Editor’s Note: The AMI Quiet Times for February 28 and March 1 are provided by Mei Lan Thallman of GCC.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
Isaiah 55:8-13: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. [9] “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. [10] As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,[11] so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. [12] You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.[13] Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign that will endure forever.”
As a first generation Christian in my family, I have been praying for the salvation of my family members for a long time. And I am so grateful to experience firsthand how God has used the intercessory prayers of the body of Christ to bring salvation to my beloved mother. When she passed away unexpectedly three years ago, my greatest comfort was the assurance of knowing that she was with Jesus. But the process of praying for her salvation took more than 10 years.
Recently, I was feeling discouraged by the lack of visible breakthroughs in the ongoing 18 plus years of interceding for my siblings’ salvation and the heart wrenching circumstances that they are in. A thought of, “What’s the use, you might as well give up praying for them,” came to my mind. Just then, I felt the tugging of the Holy Spirit, reminding me of several prayers that were prayed over me: The first prayer was a prophetic word from a pastor that God has called me to be a spiritual pillar for my family. The second prayer was that God was teaching me a new way to see, to respond, and to pray for my dysfunctional family through His perspective and not my own.
The above Isaiah passage reminds me that part of praying is yielding my thoughts and understanding to God’s thoughts and understanding. My focus must to be on God, His character, His ongoing eternal redemptive plan, and not on the lack of results and the circumstances. On this side of heaven, 10 and 18 years seem like a long time, but from the perspective of eternity, they are like a blink of an eye or a drop in the bucket.
When I realign my thoughts and prayers according to the lordship and anointing of the Holy Spirit, God not only hears all my prayers, but He is faithful and able to accomplish His redemptive plan for the people He has laid on my heart to pray for; that is, in His timing and ways. My job is to keep on praying in cooperating with the Holy Spirit without ceasing.
For whom and what have you been burdened to intercede for lately? Please don’t give up and never lose hope. Your prayers are making all the difference in people’s eternal destinies and in God’s kingdom. God can use our prayers to equip us to co-labor with the Holy Spirit and empower us to make an eternal difference in people’s lives. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him (through intercession), so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13).
Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 66
Lk 14:26-33 (NIV): “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. [27] And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. [28] Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? [29] For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, [30] saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ [31] Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? [32] If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. [33] In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”
As our commitment level grows, we’ll reach a point where we may be ready to surrender all aspects of our lives to the “King of kings” (1 Tim. 6:15), which is what the second parable shows. The “kings” refer to us who are in charge of our own lives, but upon seeing that the KING, who comes to conquer, is stronger than us, then, instead of fighting, we’ll surrender. Those who haven’t added faith to their rationality will put up a losing fight; those who have will yield, allowing the KING to rule them wherein they encounter righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17).
A large freshmen class was told by the professor to submit their monthly assignments on the last day of the month—from September to November. The fifty students who missed the first deadline were given a failing grade, but the professor showed them mercy when they pleaded for leniency on account of not yet being acclimated to college life. Later, hundred students missed the second deadline, but the professor again showed them mercy on account that midterm exams were too much for them. Once the word got around about the professor’s leniency, almost everyone missed the final deadline. When told that they will all get an “F,” they yelled “Unjust!” to which the professor asked, “Do you want me to be just?” When they said “Yes,” he declared, “Everyone who missed the deadline for previous assignments all get an ‘F’.”
This story and the parable above are very similar except for the people involved. The landlord goes out to the market place on several occasions to hire men for his vineyard. Like the day laborers of today, these are desperate men in need of work. The earliest hired laborers probably worked for twelve hours; the last hired, only one. Those who worked the longest, after seeing that the last hired received a denarius (a day’s wage), expected more; they were disappointed. Then the landlord, like the professor, was accused of being unjust. In response, he pointedly said to his accusers, “I’m not being unfair; I can do whatever I want with my money. You received the agreed amount; with others I’m being generous.”
Some say that Jesus was wrong since he didn’t return in the first century even though “all these things” happened during “this generation.” This misunderstanding stems from what constitutes “the end of age,” which, according to end times Bible prophesy, likely began with the restoration of Israel in 1948. However, Peter, quoting Joel, proclaimed that the “last days” were inaugurated when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost: “In the last days, God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people’” (Acts 2:17).
A few years after Buster Douglass knocked out Mike Tyson, his weight ballooned to 400 pounds. It isn’t uncommon for professional athletes to experience substantial weight gain during the off-season or after retiring. But for us, there is no off-season or retiring because “by standing firm you will gain life” (Lk. 21:19).
Matt. 25:1-13 (NIV): “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. [2] Five of them were foolish and five were wise. [3] The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. [4] The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. [5] The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. [6] At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ [7] Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. [8] The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ [9] ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ [10] But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. [11] Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ [12] But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ [13] Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
This parable, about the ancient Jewish wedding day, has the bridegroom arrive at the house of his bride’s father at midnight for the ceremony. Upon his sudden arrival, the door is closed and the late comers aren’t admitted. Afterwards, the husband would take his wife home in a wedding procession, and then celebrate the banquet that lasts for a week. Since the procession typically occurs in darkness, the guests would bring lamps to light the way; and those without it are prohibited to be on the street.
When my basset hound thinks it’s time to walk, she whimpers without ceasing. This annoys me a lot when I am busy, but I still walk her so that she won’t bother me with her persistent whimpering. And once we’re out, I make sure she has a good walk.
Keep this in mind before praying: “If you remain in [Christ] and [his] words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (Jn. 15:7). Those abiding in Christ won’t ask for things that contradict God’s general will revealed in the Scripture. In Mexico where Catholicism reigns, it isn’t uncommon for drug cartels to demand that a priest bless them. God will never answer prayers that go contrary to His general will; some may experience what may look like an answered prayer, but God has nothing to do with it.
I was stunned to hear that the leaders of Mars Hill Church—a mega congregation founded by Mark Driscoll—decided to cease its operation in response to highly publicized revelations about Driscoll’s questionable conduct. Among other things, Driscoll had the church pay a large sum of money to a marketing firm, so that it can make a bulk order of his book on marriage, to make it appear that thousands of purchases were made in a given week. The strategy worked as the book reached the top of the New York Times Best Seller List in “hardcover, advice, and misc” rankings. But in the following week, his book disappeared from the top 15 list; evidently the hype didn’t translate to more book sales. And, it turns out that this manipulative ploy has been used by other well-known pastors— they probably feel embarrassed seeing their name next to Driscoll, who, since, has admitted to the wrongfulness of this practice.
I experienced this in a weird manner. I don’t own a fancy phone because I don’t need it since I work mostly at home (when not travelling). But I do own a $10 cell phone which I use when I really need it. But once, when I was calling my wife to pick me up at the airport, I felt sort of self-conscious about using this low-tech phone, since everyone around me was using a Smartphone; but, I said to myself, “I need to be real; besides, Jesus thinks I am okay.”
Many years ago, I returned home to Virginia from California to work so I can save money for my seminary education; that included helping out at my father’s business. One day, I saw a customer fuming with anger, leaving the store, and discovered later that my dad had yelled at him for walking on mopped floor. So, I asked my dad, “Why do you always get mad at customers?” Not liking my attitude, he said something that really upset me; so for the next five weeks, I didn’t speak to him
In the parable, Jesus has the master cancel the unpayable debt owed to him by his servant. But when that same servant refuses to be merciful toward his fellow servant who owes so much less, the master becomes furious and punishes his servant. Now, the master represents God; the unpayable debt is the “wages of sin,” which is, “death” (Rom. 6:23); the act of cancelling it is Christ’s death that “takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29). The servant with the cancelled debt represents us whose good works can never atone for our sins against God and fellow men. The fellow servant, whose miniscule debt isn’t forgiven by his coworker, represents my father whose sin I wouldn’t forgive because I was being ungrateful to God who forgave me of much greater debt.
The principal of the missionary school that my children attended in Mexico would walk around with a ruler to measure the lengths of skirts worn by some girls to ensure that it fell within the school regulations. Maybe to some, only “bad girls” would wear a short skirt.
This parable is easy to interpret because Jesus himself interprets it: “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. [21] For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, [22] deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.” (Mk. 7:20-2 NASB).