REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on September 12, 2017, 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 

“Living in a Fog”

Genesis 3:6 (ESV)

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 

 During college, I was in a very unhealthy relationship.  I knew that God did not approve of it, but I was convinced that He didn’t know what He was talking about—I knew what I needed to be happy and He did not.  The relationship ended up being spiritually and emotionally damaging to us both.  As it turned out, God was right.

In the Garden of Eden, there was a tree in the midst of the garden.  God said that eating of the fruit of that tree would lead to death, but to the woman, it did not look like death; it looked like a tree good for food, a delight to the eyes, and something to be desired to make one wise.  

The power of sin is greater than we think.  Sin not only fuels our desire for evil, it clouds our thoughts so that evil looks like good.  We live in a fog in which we cannot see; worse still, we don’t know that we cannot see.  God saw death and the woman saw something delightful and desirable.  And as is always true, God was right.

Brothers and sisters, today you and I will disagree with God about many things in our lives.  Our thoughts appear to be objective and reasonable, but God always knows what He’s talking about.  He aims to lead us away from death and destruction into a life of abundance and joy.  

Oftentimes, His truth will make no sense to us.  How can dying to ourselves lead to life?  How can denying ourselves be freedom?  How can all things work out for our good?  The honest answer to these questions is that we do not know how, but God is a good Father and He is more than able to figure it out.  May we ask for eyes to see the truth clearly, and when we cannot, may we reject our perception and stand on the solid rock of the Word of God.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You are true and Your Word is truth.  My heart and even my mind lead me astray so often.  Give me grace to believe You over all others, even myself. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 18

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Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Samuel 13:8-12 (ESV): He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. [9] So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. [10] As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. [11] Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, [12] I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” 

Question to Consider

1. Saul knew he was not supposed to present the offerings to God.  So why did he do it?
2. What is Saul blind to?
3. What is blinding Saul’s eyes?

Notes

1. His army began to scatter and he didn’t want to go to war without having offered the offerings.  Saul makes excuses and explains that he had no choice but to disobey God in order to (ironically) seek God’s favor.
2. Saul is blind to his sin and his responsibility for his sin.  Saul is blind to God’s omnipotence and sovereignty.
3. Saul’s ambition, fear of man, and pride blind his eyes.

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Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day.  What things appeared to be life but according to God are death?  For the moments you fell to temptation, ask for forgiveness.  Ask Jesus for more of His grace that washes away your sin and gives you spiritual eyes to see the truth. 

REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on May 28, 2017, is provided by Phillip Chen who is associate pastor at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego. Phil is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“If You Believe the Earth is Flat, Then It is!”

Revelation 2:18-28 (ESV)

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule[c] them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

One of the highest virtues of society these days is tolerance. A popular phrase “You do you” perpetuates this line of thinking: basically, this phrase means that you should do whatever you want to do, think however you want to think, and be whoever you want to be without fear of judgment. While I get the sentiment of this phrase, I also feel that it has spiraled out of control, particularly in our social landscape where tolerance is highly prized. Several months ago, a famous NBA player Kyrie Irving came out to say that he believed the earth was flat—what a shocking statement! The more shocking fact was that many came to his defense and said that if he believed it were true, then no one should be able to discredit his beliefs. Absolute truth has been discarded as something in the past, and relativism seems to be the popular belief that society holds to now.

Even within the church, there has been shifting views, where absolute truth that has always been held in the past have started to be questioned and discarded. Because tolerance has been celebrated as an important pillar of our society, oftentimes it can be mistakenly equated to love: love is tolerance, tolerance is love. Today’s passage shows us that the church in Thyatira struggled with this as well. Jesus commends this church for being full of love, faith, service and patient endurance. They are fulfilling their purpose as a church that extends love. However, when we look at the indictment against this church, we realize that they have been tolerating sin and wrong teaching; this teaching spread quickly, leading many astray. And this is all for the sake of love—and Jesus is not pleased with that.

This same struggle exists within the church today. Do we need to open the door wider (to the point of potentially sacrificing sound doctrine) so that we can love more people and give them a chance to come into the kingdom of God? Do we need to sacrifice love to hold true to the sound doctrine, guarding the faith and keeping it pure? It’s interesting to see that the church in Ephesus was faithful to sound doctrine and was zealous in chasing out heretical teaching—but they struggled with love. On the other hand, the church in Thyatira was the exact opposite: it was commended for its love and hospitality, but condemned for its tolerance of wrong teaching. One thing I appreciate about the “radical middle” approach is that one doesn’t need to be sacrificed for the other. We must earnestly pursue love – loving one another and loving those who believe differently from us—but we must also earnestly pursue faithful teaching, maintaining sound doctrine and purity in the faith, not tolerating sin and causing others to stumble. It’s an incredibly difficult thing to do, and I believe this struggle won’t end any time soon. However, our Lord encourages us: “hold fast until I come.” May our churches seek to love others and reach out to a decaying world while still holding to sound doctrine! May we be people who hold love and truth near to our hearts as we seek to minister to this world! 

Prayer: Father God, at times it seems so difficult to hold to the truth of Your Word when the world seems to reject what You have spoken. Although we desire to love people so that more and more may enter into Your Kingdom, we realize how difficult it may be to speak the truth in love. Help us in our weakness. Help us to be people who pursue love while we pursue truth.  Enable us persevere to the end, even when our message goes against popular opinion. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 17

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on June 17, 2017.  Andrew, a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.) is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Nations in the Heart of the Father” 

Revelation 7:9-12

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

In Revelation 7, we see a remarkable picture of heaven and the answer to the question, “Who can stand before God?” John is given an answer when he sees in his vision a “great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb.” What’s important to recognize is that God’s people in heaven are diverse and multicultural. People from all over the world will be numbered among the redeemed.  You see, God’s desire is to reach every tribe and nation–whether poor or rich, first-world or third-world–God is seeking to save the lost.

A few years ago, I was reminded of this truth when I attended a missions conference. During one of the sessions, over a 100 people came out with flags representing each of their own countries. One by one they took turns coming to the center of the stage to read a Bible passage in their own language. This went on for more than 30 minutes! But in that moment, I was truly moved upon being reminded that God is a universal God; that He cares for every nation and tribe, even the ones I never heard of. He sees every person on earth- even those who are in the most remote of places and desires to save them. As I watched each person proclaim God’s word in their native tongue, I was compelled to ask God to give me a heart for the nations, to help me see beyond my own borders.

Today, let us ask God for a heart that longs for the nations to be redeemed, a longing that moves us to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Prayer: Father, You desire to see every person saved and brought into your kingdom. Grant me the same heart, a heart that desires to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. May my life’s goal be to bring the good news of Christ to those who truly need it. Amen. 

 Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 15-16

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on March 24, 2017, is provided by Pastor David Kwon who leads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  David is a graduate of Drexel University (B.S.) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Spirit-Empowered Gifts”

1 Corinthians 12:8-11

For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

“In the New Testament, we don’t find our gift through self-examination and introspection and then find ways to express it. Instead, we love one another, serve one another, help one another, and in so doing we see how God has equipped us to do so.” – Russell Moore

When we look at the topic of spiritual gifts, we see that they have two major purposes.  First, the gifts are given to edify the body of Christ.  God has individually given us specific and unique gifts to minister to one another.  That is why it is so important for every believer to be part of and actively involved in the local church body so that our gifts are used to their full potential.  Second, the gifts are given to confirm the Word of God.  The Apostle Paul addresses spiritual gifts in his letters (Romans 12, Ephesians 4), to instruct us how the body of Christ should function and how we are to participate in building it up.

When it comes to spiritual gifts, we must remember the Spirit’s role as Paul talks about in verse 11.  The word “empowered” is also translated as “energizes.” This means that a believer does not use his gift out of his own power but allows God to work through it by the power of the Holy Spirit.  When the Spirit of God is at work through our gifts, it energizes the church.  When the Spirit is at work through our gifts, there are some evidences that are visible:

1. Unity – The Holy Spirit is the source and preserver of unity.  We should see the church unified as we minister to one another.
2. Loving – The church should grow in love for one another as we sacrifice for each other.
3. Ministry – The goal of the church is not to be served but to serve one another.  It is a community of believers in which each one ministers by the gifting and empowering of the Holy Spirit.

A few ways we can pray this morning:

1. Ask the Spirit that He would empower our gifts and that it would not be out of our own strength.  Pray for power as we serve one another.
2. Pray for your church that it would grow in unity, love, and ministry.

Prayer: Lord, we pray that we would serve not out of our own strength but by the power of the Spirit.  We ask that our churches would grow in love and unity as our gifts are used.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 14

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Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Timothy 1:6-8: For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, ⁷for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. ⁸Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,….

Questions to Consider

1. What is Paul telling Timothy concerning the Holy Spirit?
2. Why do you think Paul is reminding him of this truth?
3. How is this applicable in our daily lives?

Notes

1. The effective Christian worker must have the power of the Holy Spirit but that power must be expressed in a loving spirit. The Spirit also gives us self-discipline to flee from temptation and to live a God-centered lifestyle.
2. We tend to forget the power that is available to us in our everyday lives.  The Holy Spirit gives us the power to change as we abide in Christ (John 15)—this power is not merely an act of our own self-will.  
3. We need to be filled with more of Jesus so that we can experience His power and love to minister to others.

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Evening Reflection

Pray for more of the Holy Spirit’s work in your life.  Ask Him for a Spirit-filled and empowered life that is surrendered to the Spirit.  

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted September 4, 2017, is provided by Pastor Mark Chun. Mark, after stepping down as its Lead Pastor in January of 2023, is now serving as a staff at Radiance. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“In the Beginning …”

Genesis 1:1-3 (ESV)

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

As we look at the creation account, it begins with arguably the most famous sentence in English literature: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”   This short sentence tells us so much about the nature of God: His eternity, His infinitude, and His power.  

The fact that God stands outside of the confines of time and space, that He is there before the beginning, is a truth that was meant to shake our lives.  The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that God has placed eternity into the hearts of men.  There is a desire in all of us to be immortal, to have our lives count for something beyond these 70 years; and if given a chance we will do almost anything to extend the length of our lives.  A couple of weeks ago, I was reading an article about some of the new designer drugs against cancer; and sadly, the title was “How much would you pay for an extra month of life?”  This was a report on some of the new cancer treatments that are not covered by insurance, which can run upwards of $25,000 per month to extend a patient’s life for 2 to 4 months at the maximum.  These pharmaceutical companies are making millions of dollars, capitalizing on the natural human desire to live forever.  

Most people think about eternity when it is too late, but the life of faith begins when we seriously consider the impact of eternity on our lives.  The doctrine of eternity both challenges us and comforts us.  How much would our lives change, if we truly believed that “right now counts for eternity,” or if we realized that the true importance of this life is that it determines the destiny of our lives forever.  For those of us who are looking for answers in this life, the doctrine of eternity even provides comfort.  Perhaps a million years from now, we can look back at the difficult times of life, and discover that God has wasted nothing from our lives on Earth, that every agony gives birth to an eternal joy.  The eternal God gives us the gift of eternity through his Son, who provides hope for our despair and shines light into our darkness.  

Prayer: Father, our minds cannot comprehend that before time You were!  Even in this most basic concept, we are reminded that there is no one who compares to You.  Your ways are truly higher than our ways and Your thoughts higher than our thoughts.  Give us the humility to recognize our place as Your creation and Your place as our creator.  As clay in the hands of a potter, may we be shaped for Your purpose and will.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  1 Samuel 13

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Lunch Break Study

Read Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 (ESV): What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. 14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

Questions to Consider:

1. What should be our attitude towards the difficulties of work?
2. As we go through the busyness of life, what allows us to keep perspective?
3. Why is God’s eternal nature important for us to keep in mind?   

Notes:

1. The Hebrew word translated as “business” is probably better rendered as “travail or labor.”  This is a description of work that is under the curse of sin.  We have to spend much of our lives working for things that will not last.  Fortunately, God deems this to be the appropriate thing in this life.  Again the Hebrew word translated as “beautiful” can be better translated as “appropriate.”  The fact that God sees this as the right thing to do allows us to take pleasure even in our work.    
2. We are not to be consumed by our work because there is something far more significant to live for.  Too many times, we enjoy work too much and forget the curse that makes the fruit of our labor insignificant.  For this reason, God has placed eternity in the hearts of men so that we would weigh things from an eternal perspective.   
3. God’s eternal nature should cause us to revere God and live in the fear of Him.  Only the things that God does and says are guaranteed to last forever.  Most of what we do will not stand the test of time.   Although there are some questions about the meaning of verse 15, I believe it is alluding to God’s desire to restore man’s ability to live with Him for all of time.  Because of sin, we were driven away from paradise, but God sent His Son to seek those who were lost. 

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Evening Reflection

When is the last time you gave serious consideration to eternity and life after death?  Does this cause you fear or anxiety, or are you looking forward to reuniting with Christ?  Take time tonight to reflect on the eternal treasures that you are building up, and how you can adjust your life to pursue those things that will last forever.   

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on September 18, 2017.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.

Devotional Thought or This Morning

“The Genealogy of Adam in Genesis 5”

Genesis 5:1-2

In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.

I will never forget my first time really reading this passage. I’ve been around the Bible my whole life so I’m sure I’d heard these couple verses before. But when I was a seminary student studying Hebrew, I remember reading this passage and being utterly fascinated (and slightly confused) by the language in the text. If you look at a few different English translations, maybe you’ll see what I mean: 

In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created (NASB). 

When God created humankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female; when they were created, he blessed them and named them “humankind.” (NET)

This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself. 2 He created them male and female, and he blessed them and called them “human.” (NLT)

In the original, the word translated “man” or “humankind” is the Hebrew word adam (where we get the name Adam). Now, adam, first used as a common noun, is what God names his human creation – all of it. And contrary to postmodern feminism that posits that sexual identity is culturally conditioned, God’s word clearly declares that the human creation bears difference: they are male and female.  Elsewhere in Genesis, this distinction is made even more clear by two Hebrew words meaning man [ish] and woman [isha] – the latter being taken out of the former and thus named accordingly. (See Genesis 2:23.)  Nevertheless, they are one creation; that is, they are God’s precious adam (i.e., humanity). Andit is actually not until after The Fall that the woman is given a name other than adam – in Genesis 3:20, the man begins to call the woman Eve. 

This carries a ton of implications for me – the bulk of which we don’t have time to explore here. But one thing that was crystal clear in the reading of these verses (and my imperfect grappling with the text as a student) is that God made us for oneness and intimacy with one another. We live in an individualistic society. That’s no surprise. We’re reminded of this all the time. But our passage today is a clear declaration of our purpose for community. We are so called to one another, that in creating all people (with differences), God didn’t even bother to give us separate names. Those designations came after our sin. Much like the God in whose image we were created, who exists 3 in one community – all God, we are created for relationship, with God yes, but also with one another. May God remind us anew today of the value of one another and beauty of life together!

Prayer: Almighty God, who exists as one great God in three persons, thank You for fashioning me in Your image. Remind me today of the importance of interdependency and community with the people around me. May I never be satisfied with individualistic living, but may I instead choose the “one another” life, a life together with my fellow adams. Teach me what it means to live in intimacy and oneness with the people you’ve placed in my life. Thank you for them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.    

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 12

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Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 22:34-40: But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Questions to Consider

1. When Jesus is asked to give the greatest commandment or the most important/significant one, what does he say? What would it mean for you to uphold the greatest commandment today?  
2. In verse 39, Jesus gives a sort of two-for-one special and adds to the greatest the second greatest. What was that commandment? Why do you think Jesus linked the two together? 
3. I’ve heard it said before that Christians for many years have been so turned upwards that they often step on or over the people right in front of them whom they are called to love. It’s a funny picture, but it’s not hard to imagine time when I’ve been so focused on me and God that I forgot about the other side of the coin. Who are the people you’ll encounter throughout your day today? What are some ways your interactions with them would be different if you remembered Jesus’ words above? What are some practical ways you can love those around you? 

Notes

1. The greatest command is to love the Lord our God with all of ourselves. One commentator explained that the heart, soul, and mind are not entirely distinct in the imaginations of Jesus’ hearers and put together the three are pointing to a love by the whole of oneself (and all we imagine that to entail). 
2. The second greatest command, which is like the first, is to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus, I believe, links these two together because it is nearly impossible to truly love God and not love others. I always like the image of a coin where loving God is one side and loving our neighbors is the other side. They are different, yes, but they are two sides to the same coin. If we have truly known God’s love for us, and responded in love for him, the natural result (just as sure as 1+1=2) is love of those whom God loves so much. 
3. Spend some time in personal reflection. 

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Evening Reflection

In reflecting on the call to “love your neighbor as yourself,” C. S. Lewis explains the following: “Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained. In order to have a steady wish for the good of another, in order to take practical steps to bring that good into being, we have to first discipline our minds to think of others. The hardest part about loving our neighbors is rarely that we hate them, but that we fail to think of them nearly as often as we think of ourselves (and our little kingdoms) if at all. Part of learning what it means to be called to community and part of experiencing our created purpose of interdependence, is first learning to consider others. Jesus challenges us to consider others better than ourselves, but for many of us, we haven’t even made it to the step of just considering others (better or worse) except as some extension of our wants, needs, etc. But our relationship with God and our relationship with others are inextricably linked, so we have to take the business of life together seriously.

Spend some time thinking about your tendency toward individualism: 

What are some ways you fight interdependence? What are the areas in your life where you are more selfish and self-absorbed? Who are the people in your life you fail to consider? What occupies your thoughts instead? 

Our ability to love others and do life together first begins with our awareness of God’s love for us. Spend some time meditating on God’s love for you. Thank God for the unconditional love you’ve received; allow it to fill your heart. Ask Him to direct that same love through you to the people around you and in the relationships He’s given you. 

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotionals, first posted on November 16, 2017, is provided by Pastor Paul Liu who pastors the Grace Covenant Church Singapore. He is a graduate of University of Illinois (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Same Old Struggles” 

Genesis 20:1-7 

From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

I’m not sure about you, but if I could, I’d wear a t-shirt and jeans everyday. And not just any t-shirt and jeans—it has to be my favorite ones. Most people have clothes like that— comforting and comfortable—where you can’t wait to get out of your work clothes to put on these comfortable ones. That’s probably how Abraham felt about taking up his favorite defense mechanism for when the going got tough: he started lying. We see it happen in this text, as well as in Genesis 12:10-13: out of fear for his life, he tells Sarai to lie that she’s his sister and not his wife.  It was like putting on a favorite t-shirt for Abraham—comfortable, even though it was a plan with holes all over it. Abraham panicked and chose deceit rather than truth.

Jerry Bridges tells us that one of the reasons why pursuing holiness is so hard is because we’ve built a lifetime of sinful habits. Yes, we have an Adversary attacking us; and yes, we’re in a spiritual battle; and yes, we have powerful resources for victory. But all of these truths are supported by the disciplines we choose. Lying to avoid confrontation became easier for Abraham through practice. It felt natural to do it, like it was part of his wardrobe for handling difficult situations. Even after God’s judgment on Sodom, in the heat of the moment, what came natural to Abraham was not the fear of God but the familiar habit of lying to save his skin. And if we are to change, we need to recognize that knowing what is right and acting on what we know are not always the same. It’s easy to judge Abraham for making the same mistake twice but we do it all the time as well. 

We need to develop habits of self-examination as David did when he prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23); habits of prayerfulness and repenting for “any grievous way in me” (v.24a); and habits that help us appropriate God’s strength as David asked God, “lead me in the way everlasting” (v.24b).

Prayer: Lord, reveal to me today the habits of untruth that I often employ to protect myself.  Expose to me the ugliness of my ways, so that I might repent and trust You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 11

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Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 139: O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar… 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me…
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you… 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Questions to Consider

1. What would motivate a person to ask the Almighty God to search them?
2. How does David’s understanding of God’s character lead to deeper faith?
3. Does David’s request that God search him (v.23) inspire you or unnerve you?  Why?

Notes

1. Simply put—love. David loved God and he wanted his life to please Him. 
2. David reflects on God’s omnipresence (the fact that He’s everywhere) and omniscience (the fact that He knows everything), as beautiful and comforting. So in his desire to please God, David asks the all-knowing God to reveal his weaknesses so that he might grow in integrity and maturity. 

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Evening Reflection

Think about the moments in which the Holy Spirit revealed “grievous ways” in you today—attitudes or actions that were self-serving rather than God-honoring. Were you a repeat offender in any of these things? Don’t give up! Repent! Ask God to keep exposing that which does not please Him in you. And pray for strength to develop habits of integrity, honor, and truth.

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on October 10, 2017, 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.).  

Devotional Thought for This Morning 

“It’s All in the Name”

Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

Growing up, I disliked my name Emerson because it was so different. I wished that my parents named me John, Kevin, or even Michael, like my other friends. In elementary school, I convinced my entire class to call me “Em,” because I was so embarrassed by my full name. One day after school, I asked my mom why she named me Emerson. She took out a baby name book and explained that Emerson meant courageous and strong. When I was in her womb, God told her that her son would walk in courage. After hearing her story, I slowly began to appreciate my name.

Names are an important part of our society: they help us address our friends as well as identify people. However, names carried much more meaning in the Old Testament. More than just for addressing, names determined the identity, status in society, and their relationship with God.

In this passage, Abraham’s name was changed from Abram, “Exalted Father,” to Abraham, “Father of Many Nations.” This name change was a turning point for Abraham, because it altered his destiny from a prince of Ur to a patriarch of God’s redemptive plan.

Our destinies, too, have been changed and altered through a name—the name of Jesus Christ. Romans 10:12-13 says, “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Because of the name of Jesus, we are set free from the bondages of sin and are able to walk in complete freedom.

There will be times where we will feel discouraged, depressed, and hopeless. However, the Scripture reminds us that when we go through these difficult seasons, all we need to do is cry out to the Lord. He shows up in different ways: through His Spirit, His word, or His Church. Let’s continue to call upon the name of the Lord.

When you go through tough seasons, is your first instinct to call upon the name of the Lord? If not, what hinders you from crying out to Him? If so, reflect on those incidences. As believers, let’s continue to call upon the name of the Lord.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that Your name has power and authority. Help us to remember this so that when we go through hard seasons we can cry out to You. Only You can deliver and save us! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 10

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Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 8: Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them[f] with glory and honor. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Questions to Consider

1. Name three reasons why the psalmist praises the name of God? (v. 2, 3, 4-9)
2. What literary device points to the psalmist’s love for the name of God?

Notes

1. First, God humbles the proud and gives grace to the humble. Infants and children are considered weak, yet God uses them to be victorious over His enemies. Second, the psalmist is in awe of the nature that God created. The beauty of the moon starts to point to the glory of God. Third, God has given man the authority and dominion to govern over all creation.
2. We see that the psalmist repeats, “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Repetition promotes the purpose why this Psalm was written. 

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Evening Reflection

In light of today’s sharing, were there any situations when you needed to cry out to the Lord? If not, please take a moment to reflect on the past incidences where you cried out to the Lord and He saved you. Take some time to thank the Lord for His faithfulness in your life.

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on June 8, 2017.  Andrew, a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.) is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Utopia on Earth … Are You Serious” 

Revelation 7:13-17 

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

In the early 1900’s, there was great optimism about where the world was headed. Many believed that through the ingenuity and creativity of human beings, it was only a matter of time before a utopian society would be ushered in. However, this optimism was short-lived.  In a matter of a few decades, two world wars had devastated the world, leaving countries in ruins and people in a state of shock.  Instead of seeing the human potential to cultivate a world defined by welfare, people experienced the human potential for destruction. With millions dead, it was clear that the world was not getting better. Ironically, humanity’s endeavor to resolve the world’s most profound issues led to the bloodiest century known to man. It seems that we have always attempted to usher in a perfect world, to find effective solutions to man’s ills, and bring lasting change. But because of sin, this has been an impossible task. All of man’s attempts have fallen short and the world is still filled with strife. 

One of the most profound truths we find in the book of Revelation is that God is also at work to bring about lasting change. But unlike us, the promise of renewal is guaranteed to come to pass. It is not a matter of if but a matter of when. Here in Revelation 7, we see a glimpse of what the future holds for those who belong to God. There will be a day where there are no more tears and no more hunger. You see, this vision was a source of encouragement for the recipients of this letter. As the early church attempted to build a world reflecting the values of the kingdom, it was a difficult task. At times, it would have seemed pointless and too daunting to continue in this journey. However, the vision of Revelation promises that their work and perseverance will not be in vain; that not even death could undermine the value of their toil. In the end, they will be brought to a place where they will find true rest, where there will be no more thirst and be led to springs of living water. Let us take time to reflect on this vision and find a reenergizing hope to help us to continue to fight the good fight of faith, because in the end, it will not go in vain! 

Prayer: Father, I confess that it is difficult to live out the calling you have given to all of us. At times, it seems that our hard work for your kingdom does not make a difference and it can be discouraging. But this morning, we invite You to fill our hearts with a future hope that gives us a renewed sense of energy for the work before us. May my life be marked by a perseverance and faithfulness when it comes to the work of your kingdom, knowing in the end, the world you desire will come to pass.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 9

Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on June 3, 2017, is provided by Jennifer Kim who served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Wasn’t It Supposed to Be the Land of Opportunity?”

Exodus 16:1-7

They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?”

Several years ago, while I was serving a one-year internship in Shanghai, I met a young college student who was enamored at the idea of living in America. She believed that the US had everything that China could not offer her, and her ultimate goal was to live and work in “the land of opportunity.”  At the time, I let her know that America was not the perfect nation she imagined it to be, and that her hope should not be in this American ideal.  Although nothing I said seemed to change her mind, in hindsight, I realized I couldn’t blame her for having such thoughts.  This idea was precisely what brought America to be the nation that it is today—an immigrant nation filled with individuals who believed that the United States would provide the economic stability and educational resources they desired.  This is precisely why my parents moved to the US as well.  Despite the language barrier and their economic situation, their belief in a better life propelled them to leave everything they knew and everything that was comfortable in order to move to the land of opportunity.

Today’s passage tells about the Israelites’ journey to their land of opportunity, the Promised Land.  After being set free from slavery, the Israelites begin their journey to a place described as “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exod. 3:17) in pursuit of God’s call to reside in the land promised to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis.  Yet along the way, the lack of water and food lead the Israelites to grumble and cry out that death in Egypt would have been better than their current circumstances. Ultimately, they forget why they are on this journey and wish to return to their former state of slavery.

While it may be easy to criticize the Israelites, I can’t help but relate to all the times I too received a specific message from the Lord and ran with such fervor, only to find myself complaining and forgetting the promise given to me because the journey became too difficult.  Oftentimes in our pursuit we lose our way as we get caught up in our struggles, and even worse, we desire to go back to what we’re used to.  My parents had their fair share of difficulties while living in America as well, but what helped them persevere was remembering why they moved to the US.  We are all on a journey that God has set before us, whether it’s a specific calling, vocation, or mission.  Let’s take time today to reflect on where you are in this journey.  If you’re struggling, remember the promises God has given you and why you are on this path in the first place.  Jesus was on a journey too. His journey was to leave His throne and come into this world to bring healing and salvation to all.  Let’s thank Him and remember that His plans for us are always good.

Prayer: God, thank You that Your love compelled Jesus on His journey to the cross that I may receive love and forgiveness. During the difficult times, help me to remember why I am on this journey and the promises You have declared over my life.  I want to worship You in all circumstances! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 7-8