Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from March 7-13 are provided by Kate Moon.  Kate has been serving the Lord in E. Asia for nearly 15 years. 

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Acts 7:51-54: “51 You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears!  You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!  52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute?  They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One.  And now you have betrayed and murdered him –  53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.”  54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

Have you ever found yourself angered by someone’s words or actions only to realize later that they were right and you were wrong?  If so, consider yourself fortunate as it is better than being insensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit to the end.

Soon after Stephen comes to the climax of his speech with these words, he himself joins the too-long line of prophets who, throughout Israel’s history, have been persecuted by their own countrymen.  Before the Sanhedrin, Stephen speaks of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers out of jealousy (v. 9), and Moses who was rejected by the Israelites, though he had performed miracles to prove he had been sent by God to deliver and govern them (vv. 35-36).  Through Holy Spirit-inspired wisdom, by reviewing these stories from their collective past, Stephen masterfully shows what is in the hearts of man and whose side, in the end, history ends up being on.  As they listened to Stephen speak, were the chief priests able to see the jealousy in their own hearts that had led them to crucify Jesus on the cross?  Could they see that in rejecting Jesus, who had been sent by God to be their Lord and Savior, they were rejecting the “prophet like [Moses]” (v. 37) whose office had been authenticated by miracles just as Moses’ was?

From their reaction, it is clear that they understood what Stephen was saying about them, but they were not able to receive it.  When earlier Peter preaches the same message, people are struck to the heart, and 3,000 people repent and turn to God (Acts 2:36-41).  When Stephen preaches, his audience continues to resist the conviction of the Holy Spirit and ends up persecuting, even unto death, yet another prophet sent to them by God.

Is there someone or a situation that is making you angry today?  Examine your heart carefully to see whether your anger is justified or whether the Holy Spirit is trying to speak to you about this situation.  If He is, listen.  If needed, repent.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, would You search my heart to see if there is any offensive way within me?  Especially if there is any anger and I am in the wrong, convict me.  I’ve seen in Your word today how scary a thing it is to have a hardened heart.  I don’t want to resist You; please help me not to resist.  In Jesus’ name.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 19

Lunch Break Study

Read Acts 7:54-58 & 1 Timothy 1:13-17:

When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56  ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’  57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Questions to Consider

1. How are the Sanhedrin described here?
2. How is Stephen described in contrast?
3. Paul, who witnessed this scene as Saul in Acts 7:58, later writes 1 Timothy 1:13-17.  In light of his transformation, what hope is there for our anger-filled society today?  What should we keep doing, no matter what the circumstances?

Notes

1. Gnashing teeth, yelling, throwing things – it is a picture of people turned almost inhuman as they are overcome by a violent anger – a picture, unfortunately, that we have seen one time too many, whether in tragic news reports or for some, in childhood memories growing up.
2. In this moment when people are furious with him, Stephen is looking up to heaven, seeing God, and pointing others to Him, still wanting them to see Him, too.
3. If he was the one who described the scene to Luke, his traveling companion and author of Acts, it means that even when Paul was not a sympathetic observer, Stephen’s witness had been burned in his memory, made an impact. We need to keep pointing people to Jesus.

Evening Reflection

As God’s kingdom advances, there is resistance, both from without and within.  Was I able to stand firm in my witness in an unsympathetic world today?  Was I able to stay soft in my heart and yield to the Holy Spirit today?

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from March 7-13 are provided by Kate Moon.  Kate has been serving the Lord in E. Asia for nearly 15 years. 

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Acts 7:29-32a: 

“When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.  30 After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.  31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight.  As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord’s voice: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’”

In some ways, all of the Kung Fu Panda movies are about the lead character Po’s search for identity.  In the first, we know from the moment he calls a goose “Dad” that he is going to have to deal with this question of where he “really” came from some day.  In the second, he begins to have flashbacks of seeing his panda mother, and in the third, he meets his biological father for the first time, and the recognition is immediate.  They have the same coloring, build and appetite, and as his panda dad takes him back to the village to meet more of his species, we can feel with Po his sense of wonder, happiness and joy at discovering there are others like him.

Moses, like Po, was adopted.  He had lived in his father’s house for only three months (v. 20) before he was set adrift in the river.  Moses grows up neither fully belonging to the Egyptian palace where he was raised nor to the enslaved race to whom he was related by blood.  As he flees from a major conflict where his two worlds would have collided, we can imagine him finding solace and a semblance of peace as a complete foreigner in the land of Midian.  Not having to be between two worlds was in some ways easier, but it also meant that he had given up on belonging anywhere at all.  It is in this place that God comes to look for him, finds him, and tells him who he is.  God tells him that his fathers were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and that He was their God.  Moses belonged to Him.

“Where did I come from?  Who is my father?”  Such questions are important to us because they have to do with our sense of identity, knowing who we are and where we belong, knowing that we are not alone and that our existence has some greater context and therefore meaning.  Do we have peace, joy and security in who we are today because we know full well who our Father is?

Prayer

God of heaven, thank you for being my Father.  Thank you for coming to find me to tell me who I am.  I am your beloved, your creation, your child.  Help me to live like a child of yours ought to live today.  In the name of Jesus through whom I’ve become your very own I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 18

Lunch Break Study

Read Acts 17:24-29: “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.”

Questions to Consider

1. Why did God create the world and everything in it, including human beings (vv. 24-27)?
2. Who is God to us (vv. 28-29)?
3. What quality do we share with God and what is the significance of this fact (v. 29)? What are we treating as divine (i.e., worshipping or turning to as our source of help) today?

Notes

1. He created us so that we would seek him and find him. What does it mean to “find” God but to experience him, come to know him, and have a relationship with him?
2. God sustains our very existence, our every moment and every breath. He is the answer to our question, “Where did we come from?”
3. Both we and God are spiritual beings. Because we are spirit, in our search for God, we won’t be satisfied until we see someone else who is spirit like us.  Along the way, we may temporarily mistake created things for him, but because we are spirit, worship of created things will never truly satisfy.

Evening Reflection

“Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt?  Who am I, that the bright and morning star, would choose to light the way, for my ever wandering heart?  Not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done; not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are.  I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind.  Still You hear me when I’m calling, Lord, You catch me when I’m falling, and You’ve told me who I am: I am Yours.”

~ Casting Crowns, “Who am I”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7k81rDx448

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from March 7-13 are provided by Kate Moon.  Kate has been serving the Lord in E. Asia for nearly 15 years. 

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Acts 7:23-29

When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites.  He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian.  Moses thought his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.  The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting.  He tried to reconcile them by saying, “Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?” But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?”  When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.

Sometimes when children of immigrants visit the countries their parents originally came from, it can be both exhilarating and traumatic.  They often go to visit because they are looking for their roots, a sense of belonging, but sometimes they end up being rejected by the very people they are longing most to find connection with. When they walk into a store and can’t speak the language quite correctly, people wonder what is wrong with them.  If they inadvertently say or do something rude, people assume it was intentional and react accordingly.  Through such experiences, they discover things are more complicated than they’d imagined.

When Moses is 40 years old, after a lifetime of being brought up in the Egyptian palace, he decides to go visit “his people.” When he sees an Israelite being mistreated by an Egyptian, he makes his choice as to whose side he feels he belongs on, but as he continues to make attempts to help, he fails to do it in a way that people can understand or accept.  Also, because he was an Israelite like them but had somehow escaped slavery and had all these advantages in life, perhaps out of resentment and jealousy, he is rejected all the more.

Moses’ life parallels Jesus’ in that both left privileged backgrounds to identify with a people in slavery.  Both are rejected by the very people they came to save, and for Moses, at first it was enough to make him reject his people right back.  He leaves them, Egypt, and goes to live in land where he doesn’t have to deal with either.  But Jesus does not give up on His people, and we all know that in the end, God does not let Moses do so either.  Is there anyone we are tempted to reject or give up on today?  Someone we had the greatest hopes of connecting with whose rejection is hurting us the most?  Nevertheless, can we follow the example of Jesus and Moses and continue to reach out in love?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, would you give me the grace and wisdom today to reach out to those who have rejected me?  I’m sure I’ve made my share of mistakes in the ways I’ve tried to relate to people.  Please forgive me, show me the error of my ways, and help me to change.  In Your name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 17

Lunch Break Study

Read and compare the following two verses:

Acts 7:22:  Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

Exodus 4:10: Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant.  I am slow of speech and tongue.”

Questions to Consider

1. What apparent contradiction do you notice in these two verses?
2. The first verse describes Moses before he left Egypt; the second, 40 years after he left Egypt. What life experiences did he have between these two points of time?  How could they account for these two seemingly opposite depictions of Moses?
3. Which description of Moses do you think was true? Have certain failures or disappointments in life affected your perception of whether or not you are fit to carry out a particular commission of God?

Notes

1. The Acts passage says that Moses was powerful in speech, but this comes as somewhat of a surprise as Moses is also famous for saying to the Lord in Exodus that he was not eloquent.
2. He had killed a man, been rejected by his own people, and lived in a foreign land for forty years. Perhaps he’d had to learn a foreign language and couldn’t remember the last time he’d been eloquent. Perhaps he felt he’d failed in life and lost confidence.
3. I think that when God created Moses, He had indeed given him certain abilities that made him fit to accomplish the task God had for him. Ability is not the most important factor in doing God’s work, but we do need to reject any false perceptions of our limitations that keep us from engaging in His work.

Evening Reflection

Did you experience any rejection or failure today that you need to put behind you?  Give them to the Lord at this time, and ask Him for visions of hope for the future to take their place.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from March 7-13 are provided by Kate Moon.  Kate has been serving the Lord in E. Asia for nearly 15 years. 

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Acts 7:1-2: “1 Then the high priest asked him, ‘Are these charges true?’ 2 To this he [Stephen] replied: ‘Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran . . .’ ”

“Don’t you even have any eyes?” It was an immature response from an immature person (I was maybe around nine or ten), but it came from a very real sense of frustration at a perceived injustice.  An adult had “accused” me of not closing the screen door properly when I came into the house, but I obviously had – if the person had any eyes, she could see for herself that it was closed.  I knew I was being a little out of line, but I thought that maybe when she saw that she was the one in the wrong, she’d see my frustration was justified and let it pass, maybe even laugh.  Unfortunately, some nuance was lost in translation in the bilingual household I was growing up in (apparently the adult heard the word for “eyes” as something more like “brains,” and apparently, in her culture, calling into question an adult’s possession of brains was a particularly disrespectful expression), and I got into huge trouble.  It wasn’t about the door anymore but what I’d said to an adult, at which I felt even more frustrated, because I hadn’t said “brains,” I’d said “eyes.”  It just ended up being a terrible, mixed-up, no good day.

Being accused of anything is never a good feeling; being falsely accused is all the worse.  The immediate instinct is to rise up in indignation at the injustice, defend oneself, attack right back.  Stephen, however, did none of these things.  When he was being falsely accused of blasphemy and the high priest asks him if this is true, Stephen, “a man full of God’s grace” (v. 8) and wisdom (vv. 3, 10), begins talking about Abraham and Mesopotamia and ends up making an eloquent defense – not of himself, but of Jesus Christ.

How do we respond when we feel unjustly accused?  When a supervisor asks us where a report is that we actually handed in a week ago but he misplaced?  Can we resist becoming defensive of ourselves and have a more Christ-centered attitude when we face such situations?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, when I face false accusations or misunderstandings, help me to have maintaining my witness for you be my primary concern, over and above defending myself or proving others wrong.  For your name’s sake, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 16

Lunch Break Study

Though we’ve already meditated today about having a godly response when being falsely accused, what about when the charge someone brings against us is true?

Read Proverbs 9:8: “Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.”

Questions to Consider

1. Why do you think a mocker would respond to rebuke in this way?

2. What about the wise person? Why would he or she respond in the opposite way?

3. How do we respond to rebuke or correction? Defensively or graciously?

Notes

1. Those who mock others often put others down to feel better about themselves. A word of rebuke threatens their sense of self-worth, and they cannot truly receive it.  The one who tries to rebuke someone who is not ready to receive it may just end up losing the relationship.

2. Wise people can separate their self-worth from their mistakes or character flaws. Because they do not feel their value as a person is threatened when a corrective word is given, they can receive it constructively and love the one who loves them enough to rebuke.

Evening Reflection

Were you able to respond graciously to others’ estimations of you today?  If you faced any false accusations, bring the hurt, frustration and anger to Jesus, the bearer of the ultimate false accusation (=the sins of the world).  He understands.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from February 29 to March 6 are provided by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S. F.  Mark, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.), has been married to Mira for 20 years; they have two children, Jeremiah and Carissa.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Acts 6:8-15

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. ¹¹ Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” ¹² And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, ¹³ and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” ¹⁵ And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. ^[1]

Jesus’ call to love our enemies has largely been swept aside as a utopian fantasy that is unrealistic in the real world.   I recently heard a joke that highlights this point.  A pastor was preaching to his church about loving their enemies and he decided to take a quick survey of his congregation. He asked how many of them could count 10 or more enemies in their life.  A few guilty hands went up.  Then he asked how many of them had 5-10 enemies and a few more repentant hands went up.   Then he asked who had at least one enemy and this time nearly all the hands were raised.  Finally the preacher asked, “Who has no enemies?”  After a moment, the pastor saw the hand of one elderly man being raised and, wanting the church to hear the counsel of this godly man, he asked, “What is your secret to having no enemies so late in life?”    The man replied, “I thank God all those jerks have died!”

Laughter aside, this is a joke that has some level of truth to it.  And the truth is that most of us choose to ignore people whom we don’t like, simply waiting for the day that either you or that person will die or disappear.  Rarely would we even consider sharing God’s love by evangelizing those who are hostile to us.   Instead of seeing difficult people as an opportunity to fulfill the law of Christ, we tend to run away from the challenges of loving those who disagree with us, offend us, or just annoy us.  As the Scriptures point out, man’s natural tendency is to love only those who love us and to show kindness only to those who are kind to us.  Those with a greater sense of social responsibility may show love to people whom they have little or no relationship with, but it is a rare thing to find someone who is able to love those who are openly hostile towards them.

But as impossible as this may seem, the practice of loving our enemies was central to the success of the early church, especially as they were persecuted mercilessly. In fact, our understanding of this golden rule is still vitally important in truly living out the Gospel.   We are told that Stephen was a man full of grace and power.  Both of those characteristics were put to the test as he was wrongfully placed on trial and ultimately martyred for his faith.  Yet through it all, we read that Stephen’s face was like that of an angel.  I believe that the only thing that could explain his demeanor under such hostile circumstances was the fact that he was filled with the love of Christ, a love that is not bound by friendship but extends to our enemies.

Prayer:  Father, reveal to us the full depth, width, and breadth of your love.  Remind us that we were your enemies, yet you demonstrated your love by sending your Son to die on our behalf.   As we face those who are hostile to us and to the message of Christianity, help us to respond with the same love that you displayed for us.  Amen.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ac 6:8–15). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 14-15

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from February 29 to March 6 are provided by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S. F.  Mark, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.), has been married to Mira for 20 years; they have two children, Jeremiah and Carissa.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Acts 6:1-7

 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. ² And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. ³ Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. ⁴ But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. ⁶ These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

⁷ And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. ^[1]

Before becoming a full-time pastor, I spent a number of years in the corporate world as a biochemist.  I spent the bulk of my time working in two companies.  One was a publicly traded company, which relied on secular investors; and the other, a private firm owned and operated by Christian businessmen.  On the surface, you would think that the company run by Christian ownership would have a better atmosphere, culture, and work environment, and that they would treat their employees better than a company without any sort of Christian ethic.  To my surprise, it was the non-Christian ownership that was better on most of these counts.  Unfortunately, this is a trend that I see as I compare the majority of Christendom to the world.  The world organizes better, sings better, motivates better, administrates better, builds better, and leads better.  The main reason for this is the fact that the world doesn’t accept mediocrity, while the church—in the name of God’s grace—is perfectly fine with the mediocre.  While I was working at my first company, one of my co-workers sent me a pretty funny email about laziness in the workplace:

“This company cannot afford to have our employees give half-[bottom] efforts.  It doesn’t matter if your [bottom] is half empty or half full.  Half is still half.  One cheek will never get the job done.  We demand that you put both of your cheeks into your work.  Half a buttocks, half a rump, half a tush will only get you half the results.  If we want to achieve success, we need to get behind our work (pun intended).”

I think many of us have overlooked this emphasis on doing things well in regards to our faith and service to the Lord, but if we sit down and think about it logically, it makes all the sense in the world.  We serve a God who does all things well, and as His children, we should reflect this characteristic of our Father in heaven.  There has to be a desire in us to excel in those areas where He has called us to minister.  Obviously, only God can do all things well.  You and I can only do a handful of things well, and so we need to prioritize.  Good leaders not only display proficiency, they understand priority.  This is what we see the apostles essentially doing.   They are proficient in caring for the widows, but their priority is to pray and preach the Word of God.  They could not do both well so they raised a new group of leaders.  Nevertheless, they felt that serving the poor was important enough to recruit the best candidates in the church—men who were filled with the Spirit and of wisdom, because, again, this was a ministry worth the best effort of the church.  As we prepare for Sunday, I pray that the Lord would encourage all of us to serve well.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we know that Your Son did all things well and grew in His reputation among men.  Help us to do things well, not from a legalistic motivation, but because we long to give You our best.  Guard us against laziness, and grow us in our capacity to minister and serve Your church effectively.  Amen.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Acts 6:1–7). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 13

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from February 29 to March 6 are provided by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S. F.  Mark, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.), has been married to Mira for 20 years; they have two children, Jeremiah and Carissa.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Acts 5:33-42

³³ When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. ³⁴ But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. ³⁵ And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. ³⁶ For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. ³⁷ After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. ³⁸ So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; ³⁹ but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, ⁴⁰ and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. ⁴¹ Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. ⁴² And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. ^[1]

In his farewell speech to the disciples, Jesus states clearly, “No servant is greater than his master and if they persecuted me, they will persecute you.” As we are faced with the suffering of Christ and the call to pick up our cross and follow Him, an important question arises: What does it mean for us, surrounded by all of this affluence and comfort, to suffer for the sake of the gospel?

In answering this question, one of the problems we face is that we could never imagine God asking us to suffer for His name.   So when things are going well, we feel pretty good about our relationship with God. However, when things turn for the worse, if there is an ounce of discomfort or suffering, we are often quick to question the purpose of God. The words of Christ from the cross remind us that we haven’t even begun the first lessons of trusting in our heavenly Father until we have moved through deep seasons of pain and anguish. This is often when our relationship with God is put to the test. Can you commit your spirit, your entire life into the hands of your Father in heaven, even when it comes at a price?   The logical question that we need to reflect on today is this: “If God asked his natural Son to suffer for His name and for the purpose of love, would He not ask his adopted children to do the same?”

And here, some of us might wonder, how can a loving God allow his children to suffer? How does a good father willingly and knowingly put his children at risk?   Well, the answer to that is very simple: we are not living in peacetime. There is a war that surrounds us, a war for the ages between good and evil, right and wrong, love and hate—ultimately, life versus death. Any good father would proudly enlist his children into that struggle and with a grieving heart, even risk their well-being for the purpose of winning a just war. And in the same way that God asked His only begotten Son to suffer for the sake of gospel, he asks His spiritual children to do the same.

Prayer

Lord, we thank You for the examples of men and women, both past and present, who have paid the highest price to live out their faith. Help us to remember that there are many brothers and sisters in Christ who don’t live in the relative ease and comfort that we enjoy in the West.   We lift up the persecuted church in prayer, and rejoice that your people have been found worthy enough to suffer for Your Name. Amen.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Acts 5:33–42). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 12

Lunch Break Study

Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. ^[1]

Questions to Consider:

1. What does it mean to be justified by faith?
2. What are the benefits of being justified in the eyes of God?
3. How is justification and glorification connected in the Christian life?

Notes:

1. Justification by faith is a central doctrine of Christianity. It is the belief that through our relationship with Christ and faith in His work on the cross, we are found to be righteous in the sight of God.
2. The main benefit of being justified is having peace with God. However, justification is more than the forgiveness of sin, it comes with the promise of our glorification, that one day we will be made to be like Christ. Many confuse justification with simply the negation of debt that leaves us with an empty account. The biblical view of justification is that our accounts are positively filled with the righteousness of Christ by the grace of God. This is what theologians refer to as the imputation of righteousness to the believer.
3. Between justification and glorification, the believer enters into the process of sanctification or being refined in holiness. One of the ways that God produces this growth in the believer is through the use of suffering. We rejoice in times of suffering, because we can see the endurance, character, and hope that it produces in us. Furthermore, if we know that we stand justified by grace, we know that our suffering is not judgment against our sin.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ro 5:1–5). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Evening Reflection

Are you going through a difficult time, or is someone that you know suffering? Pray that God would give you joy and hope during these trying circumstances?   Remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)!

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from February 29 to March 6 are provided by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S. F.  Mark, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.), has been married to Mira for 20 years; they have two children, Jeremiah and Carissa.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Acts 5:17-32

But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” ^[1]

As Christians, our courage was meant to come from our identity in Christ. So much of the timidity that we experience in life comes because we feel like we are not good enough. When we get a job that is well beyond our qualifications, we struggle with being unsure of ourselves. When we fall for someone who seems to be out of our league, we find ourselves stumbling over our words trying to communicate. In fact, whenever we are in the presence of people who seem smarter, richer, or more talented than we are, we feel our insecurities rising to the surface and all of our confidence leaking out. But when you truly come to believe in Christ, your sense of identity doesn’t come from yourself— it comes from the One who died for you.   And when you begin to see the world from the perspective that everyone is a sinner in need of a Savior, a wonderful thing happens: you find yourself free from crippling self-consciousness.

Every one of us knows the glaring weaknesses in our lives. Maybe you didn’t go to the best college or have a prestigious career or have the right pedigree. In today’s passage, we see that the disparity between the apostles and the men putting them on trial is greater than the difference between the average person in our churches and a supreme court judge. Yet we can see that they didn’t fumble for words, they showed no signs of nerves, fear, or doubt. It’s possible that these religious leaders had never been addressed in this way by the lower class. The gospel does something astounding in those who truly believe.   When you identify yourself with the resurrected Christ, you no longer measure yourself on the sliding scale of relative status. In other words, your worth and sense of significance isn’t from your career, your degrees, your bank account, or your talents.

The gospel puts everyone on the same level playing field—sinners in need of a Savior. Whether you are rich or poor, educated or not, President of the United States or a janitor, the gospel looks at every individual as equal in the eyes of God. There is something about putting our faith into Christ and leveling out this playing field that gives every person the opportunity to live the life that God intended for them.   Peter and the apostles were simply following the lead of their Master, because though He was born in poverty, He lived like He had possession of the treasures of heaven; though He was uneducated, He confounded the philosophy of the wise; though He had no earthly power, He spoke of a kingdom that has no end. Ultimately, it is this ability to fully identify with Christ that allows us to obey God as opposed to fearing man. 

Prayer

Father, give us a courageous faith that allows us to live in obedience to You, no matter what the world says. Help us to fight against the temptation to be timid or to compromise our beliefs in the name of political correctness or even fear. In all circumstances, may we choose obedience to You as opposed to the approval of people. Amen.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Acts 5:17–32). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 11

Lunch Break Study

2 Timothy 1:6-12 (ESV)

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do.^[1] 

Questions to Consider:

1. What gift is Paul commanding Timothy to fan into flame?
2. Why does Timothy appear to be struggling with fear?
3. What solution does Paul give as the answer to Timothy’s timidity?

Notes:

1. Paul is exhorting Timothy to fan into flame the spiritual gifts of ministry, especially the gifts of leadership and faith. Timothy’s calling as a pastor was confirmed by the laying on of Paul’s hands, and he is now reminding his young protégé of his need to exercise the calling with power, love, and self-control.
2. Timothy is generally pictured as a reluctant leader who is unsure of himself because of his age and lack of experience. Perhaps due to confrontations with older men in the church, he was hesitant to exert his own leadership and utilize his spiritual gifts.
3. As a seasoned minister of the gospel, Paul points Timothy to the power of God as the basis for his calling. The solution to our fears is not simply trying harder to overcome them but by our confidence in the purpose and grace of God. Paul reminds Timothy gently that just as he was given his calling in Christ Jesus before the ages began, Timothy, too, shared in that same glorious calling.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (2 Ti 1:6–12). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Evening Reflection

Do you recognize your personal tendency towards timidity and fear regarding your faith? Is there someone in your life that will challenge and remind you of your calling to live boldly and courageously?   Take some time to ask God to fan into flame your own spiritual gifts, and consider ways that you can serve God more faithfully and more fruitfully.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from February 29 to March 6 are provided by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S. F.  Mark, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.), has been married to Mira for 20 years; they have two children, Jeremiah and Carissa.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Acts 5:12-16: ¹² Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. ¹³ None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. ¹⁴ And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, ¹⁵ so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. ^[1]

George Ladd, who was a renowned professor of New Testament at Fuller Seminary , taught that the kingdom of heaven is the dynamic reign of God and that the present reality of the kingdom is manifested through various signs such as the forgiveness of sins, care for the poor, healing for the sick, deliverance from evil spirits, miracles over nature, and the raising of the dead.  Jesus began the rule of God through His life, death, and resurrection but Satan is still the god of this world (according to 2 Corinthians 4:4) and will not be completely defeated until the second coming of Christ.  For John Wimber, this became the foundation on which he built the healing ministry at Vineyard through a theology of both power and pain.  It was a way of believing that healings will happen but also a way to explain why it doesn’t always happen.

As Wimber preached through the New Testament at the beginning of the Vineyard, he began to focus on this connection between the kingdom of God and the gifts of healing.  After four months he came to an impasse, in which he questioned whether or not healing was supposed to be a regular part of the church’s ministry.  He concluded that it was and the following Sunday, he asked people to come up for prayer.  The results were horrifying because instead of healing the sick, the prayer team caught the sicknesses of those they were praying for!  As Wimber continued to encourage prayer for the sick, the church began to shrink because people thought this healing ministry was far too risky.  Wimber knew from his time as a church consultant that it was okay to talk about some things as long as you didn’t actually try to do them and he questioned whether to quit or continue.

One week, as Wimber was preparing his Sunday sermon, he slammed his Bible shut and told the Lord, “I will not teach about healing anymore.”  He immediately sensed the Holy Spirit rebuking him by saying, “Either preach my Word or get out.”  Fortunately, he continued the healing ministry at the Vineyard and began to witness the power of God move through his congregation.  Eventually, hundreds of people would be healed and the movement known as the Vineyard renewal was born.

It is impossible to preach through the Bible especially the Gospels and the book of Acts and not have to wrestle with why the church seems to have so little power.  We often end up preaching our experience as opposed to what the Holy Spirit would have us believe about these subjects.  The advancement of the kingdom is often evidenced by a display of miraculous power over sickness, both physically and spiritually.   The Scriptures present to us an indisputable connection between the two.  After all, the apostles represent the greatest preachers, pastors, and teachers in Christian history but we see that their ministry was not simply a matter of persuasive words but was evidenced by the demonstration of power.

Prayer

Lord, increase our faith to believe that you came to heal the sick, release the captives, give sight to the blind, and to free those in bondage to sin.  Help us to overcome our lack of faith and to pray your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as in heaven.  Teach us how to seek your kingdom first and trust that you will add everything else unto us.  Amen.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ac 5:12–16). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 10

Lunch Break Study

Matthew 10:5-15 (ESV): ⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, ⁶ but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. ⁹ Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. ¹¹ And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹² As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³ And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. ^[1]

Questions to Consider:

1. Why does Jesus give priority to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” in his mission?
2. How should we view the commands given by Jesus in verse 7-8 to proclaim the kingdom with its accompanying signs and miracles?
3. Why did Jesus forbid the disciples from taking money and supplies on their mission?

Notes:

1. In the beginnings of Christianity, the strategy was to evangelize the Jews first for two main reasons. The first reason is mainly spiritual.  Since the Jews represent God’s original people, his first born son, and the tree that Gentiles would be grated into, they had the privilege of receiving the gospel first.  The second reason was more pragmatic.  Jewish converts to Christianity would already have a baseline understanding of God and the OT scriptures from Judaism so they could quickly grow in their new found faith in Christ.
2. Although many people dispute the commands in verse 8 as being limited to just the original disciples, there is no biblical warrant to relegate the commands to heal the sick, exorcise demons, and even raise the dead to Christians in the first century. If this were the case, we would have to limit the command to proclaim the kingdom to the original apostles.  We see in the book of Acts that there was no such limitation in place nor is there any exegetical proof that miracles ceased with the last apostle.  Therefore, Christians throughout the ages can expect signs and wonders from time to time.
3. Jesus wanted the disciples to depend on the grace of those who received their ministry. Clearly this was not to exploit the sick or become rich using the name of Jesus as some have done but rather it was a means of teaching about God’s grace to both giver and recipient.  It should be remembered that ministers of the gospel are not paid for their work but rather paid so that they can serve more freely.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Mt 10:5–15). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Evening Reflection

In what ways have your experienced the supernatural work of God in your life?  How have you limited God or limited yourself in terms of the ministry that you are called to perform?   It has been said that a Christian is only bound by the limits of his or her faith.  Pray that you would grow in faith and expect to do great things for God.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from February 29 to March 6 are provided by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S. F.  Mark, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.), has been married to Mira for 20 years; they have two children, Jeremiah and Carissa.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Acts 5:7-11

After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. ^[1]

As we look again at the judgment incurred by Ananias and Sapphira, we see the clear warning given by Peter against testing or lying to the Spirit of God. We may not consider this sin very often, but it is more common than we realize. Tom Constable, a theologian at Dallas Seminary describes this particular sin as follows: “Lying to the Holy Spirit is a sin that Christians commit frequently today. When Christians act hypocritically by pretending a devotion that is not there or a surrender of life that they have not really made, they lie to the Holy Spirit. If God worked today as he did in the early Jerusalem church, undertakers would have much work.” ^[2]

For Ananias and Sapphira, there was no reason to lie about the amount of money they were offering to the Lord. There was no obligation to sell their property and certainly no pressure to give the full amount of the sale. What they had committed to give was strictly a free will offering, and no one would have faulted them for committing less than the entire amount. Yet, they were driven to lie needlessly in order to build a reputation of godliness and sacrifice that was not genuine.

In the context of the previous chapter, this couple had witnessed the accolades and praise that were given to Barnabas, and it appears that they wanted that for themselves.   Sadly, they failed to realize that God doesn’t look just at how much we give but more importantly God examines the reasons why we give. The final worth of our service to the Lord will be weighed by the motives of our heart, not by the final line on a budget sheet.   Without the prerequisite of a pure and humble heart, what we vow to the Lord will not amount to much.

Who among us hasn’t felt that tinge of pride when we do something charitable or make a grand gesture of commitment to God? This happens to the best of us; and it reminds us of the subtle but real danger of making a show of our religious devotion in order to increase our own sense of worth and significance. However, if this is our sole motivation, then Jesus’ warning to us is that “we have received our reward in full.” Heart motivation is what authenticates every religious activity we undertake in the name of God, whether it is giving our offerings or sacrificing our time and energy to serve the church.

Prayer

Father, we confess that our motives are not as pure and that our hearts are not as contrite as they should be. Help us to see the dangers of self-deception, and the subtle way we look to promote ourselves at the expense of Your glory. Holy Spirit, would You search our hearts today so that we would be aware of the ways in which we test You. Amen.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Acts 5:7–11). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[2] Gangel, K. O. (1998). Acts. Holman New Testament Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 75). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 9

Lunch Break Study

Luke 21:1-4 (ESV)

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” [1]

Questions to Consider:

1. What do you think that Jesus is saying on the topic of giving as he compares the gifts of the rich with the two copper coins of the widow?
2. How should we respond, given the main point of this story?

Notes:

1. There are three main theories in regards to the point that Jesus is trying to make in this passage: First, the measure of one’s gift does not involve how much one gives but how much remains; second, a gift is measured by the spirit in which it is given; and third, one’s giving should be commensurate with one’s means.
2. I believe that there is truth in each of these theories, but I would lean towards the first point because nothing is actually indicated about the inner motives of the widow. Most likely, Jesus correlated the widow’s actions with the right heart.   After all, she gave what little she had to live on, which exemplified a generosity towards God, a trust in His provision, and a willingness to commit everything as an expression of love for her God.

Evening Reflection

Jesus tells us that in order to follow him, we must deny ourselves and pick up our cross daily. When is the last time you have sacrificed or surrendered something in order to obey God? Have you given or served to the point that it has made your life uncomfortable or at least inconvenient? Pray about ways you can live sacrificially for the sake of Christ and the gospel.