The AMI QT Devotionals from June 19-25 are provided by Pastor Joshua Kim of Church of Southland. Joshua, a graduate of Emory University and Columbia Theological Seminary (M.Div.), serves as the pastor of Access group (singles). He is married to Christina.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY
Revelations 9.12- 21
The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things. 13 Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm. 20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; 21 and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.
Central to the theology of Jonathan Edwards, the revivalist pastor of the first Great Awakening, was this idea of beauty. For Edwards, we are created with an inclination toward beauty. Now this isn’t just physical beauty, but a spiritual beauty, one that comes from perfect harmony and love; the ultimate beauty being God. Edwards argues that we fall into sin because we find sin beautiful. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and illuminates our hearts, we are then able to see the One who is truly beautiful and to see sin for what it truly is. We become captivated by the beauty of God. But it doesn’t stop there. The Holy Spirit continues to work on our hearts so that our ability to see and understand the beauty of God grows as we continue to walk with Him.
In Edwards, just like when we look directly at the sun, what we actually see is black—we see the dark fallenness of our souls, and yet we are captivated because of the love of God that is willing to love such fallen creatures. And we respond to this amazing God through obedience, worship, and our affections.
In Revelation, the intensity of the judgments that falls upon the world seems to intensify with every seal broken and trumpet blown. And it may be easy for us to start feeling like all of this is too much, but through it, we are able to see the magnitude of sin that elicits such a response from God. But what we also see in this passage is God’s desire for His people to repent; the judgments so far have been a warning to the people for the sake of repentance.
We see that despite our fleshly response to such death and destruction, we see clearly that what God desires for His people is true repentance. He desires for people to come to realize their fallen ways that lead them away from the life abundant. Unfortunately, as John woefully records, the people do not repent.
For those of us who have experienced the forgiveness of God, the weightiness of sin shouldn’t be any different. In fact, as we come to know the holiness and beauty of God more and more, the seriousness of sin should continue to grow alongside the greatness of God’s redemptive work in our lives. If our understanding of salvation becomes static, something that has happened in the past, our sensitivity to sin can easily become dull. Faith lived out is dynamic.
Repentance should be the posture in which Christians live as we continue to see the depths of our sin, but also the greatness of God’s grace upon our lives. We wrestle with our fleshly self-dependence to replace it with utter dependence on God. We need the constant revelation of the Holy Spirit that calls us to worship and repentance. May we never become static in our relationship with God.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for revealing the depths of my sin. Although it is often uncomfortable, sometimes even unbearable to see how sinful I am, I thank You for Your Son who has overcome my sinfulness. May I never lose sight of Him. And if I do, may I never be too slow to fall on my knees in repentance. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Titus 2
Lunch Break Study
Read Hebrews 12:4-11: In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 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
- What does Hebrews teach us in terms of those that experience the discipline of the Lord?
- What does our experience of the discipline of the Lord reveal about who God is? What does the Hebrews writer teach us is the purpose for this?
- Jonathan Edwards writes that for those who have not accepted Jesus in this life, if they were to go to heaven and see God, it would be sheer agony to behold such beauty. What does it mean for you that even through hardships and discipline that God is giving you a foretaste of heaven?
Notes
- The Hebrews writer teaches us that our experience of discipline (and even the ability to recognize that it is the discipline of the Lord) reveals the greater truth that we are His sons and daughters. It is out of His love for us. This discipline will be short-lived (v. 10) and may not be joyful but sorrowful, but it will yield a greater fruit (v.11).
- It reveals God as our Heavenly Father who disciplines us for something greater that is to come. We are called to be subject to God just like how we respect our earthly Father. The reason for all this is for training—so that we may share in His holiness (v.10). Through repentance and correction, we are being prepared for the greater glory that we will one day experience.
- Personal response.
Evening Reflection
As you have reflected upon a lifestyle of repentance and constantly coming back to the Lord, what has the Holy Spirit revealed to you today? Are there specific areas that you have come to realize or rediscover that needs to be made subject to the Lord? Spend a few moments thanking the Lord, that He reveals our sin to us, despite how painful it maybe. Trust His love for you.
If you spend any amount of time online, you will see how drastically things have changed over the years in order to secure information online. Those highlighted scales of password strength, entering in the secret code to verify that you are human, two-step and two-factor authentication—these things have become an everyday part of our lives. But the reality is, these methods are in need of constant updating and changing because the security that they offer is only temporary.
Edwards (think Great Awakening time, where they spoke English in such a way that even people familiar with Old English wouldn’t have fully understood); lectures Monday through Thursday, 8:30-12:30PM, about 100 pages of reading every night. I promise I’m not sitting here complaining, but with ministry and what not, I got pretty behind on things. And when our midterm paper was due on Monday, I was nowhere close to being ready. So what did I do? I prepared a heartfelt, apologetic speech to ask my professor for an extension. And lo and behold, he granted it—what a nice guy!
The AMI QT Devotionals from June 19-25 are provided by Pastor Joshua Kim of Church of Southland. Joshua, a graduate of Emory University and Columbia Theological Seminary (M.Div.), serves as the pastor of Access group (singles). He is married to Christina. 
In the passage today, we see the final seal being broken open by the Lamb. Every time a seal is broken, we’ve seen since chapter 6 an outpouring of God’s judgment upon earth. But this final one is different from the other ones. We see the participation of the saints’ prayers in the unfolding of the events that follow. Commentator Leon Morris points out how the prayers of the saints rise with the incense to God out of the angel’s hand, suggesting that there is a sense of oneness amongst the saints and the angels of heaven. This reminds us that we are never alone in our prayers. It reminds us of the cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12 that stand testifying of God’s faithfulness. The sense is that there is a participation of the prayers of the saints in the events that unfold in God’s sovereign plan. What an incredible reality of prayer!
In the early 1900’s, there was great optimism about where the world was headed. Many believed that through the ingenuity and creativity of human beings, it was only a matter of time before a utopian society would be ushered in. However, this optimism was short-lived. In a matter of a few decades, two world wars had devastated the world, leaving countries in ruins and people in a state of shock. Instead of seeing the human potential to cultivate a world defined by welfare, people experienced the human potential for destruction. With millions dead, it was clear that the world was not getting better. Ironically, humanity’s endeavor to resolve the world’s most profound issues led to the bloodiest century known to man. It seems that we have always attempted to usher in a perfect world, to find effective solutions to man’s ills, and bring lasting change. But because of sin, this has been an impossible task. All of man’s attempts have fallen short and the world is still filled with strife.
nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Throughout the book of Revelation, there are interludes that occur between descriptions of God’s judgment that are meant to console the persecuted Christians. Here in our passage for today, we find ourselves at the first interlude. As the opened seals reveal the wrath of God, chapter 6 ends with a piercing question that chapter 7 answers: “Who can stand before the divine judgment?” We find the answer in verse 3. The only ones who will not be harmed will be those who are sealed by God. In ancient times, seals were used by kings to designate those who belonged to them. Other religions used seals as a marker of devotion to their gods. Similarly, those who are sealed by God are those who belong to Him. Later on we find out that the seal is given to those who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb. In other words, those who have believed upon the gospel are the only ones who are able to withstand the judgment of God.
Recently, a bus full of Coptic Christians were killed for their faith as they were on their way to a monastery. At least 28 died and 25 wounded. Among the dead were two small girls who were 2 and 4. This is just one tragic example of the persecution that many Christians face throughout the world. In fact, 900,000 Christians have been martyred for their faith in the last 10 year, making it one of the most violent eras for the church. It is a sobering reminder that following Christ is not for the fainthearted—there is a cost to be paid, sometimes even with our very lives. Many of us in the West are often shielded from this reality, since the worst thing that can happen to us is a moment of embarrassment. Sometimes we think that violent persecutions are a thing of the past, but many of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are paying tremendous cost for their testimony to God.
The AMI QT Devotionals from June 12-18 are written by Pastor Andrew Kim at Tapestry Church. Andrew, a graduate of Eternity Bible College, is currently attending Fuller Theological Seminary. He and Jessie were married in 2014.
The 60’s were marked by a profound social consciousness. People genuinely cared for the welfare of society and participated in movements of justice. It was the decade of the Civil Rights Movement, Women’s rights, and protests against the Vietnam War. However, there was a dramatic shift in culture in the 70’s. It was no longer focused on culture-wide issues but rather on the self. Historians have dubbed the 70’s the “ME Decade.” It was the era of personal development and self-discovery. As the “individual” began to assert itself, it gave rise to a radical personal autonomy where the “self” became king. Life began to be about self-expression, about being able to choose one’s own destiny. And this trend has continued and we all feel its effects even today. All of us desire to determine the course of our lives—we demand freedom from all authority outside of ourselves. However, this has not turned out well as people are emptier than ever before. Many have discovered that reigning over their own lives has not led to more happiness but rather a deep sense of restlessness and confusion.
During one of the most challenging times of my life, I discovered that singing worship songs could be a powerful exercise of faith. As I struggled to remain steadfast with my heart full of doubts, it was difficult to sing lyrics that proclaimed the hope of God. Everything around me just seemed like evidence that proved my doubts, making it almost impossible to sing the words on the screen with full conviction. Yet as I worshipped and praised God with words that I did not fully believe, God began to turn my heart towards His hope. I found that in the simple act of bringing my doubts before Him and singing with the small amount of conviction I possessed, He met me where I was, helping me to believe in the words before me. Singing worship songs became a new reservoir of strength and power that I could now draw from. I would not have persevered without it.