REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 15, 2016, is provided by Phillip Chen who is associate pastor at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego. Phil is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Rejoice Amid Troubled Times”

Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul was writing this letter while he was under house arrest in Rome. His friends were far away, some had betrayed him; his enemies were rejoicing that he was in prison. There were probably rumors being spread about him. He was probably frustrated at the fact that he couldn’t spread the gospel as he had planned. On top of that, we have been reading about how some people were infiltrating the church, trying to deceive the new believers (not just in Philippi, but in all of his church plants). As a spiritual father, it must have been disheartening to know that he couldn’t visit his church plants to encourage and equip them further.

Nevertheless, in the midst of all of this, Paul commands the believers to rejoice as they go through struggles. In the midst of their trials and persecutions, they are commanded not to be anxious, but to rejoice. Paul is able to say this with absolute authority, because he has done so himself; otherwise, he wouldn’t have told them to follow in his example. Paul may be in a difficult situation, but he is able to present his requests to God and rejoice in whatever situation he is in.

Have you ever been in a difficult situation that made it seemingly impossible to rejoice? We can often gloss over this passage and think of it as a cliché Christian statement: Trust in Him because He has great plans for you; don’t worry about anything, you are in His hands. Many times, we use this as an encouragement for others, but when it comes to our own lives, we have a hard time practicing it. Anxiety and fear are paralyzing feelings. It is so easy to get swept away in all the things that could possibly overcome us with feelings of anxiety. However, today, as you go about your day, make a conscious effort to rejoice in the Lord. Whenever you face a difficult circumstance, let your request be made known to God and make every effort to remain in the peace that He gives to you in abundance.   

Prayer: Father, even when it is difficult, I want to learn how to rejoice. I confess that it is much easier to grumble and complain when I am faced with hard situations, but I pray that You would change my heart to be one that rejoices always. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Exodus 13

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 96:1-6 (ESV): Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples! 4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Question to Consider

1. What is the psalmist encouraging us to do?    

2. What is the implication of singing a new song?

3. Why should we praise Him and rejoice in His presence?

Notes

1. He encourages us to sing to the Lord, bless His name, give thanks, and praise Him.

2. The implication is that there is always something new to give Him praise for—there is something new to rejoice in. Our faith cannot grow weary and tired, but God is constantly doing new things in our lives that warrant new songs of praise and rejoicing.

3. The psalmist simply declares that the Lord is great and worthy to be praised. There is no other god that is deserving of praise but the Lord who made the heavens!

Evening Reflection

As you went about your day, did you find time to pause and reflect. Often, we are unable to rejoice because we have not paused to reflect on the goodness of God in our lives. There are thousands of reasons that we should be able to come up with of why we ought to rejoice in the Lord. If you haven’t done so yet, take a moment to reflect on your day. From the simplest of things to the most complex situation, rejoice in the Lord and cast your cares into His hand!

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, which was first posted on January 13 , 2016, is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang who serves as AMI Teaching Pastor.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

Acts 1:14-5

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.  In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said. . . .

Mark 3:20-1

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

When I told my father, who was not even a churchgoer at the time, of my desire to enter the ministry, he was relieved, hoping that perhaps my partying days were over.  On the other hand, the parents of my seminary roommate “Daniel,” who were good Christians by all accounts, weren’t happy when their MIT-attending son, whom they hoped would become a physician, told them the same.  So to calm their displeasure, Daniel applied to several medical schools and prayed that none would accept him; God obliged, and that’s how he ended up in seminary.

Family disapproval on account of faith is something Jesus knew well during his time on earth.  Jesus’ siblings thought that their carpenter brother had become crazy when he traded in his tool bag for sturdy sandals to begin the life as a wandering preacher.   And when their brother started passing himself off as “the Son of God” (Mk. 3:11), the entire family intervened (“take charge of him”), probably to stave off further family embarrassment.   Later, when Jesus had a following of people mesmerized by His teaching and miracles, “Jesus’ brothers said to him, ‘Leave Galilee and go to Judea. . . No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. . . . [S]how yourself to the world” (Jn. 7:3-4).  Why were they so mean to him?   John said, “For even his own brothers did not believe in him” (v. 5).

But these brothers, a few days removed from seeing Jesus ascend to heaven, were among the 120 who had gathered to pray in obedience to what He told them: “Wait for the gift my Father promised” (Acts 1:4).  The reason for their turnaround?  They saw the risen Lord, the One whom they knew had died.  And they not only believed, but they would enter into ministry.  Both James and Judas penned letters that were later included in the New Testament.  

Daniel’s parents eventually came to support their son.  In fact, they themselves became missionaries in later years.   Fellow parents, remember that our children aren’t really ours.  Pray that when they come of age, they will heed God’s will and not ours, so that they would go beyond desiring the things of this world, to desiring the things of God.  Begin praying like that. 

Prayer: God, it’s beyond belief to realize that I’ve been adopted into Your family through Christ.  Of course, that doesn’t mean that my earthly family isn’t important.  I pray for those in my family who still don’t know You.  Embolden me to share the gospel so that they may believe in Christ for eternal life.  Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: Exodus 12

---

Lunch Break Study

Read Mark 3:32-5: A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jn. 19:25: Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

1 Tim. 5:8: Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Question to Consider

1. Once we follow Christ after believing in Him, who becomes our new family?

2. Does that relieve us from obligations to our earthly family?

3. So, in effect, we are pulled in two opposite directions.  Are you experiencing this tension right now? 

Notes

1. Jesus introduced a radical concept: our new family consists of fellow brothers and sister in Christ who seek to do God’s will in their lives.   Several AMI churches call their small groups, “Family Group”; that’s very biblical.

2. The fact that Jesus ensured that his earthly mother was cared for—asking John to do so—shows that we are not relieved from our family responsibilities.  To neglect it is to be worse than an unbeliever.  

3. You have to figure out how to do both instead of favoring one against the other.  For instance, when I had to be away from home due to ministry, particularly during the time of much violence in 

Mexico, I took measures to secure our house (many locks and chains, and much prayer). Another example of doing both is to invite lonesome people into our homes to celebrate Thanksgiving together with our own families.  

---

Evening Reflection

For many of us, our unbelieving family members have been in that condition for such a long time that we’ve grown numb to it; some of us have even ceased praying for them.  If you are like that, then why don’t you restart praying for them tonight?  Remember, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).  

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 26, 2016, 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.  He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Consequence of Rejecting Christ”

John 3:16-18

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Several years ago, I was on a mission trip in Beijing.  One of the activities we did during that trip was to go and share the gospel out on the streets.  I speak no Mandarin or any other Chinese dialect, so I left the sharing up to the locals and missionaries.  After one particularly engaging conversation that ended with a declined invitation to accept Christ, I asked the missionary with whom I was partnered what he said and how things ended.  Basically, he told me he shared the Gospel and asked if the hearer wanted to accept—this person declined.  So the missionary responded, “Thanks for listening; I believe in heaven and hell, and I hope to see you in heaven one day.”  

I remember thinking, I haven’t heard anyone talk about the consequences of rejecting Christ in a long time.  The missionary’s last line about heaven and hell was both refreshing in its simplicity and terrifying in its gravity.  In the U.S., we have somehow diminished the decision to accept Christ as a choice between being happy with your life as it is or finding ultimate happiness in God.  Or we say that following Christ, our maker, will fulfill our life’s calling, while giving the impression that we could somehow survive, albeit less fulfilling existence, without him.  Let’s not forget the severity of the Gospel message; it is the most serious decision a person can make; its life or death. 

Remembering this fact should not only remind us how grave our sins are, but it should also remind us to be thankful for His lavish love.  This morning, thank God again for the cross.  Thank Him that not only are you not destined for eternal torment, but that you will be in eternal paradise.  Also remember that trading our lives on earth for eternal life should not be a difficult decision for any of us to make.  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You once again for the cross.  Thank You that my sins are forgiven and that I am considered righteous in your sight.  Thank You that Your nature is not to condemn but to save.  Help me to live in that truth and share it with others.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Exodus 11

---

Lunch Break Study

Read Ephesians 2:1-10: As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Questions to Consider

1.  How did Paul describe people before Christ came into their lives?

2.  How did Paul describe people after Christ’s work?

3.  How does verse 10 fit with verses 8-9?

Notes

1. Paul says that before we met Christ we were dead in our sins (2:1), followers or slaves to Satan and our sinful desires (2:2-3), and deserving of wrath (2:3).

2.  After Christ came into our lives, we became alive in Christ (2:5), heirs with Christ (2:6), and objects of love and grace.  

3.  Notice the use of the word “works.” The famed verses 8-9 make the point that we are saved by grace and not by works; verse 10 indicates that after we have been saved (by faith), God planned for us to do good works.  What are the works God has for you?  

---

Evening Reflection

Today was a call to thanksgiving.  Many of us were taught and trained to think critically; however, one of the dangers of this line of thinking is that we forget the need to be thankful.  Take time this evening to list 10 things for which you are genuinely thankful.  In addition, take a minute to ask if God has works for you to do. 

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, first posted on July 11, 2016, is written by Tina Pham who serves as AMI missions coordinator.  Tina is a graduate of Biola University (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Don’t Drift  Away”

Jeremiah 29:4-14 

For thus says the Lord, “When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.11 For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.”

In the latest Disney Pixar movie Finding Dory, Dory journeys to find her parents. Due to her memory loss condition as a young fish, she frequently lost sight of her parents and would go off on her own, which is why she became lost and separated from her parents for this long duration. Dory’s search seems like an impossible task given the vast nature of the ocean. Despite her memory loss condition, Dory’s memory of her mom’s favorite item remained: seashells, particularly purple seashells. Swimming towards areas known for seashells became her clue that drew her closer to a reunion with her parents. 

In this morning’s passage, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to Judah, the southern tribe of Israel. They had been uprooted from Israel into exile in Babylon, the result of unfaithfulness and turning away from their relationship with God. In Babylon, Judah faces spiritual discouragement and defeat. Though they are God’s chosen people, they neglected the presence and commands of God while living in the Promised Land, and they are now driven away from the blessings of God. Yet, God still draws near to them and comforts them. In exile, God speaks to them and teaches them to remember what He loves: a people who seek Him and pray to Him. He loves a people who seek Him for His sake and for the things on His heart. It is by returning to what God loves that Judah will encounter God’s promise – they will find God again and be brought back to their land where God’s presence and glory dwell.

In our weaknesses, sins, and selfish ambition, we lose our focus and drift far away from God. Is your heart distracted, disillusioned, discouraged, or divided? This morning, remember and return to the place where God loves you to be— the place of prayer and seeking Him. Receive God’s comfort that He will be found by you when you seek Him with all your heart.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You that Your plan for me is that I walk in Your good plans. Help me to remember to seek You earnestly with my whole heart so that I will walk according to Your ways and choose to honor You only. In Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Exodus 10

---

Lunch Break Study

Read Joel 2:12-14: “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; 13 and rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil. 14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?

Questions to Consider

1. What is happening in this passage?

2. How does God call His people to respond to Him?

3. Knowing God deals with sin because He is a holy God, but He is also gracious, compassionate, and slow to anger, how does His character draw you closer to Him today?

Notes

1. God is pronouncing the impending judgment that will come upon the people of Judah. God is speaking to the people of Judah before their exile into Babylon. Though judgment is coming, God is urging the people, “Yet even now,” to return to Him. 

2. God is calling Judah to repent of their sins. Repentance is not a matter of giving or doing something for God. God doesn’t seek after our “garments.” Repentance is a matter of turning our hearts away from sin and towards God.

3. Personal Response.

---

Evening Reflection

Proverbs 8:17:  “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.” 

What is one thing you recently diligently searched for? A book, a digital device on sale, a house, relationships? Reflect and ask the Lord to give you a heart that seeks after Him with an even greater diligence.  

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on February 20, 2016, is provided by Andy Kim who is the Lead Pastor of Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco.  Andy is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“How Does This Affect Us?”

Nehemiah 1:4-11

 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’… 

I’m not the biggest fan of politics, but it’s hard not to see how much of it has taken over the news. Even in my limited understanding of the current events, I know that Donald Trump has said some ridiculous things—yet manages to have the support of many people. Many of us are concerned about a man like Donald Trump becoming president, because it would affect us—that’s how we’re trained to think. In any situation we may ask, How does this affect us, or what do I have to gain from this? But what about all the other things that are happening around the world?  For example, it is reported that there are over 10,000 refugee children missing in the past two years—some have been criminally exploited and others being unaccounted for. So how do we respond to such news? Maybe we can glean from Nehemiah’s experience.

Nehemiah hears that the people of God have been scattered, unaccounted, and without a wall—leaving them completely vulnerable to their enemies. Remember, he has a plush job as a cupbearer to the king, yet his immediate response is to weep, fast, and pray. My intention is not to make us feel guilty or simply invoke an emotional response; instead, we need to see that Nehemiah’s emotional response led him to a bold prayer. He boldly prays for what seems impossible, and it would eventually lead him to be the catalyst in restoring the people of God. Let’s look at such a prayer: He begins with an appeal to God’s character and authority; an understanding of man’s incapability in confession; an intercession for His people based on His promises; and a call to action.

I am not arguing that all our prayers must sound like this, but we need to be reminded that there is power in prayer that supersedes feelings. In the same way, when we hear or see the brokenness in our world, may we respond with bold prayers! Let us take this day to pray not only for ourselves but for the people in our communities, churches, and nations to do the impossible—in accordance with His Word. E.M. Bounds wrote: “We can do nothing without prayer. All things can be done by importunate prayer. It surmounts or removes all obstacles, overcomes every resisting force and gains its ends in the face of invincible hindrances.” 

Prayer: Lord, You are above all and knows all. We humbly trust in Your promises and believe that You care for the broken, the sick, and the lost. We want to intercede for these people, just as You, Jesus, intercede for us. Lord, teach us how to pray for others. Help us to be a generation that prays first, then acts.   

Bible Reading for Today: Exodus 9

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on April 23, 2016. Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Mrs. Piggle-wiggle and Repentance”

Acts 19:17-19

When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.

Mrs. Piggle-wiggle is a collection of funny short stories I used to read as a child. The main character, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, spends all of her time with the children of the neighborhood and cleverly instills various good habits in them. One such situation is called “The Radish Cure,” where one of the girls refuses to take baths. Mrs. Piggle-wiggle instructs the parents to let their daughter stop taking baths as she wishes. The daughter begins to get dirt and grime caked on her, and one night her parents secretly plant radish seeds on her. The next morning, the she is horrified to find little sprouts on her body and immediately begs her parents to let her take a bath.

Repentance, in many ways, is like the discipline of taking a daily shower, because it involves us going to God to purify and cleanse us. But just as children try to avoid baths by insisting that they are not so dirty, we might try to avoid this daily practice. Because we don’t always immediately feel the consequences of our sins, we fail to see how essential repentance is. If we keep on insisting that we don’t have to repent, it is possible that we will become so mired and trapped in our ways that only a very dangerous or scary situation will awaken our senses. 

Here at Ephesus, a terrifying encounter with evil spirits stuck the fear of the Lord into the people’s hearts; what resulted was a massive outpouring of confession and repentance from sorcery. This was a great testimony, as it incited a large wave of repentance. But, we don’t have to wait for a traumatizing event to come clean before the Lord! He is at hand, so we can constantly approach Him to receive His grace. 

Let’s go to Him now and ask Him to gently wash us clean again. As we humbly acknowledge that we are constantly sinning against Him and need forgiveness, we might find that repentance is a habit that can become more and more natural to us. 

Prayer: Father, I am a sinner! I have so many disobedient thoughts and habits that go against Your holiness. Thank You for sending Your son, Jesus, so that I can be made righteous in Your sight and enjoy Your love forever. Remind me of Your grace all over again, and let me turn from my own ways to Your life-bringing habits.

Bible Reading for Today: Exodus 7-8

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on August 19, 2016.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“I AM”

John 8:12

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 

This is the second of Jesus’ “I am” statements in the Gospel of John, and when the Great I Am starts explaining who He is, we had certainly better listen. There are many powerful layers to the important analogy Jesus makes between himself and light (and countless commentators have plumbed the depths of them). But what struck me most as I read this passage today was this question—“Do we even realize we are in the dark?” 

One pastor told the following story of a friend’s experience with darkness: I remember a story told to me by a friend who flew combat choppers in Viet Nam. He was radioed to a secret mission one night which required him to fly in total darkness, totally by instruments. Hovering above a jungle under heavy cloud cover, he told me that it seemed you could cut the darkness with a knife. He radioed to his man on the ground and said “what can you give me?” The guy had not even a flashlight. The landing had to be so precise, in a small “postage” stamp in the middle of the jungle-an error of five feet could crash the chopper and kill them all. Finally the man on the ground said “I have a zippo [lighter]!” He said “Light it and hold it up.” So in the middle of the jungles of Southeast Asia, on a top secret warfare mission, a combat chopper pilot landed by the light of a zippo lighter that pierced the darkness. (John Jones) 

What if this captain was oblivious to the fact that he was in the dark? What if he had relied on himself and what he could see instead of his comrade with the lighter? The story would have ended very differently. 

Apart from God we wander around in blinding darkness. But in Christ we have light! Yet so many of us rely on ourselves, forgetting our condition and need for Him. Today, may we remember our utter dependence on Jesus. He is our guiding light, granting us sight and guiding our paths. 

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for your forgiveness in Christ. May I take hold of it today and live anew through the power of your Spirit. In Jesus’ name.     

Bible Reading for Today: Exodus 6

---

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 51:1-4, 10-13: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,and He will make your paths straight.7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;fear the Lord and turn away from evil.8 It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.9 Honor the Lord from your wealthand from the first of all your produce;10 So your barns will be filled with plentyand your vats will overflow with new wine.11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lordor loathe His reproof,12 For whom the Lord loves He reproves,even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

Questions to Consider

1. According to verse 5, when we rely on our own ways of thinking, what are we also implicitly declaring? 
2. What promise is given in verse 6? How should this encourage us all the more to trust in the Lord?
3. What are some areas where you “lean on your own understanding”? What would it look like for you to acknowledge God in those specific areas? 

Notes

1. We are implicitly declaring that we do not trust God. 
2. That the Lord himself with lead us in straight paths. All we have to do is trust in Him. This should give us great comfort because the burden is no longer on us to find the best way or to figure everything out. We simply trust and our heavenly Father does that work for us. 
3. Spend some time in personal reflection. 

---

Evening Reflection

We typically lean on our own understanding when (1) our wisdom and our way differs from the Lords (what we find in Scripture) – in other words, we think we know more than God – or (2) we find it too hard to surrender and to trust in a certain area of our lives (often accompanied by anxiety). We feel the stakes are too high to give control over to God. In the face of these realities, one helpful way to acknowledge the Lord is to meditate on any promises or teachings of scripture that speak to those specific areas, declaring God’s truth over and against our wisdom and fears. 

What are some passages of Scripture that speak to the areas where you struggle to trust in God? Spend some time praying through them tonight, asking the Lord to help you surrender and trust in Him. 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 28, 2016, 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.  He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Kevin Durant and John the Baptist”

John 3:27-30

John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

In my neck of the woods, a dominant sports story occurred earlier this month when Kevin Durant announced that he was joining the Golden State Warriors for the 2016-17 NBA season.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with basketball, Kevin Durant, who is in the discussion for being one of top three players in the world, joined a team that was five points away from winning back-to-back NBA championships. And this team already has four all-stars, one of which is Stephen Curry, who is also in the discussion for being one of the top three players in the world.  

After the shock of the formation of the “super team” wore off, the next question sports journalists began asking was: “How would this dynamic with all these stars, especially between Steph and Kevin, work?  Who would defer to whom?  Who would be the lead, and who would be sidekick?  Who would be the ‘face of the franchise’?”  You see, in basketball, when there are ten seconds left on the clock, and your team is down by one, there is still only one basketball and only one person who can take that final shot—and that person is often considered the alpha-dog of the team.  Golden State now seems to have two alpha-quality players.  If neither of them can concede alpha status, then the team will likely implode. I once heard preacher Tony Evans say, “Anything with two heads is a monster.”  Most people outside of the Bay Area are hoping for such a result.  

John the Baptist understood this truth well.  He understood that there could not be two Saviors, and that his role was not to be the Savior but to point people to the Savior.  Yet he was perfectly happy to become less, so that Jesus could more easily and readily become more.  Sometimes, even as believers, we are guilty of making other things more, while making Christ less.  Consider your careers, families, finances, dreams, or even your ambitions in ministry: In these trying times, some would have you believe that your race is more important than faith.  But here is the important thing that we all need to remember: for the believer, there can only be one Alpha, and if we try to create more, our lives will implode.  All other things, including self, need to become less as He becomes more.  

Prayer: Lord, please become greater in my life.  Please allow me to surrender my will and desires to You, trusting you, because you are good.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Exodus 5

---

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Kings 11:1-6: King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

Questions to Consider

1.  What was the Lord’s command about marriage?  And what was the purpose of that command?

2.  What was the result of Solomon’s disobedience?

3.  What is the greater principle, and how can you apply it to your life? 

Notes

1.  The Lord’s command to Solomon was not to marry foreign women.  This command was given to Israel as a whole in Ex. 34:16. The issue was not about race but religion.  God knew that foreign spouses would turn His people’s hearts toward foreign gods (11:3). 

2.  As God predicted, Solomon’s heart turned away from God (11:4); he worshipped other gods (11:5); he did evil in the eyes of the Lord (11:6), and this eventually lead to the downfall of Israel (11:11).  

3.  The broader principle is that anything you love that is not of the Lord will diminish your heart for the Lord.  Even things that seem less significant like hobbies can take from your heart for God, but the bigger problems arise when they are important idols—such as spouses.  

---

Evening Reflection

Today’s theme was singular devotion.  Take some time this evening to jot down the five to ten most important things in your life.  Assuming that God is no. 1, ask yourself this: “Do items two through ten help me to love God more, or do they vie for my attention?”  

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 28, 2016, is provided by Ulysses Wang who pastors Renewal Church in Sunnyvale, California. Pastor Ulysses is a graduate of New York University (BA) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.).  

“The Life of Faith and Love”

Colossians 1:3-5a

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.”

One constant obstacle to living the Christian life is the desires of the flesh to opt for immediate gratification.  Whether having to do with sexual desire, overeating, or all types of addictions (e.g., video games, drugs, gambling, etc.), persuading others and ourselves to abandon the banner that reads “let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die” (Isaiah 22:13; 1 Corinthians 15:32) is a formidable task indeed.

“Well then, let us not be so shortsighted and instead let us think towards the future!”  This, however, is not without pitfalls of their own.  Others, while shunning the “foolishness” of the fleeting pleasures of the flesh and/or ill-gotten gains, fall into the trap of investing unhealthy amounts of our time, energy and resources toward the creation of a financially, physically and even relationally secure future.  Of course, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to retire to Florida one day with a clean bill of health.  However, if this “future” is what we have our sights on, we will fall well short of the biblical mark.

What enables us to live the life of faith and love that Paul ascribes to the Colossians?  The Colossians had become “famous” for their way of life, as Paul says that he had “heard of” the way in which they lived.  The answer lies in where they had placed their hope: “in heaven.”  While looking to the future is precisely what we ought to do, the problem is, we don’t look far enough.  The more we place our hope in heaven and all that it entails, the more we will become empowered to live a life of faith and love, now.  This is the whole point of Hebrews 11 – the ancients lived by faith because they were “looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (11:10).  This morning, let us examine our hearts to see whether our faith is in God alone or in something else.

Prayer: God, forgive me for placing my hope in anything in this world, whether money or people or career.  Help me to see heaven as the ancients did.  Open the eyes of my spirit that I may be captivated by the coming kingdom, and live as a citizen thereof.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Exodus 4

---

Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 11:1-2: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.

Questions to Consider

1. We are not talking about having faith in faith.  What then is the object of our faith?  

2. What can you do to live more by faith?

3. In what ways do you find yourself exercising faith according to the definition of faith given in these two verses?

Notes

1. We place our faith in God’s Word and His promises.  Thus, we are talking about having 

a reasonable, not blind, faith.

2. One suggestion:  make a decision because it is the right thing to do according to God’s Word—even if it appears costly and unprofitable at the moment. 

3. Personal response

---

Evening Reflection

Before going to bed, reflect on Hebrews 11:24-27: By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

Perhaps, you are facing a similar decision that Moses faced: having to choose between the pleasures offered by the world and pleasing God?  Seek God’s guidance; pray for the Spirit’s empowerment.  

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 19, 2016, is provided by Pastor Joshua Kim. Joshua, a graduate of Emory University, Columbia Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Talbot Theological Seminary (Th.M.) just planted a church in Seattle called “Seattle Upper Room”.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What You Should Expect If You Accept the Mission”

John 1:4-5

In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Take one quick look at the headlines, and you will find yourself wondering how to take in all the things that are going on in the world today. As a Christian, where are you to stand on things like who to vote for in the elections, how we are to view the various “_______ lives matter” movements, and the list goes on. It’s often hard to find proper methods of measuring whether or not you are being faithful to what the Lord commands of us. 

But one thing that is clear from today’s devotional passage is that darkness does not comprehend the Light. In this introductory section of the Gospel of John, one of the themes being developed is that the Word that became flesh will ultimately be rejected. John is preparing his readers for what is to come—the reality that we took the life of the very One who came to give us life.

As followers of the Light, we too must accept this reality: the darkness does not comprehend the Light. We will face rejection. Not that we go out searching for conflict or rejection, but in our striving to be faithful to the Light, this will naturally lead us to butt heads with those who do not know Him.

I often find myself complaining about why life seems to go in two opposing directions, or why my thoughts and words are sometimes met with contempt. Obviously, there are times, due to my immaturity or tactlessness, that it is deserved. However, there are times in my attempt to be faithful to who Jesus is and what He desires for my life (i.e., if you accept his mission) that conflict should be expected. Rejection should be expected. Mockery should be expected. 

As you wrestle with what it means to live for Him on this day, be sensitive to the ways that your faithfulness to Him might lead you to dissonance with those who do not know Him. Be comforted in those moments that you might be more on the right path than if everyone in the world accepts you. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for coming in flesh to be betrayed by the very people You came to save. Thank You for facing my rejection. Thank You for being the Light that overcame my darkness. As I seek to follow You, may I remember that no student is above his teacher. May Your acceptance be so much greater than the world’s rejection. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Exodus 3

---

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 10:26-33 (Context: This passage is found within Jesus’ commissioning of the twelve apostles. He warns them of the impending rejection and persecution that they are to face.)

So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Questions to Consider

1. How does Jesus describe the reality in which we live when we follow Him?
2. What is Jesus’ command to us in the midst of such opposition?
3. How are you responding to Jesus’ words? Do you find them comforting or disturbing? Why do you think that is?

Notes

1. Jesus describes a reality in which His disciples are sheep sent out among wolves who will persecute, mock, bring false witness against them, hated by all for His Name’s sake. Jesus says that this should be expected for believers who go out in obedience. 
2. Two commands can be taken from this passage. One, be wise and blameless (v.16), and two, do not fear (v. 19, 26). However, both reveal the same reality: the Holy Spirit is with you, both for wisdom and for courage.
3. Personal response. 

---

Evening Reflection

As you have thought about how much this world stands in opposition to the ways of God, in what ways are you drawn to pray for this world? In what ways—family, occupation, ministry, etc.—do you feel like you are more like the world than like Jesus? As you journal your thoughts, lift up a prayer of repentance, asking the Lord to purify your heart.