Editor’s Note: The AMI QT devotionals for October 5-11 are provided by Pastor Barry Kang of Symphony Church (Boston).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Ezra 1:1-4 (NLT)

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah.  He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:  ² This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. ³ Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! ⁴ Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.”

God can use non-Christian leaders

Yesterday, we looked at how God keeps His promises.  Remarkably, God’s promise to return His people from exile was fulfilled through a non-Jewish, pagan king – Cyrus of Persia – who conquered Babylon in 539BC.

While Cyrus sounds like a believer in Ezra 1, we know from the historical record (particularly from a document known as the ‘Cyrus Cylinder’) that he primarily worshiped Marduk, but he was also a respecter of regional gods (as Cyrus would have seen them).  In the Cyrus Cylinder, Cyrus describes some of his works in the following manner:

I returned to (these) sacred cities on the other side of the Tigris, the sanctuaries of which have been ruins for a long time, the images which (used) to live therein and established for them permanent sanctuaries. I (also) gathered all their (former) inhabitants and returned (to them) their habitations.

(Pritchard, Ancient Near East, 1:208.)

Amazingly, the prophet Isaiah names Cyrus as one “anointed” by God — a “messiah” who has been raised up by God to do His bidding (Isaiah 45:1).

I confess that I am not heavily involved in praying for national politics (here or abroad).  I do not convene with other pastors to intentionally pray for local political leaders.  But this passage encourages me to pray much more for them.  Why?  Because the story of Cyrus tells us that God can and does use leaders (even non-Christian leaders) to bring about God’s will.  God is sovereign over all the nations.  He doesn’t need national leaders to believe in Him to be their ultimate ruler!

Prayer:

Dear Lord of lords, I am reminded by Your word to pray for all leaders—even those who don’t acknowledge You or seem to have a wrong understanding of You.  I pray for the leaders of countries where Christians are officially persecuted.  I pray especially for Syria.  I ask that you would guide leaders there as you once guided Cyrus, and that they might be used as instruments of Your will.  May Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Daniel 2

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Timothy 2:1-4

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Questions to Consider:

1. Who does Paul instruct us to pray for? How might this change our prayers?
2. Why does Paul ask us to pray for national leaders?
3. In respect to your answer to question 2, why is this pleasing to God?

Notes:

1. Paul instructs us to pray for everyone in general; and in particular, kings and those in high positions. Our prayers ought to be global and broad in scope—particularly for leaders who have been given great influence. It is instructive to note that in Paul’s time, no national leaders were believers in Christ.
2. We are to pray for leaders so that “we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” The basic benefit of good government is peace –from war and civil strife–so that free worship of God can be given and people can live “dignified” or holy lives.
3. God is pleased with this kind of peace as it is His desire that “all people” will be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. We are to pray for leaders to effect an environment where the gospel can be advanced freely.

Evening Reflection

I encourage you to journal some ways that you can be praying for national leaders, international leaders and local leaders (including, perhaps, your boss).  How is God encouraging you to pray more globally and broadly?

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT devotionals for October 5-11 are provided by Pastor Barry Kang of Symphony Church (Boston).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Ezra 1:1-4

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

Can God forget His promises?  It must have seemed that way to the people of Judah.

In 587 BC, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem: They killed the leaders of Judah, plundered the temple before burning it to the ground, destroyed most of the city and its walls, and took the cream of the crop (people-wise) to Babylon.  In one swoop, the Jewish people had lost their homes and the landmarks of their identity—they were displaced, exiled, and broken.  But where was God?  What was He doing?  Surely, this wasn’t how things were supposed to be!

It turns out that God was doing what He said He’d be doing all along.  The prophet Jeremiah had warned that a judgment was coming, but that in seventy years, God would bring his people back to Jerusalem and the temple would be restored (cf. Jer. 25:11; 29:10).  God was doing what He had promised all along!

Our God keeps His promises.  We can easily forget this truth when we are going through our own personal exile or dark night, and the situation seems bleak.  The enemy will often seek to direct our attention to the circumstances rather than to God, whispering, “God has forgotten,” but it is in these times, especially, that we need to hold on to the promises of God.

God is faithful—that’s just who He is.  As Paul reminds us, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself!” (2 Tim 2:13).

Prayer:

Father, help me to remember that You are the God who keeps Your promises.  You will not leave us in exile but will continue to draw us back to You.  Thank you that Your faithfulness isn’t dependent upon my remembering Your promises—You remember them well enough!  In Jesus name, I pray.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Daniel 1

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 10:6-13

Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Questions to Consider:

1. Who does “they” refer to in verse 6?
2. Why does Paul list these examples? What are the four examples that Paul cites (verse 7-10)?  Do you recall how God responded to each of these?
3. How does Paul encourage us? If you are tempted in any of the specific examples of question 2, let us seek God’s way of escape.

Notes:

1. “They” refers to the people of Israel during the Exodus.
2. Paul gives us these examples so that we would not “desire evil as they did.” He lists four specific examples of evil: (1) idolatry (v.7); (2) sexual immorality; (3) putting Christ to the test; and (4) grumbling.  In each case, God disciplined His people, but He also provided a way of mercy so that they could continue to journey with Him.
3. Paul encourages us by reminding us that there is no temptation that we face that others have not faced before us, and most especially, by reminding us that God is faithful! While we can be tempted, God will provide a way of escape for us.  God may discipline us when we succumb to temptation, but He also provides a way of mercy and restoration.

Evening Reflection

Jesus is God’s ultimate promised answer to the problem of exile, brokenness and displacement.  On the cross, Jesus took all of our brokenness and restored our relationship with Jesus.  He is faithful, and this faithfulness does not cease just because we can still be tempted today!  Spend some time journaling about examples of God’s faithfulness in your life.

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT devotionals for October 3-4 are provided by Joanna Tzen of Grace Covenant Church (Philadelphia).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

John 10:3

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Earlier this month, a sheep named Chris made international headlines. He had wandered from his flock and had been living in the Australian outback for five to six years on his own. When they found him, his fleece had grown to five times its normal size. As a result, he could barely see or walk; the heavy wool made it impossible for him to right himself if he had fallen over. He had to be sedated to be sheared because he had not been near humans for so long. The fleece alone weighed a record-setting 89 pounds, and it took 45 minutes to shear him—a process that usually only takes two minutes.

Today’s passage tells us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and that we are His sheep. The way we know Jesus is by His voice. Do we know Jesus by His voice today or are our lives cluttered with many voices? Our hearts and minds can be filled with the world’s opinions—what our parents think of us, and what our peers think of us. We can only know by learning the voice through which Jesus speaks—meaning, knowing His Word through reading of Scripture. It also means slowing down to listen to Jesus in prayer, discerning what are the voices in our lives; that is, to know which one is Jesus and which is not. Are we quick to run to the truth of Jesus, and do we know it because we have spent time in His Word? Or are we sometimes led astray by words of the world?

Jesus is calling you to spend time with Him today and learn His voice. He knows your name, and He longs to lead you into the green pasture (Ps. 23).

Prayer

Jesus, forgive me when I disregard Your voice and am tempted to follow the world’s ways. Help me to not only hear Your voice, but abide by it. I know you are the Good Shepherd; remind me of your faithfulness. I desire to follow You into the green pasture and life everlasting.

Bible Reading for Today: Jude 1

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT devotionals for October 3-4 are provided by Joanna Tzen of Grace Covenant Church (Philadelphia).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Matt 21:18

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered

My mother-in-law has a fig tree in her backyard that has been growing for years. She cares for it by picking the fruit daily so that birds do not get to it. The figs are especially sweet because they are ripened on the vine, as opposed to after they are picked. I had never seen a fig tree before and when I ventured out specifically to take a closer look, I was amazed by the amount of fruit on the tree.

This is a familiar passage to many of us, but sometimes when we read this passage, indignation may still be the first emotion that comes to mind. What’s the big deal that the tree has no fruit? Does it really have to wither? What Jesus wants to teach us is that it is not about not having fruit—but pretending that we do. Fig trees do not produce fruit until they have leaves. Jesus expected to see fruit because of the leaves.

In the same way, Jesus does not want us go through the routine of religion: going to church, showing up at family group (or cell group), clocking in a certain number of hours at church activities—meanwhile our hearts are far from Him. In other words, are we looking to our own performance in these religious tasks as some form of alternate savior? This performance-oriented mindset will make us not much different than a person who states they do not believe in Jesus as Savior, as it can be just another form of seeking to keep control of our lives.

Jesus warns us that the Lord will see the heart; He cannot be fooled. Let us not delay in coming to our Heavenly Father with honesty and sincerity. Do not be afraid to show Him what is in your heart. Bring all of it—anger, bitterness, sadness, doubt. He is Comforter, Redeemer, Savior and Lord.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, forgive me when I put on the robe of religiosity and withhold my heart from You. The truth is, there is no place I can go that is away from You (Ps. 139). Let me remain humble before You. Lord, I want to be authentic and honest with You about where my heart is. I desire any goodness on the outside to be a reflection of what the Holy Spirit has done on the inside. Thank you that You are faithful to complete the good work You have begun in me (Phil. 1:6).

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Thess. 2-3

Editor’s Note: AMI devotionals from Sept. 28-Oct.2 are written by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 King 25:8-12, 21b

In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 And he burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. 12 But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. . . . 21 So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.

No one really criticized the San Antonio Spurs— leading by 5 points with 28 seconds left in the 6^th game of the 2013 NBA Finals against Miami—for overconfidence as they prepared to celebrate their win.  Stunningly, what many saw as an insurmountable lead, quickly evaporated as the Spurs somehow lost that game and the next—they returned home as losers.

In much the same way, the Jews in Judah believed that they held an “insurmountable lead” that couldn’t be squandered.  Although Jeremiah warned that “a besieging army is . . . raising a war cry against the cities of Judah” (Jer. 4:16) to inflict “terrible destruction” (v.6), they couldn’t believe God would permit it since His glorious temple stood tall in their midst.  They felt that no matter what detestable things they did, as long as they “come and stand . . . in this house, which bears [God’s] name, and say, ‘We are safe’” (7:9-10), everything would be okay. But God disagreed, saying, “Do not trust in deceptive words and say ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!’” (v.4). What did He mean by that?  Unless “you really change your ways and your actions” (v.5), no “lead”—including the presence of the temple—is ever safe with God when we deceive ourselves into believing that faith without deeds (James 2:26), that is, “merely listening to the word” without “do[ing] what it says” (1:22), is okay.

The Spurs, by squandering the lead, merely lost the championship; they would get another crack at it the next year.  However, for Judah, the final curtain fell in 586 BC when the third Babylonian invasion ended the Davidic dynasty and annihilated the temple.  Tens of thousands of Jews were deported to Babylon and would die there while yearning to return home.  It would take 70 years before the Jews would be allowed to return home.

What makes us believe that we are okay with God?  Impressive family pedigree (“My dad was a pastor”)?  Faithfulness in the past (Ezk. 18:24)?  Or passionate first love for God (Rev. 2:5)?  None will do apart from loving and obeying God in the present.  How is your love for and obedience to God?

Prayer

God, I don’t stand a chance if I’m trying to earn your approval by what I do.  While I’ve tried to love and be faithful to You, my effort has been inconsistent and utterly inadequate.  Lord, I’m banking on my trust in your Son to make me right before you. Thank You for your grace.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Philippians 1

Lunch Break Study

Read John 8:39-40: They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.”

Col. 1:22-23: he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

 Rev. 2:4-5: But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Question to Consider

1. What made the Jews believe that they were right with God? Do you do the same?
2. We are saved by grace and our adoption into God’s family is secure in Christ. But, to the extent that we are talking about sanctification (becoming free from the power of sin in the present), how do verses like Col. 1:22-23 and Col. 18:24 help us in that process?
3. What is John warning against in Rev. 2:4-5? Does that apply to you?  If so, what are you going to do about it?

Notes

1. They were banking on their ethnic and theological heritage: “We are categorically okay with God since Abraham, the one with whom the Lord established His covenant, is our forefather.” That’s like saying, “I am okay with God since I agree with the teachings of Calvin or Wesley.”
2. The key phrase is, “if indeed you continue in the faith”; that is, if you have stopped working out your salvation (Phil. 2:12) in the present, all the work done in the past toward sanctification may not matter since presently you are either spiritually lazy or living in sin.
3.   He warns against those who used to love God but now have other lovers.   In that case, we must identify these other lovers (e.g., career, family, romantic interest, hobby, etc.) and must reduce their role or significance in our lives so that God, once again, becomes the sole object of our love.  For some, a momentary fasting (e.g., 1 Cor. 7:3-5) may be in order.

Evening Reflection

How was your day?  In the midst of meeting deadlines, screaming children, and other urgent matters, we often fail to remember that there is a God who loves and cares for us.  Think about a meaningful way to show your appreciation for the Lord tomorrow.  Don’t be religious; be real!

Editor’s Note: AMI devotionals from Sept. 28-Oct.2 are written by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 King 25:1-7: And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it. ² So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. ³ On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. ⁴ Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king’s garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah. ⁵ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. ⁶ Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. ⁷ They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.

The final moment of Judah’s last king was a cruel and unusual punishment.  Zedekiah, after the Babylonians gauged his eyes out, lived a while longer as a prisoner in Babylon (Jer. 52:11).  Forever etched in his memory, however, was what his eyes last saw: the killing of his terrified sons.  No one, even a terrible king, should suffer such a horrible fate.

Zedekiah was a bad king because “he became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord” (2 Chron. 36:13).  What led him to such a perilous path, however, was something we all struggle with: a desire to please people.

Once, several officials of Zedekiah who despised Jeremiah said to him, “This man should be put to death’” (Jer. 38:4).  The king answered, “He is in your hands. . . . The king can do nothing to oppose you’” (v. 5).  Shortly thereafter, when an official sympathetic to Jeremiah found out he had been thrown into a muddy cistern to die, he said to Zedekiah, “These men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah” (vv.6-9).  The king, who moments ago allowed Jeremiah to be put to death, now commanded the official to “take thirty men . . . and lift Jeremiah . . . out of the cistern before he dies” (v.10).  In short, Zedekiah possessed no backbone; he went whichever way the wind blew.

Ultimately, Zedekiah feared man more than God.  Certainly, what Jeremiah told him was difficult to swallow: “Surrender to . . . the king of Babylon” (v.17).  Since by this time, God had handed the rebellious Judah over to the Babylonians, surrendering was His will.  Zedekiah couldn’t do it because he feared that “the Babylonians may hand [him] over to” the Jews already exiled in Babylon who “will mistreat [him]” (v.19).  Although God, through Jeremiah, assured him that “they will not hand you over. . . . then it will go well with you,” (v.20), Zedekiah disobeyed.

No matter how much we disobey God, we aren’t likely to suffer the cruel and unusual punishment that Zedekiah encountered; nevertheless, it will not go well with us when we disobey God.  We obey God against our so-called “better judgment” when we fear Him more than man.  Don’t over think or over analyze—be convicted by God’s word and simply obey!

Prayer

I love You, Lord, with all my heart.  When I fear man, acting as though I’ve no faith in God, please give me the strength to overcome that fear, so that I can boldly represent You with my gentle, yet firm words that speak of Your goodness and kindness.  Help me to live boldly for you. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Thessalonians 5

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Samuel 15:20-24: And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. ²¹ But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” ²² And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.²³ For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

²⁴ Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

Question to Consider

1. What made Saul to believe that he had obeyed the Lord?
2. Put yourself in Saul’s shoes: what does it mean that he was afraid of the people?
3. What does “to obey is better than sacrifice” really mean in our time?

Notes

1. The command was to kill everything, including the animals, belonging to the Amalekites, the archenemy of Israel that always sought to annihilate her (Deut. 25:17-19)—but Saul spared its king and the choicest animals. Saul assumed that he had obeyed the Lord because he made himself believe that the animals were for God, even though that wasn’t real reason.
2. He was afraid of their opinion. Surely, many people would have thought that killing of the choicest animals was a sheer waste that made no economic sense.  Saul, like Zedekiah, wanted to be liked by people instead of being liked by God.
3. God doesn’t want performance without the right heart; neither does He want what appears to be a flawless ministry that is executed without much prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit. He certainly does not want us do any ministry according to our time instead of God’s.

Evening Reflection

What tough decision did you face today?  Did you have an opportunity to present God’s word or truth today to someone at work or school?  Did you face a situation in which the matter of obeying God became a reality?  What does your response to these situations indicate with respect to the genuineness of your faith?  Take a moment to reflect and evaluate.  Ask the Lord for help.

Editor’s Note: AMI devotionals from Sept. 28-Oct.2 are written by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 King 24:1-4: In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. ² And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servants the prophets. ³ Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, ⁴ and also for the innocent blood that he had shed.

2 Chron. 36:5: Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God.

I didn’t know that “Roberto,” a church leader, was badly mistreating his wife who taught Sunday school.  By the time I was told by our pastor regarding their impending separation, he had warned Roberto several times to stop—but he didn’t.  Eventually his wife filed for divorce.

If the Northern Kingdom (“Israel”) could talk, it would tell God that He was being unfair.  While God let the Assyrians to swiftly destroy Israel in 722 BC as a punishment for its persistent rebellion, Judah, its sister kingdom, received two more chances before the Babylonians destroyed it in 586 BC.  God had hoped that Judah, seeing Israel’s doom, would “return to [Him] with all her heart” (Jer. 3:10); but “unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery” (v.8).  Thus, God declared, “Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah” (v.11).

The Babylonians first attacked Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (2 Ki. 25:1), and Judah became its vassal.  Nevertheless, Jehoiakim continued to sit on the throne while the temple stayed intact.   Had he repented then, there would’ve been no more Babylonian attack, for God had Jeremiah write, “Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin” (Jer. 36:3).   “In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim” (36:9), he finally heard “all the words of the LORD from the scroll” (36:11) prepared by Jeremiah; but, instead of repenting, “the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the fire pot” (36:23).   Jehoiakim completely ignored God’s warning—much like Roberto

That brazen act resulted in a swift retribution that happened a little later— in 598—but God in His mercy didn’t end Judah yet; amazingly, she was given another 12 years to make things right with Him.  When she stubbornly refused, the final curtain came down on her in 586 when the Babylonians annexed Judah, thereby ending her dynasty, and “set fire to the temple of the Lord” (2 Kings 25:9).

Proverbs 29:1 says, “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.”  Here is an advice worth heeding: When you are warned by godly and praying people because of your imprudent action, listen to them.

Prayer

God, how gracious and merciful You are by giving us multiple opportunities to repent.  It is certainly true that you take “no pleasure in the death of anyone.”  Please help me to be sober-minded so that when I am warned of my unwise action, I will humble myself and heed.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Thessalonians 4

Lunch Break Study

Read Jeremiah 42:1-3, 7, 10, 13-15: Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah . . . came near 2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant—because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us— 3 that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do” . . . .

7 At the end of ten days the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. . . .  10 “If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you. . . . 13 But if you say, ‘We will not remain in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God 14 and saying, ‘No, we will go to the land of Egypt’,. . . 15 then hear the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there, 16 then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die.”

43:1-2: When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the Lord . . . 2 Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie. The Lord our God did not send you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to live there, . . .’”

Gal 6:1: Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Question to Consider

1. Based on how Johanan, Jezaniah and Azariah responded to Jeremiah’s words, was their initial request genuine? Who are these guys and what were they trying to do?
2. What does this say about the proper attitude we need to have before hearing from the Lord, particularly when encountering words of warning?
3. When we are the ones who are giving the words of warning, what must we watch out for?

Notes

1. These guys already had made up their minds before coming to Jeremiah. These are religious folks who cared a great deal about appearing spiritual, but when push came to shove, they chose what they wanted—not what God had told them.
2. One attitude that needs to be exorcised is pride; that is, refusing to allow other people to speak into their lives. Jehoiakim, Johanan and Jezaniah acted as if they knew better than Jeremiah, God’s messenger. But ultimately, they rejected the one who sent him—God.
3. For God to use us to speak into the lives of others, we better not act as if we are better than them, or that we are immune from the same problem being addressed. We must be gentle, compassionate, and empathetic.

Evening Reflection

As you wrap up this day, do you recall anything that was said to you (or even to someone else) that may have been God’s way of speaking to you? Close your eyes and reflect upon your day.  Ask God what He wants you to hear from Him: perhaps affirmation or correction.

Editor’s Note: AMI devotionals from Sept. 28-Oct.2 are written by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 King 24:3-4 (ESV): Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, ⁴ and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not pardon.

Joseph Prince, pastor of a megachurch in Singapore, who writes, “We don’t have to keep on asking the Lord . . . for forgiveness because He has already forgiven us,” would probably warn us to stay clear of this verse: “The LORD was not willing to forgive” (NIV).  However, be rest assured that even during the Old Testament time, God was all too willing to forgive the wayward Israelites with whom He had covenanted unconditionally (i.e., an unbreakable contract).  Though indignant God had declared, “I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should forgive them” (Hos. 1:6), in the next breath, He added, “Yet I will show love to the house of Judah” (1:7).   God assured the Jews being punished in Babylonia as captives, “I will restore [your] fortunes and have compassion” (Jer. 33:26).

Then why does God make statements that seem to contradict His very nature?  How can an omniscient God, upon seeing man’s wickedness during Noah’s days, “repent[] . . . that he had made man on the earth” (Gn. 6:6 KJV).  Surely, the term “anthropomorphic” is too heavy for a morning devotion, but we cannot understand why God would say, “I’m not willing to forgive,” apart from grasping its meaning.  Anthropomorphism is attributing human qualities to God, so that we may gain an adequate understanding of this infinite being whose nature and qualities would otherwise be unknowable to finite humans.  The essence of anthropomorphic expressions isn’t doctrinal exactitude—but emotional candidness, to draw us closer so as to hear His heartbeat.  And as we wait in stillness, we would hear Him say, “You matter to me.”  Think about that for a second: the God of this vast universe, instead of being indifferent, actually cares about me; so much so that He would respond emotionally—rather than doctrinally—when we err to our own detriment!

God has already forgiven all our sins in Christ, but we must first acknowledge our sins and then confess them for His forgiveness to be effectual (1 Jn. 1:9).  So today, examine your heart in light of the Scriptures; and under the guidance of the Spirit, confess your sins to the Lord in order that your relationship with Him would be truly restored.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I praise You this morning for your loving kindness.  While I’m easily dismissed and ignored by those who are more powerful than me, I’m heartened to realize that You, who is above everyone and everything, considers me so important that You would open Your heart towards me.   While I don’t understand why I would matter to You, I’m awed and grateful that You do.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Thessalonians 3

Lunch Break Study

Pastor Prince comments that since “[God] . . . forgave all—past, present, and future—of our trespasses” (p. 44) . . ., we don’t have to confess our sins in order to be forgiven.  We confess our sins because we are already forgiven” (p. 104).

Read Matt. 6:14-5: For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

1 John 1:9-10: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Matt. 18:34-5: And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Question to Consider

1. How would appraise Prince’s theology or teaching in light of these verses?
2. If you consider this matter similar to Christ’s atonement for the world (1 Jn. 2:2: “He is the atoning sacrifices for our sins, and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world”) and our need to actually believe what he did to be saved, then, what would you say to those who insist that we don’t need to confess ours sin because they are already forgiven?
3. Are you in need of asking forgiveness from God? We learned today that we must first ask forgiveness from the one whom we wronged.  Pray about making that call to reconcile today.

Notes

1. The main problem is that his teaching doesn’t address these verses that say that we won’t be forgiven unless we forgive those who wronged us and unless we confess our sins. Having read his book (2007), he either ignores these verses or does a very poor job of explaining them.  For instance, he insists that 1 John 1:9 addresses the unbelieving Gnostics, which is incorrect, since John wrote 1 John to the believers to “make [their] joy complete” (1:4).
2. The fact that Jesus is the “atoning sacrifices for the sins of the whole world” doesn’t mean that everyone in the world for which Jesus died is already saved. They need to first hear the gospel, and then believe.  Likewise, those who are in Christ are already forgiven in Him (future sins included), but they must first recognize and then confess them in order for God’s forgiveness to “kick in.”  That doesn’t mean that unforgiving Christians who, therefore, are unforgiven of a particular sin are  no longer saved; while the relationship is still intact, there cannot be a true fellowship with God as long as we linger in our unconfessed sins.
3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

One undeniable fact is that we are full of self-righteousness.  As a result, we see “the speck of sawdust in []our brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in []our own eye (Matt. 7:2).  In looking back, were you upset at someone today for what that person said or did to you?  Stay still and ask the Holy Spirit to bring clarity to that situation.  What really happened?  Does that person still owe you an apology, or is it you?  Even if that person did wrong, were you overly righteous in your response (Eccles. 7:16)?  Did you forgive or ask for forgiveness?   It is never too late.

Editor’s Note: AMI devotionals from Sept. 28-Oct.2 are written by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

2 King 24:1a, 10-13: In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up,. . . 10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, 12 and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign 13 and carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the Lord had foretold.

When “John,” who was in my youth group many years ago, wanted to speak to me in private, I just assumed that he was having problems with his parents; but I was wrong—he was having problems with me!  Dumbfounded by a litany of his accusations, I surprised even myself by refraining from responding to him in anger. Was it because all his charges were groundless?  Most of them were—but not everything.  What galled me the most was the fact that he wasn’t exactly a model citizen—he frequently ditched school and was into pornography.

The truth is, that while we don’t necessarily mind being corrected by someone deemed wiser and holier, we recoil at the idea of being reprimanded by someone less wise and righteous than us.  And that’s what troubled the Israelites upon being told that God had chosen the “ruthless and impetuous” Babylonians (Hab. 1:6), led by its cruel King Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC), to invade and then conquer them as a divine punishment for their idolatry and rebellion.  Capturing the sentiment of the bewildered Jews, Prophet Habakkuk cried out to God, saying, “Why are you silent while the wicked (i.e., the Babylonians) swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” (v.13).

It is a hard truth to swallow, but God sometimes uses people less righteous than us to correct and rebuke us.  How galling it must have been when God, through Prophet Jeremiah, declared, “I will summon . . . my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon . . . and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants” (Jer. 25:9).  Of course we need to discern as to what to heed and what to disregard, since what they say is a mixed bag of some truths as well as baseless accusations.  But without humility we are liable to throw everything out the window and miss out on an opportunity to grow.

Out of all that John said, one thing that I still remember was that I liked to hear myself talk; I kept it in my heart as a reminder that I ought to speak God’s word instead of mine.  Keep your ears open today and perhaps you may hear something useful (as well as painful) to the well-being of your soul.

Prayer

Father, I magnify your glorious Name.  I thank You that You love me enough to use anyone to correct me, so that I do not veer off to do my own thing.  Lord, increase my capacity to be humble so that I’ll readily listen to the words of those sent by You to make me more Christ-like.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Thessalonians 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Num. 22:26-32 (ESV): Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” 30 And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.” 31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. 32 And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.” 34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.”

Lk. 19:40: He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Question to Consider

1. What must you assume about God making a donkey to speak to an errant prophet?
2. It is “understandable” why the prophet wouldn’t listen to a dumb animal. In what sense is that also true for us when someone tries to speak into our lives that isn’t so easy to accept?
3. What do you suppose God is saying to you these days, and who is He using to speak to you? Does the fact that God is using this particular person to speak to you make it harder to hear?

Notes

1. That all other previous, more conventional means to correct him went unheeded; that is, we better listen to God’s correction before God summons a Babylonian-like person (i.e., scary people) or a donkey-like individual (i.e., those who seemingly are below us).
2. It is always easier to dismiss people who do not look very impressive on the outside. But one undeniable fact is that throughout church history, God has used people from the margins of the society to challenge those who occupied the center of power (e.g., Luther, Wycliffe, Savonarola, Huss, etc.).
3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Think about all the things that you heard today that were directed to you.  Then pick out things that didn’t make you feel too good.  Take a moment to reflect on why it bothered you: Was it the messenger or the message?   What is the Lord saying to you at this moment?

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT devotionals for September 26-27 are provided by Jabez Yeo of TRPC (NYC).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Daniel 3:14-8

Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? ¹⁵ Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good.  But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Miami Heats, down 3-2 to San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals, were trailing by 3 points with seconds left in the sixth game.  Then Miami’s Ray Allen, after grabbing the rebound, frantically backpedaled to the corner to launch a 3-pointer without checking to see if his feet were on the 3-point line. The ball went in and the Heat eventually became champions.  Later, it was revealed that Allen had invented a drill in which he backpedaled to the corner, received a pass, and shot without looking at the 3-point line. After 17 years of doing the same drill, Allen delivered.

Each of us will experience moments of pressure, where we are expected to conform to the world’s standards. In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego faced tremendous pressure to follow all of King Nebuchadnezzar’s servants in bowing down to his giant statue. With their lives dependent on their decision, they chose to honor God instead of following their peers. How were they able to do so?

Some Bible passages give us a clue. Psalm 1 describes the man who is blessed because “his delight in the law of the Lord and on His law He meditates day and night.” Similarly, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul implores us to “pray continually…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.” Thus, it is clear that spiritual disciplines are tremendously important in our daily faith walk. This statement is not meant to be legalistic but rational. Just as it is absurd to believe that we could have done what Ray Allen did without practice, it is equally absurd to believe that we could respond faithfully during temptation without engaging in the spiritual disciplines.

Ultimately, God is the author and perfector of our faith (Heb. 12:2); yet we are also implored to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12). No matter what happened in the past, let’s start today.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I often find it hard to pray or to read Your Word. Sometimes I am too tired, while other times I just don’t have the desire to do so. In those times, help me, Lord, to seek You through those disciplines. Help me to work out the faith that You have placed in me, so that I will be able to respond faithfully during the trials and temptations of this life. In Your Name I pray, Amen

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Thess. 1