Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from March 31-April 6 are written by David Son, who serves as the college pastor at Symphony Church in Boston. David, a graduate of UC Berkeley (B.S.) and Gordon-Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), was recently married to Grace.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
Acts 14:16-17
In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.
There is always a witness. Don Richardson and his family were missionaries to the Sawi tribe of what is now West Papua. The Sawi were known to be cannibalistic headhunters. Somehow, by the grace of God, the Richardsons were allowed to live amongst the Sawi, and immediately they took on the task of learning the complex Sawi language and immersing themselves in the Sawi worldview. As they did so they were confounded by the differences between the tribe’s moral values, and their own. In this culture, deception and trickery were seen as positive traits! When they shared the story of the crucifixion of Christ, Judas was applauded as the hero, while Jesus was the dupe to be laughed at. How do you share the gospel in a culture like this?
During these times, several neighboring villages were at war, including the one the Richardsons were living in. Constant fighting and killing made it nearly impossible for the Richardsons to stay with the Sawi. But by this time, the villagers had grown fond of their friends, and wanted them to stay. So, in an effort to create peace, one of the Sawi men literally ran to the enemy village, and presented his own son as a peace gift to the opposing chief. This child was given up as the payment to bring reconciliation between the two parties. For generations, this was how peace was established between villages. As he learned more about this “peace-child” practice, it dawned on him that God had left himself a witness in the Sawi tribe! Don gathered together the entire village and shared that Jesus was God’s only Son, the peace-child, given to us to reconcile us back to Himself! The tribe wept as they realized, for the first time, the incredible love of God, and many of them came to faith.
Sometimes we feel like there is no hope for (insert name here) to accept Christ. But God has left himself a witness, even in the unlikeliest of cultures, even in the unlikeliest of people. Let’s strive to grow in the faith that our God is working all around us, even in places where we are unaware of it.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for dying for me while I was still a sinner. Help me to extend this love and grace to those around me who have yet to know You. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 20-21
In the past few years, Stephen Curry has become a household name. Analysts, coaches, fellow players, and fans are gradually coming into agreement that he is the greatest shooter in the history of basketball. Winning an NBA championship, being crowned MVP, holding all sorts of all-time records— these are just testaments to the beauty of his game, the likes of which the world has never before seen. But perhaps the most admirable thing about Mr. Curry is his constant effort to point glory towards God, both on and off the court. In nearly every way that an athlete possibly can in public, Stephen points attention to God.
Memory is profoundly tied to our identity. I am who I am today, primarily because I have memories of past experiences that have molded and shaped me to become the person I am today. For example, in third grade, when I drew a picture of a house, my teacher saw my drawing and exclaimed, “Wow, you could become an architect!” Indeed, I went on to receive a degree in architecture. That memory, in many ways, changed the trajectory of my life and shaped who I would become.
In July of 2010, I was doing street evangelism with a small team on the campus of one of China’s largest universities. As we approached one of the main buildings, we noticed there was an English class going on. The principal of the English program was standing outside, so we introduced ourselves to him, as English speakers from America. After noticing our perfect English, the principal’s eyes lit up. “Would you go up on stage and share something with our students?” he asked in Chinese. (He didn’t speak English.) We were thrilled. Within minutes we were ushered onto the stage. A class of 1,000 students was interrupted for us to come up and share “something” in English!
Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from March 31-April 6 are written by David Son, who serves as the college pastor at Symphony Church in Boston. David, a graduate of UC Berkeley (B.S.) and Gordon-Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), was recently married to Grace.
One of the most powerful scenes in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy is the deliverance of Theoden, king of Rohan. Though he was a fine king, a man of respectable character in a powerful position, he sat amidst poor counsel—that of Grima Wormtongue. As a result, Theoden’s reign was reduced to a powerless, feeble, puppet-king, ceding to Wormtongue’s every lie. But Theoden’s freedom finally came when the liar was cast out.
Manaen. His name is only mentioned once (right here) in Scripture. But there is something interesting about Manaen: he was “a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch.” Other translations read, “brought up with Herod the tetrarch.” This is the very same Herod who beheaded John the Baptist, and later handed Jesus over to Pilate to be crucified. While Herod and Manaen grew up together, they chose very different paths. Herod heard the message of the gospel numerous times, having personal encounters with both John the Baptist and Jesus; yet at every turn, he rejected the word of God. Meanwhile, his friend became a prophet/teacher in the church at Antioch. Yet despite their differences, Manaen and Herod were “lifelong friends.”
In our passage this morning, Herod, a persecutor of the church, is judged by God. The people flatter him in a blasphemous way, he receives the glory due to God, and he is subsequently struck down.
During one trip to China, I was reading John 3 (being born again) with a young man who was a member of the Communist Party. I asked him what he thought about the passage, and he said he needed God to make him into a new person. Tentatively, I asked him if he wanted to be born again right then, and he said “yes.” So shocked by his response, I almost asked him if he was sure; instead, I led him in the sinner’s prayer.
We live in a world of violence. In the West we can easily forget this, but recent tragedies in Paris and Brussels bring this uncomfortable reality to the forefront. Violence can possibly invigorate a movement; it can also destroy a movement.
According to the Catholic Church, the seven deadly sins are lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. While we will readily confess to some sins on this list, others we may admit, though with reluctance or a bit of embarrassment. But there is at least one which we tend to be completely blind to— greed.