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? 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Christine Li, was originally posted on May 11, 2020. Christine serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“O, Come Let Us Adore Him (a non-Christmas Version)”

Psalm 145:1-2 

“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.”

During this shelter-in-place time, I have also had the chance to reexamine my habits. Two weeks ago, I realized my tendency was still to rush through things (though I had nowhere to be). I rushed through cooking, so my meals were still mediocre after weeks of cooking every day. I rushed to get ready in the morning and still wouldn’t use my electric toothbrush for its two-minute preset. Yes, I admit it – until two weeks ago, I didn’t think I had time to wait for my toothbrush to run its full course.

Yet another observation arose during conversation with a sister about helpful structures for prayer, including the famous ACTS model (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). While reflecting, I recognized another thing that I’d been rushing through: Adoration.\

As the world has succumbed to this pandemic, I have found my prayer time focused around supplication (asking God for things). I would pray for healing of the sick, protection over healthcare workers and others who are outside, emotional health and safety for those who have been in isolation, provision for those laid off and furloughed, etc. The needs seem both endless and urgent, and they are what I have been preoccupied with. 

But skipping over Adoration means neglecting the most important component of prayer: the Lord Himself. He is the one that we come to meet. By rushing through considering who He is, we forgo delight that comes from celebrating what a friend, Father, Counselor, Savior He is. It is through adoring Him that our understanding of God becomes expanded; we will be reminded of what a wonderful, powerful, loving God reigns over this world. Everything else can easily fall into place: confession and thanksgiving naturally arise, and confidence in His provision will follow. We remember that the Father who did not spare His own Son will surely meet all our needs.

We are in a time when needs only seem to multiply each day. But I urge you today to not rush through time spent adoring God but, instead, dwell there for a longer period. The Psalm quoted is a good place to start by giving us words and ways to adore Him. More than ever, we need to know His agelessness, His faithfulness, and His goodness to be sure of who He is and to be comforted that He continues to work in this world. May adoring and worshipping God be a balm for us as we remember who He is. 

Prayer: Father, I adore You! You are magnificent and good beyond my understanding. You are beautiful, gracious, and compassionate. Help me treasure who You are, not what I want You to do for me. Let my soul take its rightful place gazing upon Your beauty today and being in awe of who You are once more. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 50

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Lunch Break Study

This Bible study is written a little differently. The questions are extremely simple, so the best way to enjoy the passage is to go beyond the simple observation of the text and to re-apply those answers to your own life.

Psalms 150:1-6: “Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,4 praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe,5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”

Questions to Consider

1. Where are we to praise the Lord (where is He)? For what are we to praise Him?
2. What are the ways in which we are to praise Him?
3. Who is to praise Him?

Notes

1. God both dwells in the sanctuary (the temple, the place of worship) and also in the mighty heavens that He created. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and His presence is in all those places. Therefore, everywhere is a place where God may be worshipped. We praise Him especially for His power and His greatness. Our God has done wonderful works, and He is also the greatest strength in the universe. Therefore, we praise Him not just for what He has accomplished through acts of power; we praise Him simply for His character.
2. We praise Him with multiple media – through music and with our whole selves as well. Praise to God is not only in thought but expressed audibly and visibly for others to see and participate in with as well. It takes many to be able to do these concurrently. Therefore, our worship also must be manifest when we are gathered with others.
3. Not just those who know Him, but everything that has breath (life on this earth) praises Him. All creation is meant to praise the Lord. We join in worship with all humans across the earth (who have different cultures and have seen different works), but we also join in worship with all creation and nature on the earth. 

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Evening Reflection

How was your time today? Did spending more time considering who God is and extending your time of adoration bring joy and gladness? Let’s ask Him for the grace to continue and have our souls be satisfied as we consider who He is.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on April 23, 2020, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato. Jason is serving in Japan as an AMI missionary.

Devotional Thought for This Morning 

“Hidden and Revealed Things”

Deuteronomy 29:29 (ESV)

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” 

As the coronavirus pandemic rages across the globe, many of us are glued to our news feeds.  When I wake up, the first thing I want to do is read the latest articles on BBC or The Mainichi (a Japanese daily).  Throughout the day, I find myself distracted and tempted to check these sites for new updates.  Now the question is, “What exactly am I looking for?”

In the midst of this global crisis, there are so many things we don’t know: We don’t know when the virus will be contained in our community.  We don’t know whether someone we love will contract it.  We don’t know what this will mean for our business or career.  We don’t know how this will affect our children’s education.  And this is frightening.  

So we are tempted to seek solace and even peace in information gathering.  Of course, having accurate information is important in a pandemic, but my heart is searching for something that daily counts, and reports of new developments in different countries cannot provide this.

According to Deuteronomy 29:29, there are things that are secret and belong only to the Lord; but there are also “revealed things that belong to us and to our children forever.”  Only these revealed things can free us from fear and anxiety so we can love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Two revealed things that I am taking comfort in are as follows:

1. Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
2. Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”

Because my Father is sovereign and always working for my good, I can close my web browser and serve the immediate needs of my children and my students.  I can give them more of my attention, care, and prayer than the bare minimum.  Because pandemics and financial crises cannot stop God from saving lost people from every tribe and nation, I can look forward with great expectation, pray with unreasonable boldness, and reach out to people who do not know Him with compassion and hope.

In these very strange and turbulent times, we cannot know, do, or control hardly anything—and thank God, that is not our job.  But since we have a Father who sovereignly orders human history, we are free to focus on the simple things—loving Him and our neighbors well.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that even in these dark times, I do not need to be paralyzed by fear.  There is much in this world that is unstable and uncertain, but Your promises are rock solid.  Grant me grace to entrust the secret things to You and to boldly claim the revealed things. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 49

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Lunch Break Study  

Matthew 6:27–30, 33 (ESV): And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [28] And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? … [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Questions to Consider 

1. According to this passage, does anything good come by being anxious? 
2. What does Jesus invite us to have faith in?
3. If we are not to concern ourselves with food and clothing, what are we to focus on?

Notes 

1. It does no good.  It cannot even add one hour to our lives.
2. Jesus invites us to have faith in the Father’s love.  He who clothes the lilies values us and will provide for us.
3. Since the Father frees us from concerns about food and clothing, we are free to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

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Evening Reflection 

Reflect upon your day.  To what things were you tempted to turn to for comfort and peace other than Jesus?  Take a moment to wait upon the Lord and invite Him to remind you of His love and promises for you.  

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on February 20, 2020, is provided by Emerson Lin. Emerson serves in E. Asia as a missionary.

Devotional Thought for this Morning

“Promises Have Power”

Acts 1:6-11

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

A promise is such an interesting concept, because from an objective point of view, it is a group of words. Yet, when someone promises us something, we cling onto it with hope and excitement. When, as kids, our parents promised to buy us a toy on our birthday, or when our boss promises a promotion next year, we hold onto those words with great expectation. 

In this passage, Luke begins his second book with Jesus’ last moments with His disciples. Jesus had just spent 40 days with His disciples, speaking about the Kingdom of God, but because He knew at that very moment He was going to be taken away, He comforts His disciples with a promise of the Holy Spirit. With these words, the disciples return to Jerusalem waiting in great expectation. We learn in Acts 2 that they receive the Holy Spirit and were then empowered to share the gospel.

Like the disciples, we, as believers, all have the Holy Spirit living in us. It is not just something that exists in us, but Jesus promises us that the Holy Spirit comes with power to help us in our time of need. Here are some promises that Jesus tells us about the Holy Spirit:

• The Holy Spirit is our Helper: “He will teach us all things and bring to your remembrance all that Jesus has said to us.” Whenever we are discouraged and a Bible verse pops in our mind or our friend comforts us, that is the Holy Spirit’s work! (John 14:16 & 26)
• The Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of Truth, who makes it clear for us that Jesus is Lord. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot know that Jesus is the Son of God (John 14:17).
• The Holy Spirit provides us power to become a witness to our co-workers, friends, and family members. This power includes spiritual gifts such as healing, words of encouragement, words of knowledge, etc. This power is for the purposes of sharing the gospel (Act 1:8).

All of us are in different seasons of life: Some of us may need help, as we are struggling with our faith, or we may need help in sharing the gospel to loved ones. Whatever the circumstances, Jesus is reminding us that we have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us—He is there to help us and all we need to do is ask Him. 

What do you need help in? This morning, take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit to be your Helper in this area. Let’s ask with faith and great expectation because Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will help us.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for the promises in the Bible. There are times where I struggle with believing them. However, help me to hope in them again and start by believing in the promise of the Holy Spirit. Right now, I’m struggling with (____).  Can you please help me? Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 48

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Lunch Break Study

Romans 8:5-11: Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

Questions to Consider

1. What are some of the outcomes of having our minds set on the Spirit (v. 6 and 8)?
2. Can those who live in the realm of the flesh submit to God’s laws (v. 7)?
3.  In your life, what are some ways you can be more mindful of the Spirit?

Notes

1. To have our “mind set on” doesn’t simply mean think about the Spirit, but it means to live in the same lifestyle as the Spirit. When we live in accordance with the Spirit, we have life and peace. In addition, having our minds set on the Spirit is the only way to please God.
2. If you do not have the Holy Spirit, you cannot submit to God’s law nor do you have the desire to follow them.
3. Personal Reflection.

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Evening Reflection

In John 14:16, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will be our Helper. Oftentimes, when situations are difficult, we try to do things our own way. While it is not wrong to take action, we may neglect the Holy Spirit. This evening, let’s invite the Holy Spirit to be our help in our difficult situation.

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on March 31, 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 Day of Rest”

Exodus 16:23 

He said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.’”

Vance Havner used to look over the top of his glasses and say to his congregation, “If you don’t come apart, you will come apart.”  

While not all stress is bad for us, too much of it over too long a period can be a killer.  Literally.  Most of us are wound pretty tight, which can result in everything from mild anger and irritation all the way to road rage and even a complete emotional breakdown.  The old Greek motto wasn’t far off: “You will break the bow if you keep it always bent.”

For centuries, the people of Israel had lived in slavery to the Egyptians.  They did not have three-day weekends or any vacations.  Their lives consisted of working to build Pharaoh’s kingdom.  When God freed His people and called them to worship Him in the desert, He set a new pattern for their lives.  Rather than following an endless pattern of work, eat, and sleep, they were to take one day off each week, to rest.

The Lord whom they met in the desert was very different from the slave-driving Pharaoh.  They were compelled to be slaves in Egypt, but they were invited into a covenant relationship with God in the desert.  They had to make bricks for Pharaoh who refused to give them straws, but they received free bread from God every morning in the desert.  They worked endlessly for Pharaoh, but they were commanded to take a day of rest as part of their relationship with God.  The Lord was so intent on blessing them that he even preserved their sabbath day bread from the previous day.  

Israel was to set aside time and space to make room for God to live among them.  God’s presence came with the promise of peace, blessing, and flourishing for all (shalom).  Israel would not have seen this as an oppressive command, but as a gift of grace.  

God Himself was the very first Sabbath keeper.  God “rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”  It was God who first started the rhythm of six days of work followed by one day of rest.  He is the one who established the pattern in the beginning.  And because we have been made in his image (Gn. 1:27), that pattern is built into the very fabric of who we are.  Our lives, in order to reflect the life of the Creator, are to follow that same “six-and-one” pattern of work and rest.  

Have we set aside time in our busy lives to make room for God?   How do you try to observe the Sabbath in a way to reflect the character of God?

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, on the seventh day, You looked out over all that You had created and declared it good!  May we follow the pattern of work and rest that You began.  May we remember that true sabbath rest is found in the work of Christ alone.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 47

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on April 13, 2019, is provided by Emerson Lin. Emerson serves in E. Asia as a missionary

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Fighting Giants in Our Lives”

1 Samuel 17:42-47

He (the Philistine) looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” 45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord ’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”  

“Blessed Assurance,” written by Fanny Crosby, is a powerful hymn that has inspired so many generations. Crosby, who lost her sight at a young age, declared a victorious future which can only be seen through the faith-anointed eyes: “Visions of rapture now burst on my sight.”  In darkness, her hope in the Lord, flashing out through the lyrics, formed into a melody of faith. In fact, her life story became a powerful worship dedicated to God. 

1 Samuel 17 describes David’s most well-known battle, fighting against Goliath the giant. Looking down at this young little boy, the giant mocked and threatened him. Yet, with no sword in his hand, David fearlessly declared, “The battle is the Lord’s, and He will give all of you into our hands!” David chose to proclaim the victory of God despite how powerful the giant appeared. On that battlefield, he offered his worship to the lord. We can find similar convictions in the book of Psalms. No wonder, David is known as “a man after [God’s] own heart (Acts 13:22)

We all have our own giants to fight against. These giants may manifest as a woman’s inability to have children, an infirmed person’s fight against an incurable disease, or being persecuted for faith in God—the list can go on. When the giant is mocking our identity and threatening our well-being, we all face a choice: “Should I continue to believe that God is good and victorious? Should I continue to bring Him praise?” Both David and Crosby chose to trust God; they chose to declare into their situations that God has won. That is the worship we want to offer to God. 

But some might wonder, “What if I am too weak to trust?” Yes, the battle is brutal and frightening, but the good news is that God has put a triumphant song in every one of us, “Take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus declared “it is finished” in front of the greatest giant—death. He rose again three days later to show the world that death has been defeated. For this reason, we have the strength to experience God’s victory in our own situations!

Prayer: Dear God, we praise You not because You have delivered us from all of our difficulties. We praise You because You ARE the victory. During the tough seasons of our lives, may we learn to declare Your victory into our situations; may our faith grow deeper as we seek you daily for the strength to face the day; may Your victory and goodness become our hope that one day we will experience breakthrough. May all these (our stories and our lives) become our worship to you. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 45-46