Editor’s Note:  The AMI devotionals for July 25-26 are provided by Mei Lan Thallman of GCC.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Luke 18:18-32: A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”  21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

The contemporary thinking tells us: “If you set your mind to it and are willing to work hard enough, you can achieve anything and have everything—the sky is the limit.  Your self-effort is the only thing that is in the way of the goals you want to achieve in life.” The temptation that all of us face, like this rich young ruler, is to bring this kind of thinking into our view of God and our relationship with Him.  This young ruler appears to be a sincere, intelligent, disciplined and religious person.  Having heard Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God, he wanted to know what he needed do to secure his salvation.  To that, Jesus replied, “Keep the commandments.”  The young man pressed Jesus with more specific questions like which one of the commandments must he keep, and what else needed to be done.

The mindset of the rich young man is, How can I have it all—to keep my perfect life plus Jesus? as if God exists solely to meet all of his needs and wants and to fulfill his dreams.  In response, Jesus goes straight to the heart of the matter—He invites the affluent young man to exchange his temporal wealth for the heavenly treasure, and then follow Him.

Christianity is so much more than going to church, keeping rules, and living a religious life.  It is possible for a person to have a religious upbringing or a religious life style without having a personal relationship with Jesus and the assurance of salvation (e.g., the Pharisees, like Nicodemus and Paul before his conversion).  When we have a personal encounter with the living Christ, the right response is that of surrendering one’s life completely to the full reign of His Lordship and making necessary adjustments to fulfill His call. Our lives should no longer be about me but about Him.  Apostle Paul declared in Philippians 3:7-8, “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”

If we claim to know and love Jesus, we must know that Jesus demands nothing less than our reckless abandonment to ourselves—our wealth, education, career, family, etc.— in order to follow wholeheartedly after Him.

So, we ask the Holy Spirit to empower us to choose wisely when we are confronted with Jesus’ personal invitation to “come and follow me”. When the rich young ruler chose to hold on to his worldly riches, he missed out on the heavenly riches/eternal riches.  In contrast, the disciples made the decision to leave everything to follow Jesus Christ, and as a result, they gained much more than salvation—their lives were eternally transformed by Christ who used these ordinary men extraordinarily.   Let us choose wisely our path.

Prayer:

Lord, by Your grace and empowerment, may we choose wisely when we hear Your call to lay down our own riches to follow You.  May we not choose a religious, moral and safe life over an intimate, spiritual and dedicated relationship with Jesus.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 6-7

Editor’s Note:  The AMI devotionals for July 20-24 are provided by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

1 King 20:20-8: Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. 21 Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. 22 And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel the Lord also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.’ 24 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.”

25 (There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. 26 He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel.) 27 And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. 28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”

Can we really grasp the following saying of Jesus, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mk. 2:17)? Condemning the Pharisees comes easy to us, but wouldn’t we have joined their railing against Jesus for “eating with ‘sinners’ (read, prostitutes) and tax collectors” (v.16)?

Undoubtedly, once we arrive in heaven, we’ll be shocked to see those who made it there—such as Karla Faye Tucker, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Ted Bundy. Tucker, a convicted murderer, was the first woman to be executed in Texas (1998) since 1863; and of course, Dahmer and Bundy were notorious serial killers—the latter was executed (1989) while the former was killed in prison (1994). Now, these dubious characters might have lied about their conversions, but if they had trusted Jesus as the One who died to pay for all our sins, then they would’ve already joined the criminal hung next to Jesus to whom He said, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk. 23:43).

Today’s account certainly lends credence to that assertion. After all, “there was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD” (NIV). For instance, just prior to this pronouncement against Ahab, he had taken, with the help of Jezebel, a vineyard belonging to Naboth through a devious plot that resulted in his murder (1 King 21:1-11). Yet, it took a simple contrition by Ahab for an elated God to declare, “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me?” And for that, Ahab was spared of having to experience the destruction of Israel during his lifetime.

Of course this is unfair in the courts of man but not in God’s, because He had “made [Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21); that is, the finished work of Christ is infinitively weightier than any sins humans have committed, including the heinous kinds that the aforementioned three committed.

Are you still not sure whether you have eternal life? Believe in Jesus and His work already completed on the Cross for the salvation of your soul. Then live a life worthy of His grace and mercy. For starters, forgive those who wronged you.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I often take my salvation for granted, but today I must confess how grateful I am to You for allowing me to be part of the redeemed family of God. Help me to live a life that is truly reflective of God’s grace and mercy toward those who don’t deserve any of it—like me. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 5

Lunch Break Study

Read Matt. 23:39-43: One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” 

2 Pet. 3:9: The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Ezek. 18:23: Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?

1 Jn. 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Question to Consider

1. What does the Gospel account involving the penitent criminal truly reveal?
2. Describe God’s heart.
3. Pastor Joseph Prince of Singapore teaches that since all our sins—past, present and future—are already forgiven in the finished work of Christ, we no longer need to confess our daily sins to be forgiven. What is both true and false about that assertion?

Notes

1. No account in the four Gospels clarifies the gospel better than this one: this forlorn man had done nothing meritorious to deserve salvation. But it was his faith in Christ, expressed in his rebuke of the impenitent criminal and pleading for Christ to remember him, that saved him: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith . . .—not by works” (Eph. 2:8-9).
2. He yearns for all sinners to “not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16). He rejoices over “one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Lk. 15:7).
3. Prince is right in that all sins are already forgiven in Christ, but there is a condition attached to it: we must confess our sins for the finished work of Christ to be efficacious in our lives. Isn’t that how we became believers in the first place? Didn’t we have to believe and then confess (Rom. 10:9) that belief to be saved at the outset? So, why would that change for the sins that we commit thereafter? Prince’s assertion regarding 1 Jn. 1:9, that it was written to unbelieving Gnostics who needed to confess their sins to be saved, is false. 1 John was written to the believers (note the pronoun “we” that includes John), among other reasons, to warn against the false teachings of the Docetics, the precursor to the Gnostics (4:1-3).

 Evening Reflection

The truth is that we make our lives too busy, along with being distracted and addicted to entertainment, to be in touch with the abiding presence of God in our daily lives. Perhaps today, you experienced at least one moment in which you truly sensed His gracious and merciful presence. Reflect on that as you thank the Lord for His unceasing love towards you.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI devotionals for July 20-24 are provided by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

1 King 20:1-6, 29-30: Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. Thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and closed in on Samaria and fought against it. 2 And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, “Thus says Ben-hadad: 3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your best wives and children also are mine.’” 4 And the king of Israel answered, “As you say, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have.” 5 The messengers came again and said, “Thus says Ben-hadad: ‘I sent to you, saying, “Deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children.” 6 Nevertheless I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants and lay hands on whatever pleases you and take it away.’

. . . And they encamped opposite one another seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle was joined. And the people of Israel struck down of the Syrians 100,000 foot soldiers in one day. ³⁰ And the rest fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell upon 27,000 men who were left.  Ben-hadad also fled . . .

Human history is littered with ill-advised sayings of men.  For instance, at the launch of the Titanic (1911), an employee of the White Star Line quipped, “Not even God himself could sink this ship”—but a mere iceberg proved him wrong.  Charles Holland Duell, as the United States Commissioner of Patents at the end of 19^th century, allegedly said, “Everything that can be invented has been invented.”  Say what?  And during this year’s NCAA basketball tournament, we were once again reminded of the truth of Proverbs 17:28, “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise.”  A West Virginia freshman player, before facing the undefeated Kentucky squad, cracked, “Tomorrow they’re gonna be 36-1.”  Oops, Kentucky won by 39 points!

Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, was no different from the aforementioned clerk, commissioner or hoopster—full of hubris (extreme pride) and so confident of the unknown.  The victory was already his even before the first blowing of the trumpet: “May gods deal with me, be it ever severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful” (v.10). He felt so   entitled to everything that Israel owned: “Your silver and gold . . . wives and children are mine” (v.3). Little did he realize that God had Israel’s back, as a prophet informed the king of Israel: “Do you see this vast army?  I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord” (v.13).

Keep this in mind the next time you feel invincible and invulnerable about yourself because of your possession, ability (knowledge) or accomplishment:  “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18).  Stay low, heads bowed, and think carefully, in light of who you are (a creature) before your Maker, before opening your mouth.  Remember, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5).

Perhaps, even more important lesson is this: If you ever feel like you can’t reach your goal that is good and noble because no one believes in you, remember this: “I can do all this through [Christ Jesus] who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).  Work hard (Prov. 14:23) and prayer harder.

Prayer

Dear God, I must confess many foolish things I’ve said about myself, thinking only of my strength in light of other people’s weaknesses.  How comical it must be to You and how tragic for me!  Thanks for your forgiveness and “forgetfulness.”  Remind me to watch what I say so that I may not be a fool.  Help me to say only those things that would edify others.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 4

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 14:7-13: Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

James 4:13-7: Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Question to Consider

1. One chose the place of honor while the other confidently planned for his future.  In what sense are they cut out from the same rock?
2. What perspective or attitude is needed to avoid seeking the place of honor and planning our future with self-assuredness?
3. How is your heart? Are you making any statements about your ability and future that may place you in the Hall of Shame of all the ill-advised things men have said about themselves?

Notes

1. These were men of presumption: the former thought of himself as superior to everyone else, which led him to think that he deserved better, while the latter thought that he, not God, was sovereign. Both of them badly miscalculated by overestimating their status and ability.
2. To avoid falling into the pitfall of presumption, we must cultivate the mind of Christ, which is, “in humility count[ing] others more significant than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). Subsequently, we are to “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (v.4).  We must also always remember how fragile we are and how unpredictable life can be, which leaves no recourse but to depend and rely absolutely on God (2 Cor. 1:9).
3. Personal response.

 Evening Reflection

If someone had observed you throughout the day, would that person conclude that you were trusting in yourself or God?  Be reflective and critical about yourself.  Make changes, if necessary, so that you won’t be embarrassed, or worse –be destroyed.  This is a serious matter.  Pray.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI devotionals for July 20-24 are provided by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

1 King 19:19-21: So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. ²⁰ And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” ²¹ And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.

Jimmy Johnson is the first coach to win both the Super Bowl and a college football championship. On the surface, he and Elisha shared much in common: both severed ties to their former life in pursuit of a newer challenge in life. Johnson, before joining the Dallas Cowboys, divorced his wife (his word) in order to totally dedicate himself to build a winner. As for Elisha, he got rid of everything that once meant something to him in order to follow and be mentored by the Prophet Elijah.

And it wouldn’t be too farfetched to imagine Jesus, who once commended a dishonest manager for his shrewdness in preparing for his jobless future (Lk. 16:1-13), lauding Johnson for his “reckless abandonment” to pursue a goal. Christ certainly would’ve backed Elisha’s decision, for He said, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold . . .” (Matt. 19:29).

Ultimately, however, Jesus wouldn’t use Johnson as a poster child to show “what commitment to God” looks like since breaking one commandment (“I hate divorce” [Mal. 2:16]) to keep another is never acceptable to Him (Mk. 7:9-13). And to Elisha, Jesus would say what He told Apostle John while He hung on the cross: “‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home” (Jn. 19:27). Huh? Certainly, we must always follow God’s call in our lives even if it conflicts with our family obligations; that, however, does not release us from fulfilling them. Paul writes, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8). We “should . . . “practice[] the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matt. 23:23).

Johnson came to see the importance of family later on while coaching another NFL team when he couldn’t attend the wake of his mother in order to prepare for a playoff game; and his father had been diagnosed with cancer as well. Johnson said, “It opened up my eyes. . . . There are times when you pull back and say, ‘Be with the people that you care about. Don’t shortchange them.'” Well, don’t shortchange God either.

Prayer

God, I marvel at Your goodness, especially in light of my heart’s inclination toward always doing what pleases and satisfies me. For my precious Lord of grace and mercy, I ought to follow You with “reckless abandonment.” But why am I so hesitant to follow You? Please allow events to occur in my life so that I will always keep You as my top priority in all things. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Acts 2:46-7: And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 12:12-3: When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” 12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

Question to Consider

1. In what sense did these gatherings constitute a Church?
2. Note where these believers met: What does that say about what constitutes the Church?
3. How can we incorporate Barna’s comments in our walk with God without giving up on the Church? How is your commitment to your local church?

Notes

1. A collective group of believers was gathered to praise God, pray together and break bread (i.e., sharing sacraments and a meal afterwards).
2. They met at homes as well as at the temple. Either way, it was a place where a group of believers gathered to worship and pray together—that’s the Church.
3. While we meet as a corporate body at a designated time and place, individually we should seek God and do good deeds on our own—it doesn’t have to be an either/or.

 Evening Reflection

Reflecting back to today, what tough choices did you face that pitted your family obligations “against” your obligations to God and His cause? How did you handle it? This isn’t an easy issue for all of us. Unless we cultivate an intimate relationship with God, we will continue to prioritize our earthly interests, however legitimate, over God’s. Pray. Ask God for discernment, encouragement and even creativity to fulfill both obligations.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI devotionals for July 20-24 are provided by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

1 King 20:13-18: When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.  Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁴ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”  ¹⁵ The Lord said to him,. . . ¹⁸ Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Since not many people serve God in “reckless abandonment” as Elijah did, grasping the aloneness he felt would be a stretch for us.  Believing that he was the only true believer left in Israel, Elijah felt so overwhelmed and spent—no wonder he said, “O Lord, take away my life” (19:4).  But I wonder what George Barna would have told him at that moment

“No Church? No Problem,” said the heading of an article appearing in a 2006 Christianity Today, which dealt with the pollster Barna’s book Revolution.  According to Barna, there were “some 20 million people . . . who live ‘a first-century lifestyle based on faith, goodness, love, generosity, kindness, and simplicity’ and who ‘zealously pursue an intimate relationship with God.’”  But these folks no longer attend church—which was just fine with Barna because, to him, the “meeting-in-a-building” model is a social construct (i.e., man-made) that can be deconstructed for a more relevant model.

Barna is right if you believe that the Church is a Church only if you congregate inside of a building with a pulpit in the front, surround by stained glass windows.  But Barna is wrong if he believes that a lone individual seeking God constitutes the Church that God had in mind.  While individuals ought to constantly seek God, our communion with Him isn’t complete until “two or three [believers] are gathered in [His] name” (Matt. 18:20) to praise, pray, partake of His word and share the sacraments.  In that collective moment, the sense that God is “among us” is truly enhanced.

I wonder how Elijah felt when he learned that he wasn’t alone in his battle to defend God’s honor because there were 7,000 others like him in Israel. Personally, I would’ve been encouraged and would’ve wanted to meet them to “stir up one another to love and good works” (Heb. 10:24).  And that’s what the collective body of believers does when they gather— “Encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (v.25).

So, don’t just go to church out of habit.  Worship God with others, and then encourage one another to strive for God’s honor in this increasingly secular and rudderless society.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I exalt You today because it was by the blood shed on the Cross that the Church was constituted through the Spirit.  Forgive me for my spiritual negligence in missing the corporate meetings of my church over frivolous reasons.   Help me to be the Church as well to seek you daily and to encourage others.

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Acts 2:46-7: And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 12:12-3: When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” 12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

Question to Consider

1. In what sense did these gatherings constitute a Church?
2. Note where these believers met: What does that say about what constitutes the Church?
3. How can we incorporate Barna’s comments in our walk with God without giving up on the Church? How is your commitment to your local church?

Notes

1. A collective group of believers was gathered to praise God, pray together and break bread (i.e., sharing sacraments and a meal afterwards).
2. They met at homes as well as at the temple. Either way, it was a place where a group of believers gathered to worship and pray together—that’s the Church.
3. While we meet as a corporate body at a designated time and place, individually we should seek God and do good deeds on our own—it doesn’t have to be an either/or.

 Evening Reflection

Have you ever seen yourself as a Church—a place where the Spirit dwells?  That makes you a temple of the Holy Spirit.   So when you go to your secular workplace, in a sense, you are bringing the Church there.  In that light, how did your coworkers, fellow students, or family members benefit by your presence today?  Can you think of one thing that you did or said that made someone think about God and His goodness?  Pray for a more meaningful day tomorrow.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI devotionals for July 20-24 are provided by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

1 King 19:1-9: Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.  All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.  7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

Some think that a right theology can cure them of the sin problem.  For certain Reformed believers, the imputation of Christ’s righteousness is the cure for all sin.  According to some Wesleyans who adhere to the doctrine of “Sanctification Entire,” we can reach a permanent spiritual state in which we no longer struggle with sin but have only love for God and others.  But what a mega-church pastor in Singapore said tops them all: “Your sins were imputed to Jesus so that they would never be imputed to you. . . . [So] stop examining yourself and searching your heart for sin.”  What?

What is most telling about today’s text is this: we are WEAK!  Remember, Elijah was a powerful man of God, for he singlehandedly took on 850 false prophets and “won” the battle of whose God was greater.  While the shouting and slashing by nearly thousand men did nothing, when Elijah prayed, “the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice” (1 Kings 18:38).  The stunned crowd, after shouting, “The LORD—he is God” (v.39), seized the false prophets and slaughtered them (v.40).

But by next day, this brave man lost all will to live, praying that “he might die.”  Why?  Because Elijah, who did not bat an eye when threatened by 850 men, flinched when a lone woman—Queen Jezebel—threatened his life (19:2): “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life” (v.3).

Certainly, good theologies and programs can make us better, but don’t be fooled into thinking that our fallen nature is eradicated—the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit has diminished its potency but when allowed, it can come back with vengeance. That is why we often fumble and trip over temptations and trials.

But the fact that God didn’t condemn Elijah for being weak and failing should comfort us.  Instead, God allowed him to rest, providing warm food and refreshing drinks to strengthen the prophet.  And that’s what will get us through: daily reliance on a good and gracious God who gives us a way out when we are tempted (1 Cor. 10:13), forgives us when we sin, and strengthens us when we are weak.

Prayer

God, You are my Rock and Fortress in whom I trust.  I possess nothing that would help me to overcome the temptations and trials of life.  Please deliver me from my sinful and weak nature.  I’m grateful that I have a real hope in Christ whose Spirit empowers me to prevail. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Mark 14:66-72: And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.”

Gal. 2:11-13: But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

1 Cor. 6:18: Flee from sexual immorality; 10:14: Flee from sexual immorality; 2 Tim. 2:22: So flee youthful passions.

Question to Consider

1. Seeing human nature through Peter’s antics, what can we learn about it?
2. To a Christian who was disappointed at his wavering faith, I said, “Look, don’t get too down on yourself; remember that Peter had denied Jesus three times.” This person, then, responded, “That’s before he was baptized with the Holy Spirit.”  What do you think I said to him?
3. Of course, we should not play dead as if we cannot overcome sin whatsoever. If we had a healthy respect for sin, what would we do?

Notes

1. First, it indicates that we are capable of caving in to sin when our faith in Christ may result in a significant personal loss; and second, we are liable to compromise our faith in order to be accepted by the right crowd (for Peter, it was the Jews).
2. Both Peter and Barnabas committed a blatant hypocrisy (pretending that they weren’t eating non-kosher food with Gentiles) even after they had been baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. You don’t just transcend your fallen nature by some theology or experience—even if it is good and wonderful.
3. We don’t play with sin! Yes, we should pray and read the Bible, but also, we should not allow our nature to get its way by fleeing from any and every thing that is lurking to tempt us.

 Evening Reflection

It would be a lie to say that we weren’t tempted today.  What temptations did you face?  How did do you handle them?  I hope you haven’t become so numbed to sin that you don’t feel any struggle when you are actually being tempted.  Ask God what areas in your life need to be awakened in order to, at least, struggle with sin.  Then, pray for strength to overcome it instead of always giving into lies, gossips, pornography, greed, anger, etc.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI devotionals from July 13-19 are provided by Pastor Charles Choe of Tapestry LA.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

1 Kings 18:41-46

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.

Depression is the common cold of our emotions. It can strike us at any time, even the most cheerful amongst us. It would be nice to think that as Christians, we don’t have dark days and discouragement doesn’t really get to us, but looking through the Bible’s greatest heroes, we find that time and again, despair can visit any one of us—at any time.

The classic study of a depressed person in the Bible is the prophet Elijah, the champion of Mt. Carmel. Of the many things we can say about depression, especially with the benefit of modern psychology, what is of interest for our purposes is the timing of Elijah’s depression. The onset of his depression is not during the famine or in the drought, but immediately after he defeats the false prophets of Baal, and God sends rain for the first time in three years.

Here is what we can learn from Elijah’s bout with depression: No one can run full throttle all the time. We all need to slow down to an idle occasionally. Keeping healthy in general –getting enough of the right kind of food, enough sleep, and sufficient exercise—may not guarantees us against depression, but it may help to prevent it and will certainly keep the body in a better state to deal with it.

The key is maintaining the pace God has built into His creation. Keep a rhythm between work and rest. If you are depressed, first get a good physical check-up to see whether there is anything physically or chemically wrong with you. If everything is all right physically, take some time off to let your body and soul catch up with one another.

And given that today is Sunday, you can make an immediate application. Go to church and worship with your community; rest in the Lord among friends. In fact, this should be a lifestyle: Sunday worship must be a priority. Minimize being away on the weekends, either for work or for vacations. If you are to rejuvenate not just body but spirit as well, you need make worship an essential part of your weekly schedule. This is true rest from your labor where your physical, emotional and spiritual needs are met.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the joy of salvation. There are moments when I don’t always understand my own emotions, but I thank You that You know me perfectly. In my moments of loneliness and depression, may I sense the nearness of Your presence. Thank You for the community of faith You have given me. Help me to not take them for granted. May I find refreshment and encouragement through my friends at church. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Haggai 2

Editor’s Note:  The AMI devotionals from July 13-19 are provided by Pastor Charles Choe of Tapestry LA.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

1 Kings 18:20-40

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 

A great war was about to take place between the Birds and the Beasts. The two armies assembled on either side—but the Bat hesitated which to join. The Birds that passed the cave said, “Come with us,” but the Bat said, “I am a Beast.” Later on, some Beasts who were passing by yelled out to him, “Come with us!” but he said, “I am a Bird.” Luckily, at the last moment peace was made and no battle took place.  So the Bat came to the Birds and wished to join them in the celebrations—but they all turned against him and he had to fly away. He then went to the Beasts, but soon had to retreat, lest they tear him to pieces in their anger. “Ah,” said the Bat, “I see now.  He that is neither one thing nor the other has no friends.”

A myriad of stories is found in the Bible of people choosing between faith in God and faith in something else. King Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel, placed their trust in something else—namely Baal—and as a result Israel suffered through three years of drought and famine. Others were found teeter tottering between Baal and Jehovah, which is what Elijah confronts Israel with in this famous scene in Mount Carmel. Elijah calls them to move off the center and to decide whom they will serve.

Just as in Elijah’s day, there are many who are uncommitted and unaware that their indecisive straddling is hazardous to their spiritual health. To straddle as a Christian is to misunderstand the very nature of Christianity. One may even attend church regularly, yet remain uncommitted, which can be compared to a soldier who will not join an army or a football player who does not join a team. There’s a difference between interest and commitment: When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit, but when you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses—only results.

Jesus says, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:13). Jesus knows how devastating remaining in the middle of the road can be: the unbeliever’s indecision can cost eternity, and the believer’s indecision can cost him the opportunity to experience genuine love and freedom God has to offer His child.  Furthermore, it is repugnant to God: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16).

As followers of Christ, we must see that we will never realize the promises of God without first being fiercely committed to Him. We must stop thinking that our commitment will lead to loss of freedom and see the paradoxical truth—that we are only truly free when we are enslaved to Christ. Consider your commitment to Christ today. Pray that God will help you to clearly choose Him today with the many choices you will make throughout the day.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to renew myself to You today by committing wholeheartedly my life in its entirety. Expose the idols of my heart for what they are: empty promises and inevitable disappointments. I repent of trusting in things that do not bring me life, but only increasing thirst. You alone are able satisfy the thirst of my soul. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 14; Haggai 1

Editor’s Note:  The AMI devotionals from July 13-19 are provided by Pastor Charles Choe of Tapestry LA.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

1 Kings 18:1-19

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals. 

The worse eruption of a volcano took place in 1816 in Indonesia, claiming the lives of 92,000 people. The volcano itself was reduced from 13,000 feet to 9,000 feet. 1816 became known as the “year without summer” because the ash in the atmosphere reduced the temperature, which was felt worldwide, not just in Indonesia. Interestingly, it is thought that an additional 100,000 people may have died from crop failures as far as Europe and America due to the decrease in temperatures from the eruption.

Following the reign of King David and his son Solomon, the kings of Israel did much evil in the sight of the Lord. The worst king in this list of infamy was Ahab who did enough evil on his own, but to make matters worse, Ahab married Jezebel, who was bent on building temples and altars to Baal, and eradicating Israel of the prophets of God. Ahab was an evil king who had no regard for God’s commandments.

Ahab, however, convinced himself that the drought Israel was presently suffering was the fault of the prophet Elijah. When Ahab finally finds Elijah, we hear in his accusation, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” the fundamental truth: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Or as our Jesus said, “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil” (Matthew 12:34-35).

Ahab’s heart was filled with evil treasures, hatred, resentment and vengefulness. So seeing Elijah, his volcano of corruption erupted in accusations, name-calling, slandering, condemnation, and blame. That’s exactly what a heart filled with evil does; it is ready to erupt, causing incalculable damage to all within its reach. All it needs is the right situation, and bang! The mouth speaks out the corruption that has been festering within.

More than the words we speak, we need to keep a close check on our hearts. Our words, whether they be disparaging or life-giving, will be consistent with what is happening in our hearts. We must guard our hearts, for Jesus teaches us that “murders, adulteries, thefts, false witness, and slanders come from the heart” (Matthew 15:19). If we are to have shalom in our lives, for ourselves and for others around us, we must examine and become students of our own hearts. And when we find ourselves tempted with hate, resentment or bitterness, we must quickly confess them and ask the Lord to give us a way out of temptation.

Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 13

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 6:44-45

For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

Questions to Consider

1. Why does Jesus say what we store in our hearts are like treasures, whether they be evil or good?
2. What does the inevitability of “each tree being known by its own fruit” suggest to those who are following Christ?
3. What is a sin or temptation you are secretly harboring or entertaining in your heart?

Notes

1. The thoughts we harbor are like treasures because we value them and put our trust in them. We keep them because we think they will provide us with our needs and wants, as well as solve our problems. We think they will handle our pain or meet our needs as we perceive them.
2. We will eventually know that we follow Christ by the fruit we bear. Our fruit will tell on us.
3. Personal answer.

 Evening Reflection

“Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.” –C.S. Lewis. Pray “succinctly” to the Lord what’s in your heart.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI devotionals from July 13-19 are provided by Pastor Charles Choe of Tapestry LA.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

1 Kings 17:17-24

And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 

It’s not every day that one thinks about death, but presiding over a funeral recently had me thinking about it head on. If we are honest, death can be a very scary prospect—even more so if we’ve lost a love one in a very untimely manner. Such is the case for the widow in our story today whose son became ill and he died. She was devastated. Not only had she lost her husband, but now her son as well. In her grief, she looked to Elijah for answers, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son” (v.18)?

At this point, we might wonder why we are looking to this widow as an “OT figure of faith.” Instead of entrusting her son faithfully to the Lord and accepting that it was His will to take him at this time, she lashes out at the prophet of God, Elijah. And even Elijah seems to be shaken, saying, “O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” (v.20). Here was one of the Lord’s most prominent prophets apparently taking God to task for ending this boy’s life and causing the widow extreme heartache and hardship.

Death has a way of doing that to us. The most faithful amongst us can be shaken to the core in the time of death. There is something so final, so irreversible about death, that it can send shudders down our spines. Death rattles us, push us to our limits, and can even call God into question.

But as a way of preview of Christ’s resurrection, we see that God is the God of life— and He has power over death. Using Elijah, God raises the widow’s son to life. When Elijah gives back her son, she says, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth” (v.24). So through this miracle her feeble faith was confirmed and strengthened.

We learn from this story that God understands our fears and worries about death. But He is calling us to look to Him because He is able to do the impossible. By putting our faith in Jesus, we overcome our greatest fears. Let us never put our confidence in ourselves—even when death comes our way—but let us always place our faith in the object of our faith: Jesus who became nothing so that we might have everything, including life over death.

Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 12

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Questions to Consider

1. Why does God love a “cheerful giver”?
2. Why are we not to give “grudgingly or of necessity”?
3. Consider how you give your offering to the church? Is it with a cheerful heart?

Notes

1. God loves joy-motivated giving to others because it expresses contentment in God’s gracious giving to us.
2. To give grudgingly—or out of a sense of obligation—is to not thoroughly understand God’s blessings, the way he has blessed us and continues blessing us.
3. Personal response.

 Evening Reflection

“As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor. It can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.” –A.W. Tozer