REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on March 17, 2018, was written by Jasmin Izumikawa, a longtime member of Church of Southland.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“Perseverance in Prayer”
Daniel 10:12-13
“Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days.”
Eph. 6:12
“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,…and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Perseverance in prayer can be wearisome, especially when our prayers seem to be unheard and unanswered. Perhaps you have brought your prayers to the LORD, time and time again, only to hear no answer or to see no changes after. The temptation to stop praying then becomes great, but that is when we need to persevere in prayer. “Ask . . . seek . . . knock . . . and you will find and it will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7). How often we may have missed an answer to our prayers because we did not persist in our prayers.
With the coming of spring, I spent a weekend planting seeds to start growing in the greenhouse. It took several hours to sort the seeds, prep the soil mixture, label each variety, and carefully place a small seed in each pot. After what I felt was a job thoroughly done, I returned a day later to the greenhouse to check on them. To my great discouragement, I found the small greenhouse had fallen to the ground, trays in disarray, and seeds drowning in a swampy puddle. Overnight, the wind had knocked down the greenhouse along with all of the newly planted seeds inside. I quickly salvaged what I could and returned the next day to plant new seeds in new soil again within a more secure greenhouse.
Perseverance in prayer reminds me of my experience with the greenhouse. I must “visit” my prayers again and again, and to see my prayers answered I must pray continuously, because we know Satan works hard to hinder our prayers from breakthrough (e.g., keeping a prayer journal may be helpful to do this).
Daniel’s prayer was answered the moment he began to pray, but the angel delivering the answer was thwarted by the enemy.
Do not lose faith as you persevere through days, weeks, months, and even years for prayers to be answered. Remember the parable of the persistent widow, through which the Lord taught us that we “should always pray and not give up” (Lk. 18:1). Soon there will be breakthrough, like seedlings from a well-watered greenhouse. Overpower the enemy with your constant prayers and wait with assurance that God delivers at the right time.
Prayer: LORD, help me to live a life of persevering prayer. I sometimes feel defeated when I see that another day goes by without change or an answer, but I trust You and believe that You will deliver the answer in the right time. The enemy may try to knock down my prayers, but I will continue to pray. I wait for You alone and I want to experience and recognize Your voice and assurance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on July 20, 2018. Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Guardians of Justice”
Jeremiah 22:1-5 (NET Bible)
The Lord told me, “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah. Give him a message from me there. 2 Say: ‘Listen, O king of Judah who follows in David’s succession. You, your officials, and your subjects who pass through the gates of this palace must listen to what the Lord says. 3 The Lord says, “Do what is just and right. Deliver those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Do not exploit or mistreat foreigners who live in your land, children who have no fathers, or widows. Do not kill innocent people in this land. 4 If you are careful to obey these commands, then the kings who follow in David’s succession and ride in chariots or on horses will continue to come through the gates of this palace, as will their officials and their subjects. 5 But, if you do not obey these commands, I solemnly swear that this palace will become a pile of rubble. I, the Lord, affirm it!”
“The administration of justice was one of the main duties of kings all over the Near East. The king was the guardian of justice.” (Thompson)
Think about that for a moment—those in power are charged by God with the responsibility of guarding justice for all. We no longer have a monarchy with inherited leadership. We have the freedom (privilege and responsibility) to choose our leaders. And, if our hearts are aligned to the heart of God, justice toward the oppressed and vulnerable should be as high on our list of priorities for leaders as it is on God’s. Leadership comes in many forms, and whether it’s in our churches, companies, local or national governments, our leaders should be those whom we trust to faithfully serve as “Guardians of Justice.”
Furthermore, God offers a very specific list of people in need of special care as it relates to the administration of justice (v.3). This list is not arbitrary—it includes the most vulnerable and most likely to be exploited and denied justice.
(1) Those robbed by oppressors: This is not incidental stealing (e.g. someone steals your wallet), but systemic oppression where people (particularly laborers) are unfairly compensated and defrauded by those in power.
(2) Foreigners: Throughout the Scriptures God takes very seriously the way in which a nation cares for those who’ve come to them from other lands, peoples, and cultures.
(3) Those without protection and provision: In Jeremiah’s society, where men served as providers and protectors of the family (i.e. those with power), children without fathers and women without husbands were extremely vulnerable and therefore demanded special care.
With this specific list in mind, let’s revisit a question we considered yesterday. Who are the vulnerable in our world today (those who fit into the categories God gives us in the verses above)? And are we a people who take seriously the cause of justice for exploited laborers, immigrants, orphans, and vulnerable women and children? What would it look like to hold our leaders in various arenas accountable for their role as “Guardians of Justice”?
Prayer: Almighty God, open my eyes to see those in need of justice in my community and the society in which I live. Help me to not only personally exercise the justice You require, but to also wield my agency to demand that those in leadership to do the same. May Your Church be “guardians of justice” in the world. Forgive us for the ways we’ve fallen short. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 37
Lunch Break Study
Read Romans 13:1-10 (NRSV): Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; 4 for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6 For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. 8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Questions to Consider
What are Paul’s instructions regarding the believer’s posture toward governing authorities? What do you think about what he says? How do these instructions affect how you understand the weight of responsibility we have in selecting or electing leadership in various arenas?
How do Paul’s words guide us when we are dealing with corrupt governing authorities (e.g. those who are “a terror to good conduct” or who refuse to approve what is good – v.3)? With the overall witness of Scripture (and God’s call for justice that we’ve discussed this week) in mind, what do you think should be your response/posture in those cases?
How does Paul end these instructions? Why is this important? Spend some time reflecting on vv.8-10—how would you summarize these instructions in your own words?
Notes
Paul suggests that believers should be subject to the laws of the land (and by extension those who govern/make the laws). He believes that God “institutes” authorities (via passive allowing or active willing, Paul does not specify). I do find that Scripture suggest that God affirms culture and societies (the space and place where peoples come together to do life and build community in the fullness of their unique histories and gifts)—included in which are the languages, cultural milieu, and, of course, government structures—because God affirms the integrity and agency of humans created in the image of God. // This is a sobering reality when we think about our responsibility in electing governing officials. Societies have a real and profound impact on the people within them (and around them), and we are to take that impact very seriously.
Consider one commentator’s reflections on this question. These reflections are, of course, not exhaustive (and admittedly moderate).
“The problem, of course, is that rulers are sometimes, perhaps often, a cause of fear for those who do right. Government authorities sometimes abuse their powers for selfish ends. If they do not but serve the welfare of the people as they should, we have no fear of them and can submit to them fairly easily. What if they are evil?
“The first way some people have interpreted this verse is to assume that Paul was speaking only of the norm. The normal situation would be a good government that punishes evil and rewards good. Obviously rebellion and revolution would be wrong in such a situation. However those actions might not be wrong if the state ceased to serve its God-given function and began denying the rights and removing the liberties of its citizens. Moderate advocates of this interpretation usually do not suggest that the church as an institution should lead a revolution. Most of them would say, however, that Christians as individuals could justifiably participate in a revolution against such a government. Christians should speak out against such abuses at least. We must be careful not to confuse submission with silence. Silence can express approval.
“The second way of interpreting this verse is to take Paul’s words at face value and trust in the fact expressed in 8:28. The Christian who takes this view would not participate in a revolution though he might speak out against a government’s evils. He should prepare himself to accept the consequences of his actions. Such was the position of some pastors in Nazi Germany during World War II, for example, who went to prison not for revolting against the government but for speaking out against it. Another alternative might be to flee from the persecution of a hostile government (cf. Matt. 10:23). This is what the Huguenots, who fled from France to England, and the Puritans, who fled from England to America, did.” (Constable)
Jesus summed up the law in two moves: love God and love your neighbor. In the commentary on social/horizontal interactions (our relationships with one another as opposed to our relationship with God) in Romans 13, Paul summarizes the law very similarly—“love your neighbor as yourself.” In other words, every commandment given from God finds its origin and telos, it’s purpose and meaning, in God’s intent that we love our neighbor as ourselves. This is important because any interpretation or application of God’s commands that do not align with this central mandate (to love our neighbor) cannot be what God intended. Please see Luke 10:29-37 for help with understanding the term “neighbor” in the New Testament.
Evening Reflection
Twentieth-century German pastor, Lutheran theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer said: “We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.” Consider Bonhoeffer’s statement above. What do you think about his assertion? How do you think it aligns with the heart of God? How might God empower you to “drive a spoke into the wheel [of injustice]”? Spend some time considering these things with the Lord this evening.
“Winning isn’t Everything; It’s the Only Thing.No, There Is Something More Important.”
1 Corinthians 6:7b-8:
Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? But, instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers.
Upon witnessing Serena Williams’s outburst during the U.S. Open Finals, I caught a glimpse of what I must look like during my own episodes. The major difference, of course, was that Serena’s meltdown unfolded before the watching world—mine occurred before my wife and kids. Like Serena, I often felt that my anger—even my rage—had a just cause. But the Holy Spirit is never far from my ears, reminding me first: “Man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (James 1:20); and second: “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror” (1 Cor. 13:12). In other words, my anger was often rooted in a limited, distorted view of what really happened. I saw only what I wanted to see—enough to make myself right in the eyes of my family. Perhaps that played a part in Serena’s implosion, too. But life doesn’t have to be lived that way. “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing,” some say—but it doesn’t have to be our mantra. We can choose to place compassion and decency above the need to win—whether in marriage or on the tennis court.
In 1995, Pete Sampras faced Jim Courier, a longtime friend, in the Australian Open quarterfinals. Sampras’s coach, Bill Gullickson, had just suffered his third stroke and returned to the States before the match. Grief-stricken and visibly shaken, Sampras began losing badly. Then, from the crowd, a voice called out, “Win one for your coach!” Sampras broke down and started to cry. Courier, instead of capitalizing on the moment to secure a victory and move one step closer to millions in prize money, paused. He delayed his serve, allowing Sampras time to regain composure. Then he called out, “Are you all right, Pete? We can finish this thing tomorrow!” In that moment, it no longer mattered who won—compassion had won over the mantra of ruthless competition.
Paul addresses the Corinthian believers who were suing one another over financial matters, saying, “And this in front of believers… Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” (1 Cor. 6:6–7). Why? So that “God’s name [is not] blasphemed among the [unbelievers] because of you” (Rom. 2:24). If a tennis player can display that kind of compassion despite the stakes, how much more should Christians—who live with souls in eternal balance—extend mercy for Christ’s sake?
I don’t condemn Serena. I’ve stood where she stood. So maybe I’d say: “Serena, there is peace—not in another championship, but in the forgiveness that God offers in Christ.” And perhaps, as I’ve had to do so many times with my wife and children, you might consider saying, “It’s my bad; that’s on me. I apologize.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to live in harmony with others, being sympathetic and loving toward my brothers and sisters, as well as being compassionate and humble. Lord, help me not to pay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing (1 Pet. 3:8-9), for that’s what You did for me. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 36
Lunch Break Study (by HeeJung Lee)
Read Colossians 3:14-17: “But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Questions to Consider
What type of conversations do you find yourself engaged in these days?
How much do you find yourself despising all that is wrong and being attracted to whatever is good, noble, pure, and lovely?
Are you ruled by your feelings and your own will, or do you submit to the Word of God in your daily choices of thought, attitudes, and will?
Notes
Scriptures tell us that out of the abundance of the heart of the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Doing an inventory of your words and conversations is a good start to getting a gauge on what is dwelling in your heart and how you are doing spiritually.
Love is not a good deed. Love, as explained in the Scriptures, is one’s nature—a way of being that is the compelling motive behind deeds and actions. Love is drawn to all that is upright, pure, and promotes the well being of others. If this is not the operation of your thoughts and heart, then you may be needing to first be filled up with God’s love for you so that you are not living out of an orphan spirit trying to gain His approval by outward acts of righteousness. You are already approved by God because of Christ’s righteousness in you. His desire is for you to be filled up in the knowledge of His love for you first, and then you will be able to overflow His love to others. All unhealthiness of the heart needs to be addressed first so that this can happen.
The ways of flesh oppose the ways of the Spirit (Galatians 5:17). The more we incline to self lordship, the less we are being filled with God’s love. Then we will find it difficult to see and feel as God does because we will grieve the Holy Spirit in us. The more we submit to the Word of God, it becomes easier to think and make choices that are in obedience to God’s commands. We will be more filled with the Holy Spirit and able to walk in His nature.
Evening Reflection
We began the day by considering the heart of love and how it is drawn to all that is good and right. In light of this meditation, how did you find your heart operating today?
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by an anonymous writer, was first posted on September 19, 2018.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Through Thick and Thin”
Jeremiah 37:11-21
Now when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh’s army, 12 Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion there among the people. 13 When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.” 14 And Jeremiah said, “It is a lie; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 And the officials were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison. 16 When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, 17 King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiahsaid, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” 18 Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land’? 20 Now hear, please, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there.” 21 So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard. And a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
We live in a world of ideas. Whether at school, work or church, one will most certainly encounter someone expressing their ideas. However, one of the many critiques set against this age of ideas is society’s growing inability to discuss ideas without becoming combative. Timothy Muehlhoff of Biola University once lamented how we now live in what he calls the “argument culture.” Interestingly enough, I don’t believe we’ve only recently entered the argument culture. Mankind has been fighting over ideas for quite some time, from current socio-political issues to biblical times. Sometimes debates over ideas have been civil, while others have not. In extreme cases, people have even experienced violence for expressing themselves. In fact, the further back in time one goes, the more violence over ideas one would expect to see. The prophet Jeremiah, for example, was imprisoned and beaten for faithfully expressing the Word of God.
In the passage above we see Jeremiah make his way to the land of Benjamin to claim property. When Jeremiah reaches the gate, the captain, Irijah, accuses Jeremiah of defecting to the Chaldeans. Several years prior to this, Jeremiah had been preaching the word he’d received from God, warning Israel of the coming destruction of the city (Jer. 21:9 [NASB]). Irijah probably concluded that Jeremiah’s message stood against the best interests of Benjamin. Because of this, despite Jeremiah’s denials, Jeremiah is arrested and imprisoned without trial. Pausing here in the narrative, I can’t help but wonder how often the message of the gospel is deduced to be against the best interest of the people, especially here in California. The reality of the current cultural climate is sometimes troubling to reflect on. How often do I sweep my convictions aside, succumbing to social pressure? In Pastor Josh’s words, “How often do we [I] live as if God didn’t exist?” Do I have the strength to go to prison for the gospel? Or to the grave?
As the passage progresses, things do not improve for Jeremiah. He is brought from the prison, in secret, before King Zedekiah and asked, “Is there a word from the LORD?” (Jer. 37:17 [NASB]). Now it’s obvious, Zedekiah isn’t asking for the actual word of God, rather, for some favorable news regarding the kingdom. Sometimes I ask myself what makes someone a hero. Generally, a hero is someone admired for their courage or accomplishments, or perhaps both. Unflinching, Jeremiah looks into the eyes of the king, and delivers God’s message exactly as revealed: “You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon!” (Jer. 37:17 [NASB]). What makes someone a hero? Standing in the face of the authorities that threaten you with prison and death, and holding firm to God’s word. I hope we can all look to God for the strength to follow Jeremiah’s example. Let’s stand hand-in-hand together for God’s word, holding steadfast to the Truth, speaking it to the world in love.
Prayer: Father, it’s easy for me to be strong and stand up for You in church, around brothers and sisters in Christ, and in my quiet time alone with You. It becomes much more complicated when I fear for my job, my freedom, my safety or even meaningless things, like social status. I pray You would remind Your church every day, that in You we find the resolve to stand up for the Truth. We need You more and more each day. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 35
Lunch Break Study
Read: 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;” (NASB)
Questions to Consider
What did Paul’s “course” look like?
What would “finishing the course” look like in today’s day and age?
Reflect on this passage and consider what “finishing the course” would look like in your own life.
Notes
Paul went from high social status as a Pharisee, to (what the pagans considered) a persecuted “cult leader” as he traveled all over to spread the gospel and plant churches. Like the rest of the apostles, Paul endured beatings, imprisonment, torture and ultimately death for the sake of Christ, all with complete confidence in his convictions and commitment to God. Paul, like Jeremiah and the others God has called for His work, sets a shining example for the church to follow.
Though the difficulties we experience may take many forms, finishing the course in modern times may look much the same as the past: looking to God for the strength to stand beside brothers and sisters in Christ for the sake of the gospel.
Personal response. For me, I want to ultimately serve full time in ministry. I’m not sure exactly how that will manifest, or where in the world my service will take me, but I simply hope I can faithfully serve God and His people, until my days are spent.
Evening Reflection
According to Pastor Peter of Kairos Church, the verse most taken out of context in the Bible may be Phil. 4:13: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Time after time this verse is cited when we haven’t trained quite as hard as we should have for the upcoming Spartan race. However in the context of standing firm for the gospel, Paul’s words are quite relevant. Reflect on the idea of finding strength to endure in God, and what that means for you.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on October 16, 2018. Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
Jeremiah 46:1-6
The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. 2 About Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: 3 “Prepare buckler and shield, and advance for battle! 4 Harness the horses; mount, O horsemen! Take your stations with your helmets, polish your spears, put on your armor 5 Why have I seen it? They are dismayed and have turned backward. Their warriors are beaten down and have fled in haste; they look not back—terror on every side!” declares the Lord. 6 “The swift cannot flee away, nor the warrior escape; in the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen.”
In today’s passage, we see the Egyptian empire fighting for its life as they prepare themselves for war against the up and coming Babylonian army. Verses 3-4 illustrate in vivid language the Egyptian’s frenzied preparations for battle. You can almost feel the army’s desperate attempt to muster up as much energy as possible in order to defeat the oncoming threat of the Babylonians. However, immediately in verses 5-6, we see that all their strategizing was for naught. They were surrounded by “terror on every side” and could not escape from the clutches of the enemy. They were doomed to destruction.
It is an interesting passage, to the say the least. Prophets like Jeremiah were commissioned to speak on behalf of God specifically to Israel. However, we see Jeremiah also proclaiming judgment and predicting the fate of foreign super powers. What passages like this were meant to do was to show that God was not just God of Israel but the supreme ruler of the entire world—that it was not the powerful empires like the Egyptians who controlled history, but it was God Himself. No matter how much they tried to survive, we see God using the Babylonians as an instrument to destroy them. They were merely at the mercy of God’s plans.
Simply put, God is the Author of history. We might feel as though that powerful people control the fate of the world, and there is not much we can do to change its course to something more hopeful. But we see in this passage that God is in control. As I read through the news, and see all the evil and injustice that runs rampant, this passage—in some strange way—gives me comfort. In many ways, it feels as though the world has gone mad, divided as ever, but we know that God is sovereign, and that there is purpose to the chaos we experience in the world. Although it is so easy to feel hopeless in the face of the evil, let us as Christians find hope in the God who is the true Author of history! Let us, as believers, pray for the world to be healed in all of its brokenness, in spite of all the terrible things we’ve witnessed.
Prayer: Father, in the midst of the problems I see in the world, it is so easy to become hopeless and give up being the light to a broken world. Help me to find hope in the truth that You are in control, and that Your plan of redemption will ultimately prevail over all things. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 34
Lunch Break Study
Read Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Questions to Consider
How and why were things in heaven and earth created?
What are the two main roles we see attributed to Jesus in this passage?
How might this passage comfort you?
Notes
All things were created by Christ and they were all created for Him. What this implies is that Jesus is in control of everything—from the point of creation, to their ultimate purpose. He is the Author of all things. However, not only has He created and given them their ultimate purpose, He is the one that sustains all things.
The first half of the passage (vv.15-17), we see Christ as the Creator. The second half of the passage (vv.18-20), we see Him as the Reconciler, who makes peace by His work on the cross.
Personal response.
Evening Reflection
“New creation itself has begun, they are saying, and will be completed. Jesus is ruling over that new creation and making it happen through the witness of his church. ‘The ruler of this world’ has been overthrown; the powers of the world have been led behind Jesus’s triumphal procession as a beaten, bedraggled rabble. And that is how God is becoming king on earth as in heaven. That is the truth the gospels are eager to tell us.”— N.T. Wright
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, which was first posted on June 20, 2018, is provided by a writer who wants to remain anonymous.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Breaking Bad Habits”
Jeremiah 14:10
Thus says the LORD concerning this people: “They have loved to wander thus; they have not restrained their feet; therefore the LORD does not accept them; now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins.”
In a 2015 Ted Talk called “A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit,” psychiatrist Judson Brewer talks about the relationship between mindfulness and habit. Research shows that a habit is formed when a specific behavior makes us feel good and so our brains remember it. A habit, such as snacking or smoking, is reinforced when our brains realize we are feeling bad, so we use the behavior to feel good again. Think about the way we flip open our laptops as soon as we get home or eat junk food when we’re stressed. It isn’t surprising that research supports that we aren’t very mindful or aware of what we do, better yet, why we do them.
In today’s passage, God describes the people of Israel. Firstly, He says that they “have loved to wander…” Rather than worshipping God alone, the Israelites always ended up adopting other Canaanite gods and falling into idolatry. Perhaps the Israelites wanted the best of both worlds and reap the “blessings” of following two gods. Or maybe they genuinely thought God wouldn’t deliver them from current hardships, so they felt no choice but to turn to alternatives. Regardless, we see that their natural inclination was not to remain in God, but to wander for self-satisfaction and happiness.
Secondly, the Israelites “have not restrained their feet…” In other words, the Israelites, knowing their inclinations, did not set up restrictions to prevent themselves from wandering again. This pertains to wisdom and maturity. If we know we fall into the temptation of “X” sin, why do we not take practical and faithful measures to prevent us from falling the second, third, or fourth time? Just as research showed that we easily form mindless habits, a humble look into our past shows how we can mindlessly fall into the same patterns of sin. For example, if we know we are prone to be exclusive in friendships, are there any ways we have started being exclusive in community? Today, let’s humbly assess the patterns in our life and see how we can make them more God-centered.
Prayer: You are a good Father because You not only encourage us when we mature in faith, but You also discipline us when we sin against You. Today, we recognize that You do not ignore disobedience. Help us to remember that to love You is to obey You, so fill us with your Holy Spirit to do so.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 33
Lunch Break Study
Read Galatians 4:1-7: I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Questions to Consider
In this passage, what happens when we receive adoption as sons of God?
Sometimes we try to be better Christians merely by sinning less and doing more good things. However, the foundation of our identity is not in what we do but who we are—that is, we are already sons and daughters of God. How does that change our perspective on what it means to grow spiritually?
Notes
We receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts and experience true and mature sonship to God. We no longer experience the distance that a child heir or slave would feel to the father of a household. Instead, our new hearts cry out “Abba! Father!” in our relationships to God.
Personal reflection.
Evening Reflection
One area of our lives that we can be mindless with is our speech. James 3 talks about how our tongue can worship God but also stain or discourage the body of God. Are there any ways we talk to others (or talk about others) that have been compromising? Instead, let’s turn it around and use every opportunity to bless and build up others with our words.
“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”
There are lots of people in this world who are pretty darn good at doing evil. Career criminals, mafia members—and who can forget Dr. Evil, who actually spent six years in evil medical school perfecting his craft, all have certain forms of evil down to a science.
Now, you may be reading this and thinking, What does this have to do with me? I don’t train in doing evil. Very well, but the question is, do you train in doing good? I believe that God’s complaint still has relevance for us today. We may not “train in evil,” per se, but we probably invest a lot more of ourselves in training in the ways of the world as opposed to the ways of God. We agonize over finding the perfect job—one that perfectly “fits me”—yet, we are lax and nonchalant about discovering our spiritual gifts or our role in serving His church. We know how to get what we want from others, but don’t take the time to figure out what they need or how we can help them. We are experts in finance, maximizing our IRAs and 401Ks, yet we don’t have the slightest clue how to turn God’s ten talents into ten more for the Kingdom.
“Doing good” takes training—it doesn’t just happen—at least not in an earth-changing, Kingdom-expanding way. Are you investing so as to know how to “abound in good works” (2 Corinthians 9:8)?
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to be proactive about learning how to do as much “good” as I possibly can in this life. I want to be innocent as a dove, but also shrewd as a snake with the time that I have. Teach me how the Kingdom works, how it grows, and how I can best serve it. Amen.
REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on April 7, 2018, is written by Pastor David Son who pastors the Thrive Church in Taipei. He is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley (BA) and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.). Stay up to date with the church by following them here: https://www.instagram.com/thrivechurchtaipei/
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“The Son of Man Must Suffer”
Mark 8:31-33
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Did you know that Jesus is included in the Quran? In the Islam faith, Jesus is known as one of the 25 prophets of Allah. It may intrigue you to know that even the Quran describes Jesus as a virgin-conceived, benevolent, miracle-working, sinless servant of God. But there’s an interesting and critical omission regarding the life of Jesus in the Quran. See, in the Quran, Jesus is never crucified. He never suffers at the hands of the Romans, He never gets spit upon, or whipped, and He is never put to death on a cross. Why not? Well, simply put, from a Muslim point of view, Allah would never allow an innocent, sinless man to suffer in this way. Especially since He was a great man, He would never be assigned to such a fate because He did not deserve it.
Perhaps in this train of thought, Peter had come to a similar conclusion. In our passage, when Jesus began foretelling His suffering and death, Peter took offense and began to rebuke Jesus. In his mind, he could not fathom the possibility of the Messiah going through such turmoil and defeat. What kind of God would allow such suffering to happen to the Chosen One, the One He loved? But Jesus replies with what may be one of the strongest rebukes of all time: “Get behind me, Satan!” Why does Jesus respond so aggressively to Peter’s misconception? Because if you miss the death and resurrection of Jesus, you’ve missed a crucial aspect of who our God is. He is not only a benevolent, miracle-working, sinless, teacher… He also laid down, His life as a ransom for many! Without the death and resurrection of Christ, there is no hope for us, and there is no gospel.
Most people in this world acknowledge that Jesus was a good person, that His teachings hold moral value, and that He was in general, a benevolent teacher. Some may even credit Him with performing signs and wonders. But what sets Christians distinctly apart is none of the above. Then what sets a Christian apart? It is our faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. In other words, everything about our faith hinges on this one truth: that our God came and died to redeem us and rose again that we might also walk in newness of life.
It’s been six days since Easter. Let us remind ourselves again of what Jesus has done for us by going to the cross and rising up again. He gave up His own rights in order to give us the right to become sons and daughters of God. Praise be to God, whose thoughts and ways are higher than ours!
Prayer: God, thank You for who You are. Thank You that You gave yourself up on the cross. Thank You for rising again. Help us to walk in newness of life, as those who have been redeemed by You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 27, 2018, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children, serves in Japan as an AMI missionary. Jason, a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), is currently planting a church in Tokyo. Please pray for this work.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Discipline is Not Rejection”
Jeremiah 24:1–7 (ESV)
After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile from Jerusalem Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, together with the officials of Judah, the craftsmen, and the metal workers, and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me this vision: behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the LORD. [2] One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. [3] And the LORD said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs, the good figs very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.” [4] Then the word of the LORD came to me: [5] “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. [6] I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. [7] I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
Oftentimes after I discipline one of my children they want to be close to me. I imagine they want to know that I still love them. And love is truly what biblical discipline is about. We struggle to understand this, but discipline is not the same as rejection.
After generations of unfaithfulness, God sends Judah into exile at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The Lord shows Jeremiah a vision of a basket of figs. Some were very good figs and others were very bad figs. Surprisingly, the good figs are those who are sent out of the Promised Land into exile.
While God is angry with their sin and there is an element of judgment, the Lord has not rejected His people. He is disciplining them for their good. In exile, God’s people are forced to face the ugliness of their sin and are given the opportunity to repent and turn back to God. If the people had not faced God’s judgment, they would more readily rest easy in their sins, and their hearts would grow steadily harder. But God’s desire is that His people turn back before the final Day of Judgment comes and it’s too late for them to do so.
When I was a teenager, I was in a self-inflicted downward spiral and my parents were often frustrated with me. In the midst of a lecture, my dad said, “You’re lucky we haven’t given up on you!” More so now, but even then I knew that this was true. It would have been easier for my parents to leave me alone and let me do whatever I wanted, but they kept loving me the best way they knew how.
In every hardship, God is exposing what is really inside our hearts. He does not do this because He enjoys watching us squirm, but because He intends to minister to us, set us free, and give us a heart to know Him if we will let Him. The Father is not content to let us slip away from Him without a fight.
Prayer: Father, thank You that You desire to show me mercy! Open my eyes that I might see my need and draw near to You. May I know that discipline is not rejection, and that in all things You are calling me back to You. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 29
Lunch Break Study
Read Hebrews 12:5–11 (ESV): And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,nor be weary when reproved by him.[6] For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,and chastises every son whom he receives.”[7] It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? [8] If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. [9] Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? [10] For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. [11] For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Questions to Consider
In this passage, what is the mark of a child of God?
What is the heart of God in the midst of discipline?
What is meant to be the fruit of God’s discipline?
Notes
Being disciplined is the mark of truly being a child of God. Only illegitimate children are not disciplined.
God does not discipline us because He is fed up with us. Rather, He disciplines us because of His great love for us.
God’s discipline is meant to produce holiness and the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Evening Reflection
Reflect on your day. What moments of discipline occurred? Were you able to respond in repentance and faith? If so, thank God for this outpouring of grace. If not, take a moment to repent and seek God’s face now and thank Him that grace is available to you still.
REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on August 15, 2018, is provided by Pastor Barry Kang, the lead pastor of Symphony Church in Boston.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Who is in Control?”
Jeremiah 29:8-9
For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.
Jeremiah has been delivering some not so great news to a people who really could have used some encouragement. The Jewish exiles in Babylon were in a city where everything—the food, culture, buildings—all screamed, “Not home”! They were in Babylon because Jerusalem had been brutally conquered and ransacked, and the temple was destroyed. The royal line of David was seemingly no more. Good news in their context might have been news that Babylon was going to be punished by God, or that they would be able to return home soon.
And as we read last week, some prophets did in fact prophesy this very thing. But God makes it very clear that the good news that they are prophesying (that they would be able to return to Jerusalem in two years) was not actually from Him.
The very enterprise of prophecy requires some assumptions: first, that there is a God who can speak to us; and second, that this God is in control. While we know this, we allow our cultural, theological biases and personal needs and ambitions to skew how we hear, read and understand the will of God. We often read what we want to read, hear what we want to hear, and see what we want to see. The Jewish exiles chose to listen to these lies, because the prophets were prophesying what the exiles wanted to hear. In turn, the prophets might have been prophesying what they thought the exiles wanted to hear. When we do that, we unconsciously put ourselves, our needs, thoughts and desires, in control.
God is quite clear—He is in control and we are not. There is good news coming for the exiles (we’ll see this later in Jeremiah 29), but it’s only truly good news if it’s actually coming from the God who is in control. False prophets tell us what we want to hear; true prophets tell us what God wants us to hear.
Prayer: Father, I want to hear truly from You. As I read Your word and spend time in prayer, I ask that I would be hearing what You want me to hear, even if it doesn’t seem like good news in that moment. Give me discernment! I want to do Your will, not mine. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 28
Lunch Break Study
Read 2 Timothy 4:1-5: I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Questions to Consider
What does it mean “to be ready in season and out of season” to preach the word?
Looking at verse 3, what is a constant danger that people will fall into?
How does Paul encourage us to handle this challenge?
Notes
This means being ready to preach the word regardless of circumstances. Whatever we may feel we are going through, we need to be ready to preach the word, rather than to pursue teaching the things that just suits our needs or desires. As Jeremiah experienced, sometimes God’s word seem contrary to our needs, but still, we are called to preach His word, knowing that it truly is good, regardless of the season.
People often just want to hear what they want to hear. Paul says that people will surround themselves with voices that affirm everything they do. We do not like to be challenged, because it disrupts our comfort. This is a challenge for us as well. What voices are we listening to? Do we ever listen to voices that challenge us in different ways? May we become a people who humbly listen to voices that challenge us in our blind spots!
Paul says to “be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” There is a focus that is required to endure suffering. If our goal is our own comfort, we will be swayed by all voices that affirm our comfort. But when our goal is to pursue Christ, regardless of circumstance, we can endure suffering because we know that it is only temporary. We can see past the short-term pain and see the long-term joy we have with Jesus.
Evening Reflection
Do you seek to control God or are you surrendered to His ways? Is your obedience or faith at all conditional upon certain circumstances or outcomes? Let’s seek to surrender those to the Lord today!
