping among the people of God.

Often, in the midst of spiritual struggle, we are tempted to isolate ourselves.  Yet amid hardship and doubt, the thing we need most is a word that comes outside of ourselves.  When our experiences and feelings become dark, we need brothers and sisters to declare what is true with the confidence and faith that we cannot muster ourselves.

Are you committed to a community that has permission to encourage or challenge you in your faith?  Pray that God would give you humility today to hear what is true when it is spoken by someone around you, even by someone you least expect.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You are good and Your Word is truth.  Forgive me that I am so convinced of my own wisdom and understanding that I have difficulty hearing Your voice and Your truth.  I thank You that even though my thoughts and feelings contradict your Word at times, You have blessed me with brothers and sisters who can speak what is true over my life.  Grant me grace to give and to receive words of truth and life today.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 20 

Lunch Break Study

Read James 1:13-15 (NIV): When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 

Questions to Consider

  1. Who should we never blame when we are facing trials?
  2. What causes us to sometimes respond sinfully to trials and difficulties?
  3. What is the inevitable result of falling into temptations?
  4. In what areas do you need to stop blaming God and others for your sinful actions?

Note


  1.  God is never to be blamed. Often when we encounter trials, we instantly seek someone toblame. When we blame God, it produces a twisted picture of God, when in truth, He does not want his people to stumble and gives them the strength to endure temptation.
  2. Sometimes we become weary of persevering when a trial goes on for a long time, and we find ourselves tempted to act sinfully in the situation. If we yield to the temptation, we may blame God for causing us to sin, accusing him of pushing us past the point of our being able to handle it. But God is never responsible for any temptation. Temptation comes because of some evil in us. 1 John 2:16 reminds us that the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life comes NOT from the Father but from the world.  
  3. If we yield to the temptations, we suffer serious spiritual damage. James uses the reproductive process as a vivid metaphor to show how difficult it is to stop once the process of yielding to temptation begins. Romans 6:23 reminds us that while the wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  4. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

How have you experienced freedom from sins through Christ Jesus?  Pray this prayer with me: Heavenly Father, I ask for forgiveness for having blamed You for my weaknesses and sins. Please help me to trust in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to overcome my own evil desires. Amen.

August 28, Wednesday

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Sam Lee (Catalyst Agape Church, NJ), was originally posted on October 2, 2013.

 

Devotional Thought for Today 

“Can’t Give What You Don’t Have”

John 17:26

“I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” 

Jesus’ heart was filled with the love of His Father—the greatest love anyone can imagine or encounter. 

As I have been in ministry for many years, I have learned an important lesson: You can’t give what you don’t have. If there is no peace in your heart, you can’t give peace to others. If you don’t have joy, you can’t give others joy. And if you don’t have love, you can’t give others love. We can fake it, or we can perform and act as though we are giving it, and we can even strive for it, but at best, it is counterfeit.

Jesus walked on this earth filled with the love of His Father. This motivated Him to obedience; this motivated Him to minister; and this motivated Him to the cross. Jesus prayed that God would place this same love in His disciples, the Father’s love for the Son in our heart.  This is the love we should strive for, instead of fleshly and human love. When we try to love through our own strength, we will come up short. But don’t be discouraged, for I believe God knew this, and for this reason Jesus prayed that we might have the greater love: “…that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” 

Our human attempts are good but insufficient. This morning let us take some time receiving, for we know how to show love by doing. Receive the great love the Father has for His Son and ask that this great love will be in our heart today. Receive fully, so that love of God will flow out of us today.

Prayer: Dear God, please help me to be real so that if I lack love, I will ask for it before faking it before people.  As You fill me with Your love, may I love others the way You have always loved me unconditionally. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 19

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 10:29-31: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” 

Questions to Consider

  1. What attributes of God are highlighted in this statement of Jesus?
  2. Why did Jesus declare this?  
  3. Do you feel worthy to receive God’s love? Is receiving love easy for you? Why or why not?

Note

  1. God’s omniscience (God knows all things) and omnipotence (God can do all things) are highlighted in this passage.
  2. Jesus makes this declaration to allay our fear of future as it relates to our socioeconomics.
  3. Person response 

Evening Reflection

As you look back today, were you aware of God’s presence? Too busy to notice Him?  Write about your day and let’s do better tomorrow.

August 27, Tuesday

Today’s devotional, prepared by Pastor Jason Sato, was originally posted on December 13, 2013.  He and his wife Jessica (along with their three young children) recently moved to Japan to serve as missionaries. 

 

Devotional Thought for Today

“What If . . .”

Psalm 124:1-8

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—let Israel now say—2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us, 3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; 4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5 then over us would have gone the raging waters. 6 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth! 7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The Psalmist, reflecting on the many blessings the Israelites have received from the Lord in the past, recalls having been delivered from terrible calamities that could have wiped them out.

Many times, we are tempted to ponder upon the life that could have been, if only we had done things differently; some may even regret past decisions that chose career advancement or certain relationships over God.  Ironically, we are less apt to consider what our life would have been like, without the abiding presence and constant intervention of God. This is the big “What If.”

The Scriptures are clear: sin leads to death and all of us have done plenty of sinning. Thus, being “swallowed alive” (i.e., suffering the full consequences of our sins) is not just what could have been, but what should have been.  Being swept away is not just an unfortunate possibility but what we deserved.  Judgment without mercy was completely God’s right. Yet in His grace, God chose mercy, meaning we don’t get the punishment we truly deserve.  In Christ, the believers are spared of receiving God’s wrath for their sins (Rom. 5:9); in Father’s love, we are disciplined (only to the extent that we can bear- 1Cor. 10:13) for our own good (Heb. 12:5-12).

Take a moment to consider what life would be like apart from Christ.  What would you still be a slave to? Apart from the grace of God, what would the consequences of your love for sin be?  

Prayer: Father, I thank You that Your mercy is so abundant in my life.  Apart from You, I would have faced certain death, misery, and wrath.  But in You, I have been given life and joy. Thank you for giving me freedom from my slavery.  May You grant me grace so that I would spend my life praising You in gratitude for all that You have freely given me.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 18

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 1:18-23: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Questions to Consider

  1. Is the truth of God’s greatness and power a hidden mystery?  Why does it appear to be hidden?
  2. From where can we know of the greatness of God?
  3. Considering the darkness described in this passage, what has the Lord delivered us from?

Notes

  1. No, the greatness of God is plain.  It appears to be hidden because we willingly suppress the truth because we prefer unrighteousness.  For instance, many atheists choose to deny God’s existence for personal reasons such as, “I don’t want anyone telling me what to do.”  Instead of admitting to it, they hide behind the façade of intellectual doubts.
  2. In all of creation.  Our ordinary day clearly proclaims the greatness of God.  Only our willful blindness prevents us from seeing His eternal power and divine nature.
  3. The wrath of God, ungodliness, suppression of the truth, futility in thinking, foolishness of heart, and the substitution of the living God for created things.

Evening Reflection

Consider your day.  What blessings, even those you tend to take for granted, would be impossible for you to possess if God had left you in your sin?