June 13, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on March 30, 2019, is provided by Pastor Matt Ro, the founding pastor of Journey Church of Atlanta. He now serves as the Lead Pastor of Ridgeway Alliance Church in New York.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“A Daily Habit”

Exodus 16:13-26

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” 24 So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

The greatest revival of my life began on May 13, 1996. It happened to be the day after I had graduated from Penn. A thought hit me as I was about to dive into youth ministry for the first time: “What if I don’t know the Bible well enough?” So, for the next two weeks, I holed up in my apartment, and aside from eating meals and going for a daily jog, I spent 6-8 hours reading the Bible. Mass reading. Initially tedious, but eventually life-changing. I honestly don’t remember much as hour after hour flew by but I was in love with God’s Word—it was so good!

Less than 2 weeks later, I finished Revelation and was never the same. In fact, for the next 3 years, before the Lord called me into full-time ministry, I would continue to read 10 chapters of the Bible daily, reading the entire Bible 10 times those three years. I would have my morning devotional, then read my 10 chapters on the train ride to work.

Experts say it takes twenty-one days to form a habit. That means if you were to start today, you would build a habit by Good Friday! 🙂 You may be thinking, “Just 21 days of waking up early to read my Bible and then it will be easy!” Well, it isn’t that simple.

For the Israelites, manna was a supernatural provision, but it had to be gathered daily: They had to go out in the morning and gather it up. This suggests to us that, if we are to benefit from the Bible, it must require work on our part. We have to gather it up, study it, wrestle with it, and sift through our prejudices to understand what Scripture really says.

The manna that the Israelites gathered up one day would not last until the next day. The Bible should be studied in the same way. It is like eating meals. We won’t die if we miss one meal, or if we fast for one day, but we will eventually die once we stop eating for good. We were meant to eat daily both physically and spiritually. So, as the Israelites had to eat the manna daily for it to do any good, we also need to “eat” God’s Word (Heb. 5:12-14) in the same manner that ruminant animals “chew the cud” (Lev. 11:4)—carefully and meticulously. And this manna will be available until we enter our Promised Land (heaven!).

So how is your hunger for the Word of God this morning? It is a blessing when we are prompted by the Holy Spirit to seek God’s Word and His will for our lives. Thankfully, we have easy access to the Bible. When we cultivate a daily hunger for the Word, He will satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. Are you reading and listening to what God has to say to you?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, only Your Word can feed the deepest hunger of our souls. It is such a blessing today to have easy access to the Bible! Give me a hunger for Your Word and the humility and wisdom to listen to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 21-22

June 12, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was originally posted on March 3, 2020. Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“New Creation!”

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

If someone presented you with two iPhones – one is an iPhone X and the other is an iPhone 11 – and this person told you to pick one, I think we would all mostly choose the iPhone 11, though it really would not make too much difference. The new one is shiny, has some better features, and might last longer. New things are usually better – more reliable, more durable. But now, imagine someone presenting you with a brand new iPhone 11 and a smart device that was brought back from 100 years into the future. This is not just a new model of an iPhone – it is completely different. It does not simply have better features, it is categorically better, with 10G data speeds and holographic projections and other cool things. I imagine people from 100 years ago would feel similarly comparing an old-fashioned rotary-dial telephone with today’s smart phones. It’s not just a newer model – it’s a complete upgrade.

In the Greek language, there are two words that are translated new. There is neos and there is kainos. If you have an iPhone X and then buy a new iPhone 11, that is a neos iPhone. They are basically the same thing, but the iPhone 11 is newer in time. Substantively, they are essentially the same thing, just one happens to be newer. But if you compare a rotary-dial phone to an iPhone 11, the iPhone is a kainos phone. It is not simply a newer model – it’s categorically and qualitatively new. It is better in every way.

When Paul says that anyone in Christ is a new creation, he uses the word kainos. We are a new-in-every-way creation. When we believe in Jesus, we are not only wiped clean, as if we are given a fresh start. That would be neos. We are fundamentally changed. If we water down the gospel to just forgiveness of sins, as if believing in Jesus is like going to a store to a get cracked screen on our phone fixed, we are missing the depth of what God is doing in us. We are a truly new creation when we believe in Jesus. Yes, our sins are forgiven, but there is so much more. We are given the power of the Spirit. We are partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). We can actually change.

This is important for us to remember. Change is possible in us because we are a kainos creation. We are not called to simply cope with the struggles we face; we are called to overcome. The world will say that real change is not possible, that people just adapt. But the gospel tells us we are a new creation and have the power of heaven in us, being born from above to be a completely, fundamentally new person. Let’s invite that power of heaven to work in us in a deep way.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you that your gospel is a gospel of great depth and power. Thank you that you have re-created us into a kainos creation through the power of your Spirit. May we not be satisfied with simply managing sins and struggle, but I pray that you empower us to have victory in our lives. Let us truly be a new creation in you. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 20

Lunch Break Study

2 Peter 1:3-7: His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

Questions to Consider

What has granted us all things for life and godliness?
What does it mean to be a “partaker of the divine nature”?
How can you live out a divine type of humanity today?

Notes

“His divine power” is what has given us all that we need for life and godliness. God’s power is at work in us when we believe in Jesus. We do not pursue godliness by our strength; rather, it is God’s power at work within us.
As radical as it may sound, by partaking of the divine nature, we are in a sense being made divine. Though we are obviously not God, we become like Him. Our very natures are changed. To be a new creation means to lose the fallen nature of the world and to take a new heavenly nature. If you read vv. 5-7 in the passage, you will see that there is a progression; as we take on the divine nature, we grow and the ultimate fulfillment becomes love, the last thing mentioned in that list. By taking on the divine nature, we become beings of love, just as God is.
Invite God to grant you his power that you might be a being of love to those around you. We are a new creation and this means we can be like God to the people around us by the way we love. Ask God to help you to love and to demonstrate to those around you that you are a kainos human.

Evening Reflection

Remind yourself this evening that because of your faith in Jesus, you have been re-created. Take time to surrender the lies you hear in your mind that change is hopeless, that you are stuck as you are. Ask God to replace those lies with the truth that in Christ—you truly are a completely new creation.

June 11, Thursday

UPDATED Today’s AMI Devotional QT, originally posted on January 3, 2019, is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Do You Say When Your Child Says I Feel Like a Boy/Girl?”

Ephesians 2:12 (ESV)

“Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ . . . having no hope and without God in the world.”

Romans 15:7 (NIV)

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

While reading the best-selling textbook Women, Men, and Society, I came across several genetic conditions that raised an important pastoral question: How do we minister to people who look one way but feel another? Before addressing that, it helps to understand what the science actually says.

Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY)

Klinefelter syndrome affects roughly one in every five hundred male births. These individuals have an extra X chromosome in addition to the typical male XY pair. They are “phenotypically males but with a tendency toward femaleness” (e.g., enlarged breasts, sparse body hair, long limbs, etc.).

Turner Syndrome (X)

Turner syndrome affects about one in 2,500 females. These women are missing one X chromosome from the usual XX pair. As adults, they “have virtually no ovaries, lack most sexual characteristics, and are sterile.”

Do these conditions create transsexual tension? According to Women, Men, and Society, generally no: Turner syndrome females show “stereotypical femininity” despite lacking female sex hormones (p. 36). Many XXY males “are no different from XY men in terms of social and emotional characteristics” (p. 36).

Of course, there are a few complex cases. For instance, some genetic males are born with female-appearing genitalia because their bodies were “unresponsive to the androgens their testes secrete” during prenatal development (p. 38). Raised as girls, they later masculinize at puberty when testosterone surges (p. 39).

Julianne Imperato-McGinley’s research in a Dominican village found that these individuals “experience little difficulty” adopting a male identity at puberty (p. 39). The textbook’s rebuttal—that transitions are “sometimes not as smooth”—is weak and unconvincing.

But enough about chromosomes and hormones. The deeper question is pastoral: How do we walk with people who feel a painful disconnect between their bodies and their inner sense of self? If you’re like me—someone who never struggled with gender identity—you may feel unqualified to understand their experience. Yet our own stories may contain moments that help us empathize.

In the late 1970s, at my predominantly white college in Virginia, I became painfully self-conscious about my Asian features. My self-loathing was so intense that I sometimes hated myself for being Asian. Looking one way but wishing I looked another, I longed to appear white. Once, to seem taller like my Caucasian friends, I carved out the sole of an old shoe and inserted it into my Nike high-tops to gain an inch. Before long, I was enslaved to those shoes—I couldn’t go anywhere without them.

Later, at UCLA, I met Stanley Sue, a clinical psychology professor of Chinese descent. His research described people like me as “marginal men,” who believed that rejecting their Asian heritage was the key to acceptance by whites. That was me—young, insecure, and easily influenced. Pejoratively labeled a “banana”—yellow on the outside, white on the inside—I often felt frustrated, anxious, and hypersensitive when people didn’t perceive me the way I wished.

I wonder if this is, in some small way, similar to what young men or women feel when they long to identify as the opposite sex. Not identical—but perhaps emotionally adjacent enough to help me empathize.

I would gently share that the rejection of ourselves ultimately stems from the brokenness within, born of our separation from our Creator and our desire to live independently of His guidance (Rom. 3:11–12).

And then I would share this from my heart: Thirty-eight years removed from those miserable days, I no longer struggle with that confusion. How did this “inner healing” come?

First, at age twenty, my Creator found me. That encounter began the long process of accepting myself as God uniquely made me.

Second, I found a Christian community where my worth wasn’t tied to appearance or ability but to Christ’s unconditional acceptance. In time, I ditched the shoes.

Third, as I matured in Christ, my focus shifted from myself to others who also felt alienated from themselves because they were alienated from their Maker.

This is how I would speak to those confused about their sexuality—those who believe that self-acceptance and happiness lie in becoming someone else. Share your story. Let them know they are not alone. And point them gently toward the One who heals our fractured identities.

Prayer: Father, we are living in a time when the foundations You established are being dismantled by otherwise intelligent people acting foolishly. We fear for our children and their future. Lord, we cannot do this. Help us. Help our kids. Please. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 19

Lunch Break Study

Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Proverbs 22:24-25: “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, 25 lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.”

Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Questions to Consider

1. What do these three passages assume about human behavior?

2. What is one factor that parents hold to increase the possibility that their children will walk in the Lord and uphold biblical values later in life?

3. Is a positive outcome guaranteed if the parents diligently ply themselves to “train up a child in the way he should go?” If not, then, what are we do to?

Notes

1. These passages imply that our cultural condition, including pop culture, peer groups and authority figures, can and will affect how we live, even our personality and faith.

2. Parents can control the environment in which their children grow up. Wise parenting discerns good influences from bad, so that their children are given every opportunity not to conform to secular beliefs and values, and model behaviors that are unhealthy and harmful.

3. Ultimately, human behaviors are not formulaic, meaning nothing we do guarantees a positive outcome. To believe otherwise is to uphold positivism, a belief that applying observed facts about human behavior that elicit happiness will always produce harmony and order. This may work with pets, but not with inherently sinful humans endowed with freewill. Despite even a perfect upbringing, at any given moment one bad choice can undo much of good parenting. That’s why we seek God’s help while parenting on our knees and seek His grace and mercy when all of us fall short—that is one great lesson we must model for our kids.

Evening Reflection

How was your day? Did something happen today that reminded you of your brokenness from within? Yes, the believers can still experience brokenness, because we are both sinners and righteous at the same time. Observing from my own life, I’d describe brokenness as feeling self-condemning, shameful, lonesome, etc. How would you describe it from your own experience? Whether it is the same or different from mine, its short and long-term resolution is the same. The Hebrews writers puts it like this: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15). Shall we go to God right now?

June 10, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on August 24, 2020, was written by ‘NP,’ a native AMI pastor serving in East Asia.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“I Will Destroy the Wisdom of the Wise…”

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

If you have ever tried to share the gospel, you must have experienced some degree of inner struggle. While you certainly feel excited to share the gospel with your family and friends, you start to get a little nervous, wondering if you will be mocked for your faith. If you think about it, it is a bit ridiculous to share with others the story of a man who was crucified more than 2,000 years ago and that he can redeem you.

Like many of us, Paul understood the “foolishness” of the cross, for he says, “But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” This suggests that Paul also experienced the same mockery when he shared the gospel with the Gentiles (a.k.a., Greeks).

Since the Greeks were famous for their philosophy, it is no surprise that Athens was full of people who “spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas” (Acts 17:21). Imagine how they would have laughed at Paul when they heard the gospel. In fact, that is exactly what happened when Paul visited that city for the first time. In reference to the apostle, they said, “What is the babbler trying to say” (Acts 17:18).

But, as Paul shares in today’s passage, the truth of the cross is to shame those who think they are wise. Today’s world is full of all kinds of wisdom: the secret to happiness, the secret to success, the secret to happy marriage and so on. This is to say, in today’s world we are not short of worldly wisdom.

Even in the church, there are all kinds of wisdom shared in Sunday schools, marriage counseling, and discipleship training. It is, therefore, important that all this wisdom or knowledge has the same foundation-the cross. The truth of the cross appears foolish to this world, which means that it seems unreasonable to believe in and rely on the cross. Therefore, we need to be completely humble and realize our own weaknesses in order to embrace the truth of the cross.

The premise of worldly wisdom is that we are good but misinformed or not informed at all; the truth of the cross is to let us know that we are totally corrupt. The wisdom of the world provides methods, while the truth of the cross provides a Savior. We cannot be saved by human methods or wisdom. We need to rely on the Savior.

Let us spend some time today praying and thinking about the cross, as Paul said, “For the truth of the cross is foolishness to those who perish. But to us who are saved is the power of God.”

Prayer: Dear Savior, we thank you for letting us know the truth of the cross. Although it seems foolish, the cross is full of God’s wisdom. Please help us learn to rely on our Savior, not a method. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 18

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 16:25-27: Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him—27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Questions to Consider

1. The passage above is found at the very end of Romans. Accordingly, who is able to establish us and through what?

2. Through what means has “the mystery hidden for long ages past” been revealed? What is its purpose?

3. Can the gospel establish you in any and every situation? What will help us to be established?

Notes

1. Only God alone can establish us, and He establishes us through the gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ.

2. Through the prophetic writings, “the mystery hidden for long ages past” is revealed so that all nations might believe and obey him. And the gospel has this power because it is the mystery that is revealed.

3. Meditation and prayer. Take some time to meditate and pray for God to establish you through the gospel.

Evening Reflection

The gospel contains great mysteries that the world cannot understand. We have the privilege of allowing the power of the gospel to govern every aspect of our lives, so that God’s Gospel can be revealed through us. We have to rely on Jesus to wait for his timing, to endure while undergoing adversity, and to trust in his faithfulness. We can do this through deeper experience of the power of the gospel! Mediate on that before going to bed tonight.

June 9, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional, originally posted on July 29, 2020, was written by Esther Chailim who has been faithfully serving at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego for many years.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Blind Spots”

Matthew 7:3-5

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

About two months ago, news broke about Mr. George Floyd’s murder. This brought many into an awakening of realizing the grave injustices that still exist in our world today. Of course, this isn’t anything new, but this one felt different. I, along with many people in the world, realized that something had to change. I realized that I needed to change. And so, I have not only been on this journey of learning, listening and lamenting, but I have also had to take a really honest look at my own life and the ways in which I have personally played a part in contributing to the racism that exists in our world. It has been a very humbling and tiring season, but I believe that this work must be done in order for changes to happen.

For me, growing up as an Asian American, I witnessed overt racism within my own family, mainly through racial jokes, slurs, and comments. If you were to ask me if my family were racist, I would unquestionable, without hesitation, say, “Yes! Absolutely.” I, however, never thought that in my mind, I could be a racist too. Rather, it was easy for me to point my finger at others and judge others for being that way, while not really looking at my own blind spots. The hardest revelation during this journey has been that I, too, have racial biases that have been formed in me and have impacted the way I see or interact with others.

One of the most eye-opening moments for me was actually a few years back during a conversation I had with a friend who speaks the same native dialect as my family. We were discussing how growing up Asian American, we had always been raised to think of Black and Brown people as less than. I had realized that through different interactions and comments made by my family, I had formed this idea that associating with Black and Brown people was not acceptable in my family and that it would bring shame and dishonor to them. But I think the most shocking thing of all for me was when I realized that the term we used for “Black person” was in fact a very derogatory term. Its literal translation is “black ghost.” I was dumbfounded because, all my life, I had thought that the way I was referring to Black people was the proper way to say it, never really thinking twice about the translation, or even that there could be other ways to say it. It wasn’t until my friend pointed out that there was another way to say “Black person” in my language that I realized I had been using the derogatory term all my life. This shook me to my core because I realized that even without me knowing it, I was contributing to this racism that I knew in my head was not okay. And for the first time, I had finally understood how deeply embedded and wrong some of these things I learned as a child were. I have realized that these seemingly subtle comments against the black and brown community have had a very long-lasting impact in me. Things that are still in me to this day and things that I am still trying to unlearn.

The word of God says in Matthew 7:5 that we need to take the plank out of our own eye before we can see clearly to remove the speck from our brothers’ eyes. I believe the killing of Mr. George Floyd was different for all of us because, this time around, it made us realize that there was a deeply embedded problem in our nation. And I think for the first time in a long time, many people, like myself, were realizing that it wasn’t just about THOSE racist people out there, but rather a call to look at ourselves and acknowledge that we might have been or continue to contribute to the problem.

Prayer: Forgive us, Lord, for the ways in which we have been complicit in the racial and social injustices that exist around the world. Reveal to us where our own biases and blind spots are so that we can work towards change. Humble and refine us, Jesus, to be more like You. May we continue to do the work of justice and be a body of peace in this world.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 17

Lunch Break Study

Read Amos 4:4-6: “Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. ⁵Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings—boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do,” declares the Sovereign Lord. ⁶“I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.”

Questions to Consider

Describe how the people in these verses were portrayed?
What does the “ruin of Joseph” mean?
What does this passage reveal about God’s heart for justice?

Notes

This is in reference to Jeroboam II and his royal court. They had won many battles and acquired much wealth in doing so. They were powerful and had lots of money, living on ivory beds, investing music and eating lambs. Simply put, they were privileged.
The ruin of Joseph refers to the devastation of the “ordinary” Israelites (the poor city dwellers and peasants)
God was protesting against the leadership of Israel. It’s clear that the Lord is against those with power and privilege to live in self-indulgence and only live as if they were the only ones that mattered. Rather, he wants those with much to grieve and care for those with little (the poor, oppressed and marginalized).

Evening Reflection

Spend some time reflecting on how your thoughts have been formed in respect to race. Ask God to reveal some of your biases and how that might be affecting the ways you see or interact with others that are different from you. Are there things that need to be unlearned? Are these thoughts consistent with biblical truths? Allow the Holy Spirit to speak and bring revelation to you in this time.

June 8, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, originally posted on August 18, 2020, is provided by
Christine Li. Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at
Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“God our Refuge”

Psalm 46:1-5

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.”

As a child, I was told that in the event of a tornado, the safest place in my house was the bathroom (we didn’t have a basement). The reasoning of this was that the pipes of the toilet would be connected far underground and be a better anchor to hold onto if the house was sucked away. Thankfully, I have never had to experience this personally, but have always filed it away wherever I moved: what is the safest place to be?

As an adult surveying the news, this world seems filled with enough dangerous accidents and storms, it does often seem that this earth is on the edge of erupting in uproar. We wake up and spend our days barraged by bad news. In this time, my comfort is the truth that God is immovable and unshakeable. Though this earth and many things we hold dear may give way, God will not.

Where will you and I turn today? Where will we find our refuge and our strength if the days of bad news and events seem unbearable? I pray that you and I would not find our comfort in distraction or numbness but rather in our unchanging and faithful God.

Prayer: Father, I confess that I remember You are my refuge and strength in times of greatest need and chaos. Thank You for Your steadfast love and Your presence that cares for each one of us. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 16

Lunch Break Study

Read Job 37:5-13 “God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. 6 For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour. 7 He seals up the hand of every man, that all men whom he made may know it.8 Then the beasts go into their lairs, and remain in their dens.9 From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds.10 By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast. 11 He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning. 12 They turn around and around by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them on the face of the habitable world. 13 Whether for correction or for his land or for love, he causes it to happen.”

Questions to Consider

The context for this chapter is that Elihu speaks to Job and his friends about God. What happenings on earth are attributable to God?
From Elihu’s words, what attributes of God can we understand?
Let’s take time to consider the numerous works and actions of God that have surrounded you today (from the world you woke up to or circumstances in life). Spend time praising Him for His hand in all things and remembering how active He is in our world.

Notes

This passage says that many natural phenomena are attributed to God. He dictates snow, rain, lightning. He also dictates our success / progress in work and even affects where animals dwell.
Much of this passage revolves around God’s vast power and majesty. The reminder that God commands the precipitation and lightning as well as the fact that it is from His hand whether we progress in our work reminds us that He is almighty God. But God does not wield that power aimlessly. He is intentional, desiring to accomplish correction and to show love to His creation in all things.
Personal reflection

Evening Reflection

How was your day today? Did you notice the option to turn towards God or to turn to yourself more? Let’s ask Him to cultivate a greater dependence on Him and ask Him to show us tomorrow how we will find exactly what we need when we approach Him first.

June 7, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on April 21, 2019, was written
by Pastor David Son. David pastors the Thrive Church in Taipei. Stay up to date with the church
by following her here: https://www.instagram.com/thrivechurchtaipei/

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Value of Friendship for Salvation”

Acts 13:1

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was
called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Manaen. His name is only mentioned once (right here) in Scripture. But there is something
interesting about Manaen: he was “a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch.” Other translations
read, “brought up with Herod the tetrarch.” This is the very same Herod who beheaded John
the Baptist, and later handed Jesus over to Pilate to be crucified. While Herod and Manaen
grew up together, they chose very different paths. Herod heard the message of the gospel
numerous times, having personal encounters with both John the Baptist and Jesus; yet at every
turn, he rejected the word of God. Meanwhile, his friend became a prophet/teacher in the
church at Antioch. Yet despite their differences, Manaen and Herod were “lifelong friends.”

There are at least two things we can learn from this short passage. The first is that salvation depends on our response to the gospel. The second is that friendship does not.

I have to admit that I’m guilty of severing more than a few friendships based on their lack of response to the gospel. Instead, I tend to draw ever nearer to those whom I deem spiritually mature. There’s a constant temptation we face to place value on people based on their spirituality. What many of us can learn from Manaen and Jesus is that while salvation requires faith, having faith (or lack thereof) is not grounds for exclusion. The real issue is how we can befriend the “Herods” of our lives without compromising our commitment to Christ. Today, let’s pray for the humility to live this way.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be salt and light in this world. Teach me to see people the way You see
them. Holy Spirit, grant me the humility to love my friends and family as I love myself. In Jesus’
name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 15

June 6, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on April 6, 2019, is provided by Ulysses Wang who pastors Renewal Church in Sunnyvale, California.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“There is No Substitute for God”

2 Kings 1:1-4

After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.” 3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’” So Elijah went.

It’s obvious that in this passage God is upset at King Ahaziah because he didn’t inquire of Him as to how his illness would turn out. What is interesting, however, is the king’s reaction to the news from his messengers regarding the “stranger” that they had met on the road. Through nothing more than a description of his outfit, Ahaziah knew that it was the prophet Elijah (v.8). What we can see from this is that Ahaziah was very much aware that there was a prophet of the Lord in his land, yet he had no interest in inquiring of the Lord through him. For this, he was condemned to die from his wounds.

We take encouragement from this passage that we serve a God who wants us to inquire of Him. Imagine that!—being invited to ask for wisdom and knowledge from the source of all wisdom and knowledge! Our struggle, however, is that too often we don’t take God up on His generous offer. We’ve replaced God with Google or friends or medical professionals. Not that any of these things are wrong—these things can all be a blessing—but the problem comes when these things effectively replace God in our lives. Inquiring of God through prayer is considered impractical. Like Ahaziah, we know that He’s there and He’s real, but in times of trouble, we go elsewhere for answers. That displeases the Lord. Let’s be smart and seek God at all times.

Prayer: What do you need to ask God about today? James reminds us that, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (1:5). Spend time inquiring of the Lord. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 13-14

June 5, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on June 24, 2020, is provided by Jon Kim. At the time, Jon was overseeing the college group at Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Hearing Without Listening”

Luke 18:31-34

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

My wife and I moved a couple of weeks ago to a new home. While unpacking on Monday she very clearly told me, “Jon, this is where I am putting the stamps.” I nodded in acknowledgement and went on with my day. Come Wednesday, I needed the stamps to send an urgent piece of mail but threw a fit due to my wife’s hiding the stamps somewhere. I mutter to myself, “If only she would’ve told me where she put them beforehand!” I heard my wife’s instruction on Monday, but I didn’t truly listen and understand because it was not important to me until Wednesday.

In our passage today, we see Jesus foretelling His suffering and death for the third time in Luke’s Gospel. Even though Jesus had already told His disciples before, they still did not understand that to save the world, He would suffer and die. As a reader looking back on these stories, I am troubled by how the disciples just couldn’t get it! Especially in this passage, Christ’s language is pretty clear and straightforward: No imagery, no parables, just straight and literal foretelling of his suffering and death. As Christ’s disciples were living with the Messiah, and soaking in His teaching everyday, wouldn’t their hearts be eager and open to receive and understand these words? In addition, Jesus wasn’t even the first one to tell them about His death; the prophets’ message was consistent with Jesus’.

The message of Jesus’ suffering and death didn’t fit into what the disciples had in mind about the glorious Messiah who had come to save. Jesus gave them an important word, but it did not align with their agenda and expectations; the word essentially fell on deaf ears. Don’t we also do this often? We hear God’s Word, but we do not contemplate the Words that do not feel really relevant for us on Monday. Then we are left on Wednesday scrambling to catch up because His words on Monday didn’t really become a part of who we are, how we think, and how we act. For example, God has been speaking about injustice and race for thousands of years. Are we only now seeking to listen to His heart about these matters, perhaps because the world has put them at the forefront of our minds? What else is God speaking to you that seems irrelevant and unimportant? Will you brush them aside or will you contemplate, seek to understand and ask to be changed according to His Word?

The good news for me on Wednesday was that my wife still graciously told me where the stamps were stored. God will patiently teach us when He finally has your listening ear, when you finally realize the importance of every word that comes from His mouth. However, for the sake of a healthy marriage, and my own personal sanity, I should have listened on Monday.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I confess that many times You speak, but I do not listen. I often listen for the things that seem most relevant to me or are easiest to understand. I pray that You would help me to listen and contemplate the whole counsel of Your Word. I do not want to worship a God that only fits within my mind and my agendas, but I want to listen to and be changed by all that You say because Your Word is good and it is true. Amen

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 12

Lunch Break Study

Read John 10:1-15: “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Questions to Consider

1. How does Jesus contrast His sheep’s response to the shepherd/gatekeeper with their response to the stranger/thief/robber?

2. What are the different outcomes of following the thieves and robbers versus following Jesus?

3. How do the “hired hand” and the shepherd react differently to danger? What does this show about their different relationships to the sheep?

4. What other voices do you listen to and follow that are not the voice of your Good Shepherd?

Notes

1. The sheep know the voice of the shepherd and follow Him to safety. They do not recognize the voices of others and therefore run away from them.

2. The sheep that follow Jesus are led to peace, security, salvation and eternal life. Others come to steal, kill, and destroy.

3. The “hired hand” will run away to save his own life because he doesn’t care about the sheep. The good shepherd will lay down his life for the sheep because he knows them and they know him and he loves them.

4. Personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

In reflection of this morning’s QT, disciples hear what they want to hear, and when they don’t hear what they want to hear, they hear nothing at all. Just babble. Stuff that doesn’t make sense. Nonsense. That’s why Jesus repeatedly said, “The one who has ears to hear, let them hear.” It takes more than ears to really hear.

Learning the ways of faith in God is hard work that requires our devotion to understand and apply Truth. The Good News is God never gives up on getting Truth to us. It took courage for Jesus to go to Jerusalem, knowing that it wasn’t just a possibility that he would die but that it was a certainty. And it takes courage for us to hear what he says and do what he says. It takes courage to be a follower of Jesus. And really good hearing.

Are you sometimes tempted to give up the quest for more of God, because you feel uncertain in your thinking when reading the Word?

June 4, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT blog, written by Pastor Barry Kang of Symphony Church in Boston, was originally posted on March 14, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Cheap Grace No More”

1 John 3:7-10 (ESV)

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

In Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic work, The Cost of Discipleship, he writes: “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

As children of God, we are not to walk the broad and easy path of cheap grace, but the narrow and costly path of denying ourselves and following Jesus. This does not mean that we need to be perfect (1 John 1:8: “If we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not within us”), but that we renounce the path or “practice” of living for ourselves. We may stumble, but we get up (Prov. 24:16) by God’s grace and keep pursuing after Jesus. As children of God, we can do no less.

Let us not take God’s grace for granted. I see too many Christians being comfortable with sin because they rationalize it with a thought like, “we are not perfect, just forgiven” or “so-and-so is worse.” Instead of justifying our sin, I pray that we would trust in God’s justification of the sinner. Is there unrepented sin in your life? Confess it and lay it before God. Ask for God’s grace to bring you out of the practice of that sin.

Prayer: Father, please forgive me for the ways that I often take your grace for granted. May your grace overwhelm my heart and my life. Help me to walk in your righteousness. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 11

Lunch Break Study

Read James 1:19-21 (NIV): My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Questions to Consider

In regard to speaking and listening, what does James expect the believers to do?
How does James characterize the moral filth and the evil in our lives?
How can believers deal with the anger, the moral filth, and the evil that we wrestle with?

Notes

1. Here, Paul again refers to the believers as saints and brothers (c.f., Phil 1:1).

2. Unfortunately, James notes that this moral filth and the evil in us is apparently prevalent.

3. Rather than angrily blaming God for our temptation and sin, and thus forfeiting the good he is trying to accomplish in us through the trial, we should instead remove the evil that caused the temptation, and return to the wisdom of His Word which can take us safely through the trial.

Evening Reflection

Prepare tonight for the Lord’s Day. Reflect on the blood of Jesus Christ which allows us to meet God’s presence and worship Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask that you help me to practice the art of listening quickly while being slow to speak words of complaint, judgment, and criticism. Help me to accept your word that fortifies me in my trials. Amen.