April 18, Tuesday

Devotional Thought for This Morning

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on April 7, 2016.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past. 

“God’s Will for My Life?”

Acts 15:36 – 16:10

Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

1 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. 6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Every Christian I’ve ever met wants to know God’s will for their life. One of the things I love about the book of Acts is its practical depiction of how God moves and leads His people through real-life stories from the early Church.

So, how does God lead us into His will for our lives? Well, from our passages today we see that sometimes it’s through our desires – Paul and Barnabas wanted to go back to check on their friends and see how things were going. Other times it’s through conflict and disagreements – because Paul and Barnabas failed to see eye to eye regarding Mark, they headed to different places, doing work for the Kingdom in different ways (and along the way, Paul picked up Timothy – a partnership with great impact for the Kingdom). God also moves through our failures and mistakes – some might argue that Mark’s desertion of the group in Pamphylia was a failure, but in it God still moved and lead him (in partnering him with Barnabas to do Kingdom work in Cyprus). God also leads through the opening and closing of doors (through granted and denied opportunities) – Paul and his companions faced closed doors in their efforts to preach the gospel in certain regions and were lead instead to do ministry in other places where doors were open.

In all of these things, God was at work in His people to lead them into His will for their lives (the specific ways they were individually called to be a blessing), and the Church as a whole into His will for the world (His redemption plan for all creation). Although we’d love to receive a vision as Paul did, telling us specifically what to do and where to go at any given time, more often than not, God is at work in the everyday moments to draw us closer to Himself and lead us into His will for our lives. May we have the perspective of Luke, who understood that in all these things, it’s the Holy Spirit who is at work, leading and guiding us every step of the way.   

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, Your word says that my steps are ordered by You (Ps. 37:23). May I take comfort and rejoice in knowing that in each step I take, Your Spirit is at work to lead me into the fullness of the abundant life You’ve promised and into the good works You prepared in advance so that I may do them. Help me to see my life in light of these truths. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 32

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 12:1-2: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Questions to Consider

  1. How does Paul describe worship in these verses? How does this align with the way you typically think about worship?
  2. What is Paul’s prescription for discerning the will of God?
  3. What might it look like in your life to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”?  What practical steps can you take toward that end?


Notes

  1. Paul describes worship as offering one’s whole life to God. The Israelites worshipped in the Old Testament by offering sacrifices to the Lord to atone for their sins, with Jesus being the final, once-and-for-all sacrifice for all sin. Now our worship is no longer an offering of atonement (where death is required to be reconciled to God) but an offering of praise – with our whole selves, in response to the great mercy God has shown us in Christ, we are now freed to live for God to whom we’ve been reconciled. That is our worship.
  2. Through testing we approve the will of God. My dad used to call this the “try and see” method – as we follow the Lord, as we put His words into practice, we come to see and experience the fullness of God’s will – not only in doing the things He’s planned for us to do, but in becoming the people He’s created us to be.
  3. Our hearts and minds are shaped by the sin and brokenness within us and around us. However, as we turn to God and begin to follow Him, we find ourselves throwing off the things of the world, and taking up the things of God. Our way of seeing, doing, being is transformed. As we seek God in prayer, in the Word, and in community in each phase of our life, the Holy Spirit does this great work of transformation in us.

Evening Reflection

“Your call will become clear as your mind is transformed by the reading of Scripture and the internal work of God’s Spirit. The Lord never hides His will from us. In time, as you obey the call first to follow, your destiny will unfold before you. The difficulty will lie in keeping other concerns from diverting your attention.” (Charles R. Swindoll)

How has God led you thus far in your life? Spend some time thanking the Lord as you remember the moments where (now looking back) you see Him at work, leading You into His will for your life? Are there any areas where you are still waiting on God’s guidance and direction, moments where you wonder what He was up to or if He was even there at all? Spend some time offering those things to the Lord – declaring your trust in Him even as you await the revelation of His goodness and His plans. Are there things that distract you from seeing God at work in your life and surrendering to His guidance and His will for you? Spend some time surrendering those things to the Lord, asking Him for a true heart of worship. 

April 17, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, which was first posted on January 4, 2016, is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang who serves as AMI Teaching Pastor.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Evidence for Faith”

Acts 1:3

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Atheist Sam Harris, in his book The End of Faith (2004), writes, “Religion preaches the truth of proposition for which it has no evidence.  In fact… no evidence is even conceivable.”  A demand for evidence before believing an extraordinary claim is fair, and Harris would find Christ’s disciples in agreement.  After all, upon being told by some women that they saw the resurrected Christ, “they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense” (Lk. 24:11).  What they demanded was “proof” as Thomas said, “Unless I . . . put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it” (Jn. 20:25).  And Luke the physician states that that’s exactly what they got: “Many convincing proofs that he was alive.”

However, unfortunately for us, what were empirical evidence (i.e., based on sensual experience) for the disciples are now nothing more than a historical narrative to us, and in the hands of skeptics like Harris, mere myth or fable.  So then, what makes resurrection, a scientific impossibility, a plausible event to us without having to check out our brains at the door before entering the sanctuary?  

British historian and theologian N. T. Wright puts it like this (1999, pp. 138-9):  “The crucifixion of a Messiah did not say to a first-century Jew that he was the true Messiah. . . . It said exactly the opposite.”  Then “why [did] this group of first-century Jews . . . not only continued to believe that he was the Messiah after his death . . . but actively announced him as such in the Jewish as well as the pagan world, cheerfully redrawing the picture of Messiahship around him but refusing to abandon it[?]”  Wright’s unequivocal answer: They saw a physically-resurrected Jesus!

If you, too, believe in the resurrected Christ, you need to live a radically different life than what middle-class Americans typically go after: comfort, security and wealth.  Ask the Lord what small changes you need to start making in order to look like someone who believes that Christ triumphed over death. 

Prayer: Dear God, I thank You this wonderful morning for another day in which I can live in your presence.   Once again I reminded of the certainty of what I believe since my faith is centered on the historical death and resurrection of Christ.  Help me, O Lord, to live a life that befits You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 32

Lunch Break Study

Read Eph. 1:18-21: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Question to Consider

1. Proving the resurrection of Christ is a great topic for apologetics (See “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell) but for those who already believe it, our focus on this extraordinary event must be placed elsewhere.  Based on the above passage, what should be that focus?

2. What does it mean that this resurrected power resides in us?  What are we supposed to do with it?

3. Is there anything in your life that is so dead that it needs resurrective power?  Identify it then pray over that situation with the prayer of Paul found above.  

Notes

1. It is truly amazing to find that God’s “incomparably great power” that was utilized in raising Jesus from the dead resides in those who believe.  Wow!  Christ’s resurrection is not only a historical fact but a transformative power that can raise dead situations and relationships back to life again.  

2. The “application” of the resurrection in our lives is predicated upon problems and impasses that we cannot overcome humanly; in fact, these situations are dead.  We should, first, pray over that situation with faith that the resurrection resides in us.  Then, get up and do the things that we need to do within our control, whether it be filling out an application, making a call or going out for a run.

3. For some pastors, it could be their ministry; for spouse, their marriage; for parents, relationship with their children; for businessmen, their sagging sales.  But the approach is the same (See 2.).

Evening Reflection

Are you facing a dead situation?  Or perhaps your loved ones or friends are facing it?  You might pray for them by remembering the prayer of Paul in Eph. 1:18-21.  I memorized it many years ago and have used it daily whenever I pray for each member of my family. You could find the same comfort in it.  

April 16, Sunday 

REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on March 20, 2016.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Holy Spirit”

Acts 10:44-48

While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.  45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 

Over the last few days, we have been able to focus on Peter’s vision and how Peter responded to that vision. Today, we see the culmination of Peter’s vision and preaching as the Gentiles receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the first time. With the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Gentiles found themselves “speaking in tongues and extolling God” (v. 46), completing their full inclusion into the family of God. 

Up to this time, the followers of the Way did not know or were not fully convinced that their Savior was for the whole world. In fact, they were still trying to follow the Jewish laws and even avoid contact with non-Jews. So can you imagine the astonishment to these Jewish Christians of seeing the Holy Spirit being poured out upon these Gentiles? It was almost as though their faith was made complete in seeing others receive the Holy Spirit’s fullness. 

I would like for us to consider how we often take for granted the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Perhaps so much so that we don’t even look for it or think that it’s theologically unsound to expect it. But however articulate our presentation is, if we do not see the Holy Spirit fall upon those to whom we are sharing, our gospel is incomplete. We must remind and encourage our new and young friends in the faith to seek the power of the Holy Spirit as evidence for their reception to the gospel. Let us present the full gospel of Jesus Christ! 

Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank You for Your presence and power in my life and help me live in it this day. Spirit of God, help me to treasure Christ this day! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 31

April 15, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on April 2, 2016, is written by Pastor David Son who pastors the Thrive Church in Taipei.  He is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley (BA) and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.). Stay up to date with the church plant by following them here: https://www.instagram.com/thrivechurchtaipei/. Also, please pray for his youngest son Benny who recently suffered a serious seizure. May the Lord heal him completely. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Peace-Child”

Acts 14:16-17

In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.

There is always a witness.  Don Richardson and his family were missionaries to the Sawi tribe of what is now West Papua. The Sawi were known to be cannibalistic headhunters. Somehow, by the grace of God, the Richardsons were allowed to live amongst the Sawi, and immediately they took on the task of learning the complex Sawi language and immersing themselves in the Sawi worldview. As they did so they were confounded by the differences between the tribe’s moral values, and their own. In this culture, deception and trickery were seen as positive traits! When they shared the story of the crucifixion of Christ, Judas was applauded as the hero, while Jesus was the dupe to be laughed at. How do you share the gospel in a culture like this?

During these times, several neighboring villages were at war, including the one the Richardsons were living in. Constant fighting and killing made it nearly impossible for the Richardsons to stay with the Sawi. But by this time, the villagers had grown fond of their friends, and wanted them to stay. So, in an effort to create peace, one of the Sawi men literally ran to the enemy village, and presented his own son as a peace gift to the opposing chief. This child was given up as the payment to bring reconciliation between the two parties. For generations, this was how peace was established between villages. As he learned more about this “peace-child” practice, it dawned on him that God had left himself a witness in the Sawi tribe! Dan gathered together the entire village and shared that Jesus was God’s only Son, the peace-child, given to us to reconcile us back to Himself! The tribe wept as they realized, for the first time, the incredible love of God, and many of them came to faith. 

Sometimes we feel like there is no hope for (insert name here) to accept Christ. But God has left himself a witness, even in the unlikeliest of cultures, even in the unlikeliest of people. Let’s strive to grow in the faith that our God is working all around us, even in places where we are unaware of it. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for dying for me while I was still a sinner. Help me to extend this love and grace to those around me who have yet to know you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 29-30

April 14, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 6, 2016, is provided by Pastor Barry Kang, who heads Symphony Church in Boston.  Barry is a graduate of Stanford University (B.S.), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Gordon Conwell Seminary (D.Min.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Who Are You Wearing?”  

Colossians 3:11

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

At red carpet events, celebrities are often asked, “Who are you wearing?”  And in turn, they’ll drop the name of some celebrity designer.  Often, my response in the rare moments I catch one of these events on TV is, “Who cares?!” Well, apparently many people do.  Who and what we are wearing is apparently a pretty big deal.  Our clothing choices say something about our taste, our wealth, our personality.  In other words, our clothing choices say something about our identity.  It’s actually a much deeper question than I normally give it credit for. 

Well, what if our identity was one who had been forgiven by God and raised with Christ?  What would our clothing choices be then?  Perhaps we’d be wearing clothes distinctly designed by Christ, bearing his signature mark?—you know, marks like compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience?  Forgiveness?  Love?

So this morning, before you head to your closet and begin your day, who will you be wearing?

Prayer: Father, what an awesome God You are!  Help me to taste and see Your goodness as You are adorned with Christ’s righteousness.  I put my trust in You alone for I know that You are faithful.  May I continue to grow in my knowledge (both theological and experiential) of You.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 28

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 13:11-14: Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Questions to Consider

  1. How does Paul use the metaphor of “wearing” in this passage?  (hint: there are at least two).  What are we to put on?
  2. How does knowing the hour change our mindset?
  3. What is the Spirit asking you to cast off and put on?

Notes

1. Paul urges us to “put on” the armor of light (v12) and the Lord Jesus Christ (v14).  These are related metaphors.  The metaphor of armor carries the suggestion of protecting ourselves from the darkness of this world.  Ultimately, we are putting on Christ.

2. What we wear changes depending on whether it is night or day, since what we plan to do will also change depending on the time of day.  If we believe that the “day is at hand”, then we will change our clothes accordingly.  Paul declares that it is no longer time to live as though it is night but in a new day!

Evening Reflection  

What did you wear today?  What will you wear tomorrow?  What would help you to carry this mindset throughout the day?  As you journal, ask the Spirit to help you grow more conscious of the new reality in which we live.

April 13, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, which was first posted on January 15, 2016, is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang who serves as AMI Teaching Pastor.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What is the Inspiration of Scripture?”

Acts 1:18-20a

(With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it. . .’”

Matt. 27:3-8

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” 5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. 6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.

Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton College are leading institutions of higher learning for evangelicals.   So, upon noting that the New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman studied there, we would expect to learn a great deal from him. That, unfortunately, is not what you will get from Ehrman, who heads the religious-studies department at the University of North Carolina.  

Ehrman, the “happy agnostic,” is the leading critic against the Bible, a book he once regarded as God’s word, but withdrew from faith because of its many alleged discrepancies.   For instance, did you notice anything peculiar while reading about Judas’ end?   According to Matthew, he hanged himself but Luke states that he fell from a high place.  That’s the kind of “discrepancy” that torpedoed Ehrman’s faith.  He once said that the turning point was discovering the “error” of Mark 2:26 (see below) that has Abiathar as the high priest during the days of David when it was Ahimelech (1 Sam. 21:2).   Subsequently, he not only let go of his faith but dedicated himself to show that the Bible is a flawed book that certainly isn’t divine.  I think Ehrman is taking out his resentment on the entire church for the bill of (theological) goods that he had received as a young man; he is disappointed that he was taught wrong.  

This isn’t a forum for an in-depth discussion, but many Christians have erroneous notions about the inspiration of the Scripture.   While no one is certain about what inspiration exactly entails, it doesn’t mean superseding differences in each writer’s observation, depending on the perspective taken and culture.  It is quite plausible that “Judas hanged himself and that the rope broke, causing him to fall” (Baker).   Regarding the field, Judas, in effect, bought it since the chief priest purchased it with his money.   Evidently, Matthew accentuated the tragic end of the betrayer (suicide) while Luke focused on its irony: Judas was the first to be buried in the accursed field.  Had Ehrman been taught right, perhaps he wouldn’t have taken that fatal road.  

Do you teach the Bible?  Teach it correctly.  Are you a student of the Bible?  Don’t settle for cookie-cutter answers that won’t stand a chance against vicious attacks on the Bible.  Study it diligently, and read other good books. 

Prayer: Lord, though there are millions of books in the world, none are like the Scriptures, for it is the living Word of God.    And I thank You that someone taught me how to read, so that I can actually understand your Word.  Of course, I don’t read it as I should—forgive me for my laziness and hypocrisy.  Help me to support groups (like Wycliffe) that translate the Bible for those who have yet to have it in their own language.  Thank you.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Numbers 27

Lunch Break Study

Read Mark 2:25-6: He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

1 Sam. 21:1-4: David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest.  Ahimelech trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” . . . . 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.” 4 But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here . . .”

1 Sam. 22:20: But one son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David

Daniel 1:1: In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 

Jeremiah 25:1:  The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon [when he invaded Judah] . . .

Question to Consider

1. In order to understand what was discussed in the morning, it is necessary that you approach with perspective.  Are all the following statements truthful?[Note: Imagine a married couple who met in college but married the graduation]

*“In college, my wife and I went to see a football game and there my wife lost her purse.”

*[In Korea] “Since my baby was born yesterday, he is already two years ago.” 

  [In the U. S] “Since my baby was born yesterday, he is two days old.”

2. How would you harmonize the Ahimelech/Abiathar controversy?

3. How would you reconcile the fact that Daniel (writing in Babylonia) presents the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar as occurring on the 3rd year of Jehoiakim while Jeremiah puts it at the 4th year?

Notes

1. Neither case should be problematic.  Even though technically the man’s wife wasn’t his wife in college, that’s how we talk and no one objects to it.  As far as reckoning the years in Korea, the baby is one year old at the time of birth and everyone becomes one year older on the first day of the New Year.  So a baby born on December 31st would be two years old by the next day.

2. Ahimelech/Abiathar conflict is of the same variety as husband/wife situation presented earlier.  The fact is, Abiathar was Ahimelech’s son who was present when David came in looking for bread. Later, the son became a much more prominent high priest, certainly someone more Israelites would have recalled than Ahimelech.  For that reason, it is quite plausible that Jesus cited Abiathar.   If the early Jewish Christians thought that this was a discrepancy, they would have changed it; yet they didn’t. 

3. Similar to the Korean approach to counting age, the ancient Jews considered the year in which a king was enthroned as Year One; however, for the Babylonians, the king’s first year was a year after being enthroned.  So, the 3rd year of Jehoiakim in Daniel’s mind is the 4th year in Jeremiah’s.  No discrepancy when you factor in the cultural difference. 

Evening Reflection

How many times do you eat throughout the day?  At least twice or probably more.  Now, how often do you “eat” God’s Word?  Eat?  Yes, since the Hebrews writer alludes to it as “milk” and “solid food” (Heb. 5:13).  Have you read Genesis 9 today?  If not, this would be a good time to do so.   It’s about God’s covenant with Noah.  Looking for a good cross-reference to go deeper into it?  Then try Matt. 24:36-41.  Don’t just read it; study it!  Be good at understanding God’s word, for “Your word is truth” (Jn. 17:17).  

April 12, Thursday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on March 9, 2016.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia. 

Devotional Thought for this Morning

“The Search for Identity”

Acts 7:29-32a

“When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.  30 After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.  31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight.  As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord’s voice: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’”

In some ways, all of the Kungfu Panda movies are about the lead character Po’s search for identity.  In the first, we know from the moment he calls a goose “Dad” that he is going to have to deal with this question of where he “really” came from some day.  In the second, he begins to have flashbacks of seeing his panda mother, and in the third, he meets his biological father for the first time, and the recognition is immediate.  They have the same coloring, build and appetite, and as his panda dad takes him back to the village to meet more of his species, we can feel with Po his sense of wonder, happiness and joy at discovering there are others like him.

Moses, like Po, was adopted.  He had lived in his father’s house for only three months (v. 20) before he was set adrift in the river.  Moses grows up neither fully belonging to the Egyptian palace where he was raised nor to the enslaved race to whom he was related by blood.  As he flees from a major conflict where his two worlds would have collided, we can imagine him finding solace and a semblance of peace as a complete foreigner in the land of Midian.  Not having to be between two worlds was in some ways easier, but it also meant that he had given up on belonging anywhere at all.  It is in this place that God comes to look for him, finds him, and tells him who he is.  God tells him that his fathers were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and that He was their God.  Moses belonged to Him.

“Where did I come from?  Who is my father?”  Such questions are important to us because they have to do with our sense of identity, knowing who we are and where we belong, knowing that we are not alone and that our existence has some greater context and therefore meaning.  Do we have peace, joy and security in who we are today because we know full well who our Father is?

Prayer: God of heaven, thank you for being my Father.  Thank you for coming to find me to tell me who I am.  I am your beloved, your creation, your child.  Help me to live like a child of yours ought to live today.  In the name of Jesus through whom I’ve become your very own I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 26

Lunch Break Study 

Read Acts 17:24-29: “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.’ 29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.”

Questions to Consider

1. Why did God create the world and everything in it, including human beings (vv. 24-27)?

2. Who is God to us (vv. 28-29)?

3. What quality do we share with God and what is the significance of this fact (v. 29)?  What are we treating as divine (i.e., worshipping or turning to as our source of help) today?

Notes

1. He created us so that we would seek him and find him.  What does it mean to “find” God but to experience him, come to know him, and have a relationship with him?

2. God sustains our very existence, our every moment and every breath.  He is the answer to our question, “Where did we come from?”  

3. Both we and God are spiritual beings.  Because we are spirit, in our search for God, we won’t be satisfied until we see someone else who is spirit like us.  Along the way, we may temporarily mistake created things for him, but because we are spirit, worship of created things will never truly satisfy.

Evening Reflection

“Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt?  Who am I, that the bright and morning star, would choose to light the way, for my ever wandering heart?  Not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done; not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are.  I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind.  Still You hear me when I’m calling, Lord, You catch me when I’m falling, and You’ve told me who I am: I am Yours.”

~ Casting Crowns, “Who am I”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7k81rDx448

April 11, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 14, 2016, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian who leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.  Shan is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Negative and Positive Freedom”

Galatians 5:13-14

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Os Guinness, a Christian author, says that there are two types of freedom: negative freedom and positive freedom.  Negative freedom is freedom from oppression like political oppression, while positive freedom is freedom for something—freedom with a purpose.  The problem in our culture is that freedom is only seen in light of negative freedom.  Americans will loudly declare that they have freedom of speech or freedom to do whatever they want to do.  Kids can’t wait until they have freedom from being under their parents’ rule or until they have freedom from school and homework.

Paul tells us that we are called to freedom, but he warns us not see this freedom as just negative freedom—freedom from judgment and wrath, because much like how the American culture promotes this, seeing freedom only in this way leads to living just for the flesh.  Many of us today think similarly when we see the grace of Jesus Christ as an excuse to sin.  

Instead, we should not forget to see our freedom in Christ as positive freedom—freedom with a purpose.  Jesus has set us free not so that we can indulge in the flesh, but that we can, through love, serve one another, building up the body of Christ as we bless one another.  Because the work of Christ has freed us from having to do good works to attain salvation, we are free to love one another without any fear of judgment or any need to prove ourselves—even to one another.  

As we have been called to freedom in Christ, we should celebrate the “negative” freedom since we have been set free from sin and death, but let us also remember to embrace the “positive” freedom and strive to use this freedom for the purpose of building up one another.

Bible Reading for Today:  Numbers 25

Lunch Bible Study

Read Romans 6:5-11: For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Questions to Consider

  1. According to this passage, what have we been set free from?  
  2. What do we gain in our freedom in Christ?
  3. What does it mean for us to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive in Christ?

Notes

  1. We have been set free from the enslavement of sin.  Paul also says that our old self was crucified with him—meaning that we are free from being stuck in our old destructive patterns.
  2. Because we have been set free, we live united with Christ; and since death has no dominion over Him, it no longer has dominion over us either.  This means that we can live boldly for Christ, without fear of condemnation or wrath, knowing that Jesus has defeated sin and death on our behalf. 
  3. Being dead to sin means living in such a way where sin has no power over us.  We are still tempted to sin, but we can say no to it because we are no longer enslaved to it—all because of Jesus.  On the other hand, being alive in Christ means that we have been set free to live for a purpose, for the glory of Jesus.  It means having joy and resurrection life in Christ. 

Evening Reflection

How have you understood your freedom in Christ today?  Did you experience any “positive” freedom?  Take some time to pray and reflect and consider how your freedom can be used by God to bless others. 

April 10, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on May 30, 2016. Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“In His Name, In His Authority”

Galatians 1:1-5

Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers and sisters with me, To the churches in Galatia: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

“A job is a vocation only if someone else calls you to do it for them rather than for yourself. And so our work can be a calling only if it is reimagined as a mission of service to something beyond merely our own interests.” (Timothy Keller, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Plan for the World) 

Paul spends a lot of time in the beginning of this letter legitimizing his gospel message and the authority with which He preaches it. Apparently, that authority was being questioned by those influencing his readers, and Paul wanted to set the record straight – that his message and authority are from God alone. Although none of us has quite the same mission as Paul, as we are not Apostles, we are all on mission for the Lord. Wherever we are and in all that we do, we have been led by God to that place and been given Good News to share with those around us. 

In a season of summer vacations for many and summer mission trips in AMI, it’s important to remember in whose authority we go about and do all that we do. Every move we make in the world, we make as ambassadors of Christ, in the various capacities and giftings He’s given us. We are not merely sent out by AMI and in the authority of our church leaders to do whatever they have for us to do in missions. We are sent out by the Lord to make Him known and accomplish His will in the power and authority of His Spirit. Likewise, when we go on summer vacation, head off to do a summer internship, leave for business trips, go to work, study in school, or whatever the case may be, we are not only sent out in the authority of our school or our company but in the authority of God and in the name of Jesus, to be His ambassador in the world. 

This is an empowering, yet sobering reality. Will we choose to see our lives as mission and our work as calling today? And will we wield the authority and power of God at work in us to accomplish His purposes in the world? 

Prayer: Lord, help me to be on mission for you. As I go to [fill in the blank] today, help me to do so in your power and authority to accomplish Your purposes. Help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit within. Thank you for choosing me to be Your ambassador to the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 24

Lunch Break Study

Read Colossians 3:15-17: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Questions to Consider: 

  1. What does Paul command his readers to do in verses 15-16? Which of these strikes you most as an area in need of surrender and obedience to God in your life? How might you practically do that today? 
  2. What does it mean to “do it all in the name of the Lord”? Think about your day yesterday. What would it have meant for you to do whatever you did “in the name of the Lord”? How can you walk in this truth today? 
  3. Paul’s words are given in the context of an exhortation toward love and unity in the Church. Why is this important and how might this encourage you as you operate as an ambassador in the world today? 


Notes:

  1. Paul essentially challenges the church to have peace, thanksgiving, gratitude, and an indwelling presence and working of the word of God among them. Some of us may need more peace – to surrender our cares to the Lord and walk in the truth of His provision and sovereignty. Others of us may need to be more thankful and grateful to the Lord – with less complaining, discontentment, and bitterness. And still others of us may need to focus on the message of Christ – the Good News of God’s love for us and others that calls us to an abundant life in submission to and relationship with Him. Spend some time thinking about what practical steps you can take towards one of these ends. 
  2. One Christian commentator put it this way: “We should say all words and practice all deeds in harmony with the revelation of Jesus Christ, namely, under His authority and as His followers… When faced with a question about what the Christian should do, Paul taught that we should simply ask ourselves what conduct would be appropriate for one identified with Christ. ‘What would Jesus do?’” (Dr. Thomas L. Constable) Send some time in personal reflection, considering how operating in the power of God and for the sake of Christ might affect you in day-to-day life. 
  3. This serves as a reminder that we are on mission together. Elsewhere, scripture says that our love for one another will identify us as His (John 13:35). We are not alone as God’s ambassadors in the world, but we have a whole family partnering with us, supporting us, and challenging us. 

Evening Reflection

“Our daily work can be a calling only if it is reconceived as God’s assignment to serve others.” (Timothy Keller, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Plan for the World)

 What are some ways God is calling you to serve others? Who are the specific people you can serve through your daily work? What are some ways you can serve them? Spend some time reflecting on these things with the Lord in prayer.

April 9, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on April 17, 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

“Resurrection Isn’t a Minor Detail”

Acts 17:32 

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”

 Part of the fun of being a parent of small kids is that children can be so logical and illogical at the same time.  For example, we watch this cartoon called Paw Patrol (if you have small kids, you probably know it well), and itis undoubtedly one of the stupidest shows on TV.  The premise of the show is that a ten-year-old boy named Ryder has adopted six dogs that he has trained as special rescue pups.  Each dog has his/her own special skill set—so there is a police dog, a fire fighting dog, a water rescue dog, etc. And each dog also has a doghouse that transforms into a rescue vehicle corresponding to their jobs—so a police truck, a fire truck, a hovercraft, etc.; the dogs, of course, drive.  Paw Patrol takes place in a city called Adventure Bay, where there are apparently no competent adults, because Ryder and the Paw Patrol are constantly called on by everyone from the mayor to the local grocery store owner to save them from various mishaps.  And although several different types of animals, ranging from cats to eagles to whales, find their way on the show, for whatever reason, none of them have the ability to talk—except the six members of the Paw Patrol.

One day as they were watching this show, my four-year-old says to me, “You know what doesn’t make sense about this show?  It’s how the grownups are always asking the kids for help.”  I come back with a hailstorm of other things that bug me about this show: “Honey, what about the talking dogs?  Have you ever seen dogs drive?  Why don’t other animals talk?  Where are Ryder’s parents?”  To that, she replies, “That’s okay.”  On one hand, I appreciate my daughter’s logic in seeing it strange that a ten-year-old is the only reliable person in Adventure Bay, but I find it so cutely illogical that she doesn’t see anything else being problematic—in her world, the minor things are major, and the major things are minor.

On the completely opposite vein, as long time believers, we often treat the resurrection as the minor detail of Christianity that doesn’t always need to be addressed or given much thought.  We fixate so much on other things, like our futures, or those who need guidance, or even healings and other miracles.  All of these things are important and good, but we must remember that they all don’t amount to very much if the resurrection is not true.  (What good is being healed of sicknesses if we were to die eternally anyway?)  We must also remember that ultimately, it is the resurrection that is the major stumbling block for those who do not believe in Christ.  Yet sadly, too many believers don’t think about the resurrection enough. 

Today, take some time and marvel at the resurrection.  Do not be ashamed at how utterly unbelievable it can appear to those who do not have faith.  Embrace the miraculous power, which has become the lynchpin to our faith.  And above all else, thank God that the truth of the resurrection is our great hope.  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that you are alive, that You have conquered sin and death, and that because You live, we will too.  Help us never to be ashamed of the fact that we believe in the resurrection, though it sounds crazy, but help us to live in and share that power to others.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Numbers 23