REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, first posted on March 18, 2018, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian who leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.  Shan is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning 

“Dirty Job” 

Genesis 46:31-34 

 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.” 

There used to be a TV show on the Discovery Channel called Dirty Jobs. The title gives the basic premise of the show: the host would go around the country and join actual workers for a day, doing their “dirty jobs” that were uncomfortable, hazardous, disgusting and sometimes all of the above.  Some of the examples of the dirty jobs that he did were sewer inspector, pig farming, mosquito control officer, and diaper cleaner.  None of these jobs are at all appealing, but they are all necessary because someone has to do them. 

If the Egyptians had TV and had their own version of Dirty Jobs, they definitely would have aired an episode involving shepherds.  We’re told in verse 34 that “every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”  We don’t know why exactly the Egyptians so disliked shepherding, but we can guess that it was mostly due to the fact that shepherding was a dirty job.  It was physically taxing as shepherds were outside all day long and likely slept in tents at night, still tending their flocks.  They were separated from most of general society, outside city walls.  The work of a shepherd was constant because sheep are very needy and not the brightest of animals. Shepherds had to lead the sheep to food and water, they had to defend them from predators, help them if they had fallen into ditches, and keep them away from danger.  And of course the job itself was dirty, because sheep, of course, aren’t exactly the fluffy and white animals that we see in children’s books; they are dirty and smelly and so were the shepherds.  We don’t have to wonder too much about why the Egyptians despised shepherds.  

When we consider how despised shepherds were, it’s amazing to think that one of the most prominent and important descriptions of who Jesus is to us is that He is our shepherd.  We can understand that Jesus is our king or that Jesus is our judge.  He is God, so He has authority and power, and He is to be revered and honored as such.  And yet, Jesus is our shepherd.  What the Scriptures tell us is that Jesus took on the dirtiest and toughest job, and it didn’t just last for one day.  He leads us, His flock, from danger and to food and water.  He helps us when we fall down.  He attends to our needs.  Jesus Himself got “dirty” when He took our sin on the cross, and He was despised by humanity and separated from God.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. 

So today, let us remember our shepherd who loves us and did the toughest and dirtiest job imaginable, so that we could be with Him. 

Prayer: ​Jesus, thank You for being the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us.  You have come into the messiness of my life to show me Your love for me.  Thank you Jesus for your amazing love and care for me.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Esther 1

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Lunch Break Study

(P. Ryun) 

Read Luke 15:11-13: ​ ​And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 

 2 Tim. 4:10a​: ​For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. 

Questions to Consider 

1. Although parables are fictitious stories, they are based on the lives of real people. So why would a young man want so desperately to leave his family? 

2. Spiritualize your answer to the first question. Why would some of us want to leave the Father’s house?  

3. There is a saying that goes, “The grass is always greener on the other side.” For those us who have wandered off from the Father’s house and stepped into the world, how has your experience been? Decent? Yes, perhaps at first. Why don’t you come back, today! If you know someone like that, then pray for that person right this moment.  

Note 

1. It is always a combination of things, right? First, the dull life of a farm boy makes a person feels like they are missing out; second, the rumors of great fun and opportunities in the city lure them as well. What they don’t hear about is the emotional, financial and spiritual cost of trying to find that life.  Many have been and continue to be disappointed. 

2. Besides the typical reasons such as loving the world, which is what sidetracked Demas from the narrow path, one other reason can be the unhealthiness of the spiritual community of which you are a part, that is causing more pain than joy. My suggestion: Don’t go the world where more pain awaits; instead, first address your legitimate concerns with your leaders; second, if all else fail, then, look for another fellowship, but know that as long as humans are involved, nothing will match your idealism.  

3. Come on, think of someone! You know a lot of these people. Care enough to pray for them. 

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Evening Reflection 

As we wrap up this day, ask yourself this question: Am I the kind of person who is willing to take on responsibilities at work or church that no one wants to take on? Of course, this question needs to be tempered with other considerations, but I am talking about our basic orientation and attitude. Mull on Philippians 2:5-8 and examine what is in your heart. 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ​8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on May 6, 2018, is provided by Jabez Yeo. He and his family are getting ready to leave for Thailand as missionaries with OMF.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“A Call to Go”

Mark 16:15-20

He [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

In yesterday’s devotional on Mark 16:9-14, I wrote about the disciples’ lack of faith and how we ourselves may have unbelief. While trusting in Jesus is a lifelong process, a simple way to exhibit our trust is to obey what Christ has called us, the church, to do. 

Yet, what is it exactly that Christ has called the church to do? In contemporary Christianity, there are several ideas of the church’s role, a trend that Kevin DeYoung laments about in What is the Mission of the Church? DeYoung (2016) then argues that “the mission of the church is summarized in the Great Commission passages” (p. 26). and that “the church is sent into the world to witness to Jesus by proclaiming the gospel and making disciples of all nations” (p. 26). Indeed, we see Mark’s version of the Great Commission through Jesus’ command to “go into all the world and preach the gospel” (v.15). Furthermore, Jesus promised His disciples that miraculous signs would accompany them (v.17)—something which was validated in Mark’s concluding statement (v.20) and the book of Acts. 

For some of us, proclaiming the gospel can be extremely intimidating. In my own journey, God helped me to overcome my fear by taking the first step of evangelizing with a GCC staff member. The next step was attending OTR’s School of Evangelism, which led to us starting a weekly evangelism ministry. The lessons that we learned helped us to start an international student ministry; and this enabled me to gain experience in cross-cultural ministry, which I now utilize while serving in Jackson Heights, Queens. God simply took me, with no ministry experience, and led me one step at a time, displaying the truth that all of us start from scratch and all that is required is the next step of obedience. 

So where is God calling you to “go” today? It may be to your offices, classrooms or somewhere overseas. Wherever God has led us, may we trust in Him and obey what He has called us to do.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your mercy in allowing me to hear the gospel and moving my heart to receive it. There are so many people in my city, country and the world who have yet to hear about You. Please help me to overcome my fear of man, and give me the strength to testify about who You are to the people You have placed in my path. Help me simply to be faithful and obey. In Your Name I pray. Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: Joel 3

NEW Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is provided by Charmer Pratt. Charmer, a longtime member of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia, has served faithfully in the welcoming ministry since 2016.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

Psalm 1:1–2

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on His law day and night.”

I don’t know if there’s a term for it (I spent way too much time looking for one), but I have a bad habit of procrastinating when it comes to doing something I want to do if it’s too convenient. If a restaurant opens up near me, I’ll often put off checking it out because I think, “I can go eat there any time I want,” which has resulted in me missing out on many things I thought would be around longer than they were.

One thing that will last forever, yet I still frequently fall into the habit of “not checking out,” is God’s Word. At the time this psalm was written—and for hundreds of years both before and after—reading Scripture was not easy at all. Written copies of Scripture were scarce, and most people were illiterate. If you didn’t have Scripture memorized, you would likely have to go to a priest to hear God’s Word. Being exposed to Scripture was a special event during Biblical times.

Do you notice the error in what I just wrote? Being exposed to Scripture was a special event? Scripture is the Word of God; reading it is a special event! Today, if you can read this devotional, not only do you have access to all of God’s breathed Word, but you have it in hundreds of translations and many languages. Yet because of this convenience, it’s easy for many of us to think, “I can read the Bible any time I want,” leading us to go through stretches where we don’t read it at all.

So ask yourself this question: when was the last time you truly delighted in reading God’s Word? If you find yourself struggling to answer this question and reading Scripture more out of obligation than joy, I encourage you to take time to ask God to soften your heart today.

Prayer: Thank You, Abba, for Your wonderful Word, which I can read day and night. Please forgive me for the times I take for granted my access to You and Your Word. Soften my heart, and reignite in me the joy that causes me to delight in reading Your Word again. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Joel 1-2

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on January 21, 2018.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia. 

Devotional Thought for this Morning

“How Are You Doing?”

Genesis 40:2-8

Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time, 5 each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” 8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

“How are you doing?  Doing OK?” Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Israel with the saints of the Church of Southland and overseas workers from various places. I have many good memories of the trip, including enlightening teachings in historical settings, the beauty of the seasides, catching up with old friends and meeting new ones.  Traveling in a group of about a hundred people, we didn’t always get to have extended conversations, but an impression that’s particularly stayed with me has been that of different people at various points throughout the trip greeting me with a kind, quick but sincere, “How are you doing?  Doing OK?”

In yesterday’s passage, we saw that Joseph had been put in charge of those with him in the prison and made responsible for all that happened there (39:22).  What did this mean and how did he carry out his duties?  What we get a glimpse of today is that he served people by asking the very question, “How are you doing?” or in his words, “Why do you look so sad today?” (v. 7)

He had been assigned to attend to the former cupbearer and baker to Pharaoh.  The three of them were fellow prisoners (v. 7), and over time, they developed among themselves a relationship that allowed them to have this exchange: Joseph being able to sense that something was wrong, their being willing to share, his offering to help.  Regardless of their official rankings, whether he was above or below them, because he was prison manager or prison slave, the role we see Joseph taking on here is that of a shepherd and servant leader.  

Joseph’s faithful service over time that earned their trust, his attentiveness to their state, his caring enough to get involved, and his willingness to serve others with his God-given gift: all these were how he took responsibility for those who had been put under his charge.  Whether we are called to servant lead a small group, a family, or even just one or two people in outreach or discipleship, Joseph demonstrates a model for all of us to admire and follow today.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to be sincerely attentive to people around me today.  The blessing I have received, help me to pass on to others.  In your name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Nehemiah 13

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Lunch Break Study 

Joseph has the dubious honor of being the first prisoner in the Bible.  He is followed by a long, illustrious line of others including John the Baptist, Peter and Jesus himself.  Paul, the last prisoner of the Bible, wrote the letters below:

Read Philemon 1: Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— 

Ephesians 4:1: As a prisoner for the Lord…

Ephesians 6:19-20: 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Philippians 1:12-14: 12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

Colossians 4:10:  Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you…

Questions to Consider

1. When Paul refers to himself as a prisoner, do you think he is doing so literally or metaphorically?

2. How did Paul spend his time in prison?  What was his main concern? (Ephesians 6:19-20, Philippians 1:13)

3. How did Paul’s imprisonment affect other believers? (Philippians 1:14)  When we hear about believers in prison for the sake of the gospel today, what is our response?

Notes

1. When Paul writes of being a prisoner of Christ, he is not meaning this in just a purely metaphorical way.  He was literally in prison when he wrote many of his letters that eventually became our New Testament.

2. Sharing the gospel, even in prison.

3.   It encouraged them to share more boldly rather than becoming afraid.  

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Evening Reflection

Spend some time thinking about and praying for believers around the world who are in prison for the sake of the gospel.  Pray that they (as well as we ourselves) may continue to declare it fearlessly, as we all should.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on January 4, 2018, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children, serves in Japan as an AMI missionary. Jason, a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), is currently planting a church in Tokyo. Please pray for this work.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Good Enough”

Genesis 33:18–20 (ESV)

And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. [19] And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. [20] There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel. 

When I was a college student, grades were not very important to me.  My goal was to get the best grade possible for the least amount of work possible.  My academic philosophy could have been called “good enough.”  

At this time in his life, Jacob is a changed man.  He courageously repents and reconciles with Esau, he resists the temptation to follow Esau into Seir, and he even buys a plot of land in the promised, making an altar to his God.

But Jacob is not perfect yet.  He settles in Shechem, not Bethel.  When Jacob was fleeing from Esau, he vowed to build God a house in Bethel if God enabled him to return.  Perhaps because Bethel is a mere 20 miles from Shechem, Jacob decides he is close enough.

Now of course, God did not demand that Jacob make that vow, nor is God unnecessarily concerned with the letter of the law rather than the heart.  But there is a better reason than legalism for Jacob to keep his vow and go on to Bethel, just as there is a excellent reason for believers to rise above a half-hearted, “good enough” mentality of faith: love.

Good enough is fine for things that are peripheral or temporal – things like our salaries, reputations, or material comforts.  But “good enough” is deadly and beneath the dignity of a friendship, or a marriage, or a relationship with Jesus Christ.  While we may have little to give to the Lord, let us give Him the best that we have each day.

Prayer

Father, I am often tempted to believe that I serve You or love You enough.  Thank You that there is grace for sinners like me.  May this incredible grace and love spur me to give my whole heart to You.

Bible Reading for Today: Nehemiah 12

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Lunch Break Study

Read: 1 Samuel 15:2–3, 9, 13-15 (ESV):

Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. [3] Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” …

[9] But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction…

[13] And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” [14] And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” [15] Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.”

Question to Consider

• What was the clear commandment of the Lord?
• What did Saul do instead?
• How did Saul excuse his disobedience? 

Notes

• To devote every living thing of Amalek to destruction.
• Saul spared King Agag and best of the sheep and of the oxen.
• Saul tells Samuel that the animals were spared in order to sacrifice them to the Lord.  Saul spiritualizes his disobedience.

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Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day.  In what ways were you tempted to serve God half-heartedly?  Confess these things to the Lord and thank Him for His grace today.  Ask God for strength to honor him wholeheartedly tomorrow.

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on March 14, 2018, is provided by Mei Lan Thallman—now a friend of AMI—who had served at Grace Covenant Church UC (now Philadelphia) for a long time.   

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Habit of Inquiring”

1 Samuel 23:1-12

Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3 But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. 7 Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will surrender you.

Twenty-two years ago, when my boyfriend Kirt (now my husband) informed me that he was coming to visit me in Taiwan with the intention of marrying me, my immediate thought was to pray and to call my college professors Dr. Gray and Dr. Charalambakis.  They both knew me well through three plus years of college and also got to know Kirt when we began dating. Being the only Christian in my family then, I valued their counsel and blessing above my own mother’s approval and blessing, before I could move forward with the relationship. I didn’t fully trust myself with the decision, and I wanted confirmation on what I was hearing from God. Because of their genuine love for me and their solid witness of having an intimate relationship with Jesus and a Christ centered marriage, I knew I could trust them.  

God described King David in Acts 13:22 as a man after His own heart.  When our church was reading through 1 & 2 Samuel, one repeating phrase that caught my attention was: “David inquired the Lord” (1 Sam 23:2,4,12; 30:8; 2 Sam 2:1; 5:23). I believe David became a man after God’s own heart because through the years, he developed a spiritual discipline to depend on the Lord through prayer.  He took time to lay his concerns before God, seek His direction, wait for a clear answer, and then take action according to what he heard from God. His discipline formed a lifelong habit and became a foundational core of his character.

In our postmodern age, it’s so easy to follow after our own plans and expect God to stamp His blessings upon our plans by orchestrating events to line up according to our liking.  When things do not go as we expected, we easily turn against God in anger, disillusionment, and in extreme cases, abandon our faith all together.

May we be reminded once again that a man’s life is not his own (Jer. 10:23). The steps of a good man are directed by the Lord (Ps. 37:23).  In order for God to direct our steps, we must take the time to inquire Him through prayer. And we must remember that prayer is a two-way relationship: we don’t just tell God what we want and what we would like for Him to do for us. Take time to ask God what is on His heart for you for this particular situation, and to help you to see things through His perspective.  Wait to hear from Him and make necessary adjustments, or take proper actions to carry out His will.

Prayer:  Draw us near You, Lord, and tune our ears to hear Your voice, so we might walk accordingly. Let us taste and see the sweetness and goodness of Your very presence and wise counsel. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Nehemiah 11

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Lunch Break Study

Read Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 

Questions to Consider

• What are some of the burdens or needs you are carrying?
• What makes trusting God so hard to do?
• Have you taken these burden before the Lord and ask for His help?

Notes

1. Jot them down and then take some time to meditate on God’s truth and promise.

2.  If we are really honest, it is fear—that God may take you to another direction. The only way to overcome that is to trust in His goodness, that He does what is always best for you.

3. Pray this: “Holy Spirit, would you please use this verse to cultivate in me the habit of turning all my concerns into prayer throughout the day?”

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Evening Reflection

Did you notice the difference it made by simply casting your cares upon Him and rest in His love and provision for you?  Take a moment to offer Him a simple prayer of gratitude for His constant love and care for you.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on May 15, 2018, is provided by Ulysses Wang who pastors Renewal Church in Sunnyvale, California. Pastor Ulysses is a graduate of New York University (BA) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.).  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“God According to Richard Dawkins”

Jeremiah 3:11-14

And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever.13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. 14 Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” – Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion

No, seriously Richard, tell me what you really think about God!

God gets a really bad rap for His works in the Old Testament, and undeservedly so. Today let’s just focus on one of the characteristics in Dawkins’ laundry list of complaints: “unforgiving.” Is that really the case? In today’s passage, God was confronted with serious infidelity. His people, whom He created, and who willingly entered into covenant obedience to Him at Mount Sinai, have completely turned their backs on their commitment and forsaken Yahweh for any and every floozy god that struts his or her stuff. They “scattered [their] favors among foreigners under every green tree.” Those “foreigners” are foreign gods, and Israel has played the whore.

Marital infidelity is a serious offense that wreaks serious devastation—many marriages don’t recover. Now imagine if your spouse cheated on you with not just one person, but entered into illegitimate relationships with anyone and everyone—even veritable strangers! How would you feel about that? Even the most patient and forgiving among us may declare the marriage beyond repair. Yet here is the God of the Old Testament, calling out to His wayward wife to “return.” His only requirement is that she “acknowledge [her] guilt.” Does this sound like a “petty… unforgiving… vindictive” God to you? His forgiveness should blow us away. This is the same forgiving nature that we see thousands of years later upon the cross.

If there is anything holding you back from coming to God, don’t wait, but only “acknowledge your guilt,” and God is waiting to receive you. Even today He calls to you, “return”! There is nothing that cannot be forgiven, sins old and new, by the God of the Testaments, both Old and New.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I bring You my heart. I confess my shortcomings, my waywardness, my inner thoughts that align with the desires of my flesh—thoughts of vengeance, jealousy, pride and insecurity. I know that in Christ, I no longer stand condemned, but rather accepted on account of the cross. Thank You for a forgiveness that surpasses my wildest imagination—thank You for the cross. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Nehemiah 10

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Hebrews 10:11-14:And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Questions to Consider

1. If the sacrifices of the priests couldn’t take away sins, why were they offered?

2. What is the significance of Christ sitting down?

3.  How is it possible to be “perfected” yet still be in the process of “being sanctified”? What impact should this have on our daily living?

Notes

1. They were offered in faith that one day there would be a sacrifice that could truly take away sin, and there was— Jesus’ sacrifice upon the cross.

2. The work of forgiveness is done! So stop trying to earn it!

3. This is the “already, not yet” nature of life in the church age. When God looks at us, He sees no sin on account of the cross. However, we still must deal with a sinful nature that must be put to death daily, hence our need for sanctification.

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Evening Reflection

Have you brought everything to God? Is there anything you feel ashamed, fearful, or simply shy about acknowledging before Him? Take your relationship to a new level of intimacy, and share the depths of your heart with God.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on January 15, 2018.  Cami served faithfully as a staff member at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“The Danger Of Favoritism” 

Genesis 37:1-4

Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the records of the generations of Jacob.  Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic. 4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.

Let’s get to know one another for a moment!  What is your favorite color? (Mine is black. Weird, I know.) What is your favorite food? (Mine is steak—medium rare please and thank you!) What is your favorite drink? (Mine is hot tea—I’m really loving all tings oolong these days.) Who is your favorite singer? (Ugh— too tough to choose. I’d have to say a tie between Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone, and Sam Cooke). We all have favorites—things that bring us the most joy, things attached to precious memories from our past, things that speak to us in a special way. 

As far as I can tell, most favoritism is fairly innocuous: some things and some people speak to our personality, interests, and experiences in a deeper way than others—and can even be good. Our experiences with God can connect us more deeply to specific people, places, and things (I had a favorite chair because it was where I met with God consistently for years and years). Yet some favoritism can be much more problematic and even toxic. This kind of favoritism can become an avenue for sin and dissension. And that brings us to today’s passage. 

Today, we meet Joseph. And the first thing the Bible writer wants us to know about him—other than how young he is— is that he is his father Jacob’s favorite child. If you’ve been journeying with us through Genesis, you’ll remember that Jacob is no stranger to favoritism. He favored one wife over the other (a sentence that makes me queasy as a modern woman), and his parents had favorites between him and his brother Esau—all of which had devastating consequences for the people involved. 

While we are all allowed to have favorites, we learn from this family to be careful not to allow favoritism to lead us to sinful partiality, because that harms everyone (both favored and unflavored alike). And if we’re not careful, this kind of partiality can lead us to unintentionally overlook those whom God has entrusted to us and to miss opportunities to be a blessing to them. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, make me aware of any blind spots I have in the area of favoritism. Thank You so much for all the special people and things You’ve given me. Thank You for all my favorites things. Help me to not allow those blessings to become a curse to others in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.   

Bible Reading for Today: Nehemiah 9

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Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 2:1-11: Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.  6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

Questions to Consider

• According to the passage, why is it dangerous for us to pass judgment on others? 
• What is the purpose of God’s kindness? How is God’s grace and mercy towards us connected to His judgment? 
• What does Paul mean when He says “God shows no partiality”? How is this a comfort to us? 
• Are there any people in your life you’ve been judging lately? Re-read the passage above and spend some time in repentance. 

Notes

• Because we are not impartial, and therefore, we are not qualified to judge. We do the same things as those we judge. Also, when we judge others, we take our eyes off of ourselves and our own shortcomings. We lose sight of God who is the Righteous Judge who will not only judge those who we are judging but will more importantly judge us! 
• God’s kindness is given so that we may repent. God’s forbearance with us is a means of grace so that we have the opportunity to see the errors of our ways and the greatness of God’s love toward us, so that we may turn to God and live. Oftentimes, we take God’s kindness as weakness and powerlessness or God’s forbearance as slack in justice or judgment, when instead it is God being merciful toward us and patient with us out of a loving desire not to see us eternally destroyed. 
• This statement doesn’t mean that God has no standards. The rest of the passage (and the witness of Scripture as a whole) makes that clear. What it does mean is that God is fair and all who seek Him and seek to do good will receive eternal life, no matter their background.  

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Evening Reflection

While we saw the dangers of sinful partiality in favoritism in our passage this morning and learned of the dangers of our own judgments this afternoon, we also know that our favorite things and preferences can point to the specific ways God has blessed us. Spend some time reflecting on some of your favorite things, relationships, memories and experiences. Why are those things your favorites?  In light of your list, spend time thanking God for the special and particular ways He has blessed you. 

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on April 15, 2018, is provided by Emerson Lin. Emerson, who serves in E. Asia as a missionary, is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Your Faith Has Healed You.”

Mark 10:46-52

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Growing up, I used to love going over to my best friend’s house to play. However, I wasn’t allowed to go over to his house until his parents came home. Being an impatient child, I would call his house up to 10 times a day to see if they were home. While most parents would probably be annoyed by my constant calling, my friend’s parents found it endearing that I wanted to play with their son so desperately.  

In this passage, we see Bartimaeus sitting by the road begging for money; at this time, Jericho was a wealthy city and many beggars would line up along the city entrance, hoping political elites or traders would give them money. According to Luke 18:35-43, as Jesus walks out of Jericho, Bartimaeus inquires why there is so much noise—it was a commotion that he had never heard before. When he hears that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by, Bartimaeus immediately cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” When the crowd tries to quiet him down, he cries out even louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Jesus heals him and says, “Your faith has healed you.” Bartimaeus’ desperation resembles a child-like persistence. He knew that only Jesus could heal his blindness, and he wanted to desperately meet Him. While people found his persistence annoying, Jesus called it “faith.”

Sometimes we equate faith with knowing more theology and having more knowledge. However, in the kingdom of God, a child-like faith lets us experience Him. Please understand that theology and knowledge are important because they both facilitate our faith, but they do not define it. In Mark 10:14, Jesus says, “When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” God is encouraging us to have a child-like persistence, so that we may experience Him!

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that You desire for us to experience the kingdom of God. You do not make it a mystery, but You give us a blueprint to follow. Help me to be like Bartimaeus and have a child-like faith. In Jesus name. Amen!

Bible Reading for Today: Nehemiah 8

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on August 26, 2017. Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Trusting the One Who Writes the Story”

Genesis 42:28

He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

 In 1967, Joni Eareckson Tada suffered an accident that left her as a paraplegic. She was only seventeen years old at the time. Her condition left her depressed and angry; however, she came to believe that God could use her disability for His glory. In the last fifty years, she has spoken, written books, and created international ministries. Taking stock of how God’s grace has allowed her to taste grace and minister to others, she can say, “It’s why I thank God every day for my wheelchair.”

Often, when our circumstances take a turn for the worst, it can be very easy to despair, just like Joseph’s brothers. Why has God allowed something strange and ominous to happen to us? We might even wonder if God has forsaken or turned against us; there is no clear picture for how today’s trials could become part of something good. What Joseph’s brothers could not see was that their hearts were being tested, and this temporary circumstance was a necessary step towards their own redemption and eventual reconciliation with Joseph.

Without knowing the end of the story, we can find ourselves ready to lose hope. It is hard to trust that things may work out or that God’s intentions are good. All we can see is the disappointment and the trial; the prospect of future glory or a joyful ending seems out of our grasp. 

If you are caught in difficult times today, be encouraged to not give up hope and put your trust in the goodness of our God. Though the road may be mysterious and strange, we believe that He is purposeful and will not waste our experiences; rather, He will redeem them. Let us hold onto our hope that God is near and with us. 

Can any of us see to the end? No, but we can see and know the One who does. May we be strengthened as we see Him with knowledge that He loves us and will persevere with us to the end. If He Himself perished for the purpose of drawing us close and making us one with Him (Romans 8:32), He will surely not let go of us in the meantime.

Prayer: Lord, we know that You hold the world in Your hands and that You hold onto us. Flood out the fears from our hearts and give us the courage to trust You. Help us to see that You are good. Please give us Your joy and Your strength as You have Your way in our lives! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Nehemiah 6-7