The AMI QT devotionals from Jan. 1-15 are provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (Ph.D.) who is the AMI Teaching Pastor. He and Insil have been married for 28+ years and they have three children: Christy (teacher), Joshua (grad student) and Justin (college freshman). They live in Philadelphia.
Editor’s Note:
- First, the AMI devotions over the next several months will be on Acts.
- Second, this year we are sharing a little bit more about our writers.
- Third, the AMI QT blog, consisting of five parts, is not short, but each section is there for a reason. But if it feels too much, then read just the morning devotional and prayer. Also, note that you can arrange 2 or 3 related lunch break studies and use it to lead a small Bible study at work or school. The QT files can be sent to you on demand (Cryun2@yahoo.com).
Devotional Thoughts for Today
Luke 1:3-4b
With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
Acts 1:1
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach…
Certainly when religion is done wrong, Karl Marx is absolutely correct in saying that “religion is the opium of the masses.” Marx’s premise, of course, is that people in power manipulate religion to keep the people in line, so that the structure continues to sustain their advantage while the masses hold out for the pie in the sky. Thus, the flow of religion goes downward from the top. But that’s not how God designed it.
Theophilus, meaning, “One who loves God,” was likely “a high official in the Roman government” (Barclay); he, as a man of wealth, “was possibly Luke’s patron” (NIVSB, p. 1532) who saw to it that his writing was completed.
Now, it was asserted yesterday that Luke might have been a slave. While no biblical text actually says so, “the ‘doctors’ in ancient Rome were not nearly as highly regarded as the doctors in Greece. The profession itself, outside of the legions, was considered a low social position, fit for slaves.”[1] Even if Luke wasn’t a slave, his socioeconomic status was such that he needed a wealthy sponsor in order to focus on his writing. And he found such an individual in Theophilus, a wealthy and powerful man, who, despite having already learned the story and teachings of Jesus, wanted to make sure that he had it right. While it is likely that Theophilus had it in his mind to make copies of the book and later distribute them to others, Luke left no doubt as to whom the book was for: Theophilus (“an orderly account for you . . . so that you may know”).
Contrary to Marx’s assertion, then, the flow of religion goes upward from the bottom. 1 Cor. 1:27 reads, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” No example better illustrates this truth than Daniel, a Jew exiled in Babylonia, whose bold testimony moved the hearts of King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4:34-5) and King Darius (6:25-7); ironically, the political conquerors became spiritually conquered.
So, don’t be afraid to share your faith with the rich and the intellectuals; inasmuch as Theophilus was hungry for spiritual truth, many of them still are. “Celsus, a great opponent of the faith (of the 2nd century) . . . mentions how even Christians with little or no education seized opportunity to witness to people, and when confronted by educated pagans they still would not stop pushing their opinions” (Neill). While attending UCLA graduate school, I judiciously shared my faith with the professors. While none of them told me to get lost, there is one drawback: I had to keep my grade up so as to not lose my credibility! At any rate, make 2016 a year in which you share the gospel with more people than you ever have.
Prayer
Father, I exalt You this morning. I admit that in the midst of pouting about all the things I don’t have, I constantly forget what I do from you. Convict me to use what I have to do good and mission-minded work in your Son’s name so that unbelieving co-workers and neighbors may thirst for Christ. Amen.
[1] UNRV History: Roman Empire. Retrieved December 11, 2015, from http://www.unrv.com/culture/ancient-roman-doctors.php
Bible Reading for Today: 1 Peter 2-3
The AMI QT devotionals from Jan. 1-15 are provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (Ph.D.) who is the AMI Teaching Pastor. He and Insil have been married for 28+ years and they have three children: Christy (teacher), Joshua (grad student) and Justin (college freshman). They live in Philadelphia.
Thomas Sowell never knew his father who died before his birth; he grew up in the South, where his encounters with Caucasians were so rare that “he did not know that blond was a hair color.” After dropping out of high school, it seemed very unlikely that he would one day become a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and author of 30 books.
When given a challenge or difficult task, the first thing we often say is, “I can’t; it’s too hard.” The outcome of Sowell and Luke’s life suggests otherwise. While hard work (Prov. 14:23) and determination (24:16) led to Sowell’s rise, Luke presents an additional component: God equips and empowers those who obey His call. In that context, we can proclaim, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).
With the end of the year quickly approaching, many of us have already begun making resolutions. Whether it’s to hit the gym or do more for our careers, we’re all eager to make good on our new commitments. But I want to encourage you to slow down, because too many of us are quick to plan out our lives on our own. We only seem to invite God to bless our new plans rather than to shape them. But this shouldn’t surprise us. We live in a time where the self is king. It is the self who possesses all authority to determine its own path; and to suggest otherwise is an affront to the unspoken laws of our culture. For this reason, we’ve grown accustomed to planning our lives however we see fit. But the psalmist shows us a better way.
Growing up, there was no one I idolized more than Michael Jordan, who played with a certain type of artistry that separated him from the rest. This made him arguably the greatest basketball player of all time (sorry, Kobe fans!). One reason for his success was his otherworldly work ethic. Although he was naturally gifted, he practiced as if he had to earn every ounce of it. And this obsession made it apparent to everyone that he lived for basketball. But here’s the depressing part: according to an ESPN article, even with all the accolades and success, Michael Jordan still remains dissatisfied and restless about his life. What he believed would one day bring him fulfillment failed to deliver—and now at the age of 52, he’s still searching. In other words, the idol he set up for himself had only brought profound disappointment.
In my early 20’s, I was going through a very difficult season while dealing with depression. Although I was attending church, I wasn’t necessarily looking for God. Instead, I sought comfort in all the wrong places; in fact, I rebelled against God in every way imaginable. But one Sunday, I found myself at a prayer meeting and God met me in a way that left no part of me untouched. And for the first time in many years I felt whole again. This was the beginning of a journey that continues even to this day. You see, this is a picture of grace—God’s undeserved favor bestowed upon someone who not only didn’t deserve it but wasn’t even looking for it!
The conclusion of a nationwide survey conducted in the early 2000’s by sociologist Christian Smith, who attempted to gauge the spiritual DNA of Americans, was unsettling: Most Americans believed in what he coined as moralistic therapeutic deism, meaning the goal of life is to feel good about oneself and that God exists to serve us. This shouldn’t surprise us since we live in a time when church services aim to entertain rather than to challenge; it’s more about keeping people in the pews happy, rather than challenging them to follow Christ regardless of the cost. Consequently, we’ve produced consumers, not disciples. So then, why did God save us?
Leprosy causes the loss of all physical sensations, including pain. Even an open wound, infected and full of puss, doesn’t hurt; if left untreated, it will disfigure the entire body, limb by limb. At the risk of offending some, many evangelicals suffer from spiritual leprosy. Living in this world that is becoming increasingly militant against God’s truth, we feel no tension, no indignation, and certainly no desire to fight back (that is, not with the weapons of this world).
Let’s be honest: We say God’s word is the most important source of truth for us, but do our core beliefs and values really reflect that? In the church we say, “Yes, that is a sin,” but as soon as we are out the door, we become politically correct. We sing these great songs about the greatness of God, but are we really all that different from the world? Are we not as selfish, insecure, and pleasure-driven as those who do not confess Christ?
Every year, TV advertisements seem to be funnier and cleverer during the holiday season. However, this is also the season for my least favorite ad, the animal cruelty commercial with the forlorn animals. While I don’t disagree with its necessity, I find myself annoyed every time it comes on because my mood is ruined –the heaviness is not what I am looking for during my Christmas programming.
When I was in school, my friends and I enjoyed some go-to study spots. But, just as typical irresponsible teenagers might, we left the clean-up responsibilities to others. Eventually, school administrators, fed up with the amount of clean-up needed, locked us out. The rest of the school year, wherever we went, we had to take more ownership for our presence and take greater care in picking up after ourselves. As Christians, we are frequently reminded that the Earth is not our home, as we should be pilgrims yearning for Heaven. However, we often use this as an excuse to leave the world’s chaos for someone else to deal with. Many of us are not interested in leaving this earth better than we found it: we don’t want to clean a place physically, or we don’t think we have the patience and time to restore someone in our community. Instead of tangling ourselves in the hard work of this world, it seems easier to live a quiet life before ending at Heaven. It should amaze and move us that God, beautiful and holy, came with a completely opposite intent. Though He could have lived in comfort with a blind eye to the world, He dwelt among the broken and sick, spending His life healing, restoring, and redeeming the world. Such was the importance of His work that, before returning to Heaven, He charged us to continue it and gave us access to the Spirit so we could have God’s presence and power. As we usher in Christmas this year, let us fix our eyes on our Savior, whose example should stir in us a desire to take part in God’s work of healing and restoring this Earth. May we yearn to live lives that echo the footsteps and the humility of our Lord, who did not come to earth to be served as a king, but came to serve.