January 24, Thursday

The AMI QT blogs for January (weekdays), provided by Pastor Ryun Chang, are extended to cover important sociopolitical matters that have serious ramifications for the Christian faith. Pastor Ryun (PhD), who serves as the Teaching Pastor of AMI, is the author of Manual de Misionología, Theologizing in the Racial Middle, and a contributor to The Reshaping of Mission in Latin America.

Disclaimer: AMI, as a consortium of several churches, allows the expression of multiple standpoints on non-essential biblical matters. My views expressed here do not necessarily represent the respective views of AMI pastors. I am also mindful that not every reader will agree with my stances on sensitive and contentious issues addressed in this month’s blogs. Where that may be the case, I invite you to utilize the comment section below, so that we may have an open dialogue; I highly encourage all readers to share their thoughts and experiences. Thank you.

Extended Devotional Thoughts for Today

Women’ Role in the Church (3): “Male Headship in the Church—Are You Serious?”

1 Timothy 2:11 (ESV)

“Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.”

1 Corinthians 11:3 (NASB)

“But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”

Among the hundreds of pastors in Mexico whom the Lord allowed me to teach the Bible jan24 for 10 years, several were female pastors—mainly from the Assemblies of God and United Methodist denominations. This posed a problem for me—not because I didn’t believe women could teach men the Bible—but because male headship in the church and in the home, I think, is biblical. The issue, then, was whether I ought to train and teach ordained female pastors who headed their own congregations which included men.

Obviously, this isn’t a dilemma to the complementarians, since they believe that male headship and women teaching men in the church are mutually exclusive, since Paul says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.” But I respectively differ on two accounts: First, the conjunction “or” implies that teaching men and having authority over men is not the same thing. Paul certainly prohibits both here, but while male headship is consistently upheld elsewhere in Scripture (Eph. 5:22-23; 1 Cor. 11:3; 1 Pet. 3:1-5), we do see women speaking God’s Word to men in the Bible. Note that prophetess Huldah spoke to king’s men, no less, “concerning the words of [Torah]” (2 Chron. 34:21-28); Priscilla, along with her husband, taught Apollos (Acts 18:26); and the Corinthian women prophesied over a congregation that included men (1 Cor. 11:5). Nevertheless, I still need to consider what Paul tells the women in the Ephesian church (pastored by Timothy) “to remain quiet.”

The Greek for “quiet” in 1 Timothy 2:12 is hēsuchia—meaning, stillness, ceasing from bustle—which is also used in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, where Paul exhorts the Ephesians to pray for kings so that they “may live peaceful and quiet lives.” Evidently, this word refers to “a person’s inner being characterized by tranquility that causes no disturbance to others” (Vine 1985:503). Thus, “she must be silent” (NIV) likely means that the Ephesian women ought to refrain from an activity—teaching in this case—that was disturbing the church. As alluded yesterday, if Paul meant complete silence, as in “mouth sealed with tape,” he could’ve used phimoō, which means to “muzzle,” like an ox while it is treading out the grain (1 Cor. 9:9).

In view of this, there are two possible interpretations of what Paul might’ve meant by using hēsuchia instead of phimoō in 1 Timothy 2:11: One, women everywhere should never open their mouth to teach men in the church; or two, those women teaching in the Ephesian church should no longer do that because what or how they taught caused disturbance to others. No one can be sure the nature of this disturbance, but it’s possible that because these women were new converts and uneducated, they didn’t yet have the necessary experience or knowledge to teach others (Life Application Bible 1993: 2218). This is to say, if they were mature and competent, Paul would’ve allowed them to teach under Pastor Timothy’s leadership.

Then, how did I resolve the dilemma I faced in Mexico? Because the Assemblies of God and United Methodist (still conservative in northern Mexico) denominations had male superintendent and bishop, respectively, I accepted that as satisfying the male headship requirement in the church. It helped that I knew these two leaders personally—men of deep biblical conviction who simply recognized a call to pastoral ministry that certain women received from the Lord. Put differently, it had nothing to do with promoting the feminist agenda. So, while these women pastors certainly had spiritual jurisdiction over their own churches, they were under the authority of their superintendent and bishop—meaning, the women pastors, along with their male counterparts, were answerable to the latter.

I’m sure complementarians (and some egalitarians as well) disagree with my understanding of Scripture on this issue. Thus, we must continue to dialogue, but let’s also “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).

And of the five teachers whom I selected out of many as the official instructors for my courses in Mexico, one is a woman—Señora Hortensia—who has been teaching my Missiology course at her denomination’s Bible institute for several years now. Hortensia recently sent me a picture of a female instructor whom she trained, who now teaches the same course at a Bible institute in another state (2 Tim. 2:2). Since Hortensia has turned out to be a very effective teacher, I wish I had trained more women to teach God’s Word during my tenure in Mexico. Perhaps, that’s why I find myself inviting several women in my organization to teach at our 2-week long AMI Institute held annually. May the trend continue!

ami instititute 2018 women

Prayer: Father, shed Your grace and wisdom on us so that, instead of foolishly arguing about who serves and submits to whom, we recognize that everyone and “everything comes from God” (1 Cor. 11:12a) and we ought to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph. 5:21). Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 27

Tomorrow’s Blog: Male Headship at the Home (1): “Are You Kidding?”

Lunch Break Study

Read Hosea 1:2:

“When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.”

Lev. 21:7: “They [priest] shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled.”

Ezekiel 4:12, 14: “And you [Ezekiel] shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it in their sight on human dung” . . . 14 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I have never defiled myself. From my youth up till now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has tainted meat come into my mouth.”

Judges 4:4-5: “Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.”

Questions to Consider

How do you think Hosea and Ezekiel, respectively, felt when God told one to marry a whore and the other to cook his meals over human dung?
What does that tell you about God?
There is no doubt that Deborah served as the leader of Israel during the time of judges. A queen named Athaliah ruled the Southern Kingdom (very badly, like all the kings of the Northern Kingdom) for 6 years as well (2 Kings 11:3). Thus, one could poke a hole into my argument that male headship is consistently affirmed throughout the Bible. So, how would you counsel someone who believes the way I do? What do you believe? Why do you believe the way you do?

Note

They might have doubted that this was from God, since this did not seem like something a holy God would command.
It certainly suggests that we shouldn’t put God in a box, theological or otherwise, for He can choose to do things that would shock us, making us feel quite uncomfortable in the process. Isaiah 55:8 comes to mind: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”
“Mr. Ryun Chang, the next time God makes an exception and raises female leaders over men, don’t resist, don’t object, and don’t disobey. Don’t put God in your theological box!”

Evening Reflection

Are you feeling uncomfortable from reading the morning devotional? I do agree that male headship can be difficult to accept by many Christian women. (I will talk further about this matter in tomorrow’s blog.) But the way God expects male headship to play out in the homes is not what you think. Ultimately, the husband and the wife are to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph. 4:21); more importantly, both spouses are called to submit to the Lord. Take a moment to examine your heart—How has your submission to the Lord been? Are you loving your wife as you are told to do so by God (Eph. 5:25)? Are you respecting your husband as you are told to do so by God (Eph. 5:33)?

January 23, Wednesday

Extended Devotional Thoughts for Today

Women’s Role in the Church (2): “Are Women Forbidden to Speak in the Church Forever?”

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (NIV)

“Women should remain silent [sigaō] in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.”

1 Timothy 2:11a (ESV)

“I do not permit a woman to teach . . . over a man.”

The only time I ever apologized to my instructor occurred at Fuller Theological Seminary sigao1 in 1990. That day, I waited until everyone left the classroom to apologize to the teaching assistant, a middle-aged Caucasian woman who had served in Korea as a missionary. During the class discussion, I showed “attitude” towards her when she was lecturing about a country (Korea) that I thought I knew better—and perhaps the fact that a woman taught the Bible added to my irritation. In truth, my inacceptable behavior had more to do with my immaturity than how I understood 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, in which Paul tells women not to speak in the church.

So why not just leave it at that? It’s because “all of the relevant material on a given subject [must] be collected together so that that the pattern of divine revelation concerning that subject would be apparent” (Ramm 1970:56). This means that while 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 certainly needs to be heeded, other relevant Scriptures that address the same matter must be considered as well. We shouldn’t, therefore, ignore the fact that women indeed spoke in the church of Corinth. Paul, while addressing the need for women to wear head coverings in the church, begins 1 Corinthians 11:5 (NIV) with, “But every woman who prays or prophesies . . ..” Evidently, the sharing of prophetic words was part of the worship service at Corinth, for Paul says, “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation . . . Two or three prophets should speak . . . (1 Cor. 14:26a, 29a). This means that the prohibition stipulated in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 should be interpreted in the context of women being allowed to speak in one situation, but disallowed in another in the Corinthian church.

First, note that the Greek for “keep silent” in 1 Corinthians 14:34 is not phimoō (as in muzzling the mouth) but is sigaō, which, in Luke 20:26, is translated “hold peace” (KJ). Does that seem like women should never open their mouth in the church? No, it’s more like when a mom, needing some respite from her screaming kids, would say, “hush” or “keep quiet.” And since women did pray and prophesy in Corinth, Paul was likely addressing a particular situation in which the way many women were talking in the church benefitted no one; therefore, the apostle prohibited that type of talking.

Second, according to 1 Corinthians 14:35, Paul apparently had issues with the way some wives were “inquir[ing] about something” from their husbands in the church. At that time, women— most of whom were illiterate and uneducated—and men were likely seated in separate sections. So, whenever the wives had questions about the sermon, they would’ve raised their voices to ask their husbands sitting across from them—multiple occurrences of this then began to distract the service.

This disturbing practice likely raised another concern for Paul. The city of Corinth was the center of Dionysian (the Greek god of wine) worship as late as the 2nd century BC. Having begun as a predominately woman’s movement, one feature of this worship was frequent shouting (“ecstasy of joy”) by women during their decadent services in which much wine was consumed as part of Dionysian rituals. What often occurred in the Corinthian church—including some people becoming intoxicated at the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:20-21)—therefore, began to resemble typical Dionysian services. To distinguish the Christians from the Dionysian followers for the public perception, Paul likely told the Corinthian women to stop disrupting worship services by asking their questions at home. That’s how I would explain 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. (1 Timothy 2:11-12 will be discussed tomorrow.)

Suffice it to say, we should heed whatever words the Lord places on the lips of His people, whether men or women—a lesson I learned a long time ago. Let’s not reject the message from God just because we don’t like the messenger, for whatever reasons. Since Barak a warrior, Josiah a king, and Apollos an erudite—men living in a patriarchal society—offered no resistance in accepting the words of the Lord from women, how much more should the men of 21st century be willing to learn from women who are equipped with God’s Word and filled with the Spirit.

Prayer: Father, thank You that we get to worship You in a free and safe country. But how often we show up on Sundays with so many distractions being allowed to cloud our minds. Remind us to properly prepare ourselves so that we may render unto You a worship You so deserve. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 26

Tomorrow’s Blog: Women’s Role in the Church (3): “Male Headship in the Church—Are You Serious?”

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-15: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God . . .”

Ephesians 5:18: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit . . .”

Romans 2:23-24: “You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Questions to Consider

What is the gist of what the apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15?
The consumption of a large amount of wine was central to a Dionysian worship service. The participants drank believing that the god was in the wine, and they felt divinized by doing this. Do you detect any subtext in Paul’s command to the Ephesians who, no doubt, were familiar with Dionysian worship?
Ultimately, what is at stake when the conducts of believers are indistinguishable from those of unbelievers?

Note

The believing community cannot behave in such a manner that it is hardly distinguishable from the world. While we certainly need to be in the world to serve as God’s ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20), we shouldn’t be identical to the world in how we conduct ourselves.
Yes, the undertone of the Dionysian cult is certainly felt in Ephesians 5:18. Paul makes a contrast between the power source that drives the Dionysian (alcohol with its temporary effect) and Christ followers (the Spirit with its permanent effect), respectively, and their ensuing outcomes (out of control vs. under control).
It discredits our witnesses for Christ—meaning, no one will be interested in what we have to say about the gospel and its power to change us. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Without holiness no one will see the Lord”—meaning, holiness is of utmost important in a believer’s life.

Evening Reflection

I began the morning part of today’s devotion with a personally embarrassing story. So what kind of day did you have? How did you treat the people whom you met at work or school? What about those workers whom you met in passing at a gas station or grocery store? Would you feel embarrassed if they knew that you are a Christian? Oh Lord, have mercy on us all! Pray for a better day of living for Christ tomorrow. Resolve to be nicer and kinder to people. Smile. And, one of these days, tell them about Jesus.

January 22, Tuesday

Extended Devotional Thoughts for Today

Women’s Role in the Church (1): “Liberals, Complementarians and Egalitarians”

1 Timothy 2:11 (NIV)

“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over man; she must be silent.”

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (NIV)

“Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.”

Women’s role in the church? Those on the opposite end of the theological spectrum may wonder, “Why is that even an issue?” For liberal denominations—characterized by seeing Scripture as less than authoritative (some are even hostile to it as evidenced by Episcopal bishop John Spong who entitled his book, The Sins of Scripture)—this has long been a settled matter. To them, the above two passages written by Paul show that he was a child of its time and it is through these patriarchal Scriptures that “powerful men in the early church ‘conned’ the world by propagating lies that devalued the female and tipped the scales in favor of the masculine” (The Da Vinci Code). Thus, in liberal churches, not only are women ordained to teach and preach, they can even become the head—like in case of the Episcopal Church where Katharine Jefferts Schori served as the first female Presiding Bishop from 2006-15.

As for conservative Christians to whom Scripture is authoritative for faith and practice, there are two camps whose views differ on the role of women in ministry: First, complementarians, interpreting 1 Timothy 2:11 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 as a one-off divine mandate that always binds over all churches, limit ordination to just men—yet they absolutely uphold women as equal to men—from teaching or preaching over men. For complementarians, who value the Bible highly as God’s Word, their position is the result of simply believing what it literally states.

Egalitarians, on the other hand, who highly value Scripture as well, take a different position, because they see in Scripture several women in public ministry—in a patriarchal world no less. Among them are Miriam (Ex. 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4-8), Huldah (2 Chr. 34:22), Isaiah’s wife (Is. 8:3), and Priscilla (Acts 18:26-28). This biblical reality then opens three possibilities: First, it leaves the door open for exceptions in the future since there have been exceptions in the past. Second, the fact that God used women at all in a patriarchal society, however sporadic, foreshadows the expansion of the same pattern as civilization moves away from patriarchy. Third, biblical teachings that value woman (Matt. 5:31; Jn. 4:7-26) set in motion the social forces toward progressive elevation of women’s role in the church. This is like the teachings against slavery (1 Tim. 1:10; 1 Cor. 7:21) setting in motion the sociopolitical forces toward the eventual outlawing of slave trade, which, in the British Empire, occurred in 1807 (led by Christian parliamentarian William Wilberforce).

Nevertheless, egalitarians still need to deal with 1 Timothy 2:11 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, which I plan do in the next two blogs. For now, I need to point out something more important than the rightness of our position on the matter of women’s role in the church.

I belong to Acts Ministries International in which some pastors are complementarians and some egalitarians. We have had women missionaries who have planted churches abroad; and this past December one of our churches ordained two women as elders. It sure looks like a perfect recipe for heated arguments and dissension. Yes, we’ve had our lively discussions, and we continue to dialogue to explore the best way to serve together without allowing this or other non-essential matters to divide us. Why? We value unity because it’s valued by Jesus, who prayed “that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me” (Jn. 17:22a-23). Reflecting on Christ’s call for unity, one complementarian AMI pastor writes: “I don’t personally affirm or believe in women’s ordination, but for the sake of fellowship and unity, I choose not to make it a primary issue . . . I can be the strongest supporter and proponent of AMI while disagreeing on this.” Amen.

The matter of women’s role in the church is neither petty nor light—it deserves serious considerations. But this issue becomes trivial if we allow it to break our unity in Christ, which is a weightier matter. We Christians are known for infighting. Let’s stop that so that when we bear testimony on behalf of Christ, our gospel presentation will be that much attractive and appealing to this broken world in desperate need of hope.

Prayer: Father, we, the theological conservatives, have always valued doctrinal purity over unity. We have sinned, for You told us to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). Forgive us. Give us wisdom to fight the right doctrinal battle. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 25

Tomorrow’s Blog: Women’s Role in the Church (2): “Are Women Forbidden to Speak in the Church Forever”

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 9:49-50:

“John answered, ‘Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.’ 50 But Jesus said to him, ‘Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.’”

1 Corinthians 1:10-13:

“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’ 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

Questions to Consider

What is similar about the two events narrated in these passages? What led to this?
Why does it seem like people who take God’s Word seriously behave more divisively?
What can you glean from the responses given by Paul and Jesus, respectively, to their bickering and divisive followers? Do you value unity?

Note

The very people who believed Christ and upheld sounding teachings were being divisive and acting acrimonious toward one another. In the case of the Corinthian Church, these otherwise sincere believers, after noticing some unique teaching (or emphasis) among Paul, Apollos, Peter and Jesus, decided to focus on it rather than stressing much that they shared in common.
Conservative Christians are given to divisiveness because they, in effect, believe that the more precise and narrow their doctrines, God approves of them more. It stems from trying to gain security through tribalism (sort of like how gang solidarity and validation is gained).
Jesus and Paul both point to the importance of unity among the brothers. Just because someone does not uphold the same exact theology and doctrine—that is, with respect to the non-essentials as mine—does not mean that he or she is not of Christ.

Evening Reflection

As you wrap up this day, aren’t you troubled by the divisiveness that is rocking our nation? While the Democrats and Republicans always point their fingers at each other, they (including the media) rarely look to themselves for having caused their current state of acrimony. Now, while it is rather easy to focus on the state of our nation, how is our family and church doing? Are we doing any better?

Close your eyes, turn off any noise; then ask God this: “Lord, am I being part of the problem or the solution? Be silent and allow the Spirit to testify with your spirit (Rom. 8:16) to whisper into your heart what’s really going on and what you need to do according to Scripture.

January 21, Monday

Extended Devotional Thoughts for Today

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Trump Presidency”

1 Timothy 2:1-3

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.”

Since immigrating to America in 1974 and prior to the 2016 election, I’ve lived under seven presidents (beginning with Gerald Ford); and none of them have been quite like the current one (maybe ever). So, while every President, whether Republican or Democrat, will get his share of good, bad and ugly when their presidency is appraised, the left will certainly make an exception with Donald Trump. No doubt they will point out a litany of negativity associated with him: several people around the president facing imprisonment for illegal activities and multiple investigations into Trump’s presidential campaign, even his foundation. But the right will counter that by pointing to things like record-low unemployment rate and NATO allies finally increasing their defense spending in response to Mr. Trump’s hard stance. How should we then evaluate the performance of the current president?

I’m a pastor who has an adequate knowledge of the Bible. So I can assuredly say that although Scripture was completed a long time ago, it still speaks clearly on many current issues, such as same-sex marriage (Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9; Eph. 5:31), terminating the life of the unborn (Ps. 139:14-15), unfair labor practices (James 5:1-6), etc. Nevertheless, such biblical clarity may not lend itself to other issues, such as whether to build a wall to secure porous borders (something most politicians on both sides of the aisle agree), discard the Obamacare, or pull the remaining U.S. troops out of Syria. Therefore, if I were to bear prophetic witness to Donald Trump’s presidency, I would need to base it on his handling of those issues that are spoken clearly in Scripture, thereby leaving no room for your or my opinion.

Thus, when Trump’s current job performance is evaluated accordingly, one unequivocally good thing that is happening under his presidency is this: weekly Bible studies held in the White House, attended by several top Trump administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Agriculture Secretary Sunny Perdu, and Education Secretary Betsy Devos. As believers, we should be grateful to the President for allowing our leaders to gather at the White House to “humble themselves and pray and seek [God’s] face” (2 Chron. 7:14) over complex matters that are impossible to please everyone; of course, it would be even better if the president joins them—something to pray for in 2019.

But, what about the bad (a.k.a., illegality)? For instance, is building a wall an immoral act? There may be real good reasons for opposing it, but as CNN anchor Chris Cuomo—of all people— said, “Wanting barriers along the border is not propaganda. It’s not immoral. It’s not wrong.” Truth be told, while the intensity surrounding Trump’s alleged misdeeds is reaching a fever pitch where Cuomo works, key allegations against his presidential campaign are just allegations at this point; some, in fact, have already been debunked. The latest one had Trump tell his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, of all people, denied it. Nevertheless, it’s true that Trump committed adultery with an adult-film star before becoming the President and paid hush money for reasons yet to be confirmed. That is an unequivocal wrongdoing for which he ought to apologize. Sadly, I wouldn’t be surprised if, eventually, Trump’s bad will outweigh any good he might’ve done; for now, I cannot speak against Trump’s alleged bad deeds surrounding his presidential campaign until all or some are confirmed later. Then we will mourn and demand our president to repent.

Meanwhile, there is much confirmed ugliness in the current presidency. So, what would prophet Nathan and John the Baptist, who called out King David and Herod Antipas, respectively, for their immorality, say to our President regarding his “ugly” if they were his spiritual advisors? You needn’t guess because Eddie Kim, a pastor at the Church of Southland, put it so well in his August 19 (2018) sermon that a relevant portion is cited here. He said:

“I don’t mean to get too political here, but I am going there. Whether you like President Trump or not, economists say that our economy is actually steady; as a matter of fact, it is actually booming and growing. Even the foreign policy experts and analyst are saying that despite crazy rhetoric and schizophrenic policy of this administration, there is a weird stability around the world. Even the Iranian pastor who spoke at AMI conference last week mentioned that the U.S. policy toward Iran right now is actually helping the people. [This is] something you don’t hear about in the news. Now, the sad reality is no matter how well this economy does—we could have zero unemployment; we could have Middle East peace and world peace—this presidency sadly will always remain controversial. And that’s because our president comes across as lacking humility.”

And the absence of humility—also known as pride—wears ugly on anyone, including the most powerful person in the world. So, we pray for our president. That’s our duty, for we are commanded to offer “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings . . . for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Tim. 2:1). Pray that President Trump will “humble [him]self before God” (2 Chron. 34:27); afterwards, let’s repeat the same prayer for ourselves, for we need humility just as much as Mr. Trump.

Prayer: Lord, we pray for President Trump, the man whom You chose to lead this nation at this moment. God, cause him to humble himself before You and cry out for Your grace and mercy. Remind him to seek forgiveness for his sins and Your righteousness to govern our nation. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 24

Tomorrow’s Blog: Women’s Role in the Church (1): “Liberals, Complementarians and Egalitarians.”

Lunch Break Study

Read Daniel 4:28-37:

All this [the king’s dream] came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. Nebuchadnezzar Restored 34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Questions to Consider

In what way is our President similar to King Nebuchadnezzar?
In what form did the humbling of this mighty king take place?
What do you suppose this king realized while he was roaming in the wilderness for 7 years?

Note

Nebuchadnezzar was an egotistical king who truly believed that his success was due to his own doing; and it was all for his own glory. A person like that shares credit with no one. It sort of reminds us of a man who used to fire people on his own reality show.
God stripped him of everything, even his humanhood. This goes to show how hardened Nebuchadnezzar’s ego was. To this end 1 Peter 5:5a says, “God opposes the proud.”
He reached the end of himself. It took 7 long years for him to realize a simple lesson: God is everything and I am nothing. Jesus puts it: “For apart from me you cannot do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). The second half of 1 Peter 5:5 says, “But [God] gives grace to the humble.” That grace was manifested through his men who searched for Nebuchadnezzar to restore his kingship.

Evening Reflection

As we began the day praying for our President, let’s end it by praying for him again. There is no doubt that he has become such a polarizing figure that many of us simply do not like him. But, if I may add, he also inherited a nation that was quite divisive due to what is called “identity politics” that prioritizes meeting the needs of certain groups historically marginalized, while largely ignoring those folks who were instrumental in voting for Trump that won the election for him. I am veering off course here—it is a complex job that turns every President’s hair gray fast. Know that God put Mr. Trump in the office for reasons that are clear to Him and largely a guess work for us. So, pray for the President and his Vice-President Pence, your senators and governors. That’s our responsibility.

January 20, Sunday

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Surprised by Listening”

1 Kings 3:9

So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

Having served on multiple short-term mission teams and lived overseas for over one year, I learned that while entering a new country is a cross-cultural experience, collaborating with different people after meeting them for the first time in a short span of time is a cross-universe challenge. Teamwork is like entering another person’s world to understand his or her perspective and realizing that others have to make the same leap to understand and “get” me. It is where God orchestrates multiple “nations” to work as one; and working through the friction and disagreements is a part of His refining work so that our capacity to love would expand. What brings victory to the cross-universe challenge is the ability to listen to the other. There is great joy in being loved and understood, and serving my teammates through listening, than in being right.

When Solomon began his kingship, he asked the Lord for an understanding heart so that He would gain wisdom from God to rule Israel. Some translations say, “discerning mind” instead of “understanding heart,” but in the Hebrew it literally means “a listening heart.” While Solomon gives us an example of growing a heart for listening to God, we can also apply this desire to our relationship to others. In your life has there ever been a person who surprised you with listening? It is common that we listen by default because of a role or position. Employees listen to their boss and students to teachers, but a person with a listening heart invites people to their safe space and takes genuine interest in them to understand them as a person.

As God attentively listens to our prayers, let us consider how we can serve others with a listening heart, though it is costly and requires us to put down our agendas to fix people or problems. We can echo the prayer that St. Francis wrote:

“O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled, as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved as to love.”

Prayer: Dear Father, I desire to grow a listening heart towards Your Word as well as towards others. Enable me to minister Your love and compassion to others through the art of listening and being with people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 23

January 19, Saturday

The AMI QT Devotionals for January 19-20 are provided by Tina Hsu. Tina, a graduate of Biola University and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.), currently serves as a staff at the Church of Southland, Anaheim, California.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“A Listening King”

Exodus 2:23-24

Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

It was my senior year in high school and I was at Starbucks with my dad, conversing about my future career plans. At that time, I had only been a Christian for one year, and every time I talked to my dad, who is an unbeliever, I wanted my faith to show in my interaction with him. I shared honestly with him that I didn’t know what I wanted to pursue in the future, but I would pray to God and find out from Him. He responded by saying that I should be watchful and don’t wait for God, because He may be too busy to listen to me. I didn’t have the quickness to respond to my dad nor anything profound to say to prove him wrong, but I remember riding in the car home that day having an inner confidence that my God could indeed hear all my prayers. It was God who made me a new person when I asked Jesus to enter my life, and as I was living in that newness, I had confidence that He was a trustworthy, listening God.

In his sermon called “The Prayer-Hearing God,” theologian Jonathan Edwards said, “It is the character of the Most High, that he is a God who hears prayer.” In fact, this distinguishes God from false gods as the one true God, for false gods “have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but they cannot hear; they have noses, but they cannot smell” (Psalm 115:5-6). God who is enthroned in heaven listened to the groaning of the Israelites in bondage, and acted according to His promise to their forefathers. He does not share the disconnect of most humans who hear, but do not listen.

As central as it is in our faith to listen to the word of God, I believe our view of God and ability to listen to Him begins with experiencing how He, as our heavenly Father, loves us by attentively listening to our prayers. This opens us and sustains our hope and trust in His goodness. He does not listen dismissively, but gives us the gracious gift of being heard. Moreover, He acts upon accepting the prayers of His people. Today, let’s give thanks to God for being a God who speaks, as well as a God who listens. May the Holy Spirit give you confidence to approach Him with your prayers and supplications.

Prayer: Dear Father, thank You that You are the One with prayer-hearing power. I may not always know how to express and articulate my prayers, but Your Spirit enables me to pray, and You are God who listens attentively to my prayers. I know I am welcomed into Your presence, so help me to deepen my trust and confidence in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 21-22

January 18, Friday

Extended Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Prophetic Witness to Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and Antifa”

John 17:17b

“Thy word is truth”

1 Thessalonians 5:21

“But test them all; hold on to what is good”

Black Lives Matter, #MeToo movement, and Antifa: Through the rubric of prophetic witness, these significant sociopolitical movements—fast becoming institutions in and of themselves—should be tested through an unbiased reading of God’s Word to appraise their biblical merits.

“Do Black Lives Matter?”

Absolutely. But the public outcry for social justice over a disproportionate number of African-Americans killed by the police, whether legally justified or not, shouldn’t be the main reason for supporting it. The primary reason black lives matter is because African-Americans “are made in the likeness of God” (James 3:9b), and as such, they have an intrinsic worth. Civil rights, such as the ability to vote, may be taken away from convicted felons but never their intrinsic value before God. Consequently, every human being bearing God’s image should be treated with “respect” (1 Pet. 3:15b) to whatever extent possible in any given situation. Thus, Blue Lives matter too (despite a few acting unjustly), as well as Unborn Lives, since God’s image is infused in them the moment they are conceived in the mother’s womb (Ps. 139:13).

As for the #MeToo movement that has exposed the hypocrisy of powerful people in the Hollywood and media (e.g., Charlies Rose, Matt Lauer, Mark Halperin, Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, Ben Afflect who denounced Weinstein before getting exposed himself), I agree with Idris Elba who said, “[#MeToo movement] is only difficult if you’re a man with something to hide.” This is all too true, since Scripture declares, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23); “for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known” (Matt. 10:26b).

The church could never get people to stop smoking, but when social liberals began treating smokers as pariahs, smoking in public places became taboo—meaning, a lot of good came out of it. That’s also how I see #MeToo, for it scares the wits out of powerful and arrogant men from treating women like things—and that’s a good thing. It’s about time these men, who say all the right things in public but behave very badly in private, stop their contemptuous behavior toward vulnerable women placed in precarious situations.

It should also be noted that what can diminish the credibility of #MeToo are frivolous and fraudulent allegations that are expected to be believed just because women made such claims. While the due process, such as “every charge . . . be[ing] established by the evidence of two or three witnesses” (Matt. 18:16), isn’t always possible in sexual harassment cases, some type of corroboration is still necessary to avoid “condemning the innocent—[which] the LORD hates” (Prov. 17:15b).

Antifa activists say violence is necessary. Do you agree? Dartmouth history professor Mark Brady sure does, saying, “It’s basically a politics or an activity of social revolutionary self defense . . . for the . . . purpose of combating the far right.” Perhaps, Brady was inspired by the brilliant German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, cited in yesterday’s blog, whom the Nazis executed for resisting the Third Reich. The official charge was plotting against Hitler’s life. This is where I break with Bonhoeffer. The military does whatever it does within the rule of the Geneva Convention to win wars—that may not preclude assassination. But those who are ordained to preach the gospel and administer sacraments should uphold God’s command: “Thou shall not kill.” Jesus told the sword-wielding Peter, “No more of this!” (Lk. 22:51).

Antifa activists are civilians who resort to violence in peacetime to fight injustice, both real and imagined. Not only does the New Testament ethics (Rom. 13:1-7) counter that, Antifa isn’t even liberalism, for liberals have long believed in free speech and reasoned argument over coercive force. The Antifa of the 1960s was the Black Panther Party, who took arms to fight racism and what they deemed was police brutality. But the people who impacted scores of racially-insensitive white Americans were the civil rights marchers—led by Rev. Martin Luther King— who were committed to civil disobedience—not violence—despite being battered, hosed and pelted. They were like “a sheep that before its shearers is silent” (Is. 53:7b), and it was their sacrifices that paved the way for greater civil liberty for all minorities in America. So, in no uncertain terms, Scripture (and liberalism) does not condone the violent antics of Antifa.

Prayer: Lord, we repent of our indifference and lack of sympathy toward those who are being harassed and exploited. Guide Black Lives Matter and #MeToo to avoid excess, but that they would focus on the main message. Protect our policepersons and encourage the Antifa to talk, not punch. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 20

Monday’s Blog: “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Trump Presidency”

(The weekend blogs will be provided by Tina Tsu.)

Lunch Break Study

As I’m writing this blog, there is a controversy over whether the Christmas song, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” should be banned from public air. Some feminists see this song as an anthem for feminism, since the woman in the song (living in the 1940s) is struggling whether to go home in fear of a nosy aunt, or stay out all night to smoke, drink, and flirt with a man. In contrast, what #MeToo movement sees is an overtly aggressive man who won’t take no for an answer and will do anything, including putting something in the drink to conquer a woman.

Read Ephesians 5:3, 18-19 (NIV):

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people . . . 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

1 Cor. 15:32b-33:

“If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’ 33 Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’ 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning.”

Questions to Consider

You are speaking to a feminist who thinks that this song paved the road for sexual revolution for women in the 1960s. What would you say to her?
Afterwards, you will speak to the advocates of #MeToo movement. What would you say to them?
Should the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” be banned? Why or why not? What’s your reason?

Note

My answer: “I differ with you on your interpretation of sexual revolution. God, who invented sex, designed it to be enjoyed between husband and wife within the bond of marriage. But by making sex easy to get at anytime, anywhere, and at any age, you have turned sex into nothing more than a biological performance. Its pleasure is momentary, and it does nothing to build what we all long for: a trusting relationship based on who I am inside, not what you can get out of me.”
My answer: “Yes, I see where you are coming from, but if you are looking for songs that uplift women, try “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” All these songs are pro-women because God loves women unconditionally.
While I don’t care whether that song is banned, my concern is that other groups will look to ban what they seem as offensive songs as well—maybe even Christmas hymnals. I wouldn’t listen to “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” because there’s a hint of sexual immorality and impurity in that song. I wouldn’t play that or other songs that tout worldly values in my house lest my children get influenced, for “bad company ruins good morals.”

Evening Reflection

This evening reflect on Romans 12:16-21: “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Now pray for the advocates of Black Lives Matter, #MeToo movement and Antifa in accordance to God’s Word. Pray for yourself that you, too, will live accordingly.

January 17, Thursday

Extended Devotional Thoughts for Today

“The Prophetic Witness in the Temporal City of Man”

2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV)

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

In one sermon given after the 2016 election, based on the above Scripture, I declared: “As God’s ambassadors on earth—as representatives of the eternal city of God in the temporal city of man—are you going to represent the interest of Hillary or Trump? You may love one and hate the other—which shows that you’ve been co-opted by the partisan politics—but they are alike: some good, some bad, and a whole lot of ugly! Know that we’ve been sent here to bear prophetic witness in the temporal city of man.” What is prophetic witness? It has less to do with predicting the future and more to do with declaring God’s pronouncement—based on an unbiased reading of Scripture—against unjust and unrighteous leaders or institutions, whether ecclesiastical, political or social.

And no one exemplifies this prophetic witness better than John the Baptist, who, while busily ministering to a multitude of desperate people who came out to the desert, still found the time to rebuke King Herod Antipas for “all the . . . evil things he had done” (Lk. 3:19). In one particular message to Herod, John said, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife [Herodias]” (Mk. 6:18b). Both Antipas and Herodias had divorced their respective spouses to marry each other; the fact that Antipas was Herodias’s uncle made this union more unsavory. Thus, John excoriated this political figure on grounds of breaking Jewish legal and moral laws.

The opposite of prophetic witness is when Christians allow themselves to become a mouthpiece for groups advocating partisan interests that benefit insiders but hurt outsiders. A very bad case of this occurred during the World War II when German Christians (who controlled the German Evangelical Church) wholeheartedly embraced Nazism, and gave Hitler the vote of confidence he needed to claim legitimacy in his own nation. They declared, “[We believe that] God intended the Germans to unite under a powerful leader [Hitler], to pour out their energies for the national good, and keep the Aryan race to which they belonged free from any taint of alien blood.” And when Hitler pronounced the boycott of all Jewish stores in Germany, it was the German Christians who led the boycott. This is a case of the Right getting into bed with the reigning political power; the Left can and has done the same.

Amid this badly compromised German church appeared Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a brilliant young theologian who clearly saw that the Nazis were a ruthless effort to remake history without God and to build it on the unmitigated power of single individual blindly backed by the collective. Foregoing the opportunity to ensconce in America, he returned to Germany to denounce the political system that debased and deceived a nation and made Hitler its idol. He declared, “I am firmly and rightly convinced that it is . . . a Christian duty towards God to oppose tyranny—a government which is no longer based on natural law and the law of God.” For speaking prophetically against the corrupted regime that no longer served as God’s civil authority (Rom. 13:1-5; Dan. 3:16-18), Bonhoeffer was imprisoned for two years before being executed a few days before Germany surrender to the Allies.

In ensuing blogs, we will examine three groups (Black Lives Matter, #Me Too movement, Antifa) and one individual (President Trump) that have been rocking our nation, from the standpoint of prophetic witness. For now, be reminded of this: Christians should never be so closely tied to the agendas of certain sociopolitical groups that they become an enabler of them. Remember this: Jesus is neither Republican nor Democrat. This mixing will make it even easier for those in opposite groups to reject the gospel—the only message that can reconcile spiritually broken people back to God—when the partisan believers share it. Meaning what? I wouldn’t want a liberal democrat, who cannot say anything nice about the current president, to categorically reject my gospel presentation because she is put off by her perception (both real and imagined) that Christians like me supported Mr. Trump with glee. Neither am I saying that Christians couldn’t have voted for him, but his life—both past and present—does present challenges to Christians, who desire to imitate Christ, like no other previous presidents. To me that’s a great loss. Therefore, we have to safeguard the appeal of the good news from God to all lost people. That’s where the prophetic witness comes in. Meanwhile, we pray for our president.

Prayer: Dear Lord, give us the wisdom and boldness not to easily give into the push and pull of the Republicans and Democrats and any other groups in-between. Remind us that we are the citizens of Your Kingdom and that we are here to represent Your Kingdom agendas. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 19

Tomorrow’s Blog: “Prophetic Witness to Black Lives Matter, #MeToo Movement and Antifa”

Lunch Break Study

Read Daniel 3:3b-6 (ESV):

“And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, ‘You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace” . . . 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 . . . if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace . . . 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Questions to Consider

What is the nature of Nebuchadnezzar’s demand made on the three young men from Israel?
Speak about the discernment of the three young men—why didn’t they bow?
Ultimately, what motivated these young men to willingly die for their faith?

Note

Nebuchadnezzar’s demand was for the three God-fearing young men to supplant God, their eternal power source, and replace Him with the temporal power of man. What a raw deal!
While they were certainly being faithful to God by refusing to bow to a human, the three young men were simply being very smart. Knowing that God’s eternal power could keep them from burning, they didn’t bow; but also knowing that God honors those who honor Him (1 Sam. 2:30b) gave them assurance that they were doing the right thing.
They were motivated, first, by their desire to ensure that God and His Kingdom are not seen as no more important than man and his kingdom; second, concomitant to that, they knew that the switching of their allegiances would have discredited their witness on behalf of their God.

Evening Reflection

No doubt, today’s news was again inundated with the latest scandals, real or alleged, on the President who has been like no other president in recent memory. Whether you like or dislike him, God commands believers to offer “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings . . . for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Would you pray for him? Maybe it will be the first time—pray that the President will humble himself and earnestly seek the Lord.

January 16, Wednesday

Extended Devotional Thoughts for Today

Some Thoughts from the Kavanaugh Hearing (4):

“Senators and Media Dig Up the Distant Past; Does God Do the Same?”

Isaiah 54:4 (ESV)

“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.”

It was quite a spectacle to see some members of the Judiciary Committee—Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) in particular—trying to gauge the fitness of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court based on what he wrote in his high school yearbook. One writer summed it as “lots of football, plenty of drinking, parties at the beach.” Some keyed into a cryptic reference that allegedly referred to a sexual conquest.

No doubt, to the news media and senators, Supreme Court justices are far more important than ministers of the gospel, like myself, but not according to how God sees things. Kavanaugh was trained in a law school to properly interpret the Constitution of the United States; I was trained in a seminary to properly interpret the Constitution of a Higher Order—the Scripture. Thus, before the eyes of the Lord, what I’m called to do in God’s Court (i.e., church) ranks higher than what Kavanaugh has now been appointed to do in the Supreme Court. So, if what Kavanaugh did in his youth is grounds for denying his appointment to the lower court, then, shouldn’t I resign from the higher court since I also behaved badly in my youth? Yes, I confess that I’ve done things in my youth that would greatly embarrass me if people were to find out. So did King David, who, recalling his youth, prayed, “O LORD . . . remember not the sins of my youth or my transgression” (Ps. 25:7).

Are you any different? It turned out that Senator Blumenthal wasn’t any different either. This senator, who took a hard stance against Kavanaugh’s nomination, certainly felt the boomerang effect when what the New York Times first reported in 2010 resurfaced during the hearing: falsely claiming he served in Vietnam. President Trump, not known to pass up opportunities to ridicule his opponents, quipped, “Da Nang Blumenthal.” The issue here isn’t whether to weigh one’s background to gauge the fitness of prospective employees (it’s a must); rather, it is how far back in time do you go back to dig. For the 53-year old Kavanaugh, it’s high school; for 21-year old Kyler Murray, whose anti-gay tweet the media exposed immediately after he won the 2018 Heisman Trophy, it’s when he was 15 years old. Do you have anything to hide yourself? At some point, the digger may need to be told, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone” (Jn. 8:7b).

Nevertheless, I have good news for people like Blumenthal and Kavanaugh, because God isn’t like the media that never forgets our most disgraceful moments, since these stories sell. First, let me start with the bad news: “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that [we all] face judgment” (Heb. 9:27). And during this judgment proceeding, “the Lamb’s book of life” will be opened (Rev. 21:26). But the good news is that if your name is found in this book—because you have believed the promise that “whoever hears my word and believes him [God] who sent me has eternal life”—then, you do “not come into judgment, but ha[ve] passed from death to life” (Jn. 5:24). In fact, God promises that “you will not be ashamed . . . disgraced,” for He says, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Heb. 10:17)—that’s the New Covenant of grace!

But those who have not believed that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (Jn. 20:31), then every single act of rebellion against God—including not embracing the gospel—will be remembered; and as a result, they are “thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15). If this is you, then, be your own media and recall every sin you ever committed, but instead of being given into despair, turn to Christ and repent of your sins—He will save you. Guaranteed!

Meanwhile, try not to drudge up the past mistakes of others when it suits your agenda; rather, forgive and forget, like what God did for us in Christ.

Prayer: Father, there are absolutely no words that can adequately capture our shock at finding that You will claim amnesia, in Christ, so that You will no longer remember our most shameful and disgraceful moments. Thank You! May I extend that grace to others as well. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 18

Tomorrow’s Blog: “Prophetic Witness in the City of Man”

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (ESV):

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

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV):

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat [“bema” in Greek: elevated platform] of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

1 Corinthians 4:5 (ESV):

“Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.”

Questions to Consider

I attended a dispensationalist seminary where it was taught that there will be an additional judgment (a.k.a., the Bema Seat Judgment) just for the believers to determine their rewards. Admittedly, there is a paucity of teaching on rewards. Today, we take a small stab at it.

Based on these passages, what should the believers be concerned about regarding their present life on earth: whether going to heaven or hell or something else? Back up your response.
What is one key area that God will examine to decide whether we will receive rewards (not salvation) for the things done while we were on earth? In other words, what are the things that we did that would constitute “wood, hay, straw”—combustible materials?
Certainly, these verses seem to suggest that bad things we did on earth will be mentioned at this judgement as well, which, then, goes against God’s declaration that “[I] will remember their sins no more” (Heb. 8:12). How can we reconcile this?

Notes

The believers need to be concerned about rewards, not whether they are going to make it to heaven. Whereas salvation is a free gift (i.e., the “foundation . . . which is Jesus Christ”), the rewards are determined by “what sort of work each one has done” while on earth.
I am under the impression that “wood, hay, straw” do not refer to our sins (since we don’t expect to be rewarded for these); rather, these point to apparently good deeds done while we were on earth that were, nevertheless, done for our own glory, not God’s. Paul calls this “the purposes of the heart” and God will disclose the true nature behind each of our “good” deeds at the judgment seat of Christ.
I wrote a book called Theologizing in the Radical Middle whose main thesis is this: when seeing two seemingly conflicting Scriptures that are, nonetheless, true, we accept both in tension. We may have worked out positions that harmonize them (some more convincing than others) but never to a point in which we divisively argue (2 Tim. 2:14). My position has already been stated: in the bema seat judgment of Christ, what are referred to as “bad” things in 2 Corinthians 5:10 are apparently good things, but they were done for the sake of our own glory (“wood, hay, straw”), rather than for God’s glory.

Evening Reflection

Before going to sleep, review your day—focus on those things that you would consider good deeds. Maybe you bought an extra cup of coffee for your co-worker or gave money to a homeless individual. Were you cognizant of your motive in those moments? Looking back, what was the main motive behind those deeds? If it was done for God’s glory, what would that look like? Is this too much thinking for everything we do? Or, should we be more in-tuned with why we do what we do? What do you think? Pray about it. It is important: salvation is free, but rewards are earned. But since our rewards will far exceed what was actually done to deserve them—I mean, who expects to be rewarded for giving a cup of cold water to a child (Matt. 10:42)?—you can say that grace is very much factored in determining our rewards.

January 15, Tuesday

Read this version.