May 5, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on June 3, 2016.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“People Whom God is Calling You to Correct’

Galatians 2:11-14

When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

When I first became a Christian, Paul was one of the few major Bible characters it took me a really long time to warm up to (I’m actually still working on it). This is one of the passages that contributed to that. It just seems harsh (and a little bit arrogant). However, with every passing year and greater maturity (hopefully), I’ve come to see the wisdom in Paul’s actions and the importance of what we stand to learn from them. 

No one enjoys having to correct someone who is in the wrong (well, no normal person) because it’s uncomfortable. Pastor Steven J. Cole, listed several reasons why… I’ll give you his top three: (1) fear – we don’t want to upset or be rejected by the person; (2) a misunderstanding of Matthew 7:1 – we think Jesus is saying all judgments are judgmental; (3) an awareness of our own sinfulness – this is where the phrase “who am I to judge?” often come into play. Regardless of the slew of reasons we don’t offer correction when we see a brother or sister in error, the one reason we should is that we are commanded to do it. Not only this, but it’s the most loving thing we can do for them. 

When Paul describes his correction of Peter in verse 11, the reason he gives for doing it is that Peter “stood condemned.” Not only was Peter wrong and leading those who followed him astray, but he himself stood condemned before the Lord for his sin. That’s a big deal! When we see our brothers and sisters in error, we should be mindful that their sin ruptures their relationship with God and, if we love them at all, we should feel compelled to come alongside them in mending it. And we should appreciate others who do the same for us as well. Are there people in your life God is calling you to correct? May you do so by speaking the truth in love. Is there correction God is calling you to receive? May you do so with humility and appreciation. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, grant me the courage and love to offer a word of correction to those around me who need to hear it. Help me to have a heart of humility that receives correction from others with an open and humble heart. In Jesus’s name. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 7

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Timothy 2:22-26: So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Questions to Consider

  1. According to verse 22, what should we as believers be constantly pursuing? Think about your typical day – how much of your energy and attention is devoted to the pursuit of these things? 
  2. Paul lists several characteristics that should be present in the person who is offering correction to others. What are they? 
  3. What should be our motivation for correcting those in the wrong? 


Notes

  1. We should be pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace. 
  2. Paul encourages Timothy (and each of us by extension) to be kind, able to teach (both possessing knowledge and an ability to communicate it), patient, and gentle in our correction of others. 
  3. That they may escape the snare of the devil. We want to protect them from the schemes of the enemy so they are free to live the abundant life God offers. 

Evening Reflection

How do you typically respond to correction by others? Are you defensive and dismissive or are you thankful and thoughtful? How do you respond to situations where you have to offer correction to others? What, if anything, keeps you from challenging a brother or sister when you see them in the wrong? Spend some time reflecting on these things with the Lord. 

May 4, Thursday

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, which was first posted on January 14 , 2016, is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang who serves as AMI Teaching Pastor.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Don’t Take What’s Not Yours”

Acts 1:15-6

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”

Matt. 26:14-6

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

The TV show 48 Hours deals with murders involving middle-class Americans who have good jobs and live in nice houses.   Viewing just a few episodes is all it would take to notice two repetitive themes regarding whodunit and why.   As to who, likely your spouse; as to why, money!   In one episode, a young professional with an M.B.A. kills his beautiful wife, even shooting himself 4 times to make the police believe that it was a robbery gone bad.  But once the police discovered the $2 million life insurance on the wife, they had the motive to go with his inconsistent testimony.

So, why did Judas really betray Jesus?  Some say that Judas the revolutionary hoped that Jesus would use his incredible power to drive out the Romans from the Holy Land.  How disappointed Judas must have been when “Jesus, knowing that [the Jews] intended to . . . make him king by force, withdrew . . . to a mountain” (Jn. 6:15).   So, the frustrated Judas tried to force Jesus’ hand by getting him to react so that it would begin a chain reaction to overthrow the Romans. 

The Bible, however, gives a simpler reason why Judas “served as guide for those who arrested Jesus”: greed.  After all, Judas said to Jesus’ enemy, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you.”  By all account, “thirty pieces of silver” was a large sum of money then (as much as $15,000 today). An older John, recalling the events that occurred some 50 years earlier, wrote, “. .  . [Judas] was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it” (Jn. 12:6).  In other words, betraying Jesus for a small fortune was too good of an opportunity for this small-time thief to pass up. 

One Korean proverb says, “One who steals needles will one day steal cows.”  The story of Judas, as well as many episodes of 48 Hours, is a powerful reminder to cut the cord to our greed before it begins to control us.  Some suggestions: first, don’t take what’s not yours; second, be generous; and third, tithe, which is one effective way to rein in your appetite for more.  

Prayer: Father, I’m so amazed by how Your Son Christ dealt with Judas until the very end.  It encourages me to no end, seeing that Christ loved his betrayer, even calling him friend.  I know that You have done the same for me.  So help me to be more generous toward your work.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 6

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Tim. 6:10: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

James 1:14-5: but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Question to Consider

1. What is a root of all kinds of evil: money or the love of money?  Why is this distinction important?

2. How does greed work?  How does a needle robber grow to be someone who steals cows?

3. Recently, God laid on my heart to send a check to someone to encourage that person; but I hesitated.  Then a close relative sent me a check as a gift and that amount was larger than what I planned to give.  What would you do in that situation and why?  

Notes

1. Money itself is not the root of all evil but the love of money is.  It is an important distinction because there is nothing wrong with trying to make money as long as it is done ethnically and without neglecting important responsibilities of life.   Without money we cannot pay our bills, buy needed things, or support missionaries.  But when we love it, we hoard it, becoming stingy and preoccupied with making more, which means little or no time for other things like doing God’s work.

2. The component to greed that can turn into a lethal weapon is the feeling that no matter how muchyou have, you always feel like you don’t have enough. That feeling, given time, grows to become a force of its own and motivation behind all kinds of evil, such as impulsive investments, cutthroat business practices, and according to 48 Hours, even murder.   

3. I sent out the check right away after receiving the gift from my relative.  The reason: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).  A lesson learned: what God gives you is more than what you give back to Him or others in need (Mal. 3:6-12). 

Evening Reflection

Since we aren’t living in an Islamic or communist state, we aren’t likely to face a situation where we have to choose between death or denying Jesus; but instead, our denial of Jesus is more subtle.  Perhaps only you and God know what really happened.   What are these ways?  Did it happen today?  What makes us such weak witnesses?  How can we be more bold and authentic witnesses for God?  Reflect.  Pray.  Change. 

May 3, Wednesday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on June 20, 2016.  Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning 

“Injustice in Our World”

Habakkuk 1:1-4 

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you, “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.  

There are no shortages when it comes to examples of injustice in our world. From the recent Orlando shootings to other forms of terrorism—there is a surplus of evidence that exposes our inclination toward disorder and evil. In fact, news outlets never have to worry about running out of stories to report on because humanity will always supply them. Furthermore, these examples are not only found on the world stage but also within our own personal lives, where relational strife and deceit run rampant all around us. It goes without saying that we’ve all been touched in one form or another by the sinfulness of humanity.                                                    

Similarly, the prophet Habakkuk witnessed an epidemic of corruption in his own time. Serving as God’s mouthpiece during the reign of King Josiah, the prophet could not help but to see that God’s law no longer had governing power over the people of Israel. He says that the “law is paralyzed” and that “destruction and violence are before me.” Although King Josiah implemented a massive reform to remove pagan idols and unlawful practices, it was not enough to restrain the sinful tendencies of Judah—they remained mired in sin. 

What stands out in our passage for today is not that Habakkuk recognized the iniquity around him but his genuine hatred for injustice and sin. You can sense his disgust in his opening words, when he cries out in frustration to God for idly standing by while “justice never goes forth.” You can almost hear his desperation when he prays, “How long shall I cry for help?” What’s important to recognize here is that Habakkuk is not only feeling bad about the injustice around himbut he’s also fighting for change in prayer; he doesn’t merely get angered for a moment and return to the normalcy of his life but continues to faithfully plead with God until divine action is taken. You see, far too many of us are satisfied with our hollow responses. We post a few Facebook statuses, say a quick prayer, and return to our lives as if nothing happened. It seems that we have lost the ability to genuinely mourn for the brokenness of the world as we give lip service to justice but rarely move to do anything about it. However, as God’s people, we have been called to respond to injustice; not with momentary emotions but with sustained prayer, informed action, and righteous anger that seeks the welfare of this world. Consider today the injustice you see around you. How has God called you to respond? 

Prayer: God, help my heart to break for the things that break Yours and to learn how to hate injustice and be moved into action. Use me to bring Your shalom and goodness into the world around me! Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 5

Lunch Break Study 

Reading Matthew 23:37-39: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” 

Questions to Consider 

  1. Why is Jesus grieved? 
  2. What does Jesus desire for Jerusalem? 
  3. When was the last time you grieved over something outside of yourself? 

Notes

  1. Jesus is grieved at the unrepentant heart of the people of Israel who have failed to live the way that God has called them. Although God by His grace sent prophets and others to right their way, Israel responded in sin. Injustice, sin, and stubbornness run rampant in the people of God. 
  2. Jesus desires that they would be brought under His care; He desires to see repentance and to recognize Him for who He really is. 
  3. Personal 

Evening Reflection 

We spend so much of our time thinking about our own personal concerns. Our prayer lives are oftentimes only about us. In light of Habakkuk, take some time to think about others. What are some of the injustices you see around the world? What are some injustices and signs of brokenness you see in the community around you? How do you think God has called you to personally respond to some of these? Take some time to pray for some of these things. 

May 2, Tuesday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on June 1, 2016.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Our Personal Testimony”

Galatians 1:13-17

 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

“When one of my friends becomes a Christian, which happens about every 10 years because I am a sheep about sharing my faith, the experience is euphoric. I see in their eyes the trueness of the story.” (Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality)

Over the years, I’ve come to believe that the most powerful testament believers can offer to the goodness of God and the trustworthiness of His Word is our own personal testimony. Presently, in the children’s ministry at my church, we are reading The Jesus Storybook Bible, a book that walks though the entire Bible (Genesis to Revelation) in narrative form. The premise of the book is that “every [Bible] story whispers his (Jesus’) name.” In other words, through the stories of the lives of ordinary people, we can see who God is and what He’s up to in the world. God is writing a story in each of our lives as well, and those stories reveal to us and to others who He is in particular and powerful ways. The truth of the gospel often comes through louder and clearer in the life of one who believes it than it does in the communication of abstract facts and figures. 

When Paul had to make a defense of the legitimacy of the gospel he preached, he did so by telling his story – what God did in his life in revealing the Good News to him and how the Lord led him after that. The late, great Howard Hendricks (beloved professor of biblical exposition and hermeneutics at Dallas Theological Seminary) once said, “In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering.” This is often true because we don’t believe we know enough or understand enough to articulate the truth of God to someone else. While I believe every believer should devote the time and energy required to study and articulate the Scripture well, I am also persuaded that we have another tool in our arsenal – our own personal stories. 

God is doing a mighty work in you! Find someone to share it with today.  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the story You’re writing in my life. Thank You for the journey that we are on together. Help me to be mindful of the ways You are moving in me. Grant me an opportunity today to share my story so that someone else may come to know more about You through me. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 4

Lunch Break Study

For our lunch break this afternoon, let’s spend time in extended meditation on the verses below. 

Read 1 Chronicles 16:8-14: Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. 9 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. 10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. 11 Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. 12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 13 you his servants, the descendants of Israel, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. 14 He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

What are some things God has done in your life recently for which you are thankful. Write your own psalm of praise to the Lord in response to what He has done. 

Evening Reflection

Who are the people in your life who could benefit from hearing your story? Pray and ask the Lord to identify specific people. Ask for wisdom and insight on when and how you can share with them. Make plans to do so in the coming weeks.  Is there anything that keeps you from sharing with others (fear, discretion, etc.)? Ask God to give you courage and openness to be used by Him in this way.

May 1, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on March 25, 2016, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children, serves in Japan as an AMI missionary.  Jason is a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Violence”

Acts 12:1-5 (ESV)

About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. [2] He killed James the brother of John with the sword, [3] and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. [4] And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. [5] So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

We live in a world of violence.  In the West we can easily forget this, but recent tragedies in Paris and Brussels bring this uncomfortable reality to the forefront.  Violence can possibly invigorate a movement; it can also destroy a movement.

In Acts 12:2, we read of the martyrdom of James.  Formerly a Son of Thunder, James is the first of the apostles to give his life for Jesus.  Peter is apprehended as well, and apart from the supernatural intervention of God, his death is imminent.

The question becomes, will violence and suffering stifle the movement and the message of God?


A pastor who serves in a Muslim country was arrested and interrogated.  In response to threats on his life made by government officials, he responded that they might in fact be doing him a favor.  His sermons were already distributed throughout the region.  If the people knew he was willing to die for his faith, they might listen again and take more seriously a message sealed in his blood.  

The gates of hell cannot prevail against Christ’s Church.  

At one time, the disciples saw their Lord arrested, and they fled.  Peter, the leader of the disciples, denied Jesus three times when confronted by a servant girl.  But this was before the resurrection of the Son of God.  This was before the giving of the Holy Spirit.  In Acts 12:4, Peter awaits his execution but he does not waver.  Likewise, the church prays and waits.  Regardless of the outcome, they will not abandon their faith or their witness.

They do not know what will happen to them in their earthly lifetimes, but they are crystal clear as to what is to come at the end.  Jesus will receive His glory.  Death will be defeated.  The people of God will reign with Him in eternal joy forever.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You sustain Your Church; and though the devil and the nations may rage against You and Your people, You give us strength to stand.  May I be certain of what is it come that I may not fear what is here today. Amen

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 3

Lunch Break Study

Read Revelation 21:1-4 (ESV): Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Question to Consider

  1. According to v. 1, what will ultimately pass away?
  2. According to v. 4, what former things will also pass away?
  3. According to v. 3, what things will be true of the new heaven and new earth?

Notes

  1. The first heaven and the first earth will pass away.
  2. Death, mourning, crying, and pain will pass away.
  3. In the new heaven and new earth, God will dwell with His people.  Also, God and His people will belong fully to one another.

Evening Reflection

Take a moment to reflect. During your day, did a desire for safety ever prevent you from following the Lord Jesus more fully?  Did God present you with any risky opportunities to serve Him or others?  Pray that He might give you the eyes to see and the courage to follow Him.

April 30, Sunday

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on May 1, 2016.  Peter is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“What’s Really Keeping You from Diving Deeper in Your Faith?”

Acts 20:22-24

 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

[Today, I’d like to introduce you to a video put forth by the Bible Project. I suggest you subscribe to their YouTube channel if you haven’t already.] 

In today’s passage, you see that Paul is “compelled” by the Spirit of God. For all of us, this is when our hearts pause to say, “Uh oh…what if one day the Holy Spirit forces me to do something that I really don’t want to do?” 

I can think of one reason that often challenges people from wanting to grow spiritually. “I don’t want God to send me to India for the rest of my life.” There’s an assumption that if you mature spiritually, then God will take away everything you currently have and enjoy, and then, send you out to a needy mission field with nothing but a backpack full of evangelism tracts. 

There’s another reason why people have been challenged to grow spiritually. Barna Group found that the number one challenge to helping people grow spiritually is that most people equate spiritual maturity with trying hard to follow the rules in the Bible (https://www.barna.org/barna-update/faith-spirituality/264-many-churchgoers-and-faith-leaders-struggle-to-define-spiritual-maturity#.VyO6UvkrLIU). It’s no wonder that many people are not motivated to grow spiritually. Who wants to become a self-righteous rule-follower?

If you hold to either of these ideas, first of all, YES, you are right! Yes, Jesus does invite us to go to all nations preaching the gospel. And yes, following Jesus does involve obedience to His commands. But if that’s what’s really keeping you from diving deeper in your faith, perhaps you may have a short-sighted view of God’s commands and God’s mission to the world. 

Certainly a wise and loving God isn’t merely interested in creating a community of rigid rule-followers, or is He? Or that His mission is only accomplished by “compelling” stubborn people to go to places they don’t really want to travel? 

Hope this video will help in breaking down some assumptions and highlighting God’s love for His children. Enjoy! 

For Reflection: After watching the video, how does that shape your view of Scripture, especially the Law and the Prophets? How do you see Jesus as One who came to fulfil the law? Does that change how you pray to him?

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 2

April 29, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on April 16, 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).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Being Pursued”

Acts 17:24-27 (NIV)

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”

Seventy-five percent of the time, whenever single people from our church come over to talk or share a meal, my wife and I will ask them about boys or girls. Of course, this talk slowly evolves (or devolves) into us playing matchmakers.  But sometimes our guests get a little uncomfortable and will ask why this topic interests us so.  My wife will typically explain it like this: “It’s been several years since I’ve been single, but I still remember how it felt starting a relationship.  You go out on fun dates and he is always trying to impress you.  All the while, you are constantly wondering how into you he is.  You feel this odd combination of adrenaline, insecurity, anxiety, and euphoria, all at the same time.  It’s both the fun and exhausting part of dating, and in many ways, I am living vicariously through you because I miss that feeling.”  

On another note, the other day my wife looks at me and says, “It’s been awhile since we went out, just you and me.  I would like to go out on a date.”  

The point of my sharing these seemingly unrelated events is not for you to think that I am having marriage difficulties or that my wife wishes she were single again; but rather to show that my wife still wants to be dated and pursued (by me).  When she talks to other girls about dating, she remembers fondly what it was like when I was trying to impress her and didn’t whine about spending money on her.  When she tells me plainly, “Let’s go out!” it’s with the understanding that I will pick a better place than In-and-Out and won’t whine about spending money on her.  All joking aside, my wife and I have been through a lot in our seven years of marriage— kids, illnesses, death of my mom, a cross-country move, many highs, and a few lows.  I’d like to believe that we love each other more now than on our wedding day.  And although I am an outstanding husband, truth be told, there are times when she feels underappreciated and taken for granted, and so would like to be pursued.  

Our passage today is interesting because Paul insinuates that God also wants to be pursued or found by the people He created.  He gave us life and breath; He created mankind and set nations in place.  Why?  He hopes that this would cause some to search for and eventually find Him (v. 27).  Now, I want to be careful not to paint an inaccurate picture of our God.  Let’s be perfectly clear—God does not need anything from us (v. 25) and certainly not our affections; He does not have insecurity issues.  Yet He does want to be pursued, and He does not want to be underappreciated.  Honestly, don’t we sometimes take for granted that God is close?  So much so that we stop trying to “impress” Him?  This morning, ask yourself: “Do I still pursue God like I once did? Or, have I put my relationship with Him on autopilot?”  If it’s the latter, let’s go back to those dating years when we wouldn’t count the cost or the hours we spent with our beloved. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, renew my love and affection for You.  Forgive me if I’ve taken our relationship for granted.  Help me to fall in love with You all over again. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today:  Joel 1 & Amos 1

April 28, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 29, 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.).  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Is Believing in Jesus the Same as ‘Get Out of Jail’ Card?”

Colossians 1:21-23

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

There is a great temptation to associate believing in Jesus with a “get out of jail, free” card. “Thanks for the sacrifice Jesus.  Now, I’ve got some stuff to do, so I’ll see you in 50 years.”  Such people will be in for the surprise of their lives if at the end, they hear Jesus say, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23b).  The fact that this is a real possibility can be seen in Paul’s logic – we have been “reconciled…if indeed you continue in the faith…”  If.  This disturbs us because it wasn’t what we learned in Sunday school – if you believe in Jesus, you’ve got a spot waiting for you in heaven.  Your table can’t be given away.  We object further: “This sounds like works!  I thought salvation was free!”  Amen!  Salvation is free – it’s a gift.  But true salvation is evidenced by the kind of continuing on in the faith Paul wrote about.   A duo of commentators put it this way: “If the Bible teaches the final perseverance of the saints, it also teaches that the saints are those who finally persevere – in Christ.  Continuity is the test of reality.”  The famous reformer Martin Luther is helpful as well when he so elegantly quipped: “It is grace alone that saves, but the grace that saves is never alone.”

So what does this mean for us folks living in the 21st century?  It means the same thing it has meant for the people of God throughout the ages: We cannot just rest on our laurels.  It means that if you see the evidence of the Holy Spirit in your life, you should have great assurance that you are indeed in the flock of God.  Evidence, however, not only includes victories, but it also includes genuine repentance after devastating defeats, tooth-and-nail struggle against an old sin-stronghold, and faith—even if it’s on life support, in the face of earth shattering pain and loss.  It also means, however, that if you consider yourself a Christian but see no evidence of Christ in your life – no desire, no fight, no longing – then you’d better do some serious self-reflection.  God forbid that you find yourself among the “goats” in that final day.  To quote the street theologian Ice Cube slightly out of context—“You better check yo self before you wreck yo self.”  The apostle Paul would agree with such wise admonition.

Prayer: God, help me to be a Christian not in name only, but in deed, love, and faith.  Help me to run the race to the finish like the apostle Paul.  May the powerful working of the Holy Spirit increase in my life that I may abound in the works of the Lord and be overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit.  Help me to never take grace for granted but tap into such grace that I may live a life worth living.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Joel 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 7:15-20: Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Questions to Consider

1. According to Jesus, how are we to recognize true disciples (good trees)?

2. Forget the fact that you consider yourself a Christian.  If someone were able to observe your thoughts and actions 24 hours a day for an extended period of time, what conclusions do you think he or she may draw about you?

3. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”  What do the people in your life see when they see you?

Notes

1. By their fruit (a.k.a., works); that is, the way they live their lives.

2. Do not despair if you think your fruit is bad; instead, seek a deeper and more genuine relationship with Jesus.  As you do, the fruit you bear will reflect this deepening relationship.

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Philippians 1:6: And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Be encouraged to know that as you run the race, God is the wind at your back.

April 27, Thursday

REPOSTToday’s AMI Devotional QT, first posted on July 14, 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

“The First Dropbox Baby”

Exodus 2:1-10 

Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him.5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

God shapes us uniquely for His purpose from the very beginning of our lives. We can certainly see a glimpse of God’s purpose for Moses from his birth. He was born during Pharaoh’s population control program. In order to control Israel’s population growth and potential to rise in power, he made the Israelites serve as slaves and formed an edict for all newborn Hebrew boys to be thrown into the Nile River.

Being a Hebrew boy, Moses faced the danger of the Nile at his birth. Yet God protected His life by using three women and a box made out of reeds. In biblical history, Moses is the first “dropbox baby.”  Instead of casting him straight into the Nile, Moses’ mom made a box and placed him inside it, in hopes that someone may discover him and spare his life. Then, Moses’ sister followed Moses’ box as he helplessly went down the river and was found by Pharaoh’s daughter. It seems obvious that Pharaoh’s daughter would follow her father’s decree to cast Moses into the Nile, but she saw him and had compassion on him. Being a strategic sister, Moses’ sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter (v. 7) if she could help bring Moses back to a Hebrew woman who could nurse him, without revealing that she would bring him back to his mother. The moment Pharaoh’s daughter said, “Go ahead,” Moses’ life was preserved. 

God’s favor was upon Moses since his birth to carefully preserve a deliverer for His people. Moses was born as part of the oppressed population, but God provided royal protection for Moses, and allowed him to grow up among the powerful, inside the palace of the world’s greatest nation. At the right time, despite trials and setbacks, Moses would later lead Israel out of Egypt. God prepared the events in Moses’ life so that Moses could walk into God’s unique purpose for him. Nothing about him being spared from Pharaoh’s edict was a result of his choosing and doing—it was entirely the Lord’s doing. This morning, reflect on the events and circumstances in your childhood, upbringing, and background. What privileges, experiences, and even hardships has God placed in your life, so that you could serve Him with a unique purpose? 

Prayer: Praise the Lord, for You are so kind and compassionate.  There certainly have been some good as well as not-so-good moments in my life, and I thank You for all of them because through them, You continue to teach me what it means to love and depend on You.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Joel 1

Lunch Break Study 

2 Samuel 17:33-38: Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.”34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went out after him andattacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.” 38 Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor.

Questions to Consider

1. What challenge is David accepting?

2. Why does David think he is able to go against Goliath?

3. In hindsight, David’s experience of tending and protecting sheep from danger prepared him for a greater task of fighting against Israel’s enemies. What prior experience/job do you think God used to form and prepare you for what He calls you to do today?

Notes

1. David is motivated to fight on behalf of Saul’s army against Goliath the Philistine, a warrior giant. 

2. David believes that his prior experience as a shepherd boy has equipped him to face Goliath. God’s hand has helped him to protect sheep from the mouth of lions and bears. He trusts that God will not fail to protect him (and Israel) from the hand of Goliath, who is cursing God’s name and His people.

3. Personal Response. 

Evening Reflection 

We are not saved by works (Eph. 2:8-9), but we are certainly saved and transformed to do the work of the Lord. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Reflect on how God has been preparing you in every season of your life to be His workmanship. 

April 26, Wednesday

UPDATEDToday’s AMI QT Devotional, which was first posted on January 31, 2013, is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang who serves as AMI Teaching Pastor.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“We Can Still Make a Difference”

Psalm 11:1-3

In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain. 2 For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. 3 When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

When I first heard Pastor E. V. Hill, a Black American, at my college graduation ceremony, I was mesmerized by his booming voice as he kept decrying that the foundations of America were being destroyed. That was 1984. If Hill were alive today, what he would say? I mean, if he thought that things were bad then, where our culture is today is off the charts! 

Nevertheless, as we find ourselves in a sinking ship called fallen world that is going from bad to worse by the minute, we must not give up hope that we can still make a difference. As the great Yankee Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” The righteous still can make a difference, one person at a time. 

How? Share Christ with someone today! Share His spiritual and moral truths with those who are lost in sin!  Pray that the Holy Spirit will regenerate that person. That’s how we can resurrect our society at the brink of disintegration. Pray.

Prayer: Dear Father, in the midst of the daily grind and personal problems, I often forget my responsibility to be concerned about my community and country.  Open my eyes so that I may be bothered by injustice, poverty and immorality that are sinking our culture into a deeper hole. Amen

Bible Reading for Today: Malachi 4

Lunch Break Study

Read Judges 2:10-19: After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. 16 Then the Lord raised up judges,[c] who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

Questions to Consider

1. It is said: Without God, lawlessness will reign. Then, what’s so amazing about the lawlessness seen in the Judges?  What should it mean to us? (Jud. 2:10-9).

2. What is the 1st institution that God established on earth (Gn. 1:27, 2:24, 4:1)?  What is its nature and why is it important to a society (Gn. 1:28)?

3. For a just God, what are two judicial missteps that really anger Him3 (Prov. 17:15; Is. 5:22-3)?

Notes

1. The Israelites during the time of Judges grew up with parents who knew the LORD (Jud. 2:10), but they themselves hadn’t experienced His power personally. Whenever the judges were alive, they, at least, gave a half-hearted effort to serve God, but as soon as their leaders died, they quickly reverted to their old ways (Jud. 2:18-9).  This shows that merely believing in God’s existence is as good as not believing in Him; one has to personally know Him as both a loving and just God. 

2. The first is the institution of marriage between man and a woman, without which self-propagation won’t occur. There are other reasons for this institution, but that’s the functional component. 

3. It’s when the guilty party is declared innocent on account of some procedural oversight or when the innocent person is sentenced for a crime that he did not commit (perhaps because he is of a certain color).

Evening Reflection

Love the Lord your God with . . . all your mind (Matt. 22:37)

The Christian faith, from the very beginning, countered attempts to stifle its growth through persecution and distortion.  Today is no different. The thought associated with the ancient Greek philosopher Gorgias—that there is no divine presence in the universe,  which had been dormant for 2,500 years—have reared their ugliness through the deconstruction of postmodernism that does away with any meaningful attempts to understand biblical text. It is also true that postmodernism, which tends to respect the viewpoints of nonwhites, offers correctives to curb the excess of Western rationalism that has long infected our understanding of Scripture. In that respect, John’s gospel is very unique because he contextualized a transcendent message given under the Jewish culture to communicate with polytheistic Greeks, in whom John found something redeeming. As you read John’s gospel, think on how its discourses may speak to people who are unduly affected by postmodernity.  Read the Bible with your thinking caps on while praying earnestly!  Let’s understand postmodernism to win those who are immersed in it since God loves them.