Editor’s Note:  The AMI Quiet Time Devotionals from December 27-31 are provided by Pastor (intern) Andrew Kim who serves at Tapestry Church (Los Angeles).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Hosea 10:1 

Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; as his country improved, he improved his pillars. 

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?

Here, in Hosea 10, we find the prophet pronouncing a scathing judgment upon the nation of Israel for exactly the same reason—they were a self-serving people. At first glance, when Hosea writes that “Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit,” it seems to be a compliment. However, in the original language it would be better translated as, “Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit for itself.” And this was a serious offense. God as the vinedresser had planted Israel as a vine that would one day bear fruit for others. But instead, they chose a self-centered path. It was all about them!

Israel failed to remember that when God had promised Abraham the nation of Israel in Genesis 12, its primary purpose was to bring blessing to all nations.  They were supposed to be a nation that shared God’s blessings with the surrounding Canaanites who served territorial gods that scorned other nations.  But unlike Israel, we must not forget why we exist as a community.

The church has been instituted, not as a means to primarily serve our own needs, but to be a conduit of God’s blessing to those around us. This means that God has given us the church, our jobs, finances, and abilities as a way to share God’s love and blessings with others. Consider today what God has given you, and begin wrestling with how you can use it all for His glory and for the building up of others. It’s when we live this out that we are most fulfilled and happy!

Prayer 

God, help me to see beyond my own needs and desires. Give me a heart full of love and generosity that will allow me to use the gifts and resources You’ve given me for the sake of others and ultimately for Your glory.

Bible Reading for Today: Philippians 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 28:16-20: Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

Questions to consider

1. What is the commission given to the disciples before Jesus ascends?
2. What does it mean that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus?
3. How have you done lately in regards to living this commission out? Do you share the love of Christ or keep it for yourself?

Notes 

1. He commissions us out to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This means that the church has the responsibility of sharing who Jesus is with the world around us. This prohibits us from making church all about us. It challenges us to look outside of our own spiritual state and to be broken for those who do not yet know Jesus.
2. Before His risen state, Jesus was a penniless preacher. But now, the situation was much different. No longer did the limitations of the incarnation apply to Him. He now possessed full authority in heaven and on earth. And this is good news because we would not be able to fulfill our commission unless the Jesus who promises to be with us until the end has all authority in heaven and earth. He is the only reason we can accomplish what we’ve been sent to do.
3. Personal.

Evening Reflection

We live in a culture where giving is not our default posture, and it’s easy to constantly think about ourselves more than ever. How can you work on becoming more other-centered? What are some areas of greed in your life? Do you reflect the generosity and the giving posture of the God we serve? Or do you reflect the self-serving pattern of our world? Take some time to assess the way you live your life in regards to these questions.

Editor’s Note: Today’s AMI QT devotional is written by Ryun Chang and Joshua Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Read John 17:14-7 (ESV)

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 

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).

The fundamental tension for us is one between Christianity and the reigning paradigm of our time—secular ideology. But the thoughts and teachings of this world, of which we are a part, will never, ever be our highest authority—only Christ and His word is, no matter how alluring, appealing, or popular the dictates of secularism appear to us.

At the same time, we must learn to avoid the extremes of a hateful “us versus them” stance and a naïve lack of discernment in encountering the good, evil, and sometimes ambiguous influences upon our souls. For instance, even as we take on secularism or radicalized Islam, we do so respectfully, not hating the person and even learning a thing or two from those who oppose us.

But through it all, we must remember that we live by faith, not by sight. We live for Christ, and not for any person or nation. We live by evaluating human experience through Christ’s word, not primarily the word of this or that guru or intellectual elite. Nothing should become our ultimate foundation and measuring rod for right living and thought, whether our favorite political movement, secular ethic, ideal of social justice, life pleasure, human identity, technological advancement, or fashionable science.

As alluded earlier, that is not to deny there may be things of great value in the secular ideas and products I have just mentioned; on the contrary, we can welcome many of these to improve human living or enhance our intellectual and moral growth. But our ultimate hope and authority will never be to anything secularism has to offer, anything that comes out of the city of man. Our allegiance is to Christ alone. I leave you with Joshua’s call to the people of Israel as they started their existence as a nation in the Promised Land: “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 12

Editor’s Note: Today’s AMI QT devotional is written by Ryun Chang and Joshua Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Philippians 3:20-2

 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

Hebrews 11:10:

“For [Abraham] was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”

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?

Yes, there is no escaping the human confrontation with questions of how we are to live and think. We must commit to some course of action, an overarching worldview, a narrative of reality. We declare our answer by the actions and thoughts we enact every day, until our days eventually constitute our entire life, through responding to questions like, “How far are we willing to push our moral boundaries in order achieve our goals? What kind of persons are we becoming by our actions, big and small, from reliance on the latest technological achievement, to how we relate to others, to our career choice from a vast array of options given to us courtesy of our liberal democracy?”

Before our world got super complex and wired, St. Augustine, the great 5^th century Church Father, was already talking about the unbridgeable gap between the two cities: the city of God and the city of man.  The city of God stands for eternal and permanent truth that, when fully comprehended and embraced, results in “righteousness and peace and joy” (Rom. 14:17).

However, the city of man gives us different ideas, theories, and tools to respond to such questions. As Christians in the world, we listen to the answers given, sometimes unaware of their good/bad/neutral potential—power to corrupt our minds, strengthen our hearts for ethical action, or choke the life out of our loyalty to Christ through subtle, but deadly influences to commit to vice and viciousness.

My one advice to you as you encounter all the things the world has to offer you is this: do not forget your allegiance to the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. His story, His life, His teaching, His word, His person—here lays our foundation and encompassing narrative through which to understand and evaluate what the world has to offer us. We may be citizens of the city of man, but our ultimate and highest commitment is to Christ—the Ruler of the city of God.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 11

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals for today are provided by Christine Li.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Genesis 16:13

“[Hagar] gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’ “

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.

During Christmas, every greeting we have echoes an expectation of celebration: the holidays are happy; Christmas is supposed to be merry. However, our over-emphasis on celebration can leave the impression that it is inappropriate to have any grief, sadness, or longing. We might find ourselves at a loss to reconcile our inner struggles with the call to rejoice, though many of us have wounds and pains that simple “Christmas cheer” cannot heal.

Here, we can find great help from Hagar’s story. In her grief, she had run away, but in the desert, God met her. By speaking directly to her and giving her a promise of hope, God showed Hagar that He was with her – that He was, in her words, “the God who sees.” In that revelation, she was able to return to her mistress, not because God had changed her situation, but because she had met Him and knew that His eye was upon her.

At Christmas, we can remember that the same God is present with us.  We can take comfort in this secure and firm hope, that into a broken and dark world, the living Word of God, Jesus Himself, came to us. His eye is always upon us and He sees our every circumstance. He came to bring us near to Him, and He has promised to be with us until the end of the age. Surely, He will also give us His comfort and peace for all eternity.

Prayer: Father, thank You for sending Your son to rescue us from the darkness, and thank You for bringing us near to You. Thank You for the reminder in Christmas that You are with us always and that You triumph over all darkness in our lives. Help us to worship You in every season.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 9

Lunch Break Study

Read Mark 8:31-33
 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Questions to Consider

1. This famous rebuke, “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men,” must have stung. What did Peter’s initial rebuke insinuate to deserve this rebuke?
2. What are the things of God, and how should we set our minds upon them?

Notes

1. The passage says that Jesus plainly spoke that elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law would reject Him and that He would be put to death. Peter had confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, so Jesus’ words would be shocking, since He was saying that respectable, well-regarded religious leaders would be unable to recognize Him and even want to kill the Messiah! Peter’s rebuke was based on an idea that those leaders were above reproach and should not be slandered thusly.
2. “Things of God” in this context show that God’s plan often operates in a way that would be different from our understanding and perception. In every decision we make, we can ask Him for greater wisdom and discernment, and we can ask for greater trust when God takes us through routes we do not expect.

Evening Reflection

On this Christmas, let us take some time to assess what brought us the greatest and deepest joy today. Is it rooted in Christ and something that we can enjoy for all eternity? Ask God to help you cling onto the sure and firm things that come from Him rather than the joys of this world. During Christmas, let us not just cherish material giving and familial presence but also His gift of salvation and His eternal presence.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals for today are provided by Christine Li.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” 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.

Prayer: Father, thank You for sending Your son to us. Help us to be imitators of Christ and have our eyes and hearts open to the world around us. May we recall the humility and indignity with which Jesus came and, by the power of Your spirit, endeavor to leave this earth and its people better than we found it.  

Bible Reading for Today: Luke 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Mark 8:27-31: Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

Questions to Consider

1. Considering that Jesus lived with His disciples, why would He ask these two questions about His identity? Are these questions still relevant to us?
2. Right after this exchange, Jesus begins to teach His disciples about the coming suffering and pain. Why does He choose to time this revelation this way?

Notes

1. Jesus asks these questions that reveal the difference between His reputation and His disciples’ personal opinions. The questions are still relevant for us. The world, our friends, and our family members may have different ideas and definitions of who Jesus is. However, at the end of days, the only answer that will matter will be what we personally profess Him to be – whether He is our Lord and Savior.
2. It is interesting that Jesus shares this information about His death only in light of the confession of faith. His disciples would have held a traditional understanding of the Messiah, which is that Jesus was expected to be a political and military leader. Now that they were convinced He was the Messiah, He could begin to reveal the greater picture of His plan.

Evening Reflection

Oftentimes, God has already placed us into a setting where He can use us, though we might have difficulty discerning how to be salt and light in that environment. Do you know why you are where you are? Ask God to reveal His will for you so that you might make disciples according to His wisdom and grace. Then, ask Him for obedience to be faithful to that calling.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from Dec. 21-3 are produced by Pastor (intern) Phillip Chen who oversees the college group at the Church of Southland.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Hosea 9:8-10 (ESV): They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the Lord, and their sacrifices shall not please him. It shall be like mourners’ bread to them; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for their hunger only; it shall not come to the house of the Lord.

What do you tend to do when you’ve messed up? We see movies that show the man insincerely buying flowers and chocolates in hopes of making up with his significant other—and we are baffled at his naiveté, thinking, Surely, he doesn’t think that forgiveness can be bought! Gifts (without sincere repentance) cannot appease broken relationships. We get that, but surprisingly, humans think that this works towards God. Subconsciously, this is what many of us do as we approach God, falling into the lie that we are allowed to continue with sin in our lives as long as we are attending church, giving tithes, serving and going on mission trips. We use these “acts of worship” to barter with God to justify sin. Yet God is not interested in those “acts of worship” if a repentant heart does not accompany them.

We often treat God as if He is obligated to receive our worship, whether it is the Sunday worship service or small groups. If we serve in different ministries and go on mission trips, God should be grateful for our service and all that we give—but this is certainly not the case. Here, in this passage, God tells Israel that He is not pleased with their offering—it is not accepted in His sight. Then what does God desire?

King David knew that God desired the heart more than simple, outward actions. In Psalm 51, as he reflects on his treacherous sin in having Uriah murdered to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba, he says, “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” There is a difference between being sorry for getting caught and being genuinely sorry for our sins. King David does not offer sacrifices—an outward action—simply to appease God. Rather, he is sincerely remorseful as he repents of his sin, which is what God desires of us. When we sin, let us approach His throne of grace with a broken and contrite heart, for He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us of our sins!

Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your steadfast love. Even in the midst of my faithlessness, You remain faithful. I don’t want to keep offering sacrifices that are not from a genuine, repentant heart. Help me in my weakness, and cause me to hate sin and run from it towards You. May my worship be a pleasing aroma to You!

 Bible Reading for Today: Luke 1*

*This week we take a detour from Ecclesiastes to read the classical passages about the birth of Christ: Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2 and Isaiah 9.

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 51:4, 11, 13-7: Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. . . . 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. . . . 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise

 Question to Consider

1. What do we make of v. 4 when David says, “Against you, you only, have I sinned…” when David has clearly sinned against Uriah and Bathsheba?
2. What is the significance of David asking that God would not take His presence away from him (v.11)?
3. What do verses 13-17 teach us about what God desires when we approach Him?

Notes

1. I believe this is not to be seen as David thinking naively that he has only sinned against God and not seeing the impact of his sin towards others. Rather, I think it is the recognition that every sinful action directly offends God first and foremost. Also, comparatively speaking, his sin is most severe against God.
2. Many of us tend to have a faulty idea of repentance. A religious person will confess and repent out of a fear of consequences, but a true Christian will confess because they fear losing God’s presence. They understand the value of belonging to God and being in His presence.
3. God is not looking for gifts and sacrifices simply to appease Him. Rather, God is looking for hearts that have turned to Him in repentance and true worship that arises from a truly repentant heart. True praises ring forth from our mouths from a broken and contrite heart.

Evening Reflection

Have you justified certain sins in your lives and have been okay with it? Have you used religious acts of worship to mask and justify these sins? Loving God and true worship comes from a heart that hates sin and runs from it. Tonight, ask God to search your heart and reveal to you any areas of your life that grieves Him; then turn towards Him and know that in His loving kindness, He restores and makes our paths straight.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from Dec. 21-3 are produced by Pastor (intern) Phillip Chen who oversees the college group at the Church of Southland.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Hosea 8:14 (ESV):  For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces, and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; so I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour her strongholds.

The purpose of Thanksgiving Day is to give thanks and be content. For Christians, it is to remember the faithfulness of God, as He is the source of every blessing. Yet the tragedy of Black Friday is that not even a day later, many who supposedly gave thanks and were “content” end up being consumed by greed and selfishness. Now, we might look at these people and think that we are not like them, but we are all similar to a certain degree. Although Thanksgiving was less than a month ago, I can already think of the many times I have forgotten the faithfulness of God. We all are guilty of forgetting His goodness.

So why did Israel turn from God even after He had demonstrated His faithfulness time and time again, from leading them out of slavery into the Promised Land? Perhaps this passage serves as an explanation of why we often turn to other idols and worship them alongside our God. We suffer from a condition called gospel amnesia—that is, we forget God’s faithfulness and love towards us. This is not something that is unique to Israel, as this is a constant trend in the relationship between God and man. Whether it is the Israelites wandering through the wilderness, grumbling at every turn even as God was providing for them and showing them signs and wonders, or our own grumblings today of where God is when we need Him the most, we all forget God’s faithfulness to us.

We forget, and that is why the Lord specifically reminded His people not to forget, lest when they have “eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them… then their hearts be lifted up, and they forget the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Deut. 8:12-14). Too often we live a life that says to God: “What have you done for me lately?” We can be grateful in the moment when we see the direct correlation of God’s blessing in our lives, but we forget Him soon thereafter. When we forget who our God—our Provider and Sustainer— is, then we start turning to our own strength and idols,  and to finite and trivial things (money, success, relationships, knowledge) to fulfill our needs. Today, remember the faithfulness of God in your life—He is the true source of every blessing.

Prayer

Lord, how easy it is for me to forget Your goodness towards me. In the visible and invisible ways You are moving in my life, I give thanks and desire to remember Your goodness and faithfulness. Forgive me for the times I forget; and even when You strip things away from my life, help me to understand that it is so that my gaze might be directed back to You.

 Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Deuteronomy 8:11-18 (ESV): Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Question to Consider

1. What is the context of this passage, and why does God need to remind them to remember Him?
2. Why was the wilderness experience good for the people, according to the Lord?
3. From this passage, what is the biggest temptation for us when we are in a time of comfort and prosperity?

Notes

1. God led Israel out of Egypt from slavery, through the wilderness and times of hunger and thirst, and leading them into Promised Land. Here, they were about to cross the Jordan to enjoy the riches of that land. He was preparing them so that they would know it was God who had blazed the trail for them into the Promised Land.
2. Often, wilderness seasons are meant to strip away things—particularly identities that we should not hold so tightly on to. For the Israelites, they needed be stripped of the spirit of slavery and learn how to live as inheritors of the promises of God. For others, like Israel in the time of Hosea, it might be a time to strip off the arrogance and idolatry that they were holding on to so that they might once again turn towards the true God. We all go through seasons of wilderness because we need realignments for our identities.
3. We might be tempted to say in our hearts that it is by our own power and might that we have become accomplished and have become wealthy. Let us not deceive ourselves, but know that it is the Lord our God who has even given us the strength to have what we have—He is the source of the fruitfulness of our lives.

Evening Reflection

It’s extremely important for us to have methods that work for us in remembering the goodness of God. Do you need to set reminders in your calendar? Maybe you need to get away on a personal retreat and reflect on His goodness? Or you need an accountability partner, a friend, a spouse—someone that will re-direct your gaze to the source of blessing? Whatever works for us, we need to have tangible means of remembering the faithfulness of God so that we might attribute the blessings in our lives correctly.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from Dec. 21-3 are produced by Pastor (intern) Phillip Chen who oversees the college group at the Church of Southland.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Hosea 7:8-10 (ESV): Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned. Strangers devour his strength, and he knows it not; gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, and he knows it not. The pride of Israel testifies to his face; yet they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him, for all this.

Have you ever tried to live life in a way that you could get the “best of both worlds”?  That’s what I tried to do when I was a freshman in college: While I absolutely loved the fellowship of my Christian community, I also loved the newfound freedom of being away from home by partying and partaking in many unwholesome activities. In my mind I wanted eternal life, but I also wanted to have the fun college life that the media portrayed—I wanted the best of both worlds.  But by the end of the year, I was confronted by the futility of my thinking and knew there was no way I could straddle both worlds. God was calling me to either choose to follow the way of the world or the way of the Lord.

This passage is God’s indictment upon His people who mixed idol worship with the worship of their God. Hosea, who was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom leading up to their fall to Assyria, was likely referring to idol worship that was rampant in their land, as King Jeroboam had established idol worship as a political act. On the one hand, Israel held claim onto their rich heritage as God’s people, but on the other, they worshiped idols. They did not know that their strength was being devoured and gray hairs sprinkled upon them (essentially that they were on a path towards death).

Jesus speaks out many times against this wishy-washy attitude as well. The one that we are most familiar with is His indictment against the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3. But before we declare ourselves guiltless—let’s think again. Many of us try to worship God while worshiping idols, thinking that we can fit God into our own agenda while serving ourselves. When we do this, we are like a cake that is not turned: half burnt, half raw, and completely unfit for consumption. God cannot and will not be second in our lives—we cannot hold on to God and other gods at the same time. Granted, we may take three steps forward and two steps back in our journey towards God, but make no mistake about it: the way of God and the way of the world are at odds with one another. So stop trying to hold on to both. Choose Jesus—and experience the abundant life that follows!

Prayer

God, open my eyes so that I might see the emptiness of the riches of this world and the fullness of the riches You have for me. Cause the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ to increase in my life, so that I might see You rightly in the midst of the temptations in this world.

 Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV): Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Question to Consider

1. What does it mean to deny oneself, take up one’s cross, and to follow Jesus? What does it mean for you personally?
2. How can someone gain the whole world and forfeit their soul?

Notes

1. We have fleshly passions that we need to put to death. In fact, James 4:3 tells us that we often ask for things from God with wrong motives simply to spend on our (fleshly) passions. But denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Him means that we put to death the passions of the flesh that belong to our old man; and we remind ourselves that we are a new creation in Christ with new passions and new purposes. When that happens, we are able to follow Him with fervor and passion.
2. When we forget that we are spiritual beings who are heaven bound, our priorities are tainted. When we forget our destination, our treasures, our home, then we are unable to place the correct value on things in this life. Then, we will place way too much emphasis pursuing things of this world which are destined to fade away. C.S. Lewis says, “Aim at heaven and you will get Earth thrown in; aim at Earth and you will get neither.” Live for eternity.

Evening Reflection

It’s important to constantly assess whether certain things have become idols in our lives. Oftentimes, when idols pop up in our lives, they continue to show up in different forms; but as we mature as believers, we are able to spot them easier. What are some idols in your life that you find so difficult to let go of? Ask God to give you strength and devote it to complete destruction so that you might continue in your journey of faith with complete steadfastness.

Editor’s Note: Today’s devotional is written by Cami King of JCC.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Hosea 5:1-4

Hear this, O priests! Give heed, O house of Israel! Listen, O house of the king! For the judgment applies to you, For you have been a snare at Mizpah And a net spread out on Tabor. 2 The revolters have gone deep in depravity, but I will chastise all of them. 3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me; for now, O Ephraim, you have played the harlot, Israel has defiled itself. 4 Their deeds will not allow them to return to their God. For a spirit of harlotry is within them, and they do not know the Lord.

One of my favorite descriptions of God in Scripture is “the God who sees” (Gen.16:13). Hagar says this of the Lord when she felt hopeless in the face of Sarah’s harsh treatment; and God found her and cared for her. Abraham said something similar of the Lord when He provided a ram to be the replacement sacrifice for his son Isaac on Mount Sinai. There is great comfort for the people of God in knowing that He is neither deaf, dumb, nor blind – He sees all and knows all – and regardless of what circumstances suggest, He is not only present, but also active in our lives.

Yet the comfort of God’s all-seeing eyes can quickly turn sour when we find ourselves wandering off the straight and narrow path. This reminds me of the new Christmas craze “the elf on a shelf”—a small toy in the shape of an elf with video capacity allowing parents to see what kids are up to when parents leave the room. The elf is placed in the room and kids are told that they better be good, because the elf is watching and will be reporting back to Santa. Any excitement from knowing that Santa will reward for all the nice things they’ve done turns into something quite different when kids give into the temptation to be naughty. For many kids, the elf has quickly become a scary thing.

In our passage for today, the Lord reminds His people that He is indeed a God who sees. He sees all and knows all, even when they’ve turned away from Him. Just because they’ve forgotten about God, doesn’t mean He’s forgotten about them. This is a fearsome truth for anyone who (like all of us) has ever found themselves in sin. But much like we find in the story of Hagar and of Abraham, God is a God who not only sees, but who also moves on behalf of His people. Even when they go astray, He moves on their behalf in judgment of their sin (as we’ve been reading in Hosea) towards the end of their ultimate redemption (if they would but turn to Him).

Apologist Ravi Zacharias puts it this way: “God’s sovereignty is not tyrannical when it is bounded by goodness. God’s holiness is not tortuous when it is tempered by grace. God’s omniscience is not daunting when it is coupled with mercy. And God’s immutability is far from stifling when it is certain of good will.” May we take comfort in knowing that even when we go astray, our God is a God who sees and knows. He will not leave us in our sin, but will come for us, judge our sin, and redeem us. What a faithful God we serve!

Prayer: Almighty God, thank you for Your faithfulness to me. Even in the times when I wish You weren’t mindful of me and want to live my own way, You continue to watch over me and provide for me. Thank you for Your loving judgment of my sin and for Your willingness to redeem me from it.

 Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 10

Editor’s Note: Today’s devotional is written by Cami King of JCC.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Hosea 4:1-3

Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel,  for the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness or kindness
or knowledge of God in the land.
2 There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky, and also the fish of the sea disappear.

Have you watched the news lately? If you have, then you know that one hour of the news is enough to break your heart. From the atrocities committed by ISIS to the refugee crisis in Syria, from the ever-present sex trafficking around the world to issues of hunger, particularly in the Global South, from the racial divide that continues to plague America to abuse of power at all levels (this list could go on forever); yes, our world is a hot mess!  And when I sit and watch and think upon all these things, I always find myself asking, “Why do things have to be this way? And how did we even get here?”

It’s hard to read the list in verse two of the passage above without thinking of the present state of our world. While we know Hosea was speaking to a people group worlds away from our own (and thousands of years prior), his message seems to transcend time and speak right into situations we are currently facing. In this passage, God is judging His people and a wicked people at that – they swear, deceive, murder, steal, and commit adultery. Sound familiar? They are violent bloodshedders who cause even nature itself to mourn under their sin and brokenness. As I look at the world around me—full of racism, sexism, classism, as well as terrorism—I see us in these verses and in God’s pronouncement of judgment.

But the question remains – how did we get here (and how did Israel get there)? Our passage for today answers just that – we forsook faithfulness, kindness and the knowledge of God. It’s that simple. When people fail to remain faithful to the life God created us to live, when we refuse to love one another and do kindness, and when we turn away from knowledge of the Lord and lean upon our own understanding – we end up right where we are today – wicked and condemned. It’s easy to criticize the state of things without seeing the sickness that leads to these ailments in our own hearts. But the sickness is there in each of us.

With this in mind, may we today commit ourselves anew to faithfulness to the way of the Lord, choose kindness toward our neighbor no matter what, and pursue knowledge of the Lord above all things. As we do, we will find the Spirit at work in us making our world whole again.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your righteous judgment against the sin and brokenness in the world. Thank You for keeping us from hurting one another and destroying the world You created. Thank You for Your Son Jesus who is making all things new through those who choose to follow You. May I be in that number. Help me to walk in faithfulness, do kindness, and pursue knowledge of You today and every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 8-9