May 5, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on May 7, 2018, is written by Esther Chailim. Esther, a graduate of University of California, San Diego (B.S.) and Talbot School of Theology (M.A.), is the Director of Ministries at Kairos Christian Church (San Diego).

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“It Ain’t About Us”

Jeremiah 1:4-8

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” ⁷But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”

Three years ago, after sending off our college pastor to serve as a missionary, my role on staff changed from Church Administrator to College Pastor/Director. On paper, this was a step forward, so naturally, I should have felt excitement for this new opportunity; instead, I couldn’t help but feel hesitant about the changes that would soon come my way. I quickly transitioned from a role that I was fairly comfortable and confident with, to one that I felt extremely ill-equipped and unprepared for. As I reluctantly took on the new role, I was quickly met with a great sense of fear, inadequacy and pride. And when I say pride, I don’t mean the boasting kind, but the kind that says, “I don’t measure up” or “I’ll look like a failure.” Like Jeremiah, I felt insecure in my capacity to lead others, let alone a college ministry, and found every excuse to convince myself and others that I was not the right person for the job. My insecurity crippled me from fully embracing my calling and stepping into the role which God had appointed to me in that season.

All of us can relate to Jeremiah when faced with an assignment that seems way over our heads. Our initial reaction is to think of all the reasons why we are unfit for the role. For some, it may be because we don’t feel like we know enough; while for others, it might be because we see someone else better fit for the task. The reasons are countless, personal and even perhaps justified. In fact, Jeremiah was young and arguably inexperienced for what God was asking of him, but to God, that was irrelevant. The Lord was quick to remind Jeremiah that it was not about his age or ability to speak well. It was not about what other people thought, or how much knowledge he had acquired over the years. God called Jeremiah way before he was born or equipped to do anything. He simply wanted Jeremiah to choose to obey His call, even assuring him that He would be with him and deliver him from his enemies.

Allowing our insecurities to control us will most certainly prevent us from doing the very thing God calls us to do. But insecurity’s most toxic symptom, however, is that it keeps the focus on ourselves and AWAY from God. The truth of the matter is that even our very best efforts could never measure up to God’s standards. The best part about this, however, is that it is not about us and how good we are. It is about God and what He can do through us if we simply say “yes.” As God calls us to minister and be a light in this world, may we fight the temptation to fall into the trappings of our insecurity, and approach each assignment knowing that God is with us and will carry out His plan through us.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that You have a purpose and plan for each of us. Forgive me that I get caught up in my own plans and purpose, but help me not to stray from Your plan. I pray that I can approach each assignment with discernment, wisdom and confidence, knowing that You are with me in this process, and that in Your divine power, You have given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 39

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Corinthians 3:4-6: Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Questions to Consider

In whom can we put our confidence and why?
How does God develop Paul to be confident and competent in his ministry?
In what ways do you find yourself to be self-sufficient?

Notes

It is THROUGH Christ alone that we can have ALL confidence. Romans 3:12 says, “There is no one who does good, not even one.” Because of this, we all deserve death. But Jesus, who was already God, humbled Himself to become man, in order that He might save us from our sins. He died on the cross and rose again, claiming victory over death and giving eternal life to those who follow Him. Without Jesus, we are nothing and can do nothing, but because of Him, He has made us heirs to His throne and can do all things through Him.
Prior to his conversion, Paul was a man of great power and strength. After his encounter with Jesus, he radically turned his life around and surrendered it all to the Lord. In other words, he became less and God became more. Paul’s confidence and competency in ministry thus came from his cooperation with the Holy Spirit—not from his own strength and power.
Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Are there areas in your life where you are crippled by fear or insecurity? Reflect on the things that the Lord may be calling you to step out in faith. Spend some time with the Lord, laying those insecurities to Him and allow Him to minister to you.

May 4, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on January 28, 2018. Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Dreams”

Genesis 40:8-22

“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” 9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.” 12 “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. . .. 16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. 17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18 “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.” 20 Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— 22 but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.

Dreams and their interpretation have probably fascinated people since they first started sleeping (when Adam lost his rib to Eve? 😊). Most dreams seem to linger in the half-slumber of early morning only to fade away by the time we are done brushing our teeth; but with some dreams we know as soon as we wake up that we’ve just experienced something out of the ordinary, and we ask ourselves, “What does this mean?” We aren’t taught to seek meaning; it is just instinctive: we know that without a good interpretation, a dream is just a dream. So where do interpretations come from, and how do they come about?

In today’s passage, we see that the revelation Joseph received was certainly divine, but we can also see that this kind of revelation may not be as mysterious and inaccessible as it may seem. When he heard the dreams, did the interpretations just come to him out of the blue heavens? Did Joseph just know? It may have all come together for him in that moment, but it appears that elements could also have been naturally revealed in a way that set the backdrop. From this, some possible principles of the art of dream interpretation:

First principle: Look at the imagery. For both dreams, the imagery gave strong clues as to the overall message. In the cupbearer’s, there was fruitful imagery and an actual scene of him doing what he used to do. Not hard to arrive at, “Maybe it means you’re going to get your old job back,” even without God’s help. The baker’s dream was less straightforward, but birds eating the bread that had been meant for Pharaoh was certainly something a baker would not have wanted to see happen professionally, and it would have been natural for any listener to lean towards an unfavorable interpretation based on the imagery alone.

Second principle: Connect to what is going around you. It would not be a stretch to assume that Joseph (as well as the dreamers) knew that Pharaoh’s birthday was coming in three days— perhaps knowledge they were all the more privy to, being imprisoned in the home of an official who would have been invited to the party. But when Joseph heard the cupbearer’s description of the three branches (the clusters ripening suggesting the fullness of time had come, the vine’s blossoming as soon as it budded suggesting this time was coming quickly), it’s not hard to imagine how he could have arrived at “in three days” with some help from God.

Third principle: Go with what God is doing in the moment. If we look at the two dreams, the first seems “easier” (i.e., more intuitive) than the second. But when the baker asks Joseph to interpret his second, more difficult dream, because God had just revealed certain themes in the first (i.e., work-related, to be fulfilled in three days), Joseph could see the baker’s dream as running along parallel lines. For instance, Joseph may not have arrived at “three days” or “in the fullness of time” solely based on the three baskets on the baker’s head, but the number three connected the second dream to the first, and in this way the interpretation of the second, more difficult dream, flowed out of the first.

Through all of the above, seeing how the interpretation of a dream can come about can encourage us to take a stab at something that should not just be relegated to the realm of “fortune tellers” or other strange types of people. As Joseph said, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” So let’s take back, as we are doing in other areas as well, what belongs to Him.

Prayer: Lord God, be both in my waking and in my sleeping. Help me to be more aware of You at work all around so that I may, understanding the times and what You are doing in the moment, learn to interpret the signs You give. And when You reveal, may I be ready to respond. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 38

May 3, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on June 1, 2018, is provided by Pastor Paul Liu who pastors the Grace Covenant Church Singapore. He is a graduate of University of Illinois (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Complacency is a Curse”

Jeremiah 48:10-13

“Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed. 11 “Moab has been at ease from his youth and has settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed. 12 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I shall send to him pourers who will pour him, and empty his vessels and break his jars in pieces. 13 Then Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

“Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness.” It sure sounds like a message your pastor would share with ministry volunteers—but it’s not. This whole chapter describes God’s judgment against Israel’s eastern neighbors, the Moabites; and this curse is pronounced, ironically, against Moab’s conquerors—the Babylonians. It’s not actually a curse; rather, it’s a way of stating that God will use Babylon to accomplish His purposes and His purposes will not be undone.

You see, the Bible gives us a picture of reality very different than the perception we often hold of the world. We see wars and insurrection; regime change and elections; politics and economics—and feel small in view of all of that. Sometimes we don’t even want to think about it because what can you do anyway.

But the biblical picture of reality is very different. God is not intimidated by empires, arms races or the posturing of presidents because He has never abdicated ownership of the creation He made. And He works in ways that often surprise us but are never haphazard or capricious. God is in control and He is working to redeem and renew creation. And He’s a just judge and He judged Moab for her complacency—a complacency that led to contempt towards God. Satisfied by their security and industry, they had no regard for God.

The mention of “dregs emptied from one vessel to vessel” is an image from winemaking. After fermentation, wine would sit to age and the impurities, the dregs, would settle to the bottom of the jar. Usually you filtered out the dregs by slowly pouring the wine into a new container a few times. If you didn’t, the impurities would ruin the taste. Similarly, entertaining spiritual complacency is like leaving the dregs in the wine. It just sits there contaminating the whole, tainting the taste profile, and ruining what remains. Moab’s complacency came because it was secure, well-protected and prosperous. They didn’t need the true God whom they are called to serve because they had substitutes that actually served them. That’s the danger of complacency—it makes you blind to what you really need. A warning from Moab’s failure . . .

A.W. Tozer wrote: “To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart.” This is the opposite of complacency and it’s ironic. Tozer observes that the ones who are most satisfied in God are also, at the same time, the ones who want Him the most. May we be children of the burning heart!

Prayer: Lord, we ask that You stir our hearts to long for You! To settle NOT for the glory days of our past; or being cynical; or waiting till we have more time. Give us an urgency TODAY to know You, the source of living water. Satisfy us with Your love! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 36-37

May 2, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 1, 2018, is provided by Pastor Joshua Kim. Joshua, a graduate of Emory University (B.A.), Columbia Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Talbot School of Theology (Th.M.), is the Lead Pastor of Upper Room Seattle church.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Something Worse than Death”

Jeremiah 8:1-3

“At that time,” declares the Lord, “they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from their graves. 2 They will spread them out to the sun, the moon and to all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served, and which they have gone after and which they have sought, and which they have worshiped. They will not be gathered or buried; they will be as dung on the face of the ground. 3 And death will be chosen rather than life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family, that remains in all the places to which I have driven them,” declares the Lord of hosts.

The past couple of weeks, my wife’s nephew and her family were in town. He’s only 4 years old and still trying to wrap his mind around what it means that I am his aunt’s husband. First he has to understand my wife’s relationship to his grandmother, and then from there, my wife’s relationship to me. He then turned to my father-in-law and ask him who his mother was, to which he responds, “She passed away.” “Why did she pass away?” “She was really old.” “Oh, but I don’t want to die.” It’s pretty cute when you think about a 4-year-old’s concept of life and death, but in reality, all of us can probably relate to his sentiment—I don’t want to die. And I think that’s a natural thing.

In today’s passage, we continue to see the consequences of Judah’s outright disobedience to the Lord. The section we read today can be portioned off with 7:32-34, as it talks about incoming Chaldean destruction upon Judah, where the voice of joy and the voice of gladness will be made to cease. Jeremiah goes on to describe the scenes where those who are killed but not be buried (a great tragedy in Jewish culture), but not only that, in verses 1-2, he describes how the bones of even the most revered of Judah will be dug up—a great sign of disrespect and dishonor. In other words, the people of Judah because of their sins will face such tragedies that death will be chosen rather than life by all the remnant. And despite this human tendency to fear death, the suffering they face will be so great that they would rather choose death than life.

If we can take a step back on what is happening, there is a greater spiritual principle being laid out here. There is, what some commentators say, a shifting of the position of death in this passage. Death is no longer the end. What is at the end is the judgment of God.

When death is no longer ultimate, we begin to see a greater spiritual reality in which we live. When our finitude is no longer the edge of our reality, we start to see that there is the Divine. In other words, confronting death in a way where it is no longer the ultimate end to our lives, causes us to see that there is more to life than this. And this is why Christ came to die on the cross for us. This is what has been revealed to us when Christ defeated death.

For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain is the correct posture in which those who are walking in a relationship with God are called… are blessed to have.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You are greater than death. For us who make death the ultimate end, You have revealed to us that there is something beyond death. And You have revealed to us through Your Son what it means to be with You for throughout eternity. Help us to walk in a manner worthy of that calling. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 35

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 10:26-33: “Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Questions to Consider

Take a moment to skim the passage before this section. What is the context in which Jesus is teaching these things?
What do you think Jesus is saying in verse 28? How does this relate to verses 29-31?
In light of today’s devotion and study, what is your perspective on death and does it align to the kind of perspective God wants us to have about death?

Notes

The context of this passage is in the middle of Jesus’ warning to the disciples of what they are to face if they follow Him, as sheep in the midst of wolves. And despite the persecution they will face, Jesus is calling them to be faithful to their testimony and promises that they Holy Spirit will be with them.
Jesus is pushing the disciples to see a greater reality than what is before them and their present sufferings. It is in some ways minimizing the gravity of death for there is something greater: obedience to the One who can destroy both body and soul. And if we walk in obedience, God, who values us more than sparrows, will protect and keep you.
Personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

I understand that thinking about death throughout the day isn’t the funniest of topics to think about. However, as you close off this day, think about the things that you do that makes death the ultimate in our lives. But more than that, take a moment to also reflect upon the hope that we have knowing that death is not the ultimate—our eternal relationship with the Father is the ultimate.

May 1, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional was first posted on March 1, 2018, by a former staff at an AMI church.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Chapter’s End, Not the Book’s”

Genesis 50:1-6

Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him. ²Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, ³taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. ⁴When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, ⁵‘My father made me swear an oath and said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’ ⁶Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

At the end of Genesis 49, we see Jacob pass away. Genesis 50 wastes no time illustrating the immediate effect of Jacob’s death on his son, Joseph. Joseph is crushed at his father’s passing, made evident by his actions: hurling of himself at Jacob’s body, weeping and kissing him. To fully appreciate the sentiment here, we have to grasp the biblical understanding of weeping. When the biblical writers describe an instance of someone weeping, they do not mean soft sobbing and a few tears. No, weeping in their eyes is instead a strong, sometimes uncontrollable act of lamentation. Jacob’s death, in fact, carries such weight that all of Egypt mourns his passing for 70 days, just two days less than that of a Pharaoh’s.

Death is not an easy thing to process. No matter the circumstances of the event, whether the deceased has died of an accident, natural causes, disease, was murdered, or even suicide, the sheer news is enough to unsettle anyone, even if for just a moment. When someone has died, we no longer get to experience that person, except in the form of a cold, silent body. Because of this, death is often considered synonymous with the end of existence. To many, ironically, death is the only certainty of life.

However, that does not seem to be the lesson on death Moses is trying to convey. Earlier in Genesis, when asked to sacrifice his son Isaac as a test of his faith, Abraham agrees to follow through with the act, trusting that Isaac’s death as a sacrifice would not be the end of his existence. Abraham trusted in God’s ability to raise Isaac back to life. As such, God promptly stops Abraham from sacrificing Isaac; Abraham had passed the test. Initially, in his despair over the perceived death of Joseph, Jacob longed for death as an escape from the pain. However, at the end of his life, Jacob refers to his impending passing as being “gathered to his people.” This expression is not a mere euphemism, but a pronouncement of hope for the continuance of existence and experience of loved ones after passing from this life, through God. It seems this is the teaching on death Moses wanted to leave us with; that by trusting in God and growing in our understanding of death, we have hope that death is not the end.

Prayer: Father, death comes for us all at the time You choose to call us home. Until that day, please continue to rule over and work in my heart to build trust in Your plans and Your will, which is good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 34

Lunch Break Study

Read John 11:17-25 (NIV): On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸ Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. ²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. ²¹“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” ²³Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” ²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Questions to consider

What is Martha’s stance regarding Lazarus’ death?
What is Jesus’ stance regarding Lazarus’ death?
What is the significance of the difference in their understandings?

Notes

Martha is distraught over Lazarus’ death. While she has sound theological knowledge of Jesus’ role and the coming resurrection on the last day, her feelings of loss are so strong that she misunderstands the comforting words Jesus offes her in this scene.
Jesus is also clearly upset over Lazarus’ death, likely more so than Martha. We see the weight of Jesus’ sadness in verse 35 of this same chapter. However, Jesus’ superior grasp of death and His plans for the restoration of creation allow Him to view Lazarus’ death in a different light.
The difference in postures between Martha and Jesus paint a picture of the gap in understanding between a finite being, and an infinite being regarding physical death. Martha, in her limited, temporal apprehension, mourns over loss in the wake of her brother’s death despite her theological insight. By contrast, Jesus sees the entirety of reality—His perception unbound by space or time. Because of this, Jesus’ unhappiness doesn’t come from the death of Lazarus’ body, as we see later on, for Jesus can restore a dead body at any time. Instead, Jesus’ frustration and lament stem from the crushing effect of sin and death on His creation.

Evening Reflection

Death is an unpopular, albeit important, subject to reflect on. Nevertheless, consider the entirety of Scripture: God is aware and active, working towards the full restoration of His creation. We are bound to run into speed bumps and pain as we wait for that day to come, but continue to pray for trust, understanding and strength: For trust, that He is in control; for understanding, that His plans are good; lastly, for strength, to continue to place our faith in God through times of pain.

April 30, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on May 30, 2018, is provided by Pastor Joshua Kim. Joshua, a graduate of Emory University (B.A), Columbia Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Talbot School of Theology (Th.M.), is the Lead Pastor of Upper Room Seattle church.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“True Humanity”

Jeremiah 7.16-20 (NASB)

16 “As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to spite Me. 19 Do they spite Me?” declares the Lord. “Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?” 20 Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and on beast and on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and not be quenched.”

At our last Encounter (a weekend retreat for men and women separately, which presents the foundational truths of the gospel through a series of talks given by a fellow brother/sister) this past March, I was again reminded of the importance of forgiveness in our lives. Our speakers often emphasized that unforgiveness is like drinking poison in the hope of hurting the other person. We think that by withholding forgiveness from others, we have some kind of power over them; in reality, we poison our own souls as we are separated from the presence of God.

Yesterday, we reflected on what true repentance is—we are reminded that the gospel not only concerns our disobedience of God’s laws, but it is also about our broken relationship with the Father. True repentance does not just remove the consequences of our actions, but it restores what has been broken.

Today, we explore further this idea as God reveals the true nature of sin. Sin at its core is self-harm. As the passage puts it, “Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?” (v. 19). It’s rare that we sin in order to spite God; it’s even rarer to consider that we sin to spite ourselves. Yet this is the insight we draw from this passage.

Sin poisons us: unforgiveness poisons our souls, greed poisons our souls, lust poisons our souls, and not trusting God poisons our souls. The list goes on.

Especially in the syncretistic/pluralistic world we live in, we often think that Christianity is the “best” option for us, when in truth, faith in Christ is the only option for us. Only in Christ is our humanity fully restored. It points to a reality in which we are created for a specific purpose: to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.¹ When we disobey and are separated from God, it is not just living a subpar life—we are not living. We are designed in such a way where obedience to God is our life.

Therefore, in following anything other than that true purpose, we are indeed spiting ourselves. I pray that we would claim the true humanity God has promised to us through the marvelous work of Christ.

Prayer: Father, thank You that I am Your creation, created for a life of abundance that is greater than any life I could imagine for myself. Forgive me for exchanging that life for anything else. Forgive me for spiting myself. Help me to see the truth of my action and come back to the true life source that is You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 33

¹Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q1A.

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 73 (ESV): Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.3 For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.4 For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.12 Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence … 16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.18 Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.

19 How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! 20 Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. 21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, 22 I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. 23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Questions to Consider

Take a moment to outline the train of thought of the psalmist. Where did he begin? Where did he end up? How did he get there?
What was the turning point for the psalmist? How are we to come to this kind of perspective when we are so stuck in our own thoughts?
How do verses 25-26 speak to you today? If you are to pray this prayer today, what does it mean?

Notes

The psalmist begins with a declaration of God’s goodness. But he realizes that he has forgotten this goodness. When he looks at the prosperity of the wicked, their comfort, their lack of suffering, the “goodness” they enjoy in life, it seems that fighting for righteousness is in vain. But when he comes to the Lord’s perspective, the discernment God offers, he knows what will happen to the wicked. And when he comes to this perspective, he realizes that there is nothing else that he wants than God. He is his treasure.
Verse 17. This is the turning point for the psalmist. In other words, it is in worship where his perspective begins to change. This is why regular worship, both daily as well as Sunday, is so crucial to our walk with God. We need to be reminded of the glory of God, where our souls are touched by Him for us to live life with the right understanding and perspective. Without this, we are trapped in our own thoughts on life.
Personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

How has God reminded you of how you have been created today? How has He reminded you of your purpose? As you reflect on those moments, take a moment to thank Him. Whom do we have in heaven but God? This is what we have been created for.

April 29, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on July 19, 2018. Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Justice for the Oppressed”

Jeremiah 21:11-14 (NRSV)

To the house of the king of Judah say: Hear the word of the Lord, 12 O house of David! Thus says the Lord: Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed, or else my wrath will go forth like fire, and burn, with no one to quench it,
because of your evil doings. 13 See, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, says the Lord; you who say, “Who can come down against us, or who can enter our places of refuge?” 14 I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says the Lord; I will kindle a fire in its forest, and it shall devour all that is around it.

One thing clear to me throughout the witness of Scripture is that God is very serious about JUSTICE. Oftentimes, when Christians think of God’s justice, we think of it in terms of our transgressions against God. We sin against God and God’s justice requires that we atone for our sin– atonement that Jesus completed on our behalf so that we can be reconciled to God (hallelujah!). Scriptures certainly speak of justice in this way. But more often than not, the Bible speaks of justice as it relates to our dealings with one another. We do sin against God, yes, but just as both arms of the Great Commandment (to love God & love neighbor) serve as two sides of the same coin, our sins against God are linked to our sins against each other.

I often wonder if the Church is as concerned about justice as God is and in the way God is. Does what grieves God’s heart – a burden for the poor, vulnerable, exploited (v.12) – grieve our hearts as well? It’s easy to be hung up on our own personal holiness before God (which is certainly important), but the God of the Old Testament and Jesus in the Gospels more often condemned the people of Israel for a lack of justice, and a failure to deal ethically (and in love) with one another, than for a lack of personal piety.

Furthermore, God’s focus in today’s passage is on national leadership (we’ll return to this in Jer. 22). Not only are we called to justice, but our leaders are as well. Finally, this passage ends with a warning: the apparent might of the nation would not protect them from God’s judgement for their failure to do what was right – to do justice.

How important is justice to you? Do our actions toward others matter as much to you as personal holiness? Look around you today. Who are the weak, vulnerable, and oppressed in our society today? What would justice look like for them?

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, You are a God of justice, and You call Your people to be people of justice. Teach me what it means to leverage the privilege You have granted me, toward the goal of fairness for the weak, oppressed, and vulnerable around me. Break my heart for the things that break Your heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 32

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 23:23-24 (NRSV): “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. ²⁴ You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!

Questions to Consider

Who were the scribes and Pharisees? Why is this important?
What was Jesus’ indictment against them?
What are some ways that the Church today might fall into the same hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees? Are there ways you might stumble as well in your life?

Notes

The scribes were experts in the law and the Pharisees were a Jewish sect who strictly observed the law to the letter. Together, they knew and purportedly sought to practice the law best among the people of God. They were leaders of God’s people and they were leading them astray!
Jesus indicted them for not only failing to understand the teachings of God but for misrepresenting them as well. They were hypocrites – the beliefs and standards they claimed did not match their behavior – and what’s worse they were guiding others to do likewise. They got hung up on details of religious rituals (which Jesus says are good), to the complete neglect of what was really important (justice and mercy and faith).

“It is usually the case that legalists are sticklers for details, but blind to great principles. This crowd thought nothing of condemning an innocent man, yet they were afraid to enter Pilate’s judgment hall lest they be defiled (John 18:28)” (Wiersbe).

SPECIAL NOTE (for background information on the laws to which Jesus referred):

“The Mosaic Law required the Israelites to tithe grain, wine, and oil (Deut. 14:22-29). How far they had to take this was a matter of debate. Jesus did not discourage scrupulous observance of this law. He directed His condemnation to the leaders’ failure to observe more important “weightier” commands in the Law while dickering over which specific plants, spices, and seeds to tithe. He went back to Micah 6:8 for the three primary duties that God requires [justice, mercy, faith].” (Constable)

Personal Response.

Evening Reflection

When rebuking the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23, Jesus referred to what is written in Micah 6:8 which states:

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Spend some time reflecting on God’s call for us to do justice in the world. Meditate on the passage above from Micah 6:8. What would it look like for you to do justice in your present context? What would it look like for the church to live out God’s call for justice throughout the world?

April 28, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 25, 2018, is written by Phillip Chen, who has been serving as the associate pastor of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego for many years. He and several like-minded people are planting, the Lord willing, a new AMI church in Houston this summer. Please pray for them.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“God Removing His Hands of Protection”

Jeremiah 15:1-2 (ESV)

Then the Lord said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! 2 And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword, to the sword; those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’

Hollywood movies are typically characterized by a happy ending, where all loose ends are tied up, the villains are destroyed, and the hero or heroine of the film is victorious—usually, life is good again after a season of conflict. We are used to the harmonious and joyful end. This passage in Jeremiah 15 can be hard to read if we treat it as a stand alone text, because it is a clear description of the coming destruction of Judah. There is no happy end here. However, if we read this with the understanding that this is not the ending, but rather a chapter in the ongoing saga of Israel’s covenant relationship with the Lord, then we can understand the nature of God.

What has been happening? Israel had long fallen and taken into captivity by the Assyrians, and Judah—though spared by the mercy of God—has continued in a long lasting unfaithful nature. Again and again God has delivered His people, but again and again they continue to be unfaithful. There was hope with King Josiah’s reforms, but the sinfulness and wickedness of the people continue to drive this nation into committing wicked and atrocious acts against God.

Though God has already told Jeremiah to stop praying for the people several times, he still continues to plead with God for mercy upon Judah. Yet the reality is that the nation of Judah has broken their covenant with the Lord countless times and has become even more wicked than the nations that occupied that land prior to them. God finally tells Jeremiah that even if Moses and Samuel, two premier leaders of Israel, were to stand before God and intercede for these people, He still would not listen. If you will recall, Moses and Samuel actually did intercede for Israel and God listened and relented of His anger. There is no happy end because Judah has chosen its destiny. They have chosen to walk away from God, and in a sense, God is telling Jeremiah, “Let them go.” God doesn’t necessarily have to destroy them Himself, but by lifting His hand of protection from them, when they blatantly choose to leave Him, is pretty much the same thing.

Did you know that as children of God, we have God’s hand of protection upon us? But if we continue to reject Him and walk away from Him, He will let us walk away from Him. Perhaps you are in a season where you have found yourself continually turning away from God; it’s not too late to turn back to Him and receive His forgiveness, grace, mercy, and protection! But if you choose to continue turning away, know that you will also be walking away from His hand of protection over your life.

Prayer: Father God, help me to draw near to You and stay within Your hands of protection. I repent of the ways I have turned away from You and been unfaithful in my relationship with You. Yet Your mercies are new every single day. Your love and grace is beyond my comprehension. Thank You for Your love. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 31

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 John 1:5-10 (ESV):This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Question to Consider

1. What does John say about walking in the light?

2. What is the power of confession pointed out here?

3. Are you currently walking in the light? If no, why not?

Notes

1. John says that if we walk in the light, God is that light, and therefore we are walking with Him. When we walk with Him, we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus. We must walk intimately with Him so that we are under the protective covering of the light (and stay out of the harm of darkness).

2. John says that God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. He is able to forgive us of our sins because of what Jesus Christ has done for us – that speaks of His justice. He is willing to forgive us of our sins – that speaks of His faithfulness. Not only that, He cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He is in the process of making us more like Him. Though we fall again and again, we simply have to turn back to Him, confess our sins, and continue walking in the light. There’s a difference between falling down in the light and turning away from the light into darkness.

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

What are ways that you need to turn back to the Lord? Identify those places in your life that you are intentionally rejecting God and invite Him to touch those places. Humble yourself and receive His forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

April 27, Sunday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 17, 2018, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee. He is a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Thy Loving Kindness”

Jeremiah 12:14-17

This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. 16 And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.

The other day I was at a playground with my five-year old twins. They had just received some bubbles as a goodbye present from their preschool teacher and were eager to take these puppies out for a ride. As they started blowing bubbles, a crowd of children began to gather around them hoping to pop some bubbles. (For the life of me, I don’t understand why children have this rabid love for bubbles.) Anyway, one of these kids was a girl who was probably about three years old and, not being satisfied with merely popping bubbles, she wanted to be the bubble maker—so she tried to take the bubble wand from my daughter’s hand. Now, this is where parenting gets kind of awkward, because my daughter Abbie is just looking at this girl like, “Back up, I’m bigger than you. You can’t have my bubbles, and if my dad weren’t right there, I’d hammer you.” Meanwhile, this other girl is kind of throwing a fit, and her dad seemed to not really know how to handle her when she gets this way. So I suggest, “Abbie, maybe you can let that little girl have a turn. Let her blow bubbles two times.” I kid you not, Abbie looks at me like I sold her to a band of gypsies or something; I could tell she was thinking something like, “Dad, I thought I was your daughter! Why are you being so nice to her?” For whatever reason my kindness to this other girl, felt like meanness to my daughter.

Oftentimes when I read the OT, I feel like the other nations like the Philistines, or the Edomites, or the Amorites, or in this case, the Babylonians, are like extras or worse, villains in a movie where God and his people are supposed to be stars. Who cares what happens to the extras, and we certainly don’t hope for good outcomes for the villains, right? But I forget that these surrounding nations were filled with real people, also made in the image of God. And so sometimes, when I read passages like today’s, I’m like my daughter, I look at the Lord’s kindness to these pagan nations and think, “Why are you being so nice to them? Why are you promising to restore them and give them a chance? The Hebrews are your people.” In other words, I mistake his kindness to them as meanness to us.

When Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matt 5:44), who do you think of? Perhaps it’s Islamic terrorists, especially in the Middle-east. Perhaps Communist regimes in China or North Korea. Maybe it’s not that extreme, perhaps it’s that selfish co-worker who’s willing to throw everyone under the bus so that he doesn’t look bad in any situation, or your next-door neighbor who always calls the city on you if small group is going too long or too late, or the car mechanic who you felt like just ripped you off? I don’t know, but let me ask you this: If the Lord showed kindness to them, would it feel like meanness to you?

Prayer: Lord this morning, I want to pray for ____________; he/she has been making life difficult for me. I pray that you would enter their life and bless them. Also help me to see people the way you see them.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 30

April 26, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on February 10, 2018, is provided by Pastor Doug Tritton. Doug has been pastoring Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia since 2021

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Falling Before Him”

Genesis 44:14

When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground.

I became a Christian in college and I remember at my very first college retreat, during the response time to one of the messages, we spent a considerable amount of time in individual prayer. I was still a new believer, just learning how to pray, so my prayers were often very formal, even forced, since I felt like my prayers needed to be polished, like a well-written piece of literature! However, at this retreat, I was struck by many people around me who fell on their knees in prayer and were screaming in repentance before the Lord. What struck me was the freedom they showed in their prayers despite (or because of) this sense of unworthiness before God. They simply bowed before Him, desperate for His grace. This left a profound impact on me: realizing that I did not need to be so formal in my prayer, realizing that God was so much greater than me, I similarly fell before God and experienced a powerful sense of grace as I unashamedly expressed my desperation for God.

Obviously, Joseph is not God, but Judah and his brothers had a similar sentiment. They were stricken with a sense of unworthiness before Joseph given his position of power and given the appearance of guilt. (Benjamin was found with Joseph’s silver cup.) They were utterly desperate due to Judah’s promise to keep Benjamin safe – they did not want to fail their father, Jacob (again). They knew there was nothing they could do except come before Joseph, pleading for him to show mercy to Benjamin and to the brothers.

Though the brothers were left to wonder what Joseph’s response would be, we know that God welcomes us in our desperation for Him. Today, let’s set aside time to bow before our God in desperation, knowing just how unworthy we are. Yet, despite our unworthiness, in this posture of need and repentance, He comes to us and gives us grace. May we unashamedly fall before our Lord this day, holding nothing back before Him!

Prayer: Lord, I come to You with nothing to offer except my life. May I bow down before You, not just with my body, but with my heart as well, as I recognize my utter need of You in my life. I know I fall short of You again and again, so I need Your grace. Come, Lord, I need You this day!

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 28-20