REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on June 1, 2020, is provided by Pastor Joseph Chung. Joe leads Remnant Church in Manhattan, which consists of three independent congregations—Korean, English, and Hispanic.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Let the Justice Roll”

Amos 5:23-24 (ESV)

“Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. 24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Oh no, not again!

After watching what can only be described as hateful and senseless murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota, I spent the day praying and mourning. Like many I felt deeply troubled.  As I prayed, having been reminded of Amos 5:24, I prayed that God’s justice will roll on like a river and his righteousness like a never-failing stream.  

What a broken, injustice-filled world we live in.  As I watched that horrible video—even with my heart pounding—I felt a piece of my soul dying.  So much pain.  So much anger.  The issue isn’t what Mr. Floyd allegedly did or did not do that made the police involvement necessary at the outset; rather it has everything to do with the self-evident fact that NO ONE BEARING GOD’S IMAGE DESERVES TO BE TREATED LIKE THAT—NO ONE!  As God’s handiwork, we all are, despite being marred by sin, precious in His sight.  John 3:16 says so: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

When will this injustice and hatred end?  

Amos 5:24 starts out with a “BUT” because of what is said in previous verses: God’s condemnation of the nation of Israel—His people—for oppression and injustice.  “You trample on the poor,” said “the LORD to the house of Israel,” and “you exact taxes of grain from him…” (Amos 5:4, 11).  It is after that the LORD declares, “But let justice roll on like a river.”  

So, amid all the chaos and hate, let God’s justice flow. As His people, we must love His justice.  And as we worship Him, the way we live must demonstrate His justice!  Please note what verse 24 says: Worship without justice, to God, is a noise; He will not listen. 

Let us, therefore, cry, cry out to God for His justice to reign.  Let us stand and mourn with those who are oppressed and treated unjustly.  

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for “JUSTICE.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come to You heart-broken and deeply grieved as we have witnessed the killing of George Floyd. Regardless of the choices he may have made that day, we know he did not deserve to die in that manner. Lord, we live in a deeply fragmented community where injustice and hatred run rampant. Pour out Your mercy and compassion upon us, that we may truly grieve and mourn with those who are hurting because of injustice. Open our hearts and give us the courage to stand with those who are victimized and oppressed. Make us joyful vessels of Your justice. Teach us to love as You have loved us. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Peter 3

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Lunch Break Study 

Colossians 1:11-14: May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Questions to Consider

1. What does the apostle Paul pray that we may be strengthened for?
2. What is the source of our joy?
3. What is the inheritance of the saints?

Notes

1. Endurance and patience with joy.  The fact that Paul was in prison at the time underscores the importance of these spiritual virtues.  How many people let go of their faith when difficult times come? 
2. The inheritance of the saints.  This begs the question, “What is our inheritance?”
3. The inheritance consists of two components: 

First, being redeemed and forgiven on account of the work of Christ, and as a result, freely receiving eternal life; second, rewards, which are based on what we did for the Lord while living on earth (2 Cor. 5:10).

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Evening Reflection

What are the sins that seem to habitually entrap you?  Considering what was addressed this morning, it behooves to ask, “How is your attitude towards people of other races?”  Pray that God would supernaturally grant you freedom from all that plagues.  Commit to confessing your sin to a close brother or sister who can pray for you and remind you of your inheritance in Christ.

*This portion, first posted on December 15, 2013, was prepared by Pastor Jason Sato who now serves in Japan.  

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on March  3, 2019, is shared by Pastor Mark. He is currently pastoring Radiance Christan Church East Bay (near San Francisco). Please keep him and his planting team in your prayers.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Voice of Self-Condemnation”

1 John 3:19-24 (ESV)

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

The story of the woman caught in adultery out of John 8, illustrates powerfully how Jesus frees us from condemnation.  We are told that the religious leaders brought this woman into the temple courts, in the middle of a crowd having Bible study with Jesus, and demanded a verdict regarding her sin.

These religious leaders wanted to trap Jesus either by making him out to be an enemy of the Roman Empire or a false teacher.  In the first case, no one could pass a sentence of death without knowledge of the Roman authorities.  In the second case, if he simply let the woman go, he could be cast as a teacher without moral convictions and little regard for the Mosaic Law.  

Imagine the humiliation, the isolation, and the fear of this woman as the weight of her sin was exposed to the church.  As the passage unfolds, Jesus bent down to write on the ground.  What did he write?  The classic Christian commentaries suggest that Jesus wrote on the ground to remove attention from the condemned woman and to place the crowd’s focus onto himself.   This was a way for Jesus to protect this woman’s dignity and personhood.      

Then Jesus speaks the famous words that lead to this woman’s freedom: “If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”  One by one, each of these men filled with anger, drop their stones, and leave until only Jesus and the woman are left alone.  In that divine moment, Jesus turns to the woman and asks, “Has no one condemned you?”  In response to the woman’s answer of “No one, sir,” Jesus sets her free by stating, “Then neither do I condemn you.  Go now and leave your life of sin.”   To be sure, Jesus did not minimize the serious nature of her sin, even as he forgave her.  In a manner that is consistent with both grace and truth, he commanded her to leave her life of sin.  

In going through this passage, it dawned on me that not many of us will fall into public condemnation, but we leave ourselves open to a much greater threat: the voice of self-condemnation.   Like this woman, we have to get to a place in our relationship with Jesus, where we are free enough to say, “There is no one left to condemn me, not even myself.”  The promise of forgiveness that is found in the gospel is greater than what our fickle hearts often feel.  In fact, it is impossible to be freed from our patterns of sin unless we truly receive the love of Christ, and open ourselves to share that love with others.  Then and only then, are we able we come to God with the confidence that is promised us through the sacrifice of Christ.

Prayer: Jesus, I pray that I would encounter you in such a powerful way that reminds me that you are greater than my heart.  Help me to overcome the temptation of self-condemnation and to fight against the accusations of the enemy.   May I come to realize that whomever you set free, will be free indeed!  

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Peter 2

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on February 23, 2019, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian. Shan leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Rescued for Relationship”

Exodus 6:7-8 (ESV)

I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.’”

In the past decade or so, our culture has been enamored with superheroes.  So many people love all different movies and TV shows about these heroes who are gifted in some supernatural way; they rise up to save lives or save the world.  We of course know that superheroes aren’t real; nevertheless, they are the picture we have in mind when it comes to what it’s like to be a champion or rescuer of people.  We rally around the gifted and popular politicians, CEOs, doctors, entrepreneurs, etc. to be the ones to bring change to this world.  With this superhero mentality in our minds, perhaps this is how we view God as well.  There is in fact a worship song called “Jesus You’re My Superhero.”  We can imagine Jesus like a superhero flying into our lives out of nowhere to rescue us from a burning building or helping to fix our messed up lives.   

While this view of God isn’t completely wrong, there’s something missing if we imagine Jesus as our superhero.  The superheroes in media or even the heroes of our culture today, they don’t know usually have much relationship with the people they are rescuing.  When Batman or Spider-man swoop in to save someone from a fatal car crash, afterwards they don’t sit down and grab a meal with them.  And our own cultural or political heroes, whoever they are, we typically don’t know them and they almost assuredly do not know us.  Sure they may be trying to help us as a people, but they don’t really have time or the inclination to be in relationship with us.  

Jesus is our superhero, but unlike the superheroes of media or our society, his goal isn’t just to rescue and redeem us.  His ultimate desire, as we see in Exodus 6, is for relationship.  God tells Moses and Israel that He is going to bring them out of the slavery and bondage and into freedom.  God is angry at the injustice that His people are facing.  But He doesn’t want to just set his people free and leave them alone.  Instead, He tells Moses that “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God.” He set his people free so that He could be in relationship with them.  

Jesus came to us to set us free from the slavery of sin.  Jesus went to the cross so that we could be rescued and redeemed and made whole.  But Jesus didn’t come to us just so that we could live good and righteous lives.  He came so that we could be in an eternal love relationship with Him.  Our God is not an impersonal superhero who is here to fix our problems; instead, He is an all-powerful God who wants to be in relationship with us.  Let us remember to turn to him for rescue and relationship.

Prayer: Jesus I thank you that you came to save me and to be with me. I pray that I will daily remember that you desire a relationship with me, and that, in turn, I will strive to be with you. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  1 Peter 5 and 2 Peter 1

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on October 16, 2020, is provided by Pastor David Son. David pastors Thrive Church in Taipei, Taiwan.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“We Have a King”

Hebrews 5:7-12

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

I received my absentee ballot in the mail this morning, and I was reminded that even though I am far from America, it’s my duty as an American citizen to submit my vote. Somewhere, deep in my consciousness there is an idea that was planted long ago through education and culture: Democracy is beautiful, and to be American is to vote! 

It is true that there is some value in democratic principles: the people get a voice, and no one person or group gets to decide what policies will guide our lives. The idea certainly sounds right to us. But how come it often feels so frustrating in practice? Especially in this election, why does voting – something that’s supposed to be so right – feel so… wrong?

It may come as a surprise, particularly to Christians of Western culture, but democracy is not in the Bible. Voting is also not in the Bible! I know, I was shocked too. The system of government in the Kingdom of God is not built on elections, or the balance of power. (If this is sounding extremely un-American to you, then you’re getting the right idea.) Instead, the Kingdom of God is exactly that, a Kingdom, in which a King rules supremely. This means whatever He says, goes. Perhaps this is difficult to understand because America has never had a king before. But under a king, obedience is not an option. To be part of this Kingdom is to obey!

This passage from Hebrews sheds light on some poignant truths. First, even Jesus, the Son of God, learned obedience. Now, when it says “learned” it doesn’t mean Jesus was disobedient and then became obedient. Rather, it means that Jesus, like us, had to actively experience full submission to the will of God the Father. Secondly, Jesus became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Let me make one more clarification: Our salvation is by God’s grace, not by our obedience. This is crystal clear in the Scripture. But this is also clear: having been saved, we are now living in the Kingdom of God. And this Kingdom is no democracy; there is a Good King (i.e., a benevolent dictator, if you will), and we must learn the beauty of obeying Him.

So, in this election, let us thoughtfully and prayerfully cast our vote according to our conscience. This is part of our responsibility as exiles in this country. But as Christians, we must not put our ultimate hope in democracy. The Kingdom of God does not advance through voting, but rather through the daily obedience of the children of God. I pray that these truths offer you hope and encouragement in the midst of dark and frustrating times.

Prayer: Father, give us wisdom and clarity of mind to cast a vote that is honest and consistent with our consciences. Give us hope by reminding us that Your Kingdom is advancing and will one day come in fullness. Finally, give us boldness to live day-by-day in obedience to You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Peter 4

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Lunch Break Study

2 Timothy 2:23-3:5: Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Questions to Consider

1. According to Paul, how should we approach controversies?
2. According to this passage, what are some characteristics of a servant of God?
3. What kind of people does Paul warn Timothy to avoid?

Notes

1. Paul says to “have nothing to do” with foolish and ignorant controversies. There are some controversies worth engaging, and in those we ought to be patient and gentle (v 24-25). But there are some controversies that are foolish. We ought to avoid those.
2. As Christians, we must not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone. This doesn’t mean we are passive, because Paul follows this by saying, “able to teach, patiently enduring evil, and correcting opponents with gentleness”. 
3. Paul writes a long list of unpleasant characteristics. Unsurprisingly, it seems that all of these things are on the rise days. Social media has certainly done its part to expose and even exacerbate these sins. Paul says to “avoid such people”. But does he mean that we should cut off connection with anyone who doesn’t seem to be “put-together” in the Christian sense? Not entirely. If you continue reading this passage, Paul is talking specifically about those whose intent is to oppose God and the Truth. In other words, there are certain people who purposefully live an anti-God lifestyle and teach others to do the same. We should avoid such people. 

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Evening Reflection

Have you been obeying God in your daily life? Spend a few moments reminding yourself that God is your King. Submit yourself to Him, as Jesus also did. 

UPDATED Today’s AMI Devotional QT, originally posted on March 19, 2020, is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Imagine COVID-19 as God’s Judgment . . . Nah, It Ain’t So!”

James 4:6b

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Talk has already begun about whether the COVID-19 pandemic is a judgment from God. It’s a straightforward question that usually elicits an either/or response. To ISIS jihadists, the pandemic—“the plague,” as they call it—is “a torment sent by God on whomsoever He wills,” no doubt referring to the infidels. For them, COVID-19 is Allah’s judgment.

Contrast that with Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of a megachurch in Dallas and an ardent supporter of President Trump. In a recent message entitled “Is the Coronavirus a Judgment from God?” Jeffress said, “Many times illness is just a consequence of living in a fallen world.” That has to be the understatement of the decade, seeing that this particular “illness” is reshaping life as we have known it. Regardless, Jeffress does not believe the COVID-19 pandemic is God’s judgment. I wonder what he would have said if Hillary Clinton were President. I wouldn’t put it past him to sound more like John Hagee, another conservative Texas megachurch pastor, who declared the 2014 Ebola outbreak to be “God’s punishment for President Barack Obama’s Israel policy.”

What do you think?

Allow me to tinker with John Lennon’s famous song Imagine, in which the famed Beatle muses about a world with no heaven and no hell: “Imagine there’s no heaven; it’s easy if you try.” So I say, “Imagine COVID-19 as God’s judgment; it’s easy if you don’t cherry-pick verses from the Bible.”

And we don’t even need to rely on the Book of Revelation—with its cataclysmic end-time events—to recognize two important biblical truths about God and His judgment.

First, God can judge in the present—right now. Consider what the apostle Paul says about the persecutions and trials endured by the Thessalonian church: “Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God (dikaias kriseōs tou theou), that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering” (2 Thess. 1:4–5 ESV).

Here, God’s judgment—inflicted on the Thessalonian church, the same church of which it was said that “the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians” (Acts 17:11a)—was carried out not by a virus but by “those who trouble you” (2 Thess. 1:6). And its purpose was to make the church more worthy of God’s kingdom.

Second, judgment begins not with the unbelieving world (in contrast to the outlook of ISIS jihadists) but with the church. Peter declares, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17 NIV 1984).

So, Mr. Ryun Chang, what sin of the church do you have in mind?

This past Monday, during a long layover at O’Hare, I put on my hoodie, laid my forehead on a table, and—with worship music softly playing through my headphones—prayed rather desperately. (Maybe being in an airport during a global crisis had something to do with it.) As I grappled with what this pandemic was doing to our country, it suddenly dawned on me that, at least in the American context, this could be God’s judgment on the church for its unmitigated arrogance.

Immediately I recalled a short video clip a pastor friend in Malaysia sent me. In it, a Caucasian pastor from the U.S. recounts a conversation with 22 underground church leaders in China. They had traveled three days by train to reach the training site—a small room with hard wooden floors—meeting from 8 AM to 5 PM for several days. Concerned for his own safety, the speaker asked, “If we get caught, what will happen to me?” They replied, “You will be deported in 24 hours; we will go to prison for three years.” Eighteen of them had already been imprisoned for their faith.

At the end of the training, the pastor asked, “How can I pray for you before I return to America?” They answered, “You can gather like this anytime you want in America, but we can’t. Could you pray that one day we can be just like you?” The speaker looked at them and said, “I will not do that.” They asked, “Why?” His response:

“You rode a train for 13 hours to get here; in my country, if people have to drive more than an hour, they don’t come. You sat on a wooden floor for three days; in my country, if people have to sit more than 40 minutes, they leave. You sat here without air-conditioning; in my country, if it’s not padded pews and AC, people don’t come back. In my country, we have on average two Bibles per family, but we don’t read any of them. You hardly have any Bibles and you memorize Scripture from scraps of paper. I will not pray that you become like us. I will pray that we become like you.”

The clip came with no date, but I suspect it happened years ago. Many Chinese churches today look more like churches in the West. Perhaps with the rapid rise of persecution in China, many believers there may once again worship God with all their hearts.

But what about us evangelicals in America—so eager to feel “in” with mainstream culture through our concert-like worship services (singing songs about God rather than to Him), our fixation on social justice (rather than the justice of God obtained solely through faith in Christ), or our total disdain for Donald Trump—or total devotion to him? Let’s admit it: we are full of ourselves.

After 9/11, several conservative pastors declared the attacks to be God’s judgment on America for embracing moral liberalism. Jeffress, for instance, saw the unprecedented attack as “God’s judgment upon America for the sins of abortion.” That may well have been the case, but their response was out of order. Before pointing fingers at others, believers—recognizing that God cleans His own house first—should “humble themselves and pray and seek [God’s] face and turn from their wicked ways” (2 Chron. 7:14a).

As I wrapped up my prayer, I sensed another inner prompting: “Hey Ryun—of whom someone once said you have ‘a PhD in PowerPoint’—stop hiding your lack of spirituality behind your slides.” Arrogance has been in my heart for a while, and I believe this conversation with the Lord has only begun.

Prayer:  Lord, above all else, get us to repent amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Really. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Peter 3

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Lunch Break Study

Jeremiah 31:31-34: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Questions to Consider

1. How is the New Covenant different from the Old Covenant?
2. According to v. 32, what was deficient in the Old Covenant?
3. How does God describe Himself to His people in the Old and New Covenants?

Notes

1. In the New Covenant, the Lord would write the law on the hearts of His people, not just in the Book of the Law.  Furthermore, neighbor and brother would not need to be exhorted to “Know the Lord,” for all shall know Him, from the least to the greatest.
2. Since the Old Covenant could be broken by the people, its continual establishment depended on whether or not men obeyed.  Given the sinful nature of the people, it was doomed to be insufficient from the beginning.
3. “Husband” (v. 32) and “their God” (v. 34). 

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Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day.  What evidence is there that God has given you a new heart?  In what area do you still need the transforming work of God?  Invite the Holy Spirit to continue the work of transforming your heart.

*Prepared by Pastor Jason Sato (first posted on December 8, 2013).

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional, originally posted on July 16, 2020, was written by Andy Kim.  Andy is the Lead Pastor of Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“We Must See!” 

2 Kings 6:15-17

When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

“2020 vision” 

Companies rallied behind this overused mantra believing that 2020 would be the year of clarity and new breakthroughs. Yet no one could have anticipated the events unfolding today. Instead of a year of moving forward, it seems we haven’t moved very much. If anything, we have moved backwards as we have been inundated with tumultuous events no one saw coming. And in response, we can become, like the servant in our passage today, so fixated on the events themselves that we lose sight of God.  Thus, more than ever before, we need to pray as Elisha prayed for his servant: “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” 

Matthew 6:22-23 describes the eye as the lamp of the body. Simply put, if your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light and vice versa. This is to say, how and what we see has a direct impact on the state of our being. For the servant, his circumstances compromised his vision because he could only see the looming threat of the Syrian army and this left him trapped in his own fear. 

Likewise, when we see all the events happening around us, what do we see? For some, we would rather choose to look away blinded by our own apathy and distractions. Maybe for some, they are too near-sighted, thereby being lost in their own immediate needs; for others, they are too far-sighted, thereby focusing only on what’s to come. And in our passage this morning we see that a compromised vision can often lead us to fear; yet a vision clearly fixated on God always leads us to faith and hope.

This morning, we must pray as Elisha did, “O Lord, please open our eyes that we may see.” Before we hear what social and mainstream media has to say about our world, may we start each day by praying “O Lord, please open my eyes that I may see.” And as we pray, may we see the mountain full of horses and chariots of the Lord’s hand and how He is working even in the midst of this. May we not react to what we see but respond to what He reveals to us in faith. 

Prayer: O Lord, please open our eyes that we may see. Forgive us that we often react to things out of fear and make decisions based on fear. Thank You that in the midst of all of us this You are in complete control. We put our trust and hope in You. 

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Peter 2

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Lunch Break Study

Philippians 3:7-11:  But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Questions to Consider

1. What does Paul mean “but whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ”? 
2. For Paul, losing everything, including his many accolades, was worth it. Why? 
3. During this time, what does it look like for us to know Christ? 

Notes

1. In the verses before, Paul outlines his many accolades that point to his legalistic righteousness. Paul reminds us our righteousness before God is not and cannot ever be based on our own doing but can only come through Christ. 
2. For the sake of knowing Christ. Notice here that Paul does not say for the sake of “doing” things for Christ, but simply knowing him. Paul experiences a relationship with Christ based on grace and this makes everything else he had done dim in comparison. For Paul, knowing Christ was far greater than doing things for Christ. 
3. Personal Reflection. Paul calls our attention to this relationship between knowing him and sharing in his sufferings. What does it mean for us to share in his sufferings as well? 

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Evening Reflection

Recently, I read an article about the burden leaders have to carry during this time. In addition to balancing their marriages and families, they must also lead the church and our members. More than ever, leaders are called to discern truth in the midst of all the noise happening around them. We need more Elishas who can pray for our leaders to have a clear vision focused on Him. Spend some time praying for your leaders. Pray they would continue to persevere to have eyes of faith.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was originally posted on July 6, 2020.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“We Need to Hear from God” 

Exodus 3:1-10

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” 5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

“In the progress of God’s redemptive work, communication advances into communion, and communion into union. When the progression is complete we can truly say, “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20) . . .”

– Dallas Willard, Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God) 

Whether we want to acknowledge it or not – our society is still in the middle of a crisis (the pandemic isn’t over just because we’ve decided we are tired of being inside and want to go to the beach). We find ourselves in the midst of a critical, chaotic, and catalytic moment. Long-standing race-based violence and discrimination is front and center in public discourse. For many, the precarious and contingent nature of our life feels palpable as the ever evolving and painfully persistent COVID19 pandemic drudges on. Folks are angry, grieved, fearful, frustrated, indignant, and even apathetic as many of us remain home bound and largely isolated. 

Our lives have been profoundly interrupted and things, to put it mildly, are not as they should be. Many are scrambling to re-assemble furloughed careers while others are aching for the healing of wounded hearts. Still others, eager to make right the world’s sin-sick structures, are allied with those choosing to resist and wondering how in the world are we to imagine and make manifest a new way of life together. These are hard realities. And, yes, things are a mess. But as people who worship a God who sits high and looks low and holds the whole world in Divine hands, we can take comfort in knowing that God is on the scene and God is at work – right here and right now. And we need to hear from God. 

When Moses saw that things were not as they should be – a bush ablaze yet unconsumed – he made a critical choice: He turned aside. Instead of resenting the interruption and insisting on “getting back to normal life” (whatever that means), Moses stopped in his tracks and turned all his attention to what was before him. As he did, he walked into one of the greatest God-encounters recorded in the Biblical text and was invited to partner with God in one of the greatest redemptive moves on this side of heaven (the Exodus). 

If we want to hear from God, we have to be interruptible. If we want to partner with God, we have to be willing to turn aside, discerning God’s voice and following God’s lead. Only then did God call Moses by name and invite him into relational intimacy and ultimately into world-transforming partnership. And only then will we hear from God and have the privilege of partnering with God in the holy work of redemption in our day. 

God is always busy at the work of restoration and redemption all around us. Will we join? Will we choose God today in the midst of interruption – fixing our eyes on all that should-not-be around us (learning and engaging) and listening for God’s voice (discerning and partnering) in the midst of it all?

Prayer: God, give me the courage to turn aside and look to You today. Interrupt my plans this day and draw me into Your presence. As you do, may the flows of my life that are not aligned with Your redemptive work in the world also be interrupted. May Your heart become my heart and Your work become my Work. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Peter 1

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Lunch Break Study

Psalm 63:1-5: You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

Questions to Consider

1. In v. 1, how does the psalmist describe his hunger for God? How does this align with how you imagine your own need for God each day?
2. Why is it important that the psalmist talks about ways he’s experienced God in vv.2-3? What are some ways you’ve experienced God’s presence, power, and glory? 
3. What commitments does the psalmist make in these verses? Why are these important? In what ways might God be calling you to make your own commitments and walk therein? 

Notes

1. The psalmist describes his hunger as deep desperation and dependence. 
2. In the midst of difficult times, it’s easy to forget the things God has already done. But it’s those very things that give us the courage to trust in God and hope for God’s deliverance. Because we have seen what God can do, we are more confident in what God will do. 
3. The psalmist commits to praise and worship of God. He also commits to being satisfied by God. Instead of committing only to doing things for God, the psalmist commits also and first to relational intimacy with God. Our doing for God must flow out of our being with God. 

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Evening Reflection

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).

Spend a few moments meditating again on the verse above.  Do these words reflect the desires of your heart? If not, why do you think not? If yes, how are you responding (i.e. how are you seeking and communing with God?) Discuss these things with God. 

UPDATED Today’s AMI Devotional QT, originally posted on January 1, 2019, is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Culturally Sensitive, Biblically Faithful Responses in a Post-Truth America”

Matthew 10:16 (ESV)

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

1 Peter 3:15^b (NIV)

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect . . .”

Last year (2018), one of my children sent me the biographical-information section of a Harvard application, thinking it would amuse me. It certainly did, for the application states, “We understand that gender identity can be expressed in a variety of ways.” Each applicant is then given several choices of personal pronouns by which to identify one’s gender, including “his,” “hers,” “zim,” “they,” and “theirs.” If language is indeed a representational system, then what these pronouns are made to signify fails to convey the right meaning. And if grammar still counts for something, using third-person singular or plural pronouns to stand for a first-person singular subject is incorrect, no matter how one feels inside.

So what happens when the protocol of addressing a student by his or her preferred gender is not followed—at least in public schools? A Virginia high-schoolteacher was recently fired for refusing to call a transgender student by the student’s preferred pronouns. The principal who dismissed him said, “I can’t think of a worse way to treat a child.” The fired teacher, however, said that his Christian faith prevented him from addressing the student as a male when the student had been identified as female the previous year.

Seeing these seismic sociocultural changes, I wonder what E. V. Hill—the late African-American pastor from Los Angeles who spoke at my college commencement in 1984—would say today. Whatever disturbing changes Hill witnessed 35 years ago prompted him to quote Psalm 11:3 in his speech: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” In no uncertain terms, the changes back then pale in comparison to what is unfolding today. Make no mistake: what we are witnessing now—redefining marriage and family, extreme tribalism that breaks with e pluribus unum (“out of many, one”), and more—is the deconstruction of the most fundamental building blocks of any society, let alone Western society, established by God (Ps. 24:1).

So then, what do we say to our kids when they think their parents are as unkind as that teacher—more concerned about the repercussions of a drastic cultural shift than about the feelings of transgender individuals? What do we say to coworkers or classmates who believe we are simply intolerant and hateful when we refuse to conform to political correctness? If ever there was a time for believers to heed Jesus’ words—“Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves”—it is now, in what has already become a post-Christian America in academia, the media, and Hollywood. Truth be told, the sociopolitical views of Christians who are more enamored with social justice than with the justice of God (Rom. 1:17) are shaped more by this trifecta of cultural institutions—which disproportionately influence public discourse—than by the Bible, which they read selectively.

Here, Jesus underscores the importance of being tactful—“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders” (Col. 4:5a)—while not “distort[ing] the word of God… but setting forth the truth plainly” (2 Cor. 4:2). If our responses err on the side of being culturally tone-deaf or insensitive, we greatly diminish our credibility and relevance when appealing to a secular or post-Christian world with the gospel; indeed, such a world will turn hostile. However, if our responses misrepresent God’s eternal truth—which does not change with time—we end up with a flawed message that does more harm than good, both spiritually and socially, to what is fast becoming a rudderless and anchorless America.

Amid these tectonic cultural shifts, we must think critically so that we are “always… prepared to give [a culturally sensitive and biblically valid] answer” (1 Pet. 3:15) to those who undermine God’s established order. We must try—for the sake of our children and for those around us who are indifferent or hostile to Scripture and a biblical worldview. We need to remove these roadblocks so that they can clearly hear the gospel: “That [they] may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing [they] may have life in his name” (Jn. 20:31). Let us make the rest of this year a year of reaching out to the spiritually lost and culturally confused.

Prayer: Father, perhaps every generation has felt this way, but I believe we are living in the most unhinged moment, when everything You have placed in order is being questioned and discarded. It concerns me and frightens me at the same time. Give me wisdom, knowledge, and boldness to be both culturally sensitive and biblically faithful as a witness in a world that no longer fears You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Timothy 4

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Lunch Break Study

1 Peter 3:15-16: “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” 

Questions to Consider

1. In ancient Rome, people looking for reasons to malign Christians slandered them as immoral (e.g., incestuous for loving “brothers and sisters,” cannibals for “eating the flesh of Jesus”) and unpatriotic. In light of that, what unflattering things are said about Bible-believing Christians today? What have you personally heard?
2. What are we instructed to do in anticipation of being slandered by the world for our Christian faith?
3. What does Paul assume may happen when someone who is curious about our faith hears our reasonable responses? What does that imply for us at a personal level?

Notes

1. Typical charges include: “homophobic” for dissenting from same-sex marriage; “Islamophobic” for correlating terrorism with certain segments within global Islam; “xenophobic” or even “racist” for not supporting illegal immigration or open borders; “closed-minded” or “unenlightened” for upholding the exclusivity of Christ for salvation, and so on.
2. The apostle Paul commands believers to prepare adequate responses in advance, anticipating questions from both earnest seekers and slanderers of the Christian faith. This requires study on our part. We are also instructed to respond with gentleness and respect.
3. In verse 17, Paul assumes that some who ask questions will not be satisfied and will continue to slander. In response, we are told to “suffer for Christ”—to endure mistreatment for doing what is right, not for doing something criminal. Jesus likewise said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (Jn. 15:18).

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Evening Reflection

A psalmist laments, “Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’” (Ps. 79:10a); and again, “My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Ps. 42:3).

As you look back on what you heard or read today, do you recall anything that slandered the character of God the Father, Jesus the Son, or Scripture itself? What does your typical response to such things reveal about your own faith? If you are not offended by these slanders (not that you should respond in extreme or violent ways), what does that indicate?

As you reflect, ask the Lord to show you whether you are being wise. Commit yourself to equipping your mind with culturally sensitive and biblically faithful responses so that you may better represent God’s interests in the world.

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on February 24, 2019, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian. Shan leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan. 

“Speaking Before Others“

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

Exodus 6:30

But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”

As a pastor, I preach a few times a month now, but it wasn’t long ago that I was incredibly fearful of public speaking.  I remember when I first told my mom about feeling called to ministry about 12 years ago, one of the first things she said (in Chinese) was, “But you’re so scared of talking in front of people.” She was right, of course. A couple of years after that, I was tasked with the simple assignment of giving announcements at services on a regular basis. The first time I was frightened despite preparing for hours. But even after doing it dozens of times later, giving announcements would give me so much anxiety. You can guess how I felt then when I was asked to preach.  

I can only imagine how Moses felt as he was called to speak before Pharaoh. Whereas I was being asked to speak before a friendly and receptive church crowd, Moses, on the other hand, was going before a king who likely thought of himself as a god and demanding that he do something that was completely against his own self-interests. Pharaoh was a one man hostile crowd.  On top of this, Moses was being asked to go to Pharaoh for the second time, after having been harshly rejected the first time. I think we can all understand why Moses tells God that he isn’t capable.

Speaking about God to others, friendly or hostile, can be nerve-wracking. The reason Moses struggled—and the reason many of us struggle—is that when we stand before others to speak, we feel the spotlight.  We can sense all of the eyes fixed on us, looking at us and hearing us, like everyone is noticing all of our weaknesses. Just like many of us, Moses in this moment is reacting out of his insecurity.  

So how do we overcome our insecurities and fear of speaking before others?  My solution was and is still… worship. Whenever we’re faced with our insecurity or inadequacy, the answer is to take our eyes off of ourselves and direct them to God.  It can be frightening to speak to others about Jesus, but if in those moments, we can remember who we are speaking for through worship, we can speak with confidence knowing that it is not about us, but it is about Him.  

Most of us are not preaching from the pulpit this Lord’s day, but all of us have opportunities to speak about Jesus to others. Whether we speak to 300 people or to one, let us fix our eyes on Jesus and find the strength to speak boldly for His name’s sake.

Prayer: Jesus, give me a heart of worship this today. Help me to fix my eyes on You and not myself, and give me the words and the boldness to proclaim Your Name to others. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Timothy 3

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was originally posted on February 16, 2019. Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“No More Excuses!”

Exodus 4:10-17

But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Join me in a brief thought experiment: What would it look like if you followed God every time you felt His direction, urging, or conviction? Or if you were to say “yes” to God every time you felt like He was prompting you to do something, no matter how crazy or not? Just think about that for a moment. Imagine if you did that each day of your life. What would happen? I think we would see God at work in ways we could never imagine; we would see signs and wonders that demonstrate the power of God. More bluntly, we would see God in our lives.

However, we as human beings have a marvelous talent—making excuses: “Why didn’t I wash the dishes last night? Oh, I was tired and the game was on”; “I really wanted to go watch that one movie”; or “I had that one assignment I hadn’t finished yet.” We always have an excuse to push off something we know needs to be done. Most of us are master excuse makers. It’s like it’s hard-wired into our beings. Unfortunately, it is hard-wired into us to an extent because of our sinfulness. Think about Adam and Eve: as soon as they ate from the tree, they immediately made excuses—“It wasn’t MY fault!”

The same goes with our relationship with God. We listen to a sermon on Sunday and feel the Spirit tugging at our hearts, but we quickly write it off: “Oh, that’s just not practical”; “I’m not in a season where I can do that right now”; “Maybe later”; or “I just don’t think it’s wise for me to do that right now.” So many excuses! This is what Moses did in our passage for today. God called him to speak to Pharaoh in order to set the Israelites free, but Moses kept pushing back: “Send someone else! I can’t do this!” Unfortunately for Moses, God relented and Moses’ role was split with his brother Aaron. Moses to an extent missed out on something God wanted to do through him. 

May we never live in regret at missing out on what God wants to do through us! Since we all who believe in Jesus have received the Spirit, God wants to use ALL of us. Let’s not be a people of excuses but a people who say “YES” to the Lord. Remember that thought experiment, and let’s pray for that to be a reality in our lives!

Prayer: Lord, help me to stop making excuses. I do it every day. I make excuses to limit my prayer and Bible reading, to limit the time I spend with You. Please forgive me for that. May I respond to You and Your presence without hesitation. Use me, Lord, for Your purposes!  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Timothy 1-2