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

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Body of Christ during Missions” 

Acts 6:1-6 

“Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.” 

In 2016, I went on my first mission trip to North Philadelphia where we helped run a summer camp at a local school. On the second day of the camp, I helped with the games portion of the camp where I spent so much time playing with the kids that I don’t remember mentioning Jesus once the entire day. As we got ready as a team that night to share how the day went for us, I was ashamed to speak because I believed I had nothing significant to say. That shame melted away when my teammate who ran the games with me that day shared that because I was there, she found an opportunity to speak with one of the children one-on-one and share Jesus with her. 

If you’ve never been on missions before, you may think the daily life of a missionary, short-term or long term, is a “sleep, pray, eat, evangelize, repeat” cycle. Yes, all of that happens, but so much more happens than that! You’re living life in boldness for Christ, but a lot of living life involves mundane tasks or things that otherwise may not feel like you’re contributing to the Kingdom. Remember that missionaries are not working alone, so sometimes those mundane tasks open the door for others to evangelize in ways they otherwise wouldn’t. 

We see that here in Acts 6, where seven brothers are tasked with serving food and drink to the widows of the church. It seems like a mundane task that everyone could do, but the apostles thought it to be so important that they paused to pray for the men before they went out to do it. It’s also interesting to note Stephen, who would become the first martyr, was equipped with a fulfilling of the Holy Spirit to lead this task! 

There is no such thing as mundane or useless work in the Kingdom of God. Just like in our physical bodies, there are parts whose work seems insignificant until they no longer fulfill their tasks. We are all called to preach the Gospel to someone. My exhortation to you is to not assume that you can only spread the Gospel by being the one who speaks. Being used by God to set the stage for His truth to be heard is just as important as being used by Him to speak it. 

Prayer: Father God, thank You that You have created the church to be a body instead of a bunch of individuals. Please show me what You want me to do to build Your Kingdom so that I may do it joyfully. More importantly, please protect me from the temptation to compare the role You’ve given me in Your body with roles You’ve given to others. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 61-62

REPOST Today’s AMI QT blog, originally posted on September 2, 2014, was written by Pastor Mark Chun. Mark has recently planted a new church called Radiance Christian Church, East Bay. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Nothing New Under the Sun”

Ecclesiastes 1:3-11 (ESV)

What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?  4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.  5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.  7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. 8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.  9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.  10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”?  It has been already in the ages before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. 

We live in a time of amazing technological breakthroughs.  Things that seemed like the fantasy of science fiction are now becoming a reality:  Self-driving cars, computerized drones that drop off your mail, and even clones of your pets are all within the realm of possibility in the not too distant future.  

But even as we fill our lives with the latest gadgets and advancements, many of us still wrestle with the monotonous drudgery of life.   Even in the face of so much innovation, nothing seems new to the human condition because we know deep inside that everything new will end up in the same pile as our old discarded VCRs, floppy discs, and cassette tapes.  At the end of the day, we still wrestle with the same problems that humanity has been struggling with for hundreds of generations.  Loneliness, depression, anxiety, and fear are still an ever-persistent problem that no new invention can help us with.  

Like the sun that rises in the morning, sets in the evening, and then runs back to where it has to rise again, we can go through life as though we were on a perpetual treadmill; always in motion but never getting anywhere.  Pink Floyd in their famous album “Dark Side of the Moon” sings about the futility of life.

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinking,

Racing around to come up behind you again,

The sun is the same in a relative way but you’re older, 

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.

How can we escape the inherent frustration of living in a world that is doomed to repeat itself?  The key is in our understanding of the statement that “there is nothing new under the sun.”  

As long as we limit our lives to existence under the sun, we will never escape the monotonous cycle of life.  The only way we can break free is to live for the God who exists and reigns far above the sun.  This is the God who promises us that He is making all things new, including our very lives along with the heavens and the earth.  In Him, we can live in the hope that everything we do will ultimately matter.  

Prayer: Father, help us to break through the feelings of discontentment and frustration that are a part of our existence.  Open our eyes, so that we can see that there is a reality beyond what is under the sun.  Enable our ears to hear your voice over the daily commotion of our busy lives.  Teach us how to depend on your mercy that is new every morning.  Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 60

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Lunch Break Study  

Lamentations 3:22-33: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28 Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; 29 let him put his mouth in the dust—there may yet be hope; 30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. 31 For the Lord will not cast off forever, 32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; 33 for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.

Questions to Consider

1. How can we reconcile the steadfast love of God with the grief that we sometimes go through?   
2. What is the source of our hope?
3. How can you practically experience the newness of God’s mercy on a daily basis?  

Notes

1. Though God does not willingly afflict his children, there are times when He deems it necessary for our spiritual growth.  Whether it is discipline against sin or simply a test of our faith, God often speaks most clearly and powerfully in our pain.  During those seasons, it is important to hold onto the truth that God is good to those who wait upon him.  
2. The source of our hope is in the fact that God is our portion forever.  In the Old Testament, a portion is synonymous with an inheritance or a gift that is irrevocable.  The greatest gift of God is not the many blessings we receive in this life, but the promise that He is our God and we are His people.  In the Hebrew, the steadfast love of God is another way of describing the covenant love that He has bestowed upon us. 
3. There are many ways to daily experience God’s mercy anew:  not taking His mercy for granted, repenting of sins, and fixing your eyes on the cross.  

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Evening Reflection

Are you excited about your relationship with God?  If not, why not?    What are some new things that God is doing in your life or wants to do in your life?  Pray that you would be obedient to the call of God and seek times of refreshing in His presence.   

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on October 19, 2020, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato. Jason is serving in Japan as an AMI missionary.

Devotional Thought for This Morning 

“Intro 101 to Jesus”

John 1:1-8 (ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. [4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. [6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. [7] He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. [8] He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

When we are learning something new, we tend to go through stages. Let’s use physics as an example. In Stage 1, I don’t understand physics and I know I don’t understand physics. In Stage 2, I take a few physics courses and learn a few things but in reality, I still don’t understand physics. Only now, I don’t realize I don’t understand physics. In Stage 3, I learn enough physics to realize how little I understand and while I am growing in competence, I know I have a vast amount to learn.

These stages of learning may unfold when we learn about a new topic like health care or crime or when we are learning a new skill like playing the guitar or programming. They can also occur in the context of relationships. We can begin to imagine that we have figured out a friend, colleague, or parent and stop listening when in fact we are really in Stage 2, unaware of our ignorance.

Tragically, this can also happen with our relationship with Jesus. According to John 20:31, the Gospel of John was written so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ and have life in His name. With this in mind, the apostle John begins his gospel introducing Jesus, and he essentially says, “You do not know who I am talking about.”

John tells us that in the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word is the Creator of all things. He is Life itself. He is the Light that is not overcome by the darkness.

Then the apostle John goes on a strange tangent. He says, “There was a man…” This man is not the light. His name is John the Baptist. Now we must understand that John the Baptist is not only the prophet who came before Jesus. He is the greatest prophet in human history. In fact, according to Matthew 11:11, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.

No one greater! Consider great people of human history. Great conquerors like Genghis Khan and Napoleon. Great geniuses like Einstein and Newton. Great spiritual leaders like Mother Theresa and Gandhi. John the Baptist is greater than all of them, but he is most certainly NOT the light!

The greatest person in human history is nothing compared to the true light who was coming into the world. This true light is not only worthy of affection but of all-consuming devotion. He deserves not only respect, but reverent, everlasting worship. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God, and the Savior of the World.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, may I never grow familiar with You in such a way that I lose my sense of awe and wonder. There is no one like You. You are above and beyond what words can express. Thank You that You receive my worship. You are worthy. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 59

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Lunch Break Study 

Isaiah 6:1–7 (ESV): In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. [2] Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. [3] And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” [4] And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. [5] And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” [6] Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. [7] And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 

Questions to Consider 

1. How do the seraphim demonstrate their reverence toward the Lord?
2. What is Isaiah’s response to the glory of God?
3. How is Isaiah able to remain in the presence of the Lord?

Notes 

1. The seraphim cover their faces and feet before the Lord and they continually declare God’s holiness.
2. Isaiah is terrified and calls down curses upon himself, aware that as a sinner he cannot be in the presence of a holy God and live.
3. One of the seraphim touches Isaiah’s unclean lips with a burning coal to take away Isaiah’s guilt and atone for his sin. Likewise, we are only able to come into the presence of God by the cleansing and atoning blood of Jesus.

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Evening Reflection 

Reflect on your day. Were there thoughts or circumstances that made Jesus appear small and ordinary? Were there moments when Jesus’s glory began to shine? Ask the Lord that He might reveal Himself to You and thank Him that He is eager to do so.

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, originally posted on November 23, 2020, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian. Shan leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Divine Artist”

Colossians 3:12-14

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 

For all of us, at one time or another, we encounter someone that rubs us the wrong way for whatever reason.  Maybe it’s how they talk or the views they have.  I remember hearing someone complain to me about how loudly his roommate chewed his food and how that drove him crazy.  Whether it’s petty pet peeves or stark and serious differences in personality or ideology, we can easily find ourselves irked by others.

When we are faced with such people, what do we do?  Many of us tend towards avoidance.  We see that particular person when we walk into a gathering and then we go towards the other side of the room.  Or if we get a text from them, we respond curtly.  Or, even if we can push ourselves to not avoid, we likely just bear with it.  Deal with it.  Grit our teeth and suffer through our annoyances.

St. Thérèse, a French Catholic nun in the 19th Century, shows us that these kinds of differences can even happen in a convent.  In her autobiography, she shared about a fellow nun who would irritate her in whatever she did or said.  But instead of avoiding her sister or gritting her teeth through it, this is what St. Thérèse said, “I set myself to do for this sister just what I should have done for someone I loved most dearly. Every time I met her, I prayed for her and offered God all her virtues and her merits. I was sure this would greatly delight Jesus, for every artist likes to have his works praised and the divine Artist of souls is pleased when we do not halt outside the exterior of the sanctuary where He has chosen to dwell but go inside and admire its beauty.”

What if this was our heart and attitude towards every person we encounter, especially those we find it hard to love or get along with?  Even the most irritating or infuriating person is the artwork of our Divine Artist, Jesus, and with each of His masterpieces, Jesus wants us to see and to admire their beauty.  

Let us seek to have this kind of heart for our brothers, sisters and neighbors today.  If there’s someone in particular who you find it hard to love or get along with, set your heart to love them as someone you love most dearly.  Let bring delight to our Divine Artist by loving those He has beautifully created.

Prayer: Jesus, remind us today of your patient and enduring love for us. Show us how we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and help us to see the beauty of your creation in others around us.  Especially with those with whom we find it hard to love, may we set our hearts to loving them as you love them. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 58

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Lunch Bible Study

Acts 9:10-19: Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.

Questions to Consider

1. What reasons does Ananias have for not going to Saul? 
2. What moves Ananias to go to Saul?
3. What happens as a result of Ananias’ ministry to Saul?  What can happen if we love those we find it hard to love?

Notes

1. In verse 13, Ananias said that he had heard of Saul and about “how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.” As a disciple of Jesus, Ananias in his mind thought that going to Saul at this point in time would be putting his own life at risk.  For Ananias, it could have felt like a suicide mission.  
2. Ananias ultimately goes because God tells him to go.  Going a little deeper than that though, God tells Ananias that Saul would be His chosen instrument to share the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles.  In going to Saul, Ananias was trusting that Jesus was working in Saul’s heart and life.  Note that in verse 17, Ananias doesn’t just call him Saul, he says “Brother Saul”
3. In the short term, Saul is healed from his blindness and is baptized, but in the bigger picture, Saul would go on to be Apostle Paul who planted churches and wrote half of the books of the New Testament.  Let us consider the impact our love for our neighbors can have!

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Evening Reflection

More than ever with social distancing and quarantining and virtual relationships, it is easy for us to avoid being in relationship with people who we find it hard to love.  Consider again if there’s someone that Jesus is calling you to love and bless.  Pray for a heart of love and compassion and also pray for your actions towards them to reflect Jesus’ love for them.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on March 11, 2020, is provided by Pastor Joshua Kim. Joshua is the Lead Pastor of Upper Room Seattle church.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Courageous” 

Joshua 1:1-9

Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

A God of History.

Perhaps one of the biggest things to happen in the box office in the last 12 years is the emergence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From kids to adults alike, we are fascinated with this universe of superheroes who courageously risk their lives to save the world. Part of the appeal is not only the recognition that this world needs more heroes, but there is in all of us a longing for us to be that courageous. 

The passage we’ll be looking at for the next two days recounts the story of the Israelite who have finally arrived at the Jordan River after 40 years of wandering. And as they are preparing to finally enter the Promised Land, Joshua and the people receive these words from the Lord: Be strong and courageous.

But how? The people were facing real, fearful circumstances. If you remember from the narrative, the Promised Land was filled with strong, trained soldiers, fortified cities, and what is understood to be giants (Numbers 13, the Nephilim). The Israelites were children of slaves who knew nothing about combat. In a situation where they were commanded to wipe out the people and take possession of the land, how could they find the courage to do so?

We see how God builds this courage in their hearts. God points to the history He has had with these people. Not just with them, but from the days of Moses. Just as I have been with Moses… and the Israelites knew what had happened because God was with Moses. All the things that led to their freedom from Egypt, their survival in the desert, it was because God had been with Moses. And in this moment, in the face of utter fear, God reminds them of the history of His faithfulness in their lives. 

Brothers and sisters, this world needs to witness the Bride of Christ, that is, the Church, living with this kind of courage. The truth is that if you are reading this, God has been writing an incredible, unique history with you. A history of HIs faithfulness in your life. As you take a moment to reflect, I pray that you will be reminded of all the things that have happened in your life because of the faithful orchestration of your Heavenly Father. Just as He was with Moses, just as He was with Joshua, God promises that He is with you. May this history serve as the rich soil from which courage will come to fruition in your life.

Prayer: Father, we take this moment to remind ourselves of how faithful You have been in our lives, and we thank You. There is nothing we have done to deserve it—it is entirely by Your grace. And as we reflect upon our history with You, may courage arise in us to do what is right before You. Help us Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 57

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Lunch Break Study

Romans 5:6-8: For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Questions to Consider

1. What kind of picture do words like “helpless” or “sinners” paint in regard to our status before Christ’s redemption?
2. What is the surprising truth of the gospel that Paul talks about in verse 7? What does this teach us in regard to the nature of our redemption and relationship with God?
3. The reason for God doing all of this according to Paul is to demonstrate His own love towards us. What does this constancy of God’s love mean to you?

Notes

1. These words describe a state of our being where we could not do anything to change or to earn what we have received from God. To be a sinner means that we are completely spiritually dead. It is a picture of a relationship that is entirely one-sided: God is faithful towards us. 
2. The surprising truth of the gospel is that there is no logical reasoning for why God should do this. Even in the best of human scenarios, people would hardly give of their lives for a righteous person—let alone, an unrighteous person. And yet this Holy God willingly gave His life for the unrighteous, and there’s nothing we could have done to earn or prevent this from happening.
3. Personal response. 

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Evening Reflection

How faithful has God been to you? In the hurriedness of our lives, we too often forget to stop and reflect upon how faithful our Heavenly Father is towards us. It is no wonder we do not live with much courage—we are lacking the foundation upon which our courage grows. Take a moment tonight to remind yourself of all the ways that God has been faithful to you, and may this fuel you tomorrow to be courageous. 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT devotional, originally posted on March 26, 2020, is provided Joe Suh. Joe is the Leader Pastor of Canvas City Church in Philadelphia.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“We Are Not Alone”

Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

For those who know me personally, they know that I am an extreme extrovert.  I truly love being surrounded by people and feeding off the energy of others.  So, as you can imagine, this “Safer at Home” situation is not the best for me.  As much as I love spending time with my wife and children, I also have a true need to interact with other people.  Maybe it is working for you and you are enjoying the isolation; I can’t say the same about me. 

The current world we live in is separate and apart.  We are “siloed” in our own little world.  As much as we are trying to stay connected, I can’t help but feel a little isolated.  Even going to the market or running an errand away from the home does not satisfy my desire to be in contact with other people.

As Christians, we are called to be a community of believers.  We are not created to be wholly independent people who are completely self-sufficient.  God designed us to be completely dependent on Him and interdependent upon one another within our community.  We see this very clearly in Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’”  So, whether an extrovert or introvert, to varying degrees we all need each other.

So then, what do we do in times like these?  How do we still function as a community of believers?  How do we stay connected with each other? There are so many people in our communities who are in need.  There is true fear and anxiousness, not only about the spread of Covid-19, but about the future of our economy, jobs, schools, churches, families, and the list goes on.  

As we attempt to “social distance” ourselves from physical interaction my hope and prayer is that we are mindful to do our best to check-in with one another through whatever means available.  Whether it is through a Zoom meeting, a Google Hangout, an email, a text, or even an old-fashioned telephone call, let us all be mindful to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.  Checking in more often with our family, friends, church members, and even acquaintances is crucial during this time.  There is definitely a need for social distance but let us not forget to continue to show our love and support for one another.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, remind us that we are called to be a community of believers.  As such, let us be sensitive to each other’s needs and support each other as best we can.  Through this time let us lean on our faith in You and remain unified as the body of Christ.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 56

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Lunch Break Study

Philippians 1:27-39: “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. 29 For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

Questions to Consider

1. What is Paul’s command to the Philippian Church? (v. 27)
2. What is the sign of destruction Paul refers to in v. 28?
3. In what ways are we to suffer for His sake? (vv. 29-30)

Notes

1. Paul is calling them to conduct themselves worthy of the gospel.  He understands that a credible witness for the gospel must be set apart from the rest of the world.  Additionally, there must be unity among them as they stand as one in spirit and for the work to be done.
2. The sign of destruction refers to God’s final judgement against those that stand against Him.  The salvation promised is the deliverance from God for all those that believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
3. Personal reflection.

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Evening Reflection 

In what ways are you connecting with your community?  Were you able to engage with others outside of your home in a meaningful way?  Is there anyone that comes to mind that you should reach out to?  Take some time to ask God to reveal a person that needs a personal touch.  If God reveals a person to you, whomever it may be, take a moment to reach out tomorrow.

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on July 21, 2019, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee.  He is a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Trust Me”

Jeremiah 42:9-18

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea for mercy before him: 10 If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you. 11 Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand. 12 I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in your own land. 13 But if you say, ‘We will not remain in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God14 and saying, ‘No, we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war or hear the sound of the trumpet or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there,’ 15 then hear the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there, 16 then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die. 17 All the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to live there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. They shall have no remnant or survivor from the disaster that I will bring upon them. 18 “For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You shall become an execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. You shall see this place no more. 

I recently finished my first season of coaching my son’s baseball team.  That was also my last.  A friend of mine advised me to coach, telling me it would help my sports dynamic with my son; the idea being that instead of looking at me as his dad telling him what to do, he would listen to me as the coach, especially if he saw the other kids on the team doing the same.  Maybe it worked for my friend, but for us, we butted heads.  Example: I told my son to use a lighter bat because I thought he needed more bat control; he refused.  Perhaps it was an ego thing, like telling a dude to drop weight in the gym.  I do think that 75-99% of all fathers and sons will butt heads, because sons fundamentally want to prove themselves to their dads (to be fair, I’m sure I have a part in our fights too).  But to some measure, I think my son is kind of competing with me and sees me as someone he has to overcome or exceed, in order to prove he has grown up (sounds like Wild at Heart, John Eldridge).  By the way, I also think that this competing dynamic plays out in less dramatic ways for a many mothers and daughters but  less severe in cross gender relationships, as I think my daughter would love me to coach her soccer teams.  

What bothers/hurts me the most about this situation is that my son totally misunderstands me.  I’m never trying to embarrass him or prove that he’s not on my level; in fact, the opposite is true. I’m trying to put him in the best position to succeed, because when he does well, I get happy.  Sometimes that means checking his pride at the door and using a lighter bat, or it means working on a skill that is difficult for him; but ultimately, it means trusting me.  

Granted this is an oversimplification, but the narrative of the Old Testament can be summarized by the Israelites’ desire to show God that they don’t need Him.  Often it comes across like their goals for themselves compete with God’s goals for them.  An example of this is shown in the end of the book of Jeremiah: this time, after their city is in ruins, the Lord tells them to stay in Judah; don’t flee to Egypt.  Perhaps, the people thought the Lord was punishing them more to really drive His point home; yet, what we see is God’s desire for their good.  In verse 10, the Lord tells His people that if they stay, He’ll build them back up and plant them.  But alas, once again, the Israelites think they know best; they are like the 10 year old trying to show dad how he’s become the man who knows best.

How are you doing with the Lord?  Do you feel like you’re competing against Him—your will  against His?  Stop trying to prove you know better or that you’re all grown up—be His trusting child.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to trust that You are good, and I don’t need to compete with You.  Though I want to mature, let me never want to grow so much that I think I don’t need You or I know better than You.  Give me a child-like spirit.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 55

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Christine Li, was originally posted on October  19, 2019. Christine serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“No Longer Your Own”

1 Corinthians 6:17-20 

“But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

There’s a great scene in the movie Ratatouille when the wannabe chef, Linguini, and a rat, Remy, begin to team up together. Up to this point, the boy has been downcast because he has little skill, but Remy, the rat, is passionate about food, and they learn that Linguini’s actions can be controlled when Remy tugs on his hair. Suddenly, it becomes a puppet situation; his body is no longer his own, but now he is completely at the disposal of a rat with incredible culinary talent. He raises his hands, grabs ingredients, chops, and cooks, all by the directions from this rat sitting inside his hat!

This is a useful depiction of what it looks like to be mastered by God. Today’s passage specifically references sexual immorality and the physical expression of honoring God; however, the sense of being owned by God applies beyond our sexuality and extends into all other fleshly behavior: jealousy, selfishness, pride, etc.

Without Him and left to our own devices, we are hapless and hopeless. But a life mastered by Him means that we can seriously exceed what we think our human capabilities are. We find ourselves more generous and patient than we would normally be. We find ourselves more gracious and compassionate. We find ourselves fighting the wars of the flesh with strength and diligence. A life mastered by God’s powerful Spirit is victorious in more ways than we can imagine.

Today, let’s take an inventory of areas in which God is Lord and Master over our lives. Are we being mastered by Him in all areas, or is there something we are withholding? Let’s ask Him to help us cede our control and let Him take over so that we can live in the freest, fullest, and best way.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You have offered me the abundant life. I want to take hold of it, but I confess that I often want control over how things go. Help me to surrender wholly to You and be mastered by You. Use me and change me so that I may life the full and abundance life in You.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 53-54

NEW Charmer Pratt, a longtime member of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia, has served faithfully in the welcoming ministry since 2016.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

The Pervasiveness of Sin 

1 John 1:8-10 

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 

A few months ago, my car stalled in the middle of the road, forcing me to pull over. After a couple of hours of unsuccessfully trying to get it to start or even move an inch, I had it towed the thirty-mile trip home. Later that week, it turned out that the problem was caused by a blown fuse no larger than my thumb. A YouTube crash course walked me through replacing the fuse and reviving my car, and I was left dumbfounded that something so small could immobilize something that carried me.

That brief saga was a great reminder of the picture of sin in our lives. It’s very tempting to think of many sins we commit as simply small mistakes—moments where we falter or otherwise “not a big deal.” Oftentimes that temptation comes from the correct view that our sin is no match for the blood of Christ that covers all. However, that truth should not shield us from soberly remembering this reality: all sin, no matter how small, is part of the reason our Lord Jesus went to the cross.

Just as a tiny fuse stopped my car from moving, every tiny sin that we don’t address stalls our relationship with God. Our Lord is gracious, but He is just and does not tolerate sin. Hopefully, you know that while you must fight the blatant sin in your life, you also need to take time to plead with the Father to open your eyes to fight the subtle sins as well.

Prayer:  Abba, Father, thank You for the blood of Your Son which covers my sin and allows me to even pray to You right now. Remind me that there is no sin too great for You to conquer, but there is also no sin too small for You to ignore. Please teach me and strengthen me to fight every sin in my life so that my walk with You may be blameless. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 52

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Lunch Break Study 

Romans 8:31-39 (ESV): What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Questions to Consider

1. Paul asks, “Who is to condemn?” How can we overcome our victim mentality?
2. Paul asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” What are some things in our lives that can separate us from Christ?
3. What assurance can we take from this passage?

Notes

1. Paul asks a rhetorical question implying that nothing in this world can condemn us. Christ became the ultimate victim by taking our sins upon the cross on our behalf so that rather than being condemned, we are now saved.  Actually, before God we were never victims but transgressors. Now, having been forgiven by God in Christ, we are more than conquerors, including over our erroneous victim mentality. 
2. Paul provides a list of things as a warning that will distract us from the inseparable love of Christ. Consider how these items can be relatable in your life (i.e. tribulations can represent hardships or struggles that you may be going through).
3. There is nothing in this world that can separate us from His love—not physical, spiritual, emotional, or mental. He continually intercedes for us (v. 34) in our weaknesses. 

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Evening Reflection

Take a moment to reflect on your relationship with Christ. What are the areas, times, situations, or even relationships that keep you from His love?  How have you felt victimized and then let that spiral into a mess like Saul?  Ask God to open your eyes to see His inseparable love and the people whom He has placed in your life to release you. 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was originally posted on May 28, 2020.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Revolution & Interruption” 

Luke 1:1-4 

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Acts 2:1-2

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

During the Easter season, I spent time reading through the Gospel of Luke and am now making my way through Acts as we prepare for Pentecost. Taking another look at the life and teachings of Jesus in Luke and the presence and work of the Spirit in Acts has been especially helpful for me, as we all do the hard work of reevaluating and reimagining during our present season of upheaval.

My reading of these texts, while being inundated with the statements and movements of various Christians around the country during this season, has cemented my suspicion that sometimes (often times?) we in the Church lack vision for how God moves in the world and how we come to discern those movements and, in so discerning, know what to do in partnership with God. My time in Luke-Acts has highlighted two crucial things in this regard:

God’s story is one of revolution and God’s work is a work of interruption. 

God is transforming all of Creation – from hearts and minds to societies and kingdoms to (one day) the literal heavens and earth. Transformation is not preservation. And transformation requires change—it’s an act of revolution. If we want to understand where God is and how God is moving, then, it would behoove us to learn a little bit about revolutions—particularly how they come about and what they’re resisting to change. God’s story is a story of revolution.

And God’s work in our present world is ALWAYS a work of interruption. From the Creation (which interrupted nothing with something) to the Exodus (which interrupted Egyptian empire/rule) to the prophets (who interrupted the religious and political status quo) to the birth of Jesus (which not only interrupted Mary’s life, but turned the world upside down), to the cross (which was a painful interruption, or so it seemed, to the disciples hopes for deliverance), to the greatest interruption of them all the resurrection (which interrupted, and so overcame, death itself). 

God is authoring a revolution through a series of holy interruptions.  

If this is true, as followers of Jesus, we have to learn to discern God’s movements in any given moment in history, looking for those interruptions so we can actively participate in God’s revolutionary work in our time. Theologian Willie James Jennings suggests this is the agenda of the book of Acts, “to narrate how one discerns God’s movements” – what they look like and how Creation responds. 

God is at work right now through the Spirit in the world today. So, are we discerning those movements? And how are we, who are not only creatures but those with whom the Spirit of God dwells, called to respond?  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please free me from my tendency toward people-pleasing and self-gratification. Make me aware of the other masters in my life today, so that, having been liberated from them, I can discern what You are doing in the world and then join. Help me to serve You even when it is difficult. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Bible Reading for Today:  Isaiah 51

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Lunch Break Study

Acts 2:36-47: “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Questions to Consider

1. What was the result of their obedience in response to the movement of the Spirit? What do you notice about their devotion? How does this encourage or challenge you to respond to the Spirit today? 
2. These verses pick up right after the Holy Spirit comes to the Church for the very first time at Pentecost. What was the people’s (v. 37) response to the movement of the Spirit in Acts 2? 
3. How did Peter instruct them? What is the significance of these next steps? What promise did he give them? 

Notes

1. The people asked, “What should we do?” Why?  It’s because they were deeply convicted after hearing the truth concerning Jesus and the message of the Gospel and turned to God (through Peter and the Apostles) for guidance and direction.   
2. Peter told them to repent and be baptized. Repent simply means to change one’s mind(set) or thinking. Repentance is always required as we seek to respond to the truth and movements of God. Peter also tells them to be baptized. This is more than just being dipped or sprinkled with water. The baptism ceremony is an sign of a reality in our lives and hearts—that reality is our choice to be immersed in intimacy with Jesus through relationship and in the body of Christ, the Church, as we do life together with one another. The promise Peter gives is that the listeners will receive the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s presence in the lives of believers is not something we earn or have to conjure up; it’s a gift of grace given to all those who turn to God in repentance and are immersed in relationship with God and God’s people in community.  
3. The result was a radical and generative community, fully devoted in self-giving love and care for one another. There are lots of things to notice about their devotion—take note of what they were devoted to and how they expressed their devotion. The thing that strikes me most is that it was all organic and unprescribed. We often need rule and law to tell us to give and share, gather and pray, love and care. But there were no laws demanding this—this was their natural (reasonable, even – Romans 12:2) response to the Good News and the gift they’d received. They were caught up in the love of God and thus drawn into God’s love for those around them.

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Evening Reflection

“God is authoring a revolution through a series of holy interruptions.”

Do you find yourself resisting change and transformation? If yes, why? How does the good news of the Kingdom of God (the Gospel, that God is bringing forth a New Creation) encourage you to desire and participate in God’s transformative work? In what specific ways is God inviting you (and your community) to be transformed in this season? What practical steps of obedience can you take in that direction?