March 31, Friday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on March 11, 2016. Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“It is Finished”

Acts 7:59-60, 8:4-8

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

I didn’t understand the hurry many Asian parents seemed to be in to get their children married off until someone explained to me that in this culture, parents don’t feel like their job is done until they see their children married and settled down. A majority of American parents may feel it their responsibility to get their children through high school at least; for Asian parents, getting their children married was the stage they were responsible for seeing through. Once they did, they could say, “It is finished,” (i.e., be “done” with parenting).

What about for spiritual parenting? When is a spiritual parent’s job “done?” What would it mean to see spiritual parenting responsibly through to the end as we engage in this work that we are all called by Jesus to do, namely making disciples of all nations?

In today’s descriptions of Stephen and Philip, we see Jesus’ image. Stephen died the way Jesus died: asking God to forgive those who persecuted him. Philip worked the way Jesus worked: traveling, speaking, healing and driving out demons (Matthew 4:23; Mark 1:39). Yet neither Stephen nor Philip were one of the Twelve. They were both, actually, among the Seven who had been chosen by the Twelve to help with the ministry to the widows (Acts 6:5); they were disciples of the Disciples. The spiritual grandchildren of Jesus. He must have been so proud.

Often when we think about mentoring others, we think about training them to do what we do, but our job is actually not really done until we see them reproducing, training others to do what they can now do. These days, as I engage in this work, I find myself relating somewhat to those parents asking, “So, have you found anyone, yet?” as I ask people whether they’ve found anyone to love, even if it’s just one person, to love into the family of God and continue loving to the point of seeing them loving others. I’m eager to see spiritual grandchildren. How about you?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to be a good spiritual parent today, teaching Your children well, helping them learn to help others. Help me to be faithful to the Jesus I’ve seen in my mentors, and may Your image be faithfully passed down to the next generations, that others may continue to see You in them.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 12

Lunch Break Study

Read Deuteronomy 4:9: “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”

Deuteronomy 11:18-19: Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Joel 1:3-4: Tell your sons about it, And let your sons tell their sons, And their sons the next generation. What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten . . . .

Psalms 78:4: We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

Questions to Consider

1. What did God command His people to pass on to their children in Deuteronomy?

2. What themes from Deuteronomy 4:9 are echoed in Joel 1:3? What is the specific context in Joel?

3. What element does Psalms 78:4 emphasize in terms of telling what God has done? What should be one focus when we are talking about God to the next generations?

Notes

1. Their experiences of God (“the things your eyes have seen” 4:9) and His words (including instructions and commands) (11:18).

2. They are to tell of what God has done and keep passing down the stories from one generation to the next. The context is God’s judgment (an invasion of locusts). It is not only salvation that is to be remembered; God’s judgments are also to be remembered as warnings.

3. As they tell the stories, they are to be told from a perspective of praising God. As we tell the next generations of what God has done, one thing to be mindful of is that we are to be raising up the next generation of worshippers.

Evening Reflection

Is there any way in which I’ve experienced God today that I need to hold on to and remember? To pass down to the next generation to the praise and glory of His name?

March 30, Thursday

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on March 23, 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, a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), moved to Tokyo in 2022 where he plans to, the Lord willing, plant a church.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“No Name Witnesses Who Made a History”

Acts 11:19-21 (ESV)

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. [20] But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. [21] And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

At the beginning of the book of Acts, Jesus tells His disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8b). In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit falls upon Jesus’s disciples at Pentecost and thousands are saved. A great revival breaks out in Jerusalem; nevertheless, the gospel remains in that city until Acts 8.

So, what causes the gospel to finally spread? Following the martyrdom of Stephen, “there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 8:1). In short, persecution is the cause, which God graciously sent to His people, who were reluctant to go to Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth, in order to scatter them among the nations. In His great love for the entire world, God is willing to allow His people to suffer that the world might be saved.

Subsequently, God’s people are scattered “as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch” (v. 19). Some speak only to Jews (v. 19), but others go to Antioch and speak to the Greeks (v. 20). These believers are noteworthy in that they are not even named, but they do their part, perhaps reluctantly, by testifying to who God is and what He has done. And then God does His part; He raises the spiritually dead and “a great number who believed turned to the Lord” (v. 21). This, then, is the genesis of Antioch Church that became arguably the most significant church in the early era, particularly after the church in Jerusalem was decimated during the Roman invasion in AD 70.

I did not grow up in the church. Hardly anyone in my family or extended family is a believer. So I am thankful that a timid, reluctant Christian was sent by God to share the gospel with me. More so, I am thankful that the Lord is so determined to save that He opened my heart so I could believe. Today, reach out to someone with the gospel.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You have purposed to proclaim Your salvation to all peoples. I am timid and weak in faith, but please use me to speak words of life to people who are perishing. Oh Lord, You are mighty to save! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 11

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (ESV): And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. [2] For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, [4] and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, [5] so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Question to Consider

According to v. 2, what is the opposite of lofty speech or wisdom?
According to v. 4, what are the most important elements of Paul’s message?
Why does God use a foolish message and a fearful messenger to save?

Notes

The simple message of Jesus Christ and him crucified.
The most important elements of Paul’s message are the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, not words of human wisdom.
So that no one would put their faith in Paul or the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Evening Reflection

Take a moment to pray for unbelieving coworkers or friends whom you see on a regular basis. Ask that God would open a door to share and that He would use you despite your weakness.

March 29, Wednesday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on April 5, 2016. Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Experience Unity in the Face of Diversity”

Acts 15:6-9

The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

Author and apologist Ravi Zacharias talks often about the human quest for unity in the face of so many differences. The very term university, he says, derives from the search to find unity within diversity (according to the word’s etymological origins). For generations we’ve wondered how we can be united with those different from us – is that kind of unity even possible? Whether it’s ethnic lines, gender lines, age difference, personality types, experiences, the list goes on, we find ourselves miles away from the people around us, especially in the West and in our present age where travel and communication are almost instant. We can be so close, and yet feel worlds apart from one another.

So how do we go about forging these relationships across our many lines of difference? How do we actually experience unity in the face of diversity? Historically, we’ve connected ourselves based on similarities. The dominant group usually sets the tone that others simply follow or mimic – this is called assimilation. The other groups simply become like the dominant group and, therefore, connections can be made based on similarities. When the Gentiles became Christians, the people of God faced a cultural clash never before experienced within their faith community. Prior to this they all shared not only their faith, but their culture (for the most part) with similar moral values and ways of doing life. So how were the Gentiles to be brought in? By becoming culturally Jewish? The Pharisees certainly thought so.

Our passage for today teaches us that God brings about a different kind of unity. The body of Christ is not united by doing the same things, or by being the same kind of people, or even by having the same backgrounds and histories. Instead, Christ’s body is united by housing the same Spirit. It’s God’s Spirit that makes us one, even in the midst of such diverse cultural (and otherwise) backgrounds. This is an amazing concept! As we place our faith in Christ and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we find ourselves connected to people we’d never have imagined. And thus we begin to experience the beauty of the tapestry that is the Kingdom of God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Holy Spirit which not only unites me with You but with my brothers and sister in Christ. Help me to see beyond my own context and to embrace those different from me who You’ve also called into your family. May I experience today the beauty of the unity with those different from me that comes only through a shared Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 10

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-20, 27: Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Questions to Consider

What does Paul say unites all believers?
How does the analogy of a body with many parts help you to appreciate the unity in diversity of the Kingdom of God? Why is it important for all our many differences to be at work together?
How do Paul’s words challenge you to see your brothers and sisters in Christ who may be different from you in various ways?

Notes

All believers are united by the Holy Spirit having been baptized into one body by one Spirit.
The body needs all kinds of parts to function as a whole. The various functions of our different organs working together to keep the whole body alive and functioning paints a beautiful picture of the various people in the family of God at work together in their differences to build the Kingdom of God. Oftentimes, our very differences are what enable us to make valuable contributions to the whole. If everyone were exactly the same (if we were all an eye, for example), we would not have a body (just an eye).
Spend time in personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

In a service at a local divinity school that I attended recently, I was challenged to think of the things that made me different as an appointment, rather than an accident. What I took from the speaker’s words was that I have a choice – instead of forgetting about who I am based on my experiences in the world (both good and bad) in order to blend in, I can offer those to God and see how He might use them to be a blessing. Forgetting, ignoring, or hiding our differences is not what unites us; it’s the Holy Spirit at work in the midst of those differences that brings true unity. How are you different from those around you? What are your unique giftings, experiences, identity, perspectives, etc. that God can use to bless others? Spend some time reflecting on these things with the Lord.

March 28, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional Thought, first posted on April 11, 2016, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee. He is a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Do You See of Yourself When You Get Angry?”

Acts 17:5-7

But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

We have a ton of Legos in my home, and I have to admit that I think they are really cool toys. I enjoy the craftsmanship of having to put together complex sets, as well as the creativity it takes to make something original. I even find collecting the mini-figures intoxicating. But one thing that I hate about Legos is when I have to clean and sort all those small pieces. What I hate most is when those pieces are all over the floor and I step on a misplaced one—it hurts so much! I realize my kids don’t mind stepping on Legos as much as I do because they are light: It’s simple physics: F=ma (Force = mass x acceleration); less mass accelerating on a Lego equals less force on a foot and less pain. My kids basically run over those hazardous Legos like those Polynesian fire walkers.

The other day, my overweight foot stepped on one of those darn Legos, and I proceeded to yell at my son for not putting them away. My son looked at me, and said, “Dad, I didn’t leave that there, you did.” Now at that point, most rational people will stop or apologize, but not me. I was angry and hurt and someone was going to get in trouble: “Well, they are your Legos!” I yelled. Then I started looking around the house for any way to punish my son. “Who left those pencils out? Put those away! Did you leave your crayons out? Do your homework!” I later apologized for my childishness.

In today’s passage, I see a lot of myself in this crowd. When I am angry, I care less about justice than I do about making sure someone gets punished. The mob in Thessalonica came in search of Paul, but because they could not find him, they settled for punishing Jason and some of the other disciples. Would Paul have been a better option for the mob? Sure, but it didn’t really matter. They were angry, and they needed someone to blame—anyone would have done.

How about you? When you are angry, hurt, or under emotional duress, do you become irrational? Do you say ugly things to your spouse or friends that you wish you could take back? Do you excuse yourself because you were in the “heat of the moment”? Is that fair or becoming of a man/woman of God? Today, let’s not act like a crazy mob, looking to punish anyone. Let’s resolve to have Christ’s patience, to act in love, and keep a cool head.

Prayer: Lord, give me patience today, and help me to develop the fruit of patience in my life. Help me to have control over my emotions and not say anything regrettable to those close to me. Help me to love justice and to be a fair administrator of it. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 9

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 1: 1-6: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Questions to Consider

1. Track the regression of this hypothetical person in verse 1.

2. Make two or three comparisons/contrasts between the righteous and the wicked.

3. Are you like a tree planted by the streams of water? Do you delight in the law of the Lord?

Notes

1. Verse 1 illustrates the entangling nature of sin: At first, you walk in some ill behavior or thought pattern, but you are still active—meaning, you know it’s wrong and that you shouldn’t partake in it. Then after ignoring the Spirit’s rebuke, you stand in it and get a little more comfortable. Soon you are sitting in the seat of scoffers.

2. The righteous man delights in and meditates on God’s word; he is rooted like a tree, bears fruit, and prospers or grows. The wicked man, in contrast, is unsteady/easily shaken, and ultimately will not survive testing.

3. All the characteristics of a righteous person are founded on reading, meditating, and obeying God’s word. I know for most of us, studying God’s word sometimes feels like a chore, but press on—I know you will come to love it.

Evening Reflection

When was the last time you thought about your character? Take, for example, the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Are there one or two of those that are glaring deficiencies in your life? Have you come to enjoy spending time in God’s word? Take some time to pray this evening about one area you’d like to grow in.

March 27, Monday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on June 2, 2016. Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“What Is a ‘White’ Space? It’s Not What You Think”

Galatians 1:18-2:1

Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21 Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they praised God because of me. Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.

One of my favorite preachers often says that in all his seminary training, no one ever taught him how to exegete a white space. By that, he means that in all the verses of Scriptures chronicling the lives of our heroes, there are lots of things in the middle: moments between God’s calling and the fulfillment of His promises, between conversion and effective ministry, moments of waiting, heart ache, persecution, confusion, strife that are not written down. They happened in between the recorded moments, and exist somewhere in the white spaces between words on the page.

The timeline of Paul’s life is one of the most well chronicled in Scripture. Although Paul’s point in giving this particular timeline is to assure his readers that the gospel he preached came directly from the Lord, not any human teacher, I love passages like the one above because they remind me that Paul was a real person, walking with God over the span of an actual life time. Oftentimes, in my life, I get bogged down in the day-to-day. My journey with God is full of few moments that feel miraculous and monumental and many that feel fairly mundane and ordinary. Sometimes these in-between moments are merely lackluster, at which point my greatest battle is usually boredom or complacency. Other times they are difficult moments of waiting, heartache, uncertainty, and difficulties when I’m not sure what God is up to or where He is leading me. In those moments, the battles are fierce – doubt, bitterness, unbelief, the temptation to take back the reigns and fail to surrender. It’s in these moments that the skill of white space exegesis is most important – the ability to remember that God is faithful and to trust that He’s still at work.

Are you in an in-between moment today? Are you waiting on God to answer a prayer or come through in a specific situation? Or maybe you are facing another ordinary day of work or school. Don’t despise the seemingly small and insignificant moments (Zechariah 4:10). God is still present and He’s always up to something good.

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, I choose to believe today that You are always with me and to trust that You are constantly at work for my good and for Your glory. Help me to surrender anew today as I put one foot in front of the other and follow You into all You have for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 9

Lunch Break Study

Read Colossians 2:6-10: Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Questions to Consider

According to the passage, how can we “live lives in him”?
Are there any popular teachings and philosophies threatening to captivate you today? How do they align with the truth of God’s Word?
Paul reminds his readers of the lordship and authority of Christ. Why is this important?

Notes

We can “live lives in him” in three ways”: (1) by being rooted and built up in him, (2) by standing firm in our faith, and (3) by overflowing with thanksgiving. Foundational to all three of these is receiving Jesus as Lord – surrendering our lives to Him and following His leadership.
Paul is condemning false teachers who are propagating “additions to Christ” and leading the believers astray with teaching based on tradition and worldly practices. There are many popular teachings and philosophies in our culture today. What, if any, are based more on tradition and worldly practices than on the truth of God’s word? Some areas to consider: philosophies regarding work place ethics, finances, marriage, dating, child rearing, success and achievement, etc.
When we remember that Jesus is Lord, we yield to His word over every other teaching around us. It serves as the standard against which we evaluate everything else. This gives us a firm foundation that is not so easily shaken by the popular teachings and philosophies of our day.

Evening Reflection

Spend some time reflecting on an in-between season in your life. What challenges did you face? How did you experience God’s faithfulness? Ask the Lord to encourage you through your past experiences with Him, and to continue to follow Him faithfully in the future.

March 26, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on April 30, 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

“A Man-Made Religion”

Acts 20:25-35

“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

A month ago, an international student from Korea visited our church on a Friday evening. Our International Students Ministry was gathering for a casual, potluck dinner in order to introduce their ministry of studying God’s word with any international students who showed interest. Most of the international students in attendance were from China; and more or less, they were just looking to make some new friends while studying abroad.

Now, in my conversation with the student from Korea, I discovered that she had attended church while living in Korea. However, after some time of having been more involved in the church, she arrived at the conclusion that Christianity was basically a “man-made religion, out for people’s money.” So, once she made that claim to me, I just had to ask why she decided to join us for dinner.

Well, it turned out that she was invited by one of the Chinese international student—it was presented to her that it was a dinner party at a friends’ place (which was actually true). But the “place” just happened to be at a “church.” I’m sure she must have been surprised when the car parked in front of a church building. (She had even brought a bottle of apple cider for the host.) To her credit, she was cordial and friendly. While she was honest about her views, she was also willing to be a good sport for the evening, being fully engaged in the dinner and the introductions.

As the evening concluded, there were smiles on her face. And she commented that while she wouldn’t return for the follow-up gatherings, she genuinely had a nice time meeting some of the church members over dinner. Our church members knew to respect her views and not to be preachy, all the while offering our friendship.

Yet, I was saddened that she had arrived at wrong conclusions about God’s church. I think of the world when I think about the body of Christ. I don’t expect today’s readers to be naïve and assume that everything in all churches is honky dory. But wow, when I see the kind of person that Paul was, I’m inspired! As I meet pastors who live sacrificially and with integrity for the gospel, I grow in my confidence. And if that’s not enough, how about the fact that Jesus paid for the church with His own blood? And what organization can make that claim?

Prayer: Lord, reveal to us in a fresh manner the works that You are doing in Your church today. God, if I’ve been cynical about Your church, I ask that You renew my heart and passion for Your Son. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 8

March 25, Saturday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on February 27, 2016, is provided by Phillip Chen who is associate pastor at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego. Phil is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Starting a Church with a ‘Wrong’ Type of People”

Philippians 2:1-8 (ESV)

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

There is a Jewish prayer that men would pray. It goes like this: “Blessed are you, Hashem (which is a title for God), King of the Universe, for not having made me a Gentile, a slave, a woman.” This reflects the social structure that considered Gentiles, slaves, and women as second class citizen. The funny thing is that the inauguration of the Philippian church started with Lydia, the Philippian jailer, and the demonized slave girl. If you look carefully, you notice that these are the exact people that Jews considered as second-class citizens. Truly, God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the strong, the least expected people to shake society.

However, what is most shocking is how different these three people must have been. Can you imagine what it must have been like for these three people to be a part of the church-planting team in Philippi? It must have been difficult, as Paul writes this encouragement to the church, to pursue unity by having the mind of Christ. He is not denying the individuality or uniqueness of each person. Rather, he is encouraging the body to submit to the head, which is Christ, by having the same mindset. Paul says that we are to look not only to our own interests, but to the interests of others. What a difficult command this is, particularly as our sinful tendencies cause us to be naturally self-centered. It is not easy, but it is not impossible.

Brothers and Sisters, we are all part of local churches that are composed of different people. We all have different upbringings, different ways of doing things, different cultures and backgrounds, but we are to be in unity, in one accord by having this mind of Christ – to consider the interests of others more significant than our own. God will use whomever He wishes, and as He used the ‘weakest’ and most ‘diverse’ group of people in Philippi to impact their community, let’s pray that God would also give us a spirit of unity so that we might be healthy churches used by God for His purposes.

Prayer: Father, particularly as I relate to my church, help me to die to my flesh so that I might submit to the head of my church. Give me and my church a spirit of unity so that we would be a healthy church that can fulfill Your purposes for our church, as well as to bless and impact our immediate and surrounding communities. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can walk in step with the exciting things that You are doing. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 6-7

March 24, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on May 27, 2016, is provided by Andy Kim who is the Lead Pastor of Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco. Andy is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Hope That Never Disappoints”

Acts 28:19-21

But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation.20 For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” 21 And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you.

A while ago, I had the privilege of meeting a member of one of most notorious gangs in the US. At the age of 12, he walked the streets with his first assignment to shoot a rival member in order to prove his loyalty. His reason for joining was that it gave him a sense of purpose, belongingness, and value. He spent the next five years wasting his life, resulting in unforgettable memories that he now trembles at when recalling such experiences. By the end of those years, he was caught and said that at the time, it was the greatest disappointment for him and his gang, yet later, he realized it was the greatest appointment by a Savior who was calling him. What was ironic for him was that he began to learn what hope really meant behind bars in a dark, hopeless prison cell.

He learned that hope bound by circumstances only turned into disappointment, and a hope lost in fantasy was no more than a wish. How often have we abused the phrase “I hope for” when in reality we meant “I wish for.” Such false hope is vulnerable to change, and the endless pursuit of it leads to something far worse, which is no hope at all. But as Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” The hope that Dr. King talks about is the very hope of Jesus Christ—a hope that never disappoints since the beginning of time, so that those who have it may find eternal life.

This is the very hope that the apostle Paul speaks about in this passage. It is more than simply a mission or a task, but the hope of Israel was the very person of Jesus Christ. Paul committed his life and sufferings for the sake of sharing this truth. We live in a world where hope has lost its weight to the deception of false wishes and securities. When a man loses hope, his world collapses, but when a world loses hope, the people collapse. Today, the ex-gang member walks the same hopeless streets, sharing the life of Jesus Christ so that those who hear it may put their hope in Him.

Prayer: Lord, would You restore hope in my life and in our world today? Thank You for Your promises of everlasting hope that never leads to disappointment. May we take such promises and share the news of this hope with the people around us so that this world may come to know You.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 5

Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 10:23-25: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Questions to Consider

What keeps our hope from wavering? What are the areas in your life that you put hope in that is not of Christ?
What does the writer mean when he says “to stir one another in love”?
What is the writer’s purpose of verse 25 in this context?

Notes

The promises of God keep us from faltering because He is faithful. The phrase “hold fast” implies that there will be pressures of the world to cause you to deter you from His hope. Grab hold of His promises and continually confess them over your life. The writer also implies in the following passages that the people around us keep us from wavering in our journey with Christ.
Here, the writer transitions from focusing on our vertical relationship with Christ to our horizontal relationship with one another. We are accountable to one another and have a responsibility to each other. The word “stir” in the original text includes “rousing to activity” or even “provoking,” but it should be done in love. Accountability can sometimes be in the form of pushing one another and challenging one another.
It appears that some believers neglected to gather together for worship. So the writer emphasizes and concludes this passage with the importance of the believer’s unity with one another. We are to continually point each other to the hope of Christ’s return.

Evening Reflection

Spend some time reflecting on your relationship with Christ. Do you find your hope in Him alone? Secondly, what does your relationship with others look like? Are you accountable to others and do you challenge one another to love and serve Him more? Third, spend some time asking God to give you the courage and conviction to share the good news of hope to someone who doesn’t know.

March 23, Thursday

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on May 19, 2016, is written by Pastor Ryun Chang who serves as AMI Teaching Pastor.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Don’t Let Work Stand in the Way”

Acts 26:24-7

At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.” 25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

We all have done it: missing out on spiritual venues that could have sparked our waning faith because of work. And that’s likely the reason Governor Festus, while intently listening to Paul, failed to really hear what was being said. Not long after his first day on the job, Festus was trying to figure out why Paul, a Roman citizen whom he had inherited as a prisoner, had appealed to the emperor. The task would’ve been a cinch if Paul was a common criminal, but the charge against him was such that Festus had “nothing definite to write to His Majesty” (Acts 25:26a).

Complicating that matter for Festus was that this Majesty—the boss who signed his check—was the unpredictable and volatile Nero, who even killed his own mother. An unclear charge might set off this irrational king for wasting his time. At any rate, Festus invited King Agrippa to listen to Paul “so that as a result of this investigation [he] may have something to write” (25:26b). Festus was just trying to perform his job to the best of his ability out of the principle that “it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him” (25:27).

It is understandable, then, why Festus abruptly interrupted the apostle after listening to Paul say, “Christ . . . the first to rise from the dead.” I guess Festus couldn’t imagine writing, “Belief in resurrection,” as the official charge in his report to Nero. But sadly, being too focused on work meant that the governor failed to grasp what God was offering him through Paul, who had just told him, “Open [your] eyes and turn [yourself] from darkness to light . . . so that [you] may receive forgiveness of sins” (25:18). Had Festus known that he would die three years later, would he have wasted this golden opportunity?

Work is very important but don’t let that stand in the way of salvation, that is, if you have yet to believe, or, if you are already a believer, in the way of being renewed and ultimately to serve God. Remember the adage: “Nobody says on their deathbed, ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office.’”

Prayer: Lord, I praise and glorify You. Thank You for giving me the ability to make a good living. Remind me not to idolize my work, thereby missing opportunities to grow spiritually and serve You. Give me wisdom to constantly be aware that my days on earth are brief, and that I am here to glorify You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 4

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Thess. 3:8-10:Nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

1 Thess. 4:12: “. . . so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

Questions to Consider

1. Lest someone might lessen the importance of working in light of this morning’s devotion, I chose these texts. What is one reason for working?

2. Navigate through what was taught this morning—don’t idolize work to the point of missing out on opportunities given by God—and what Paul teaches here: “we work night and day.”

3. How are you doing with work? Is it consuming all of your time? Or, are you loafing off? Pray about making changes.

Notes

1. One reason for working is to avoid being dependent on people when one has the ability to work. Paul wasn’t simply concerned with merely working but working hard. Paul was concerned that Christians who are idle and not working would be a very bad testimony to the world.

2. Of course we should work hard, for Paul teaches, “The hard working farmer should be the first to received a share of the crops” (2 Tim. 2:6). But when God calls us to do the kingdom’s work, we should obey Him, even if it may cut in on our profit margin, trusting that if we seek first His kingdom, God will take care of the rest.

3. One doctor, who has his own practice, told me that though he routinely closes his office for 2-3 weeks a year in order to go on short-term missions, he actually does better in the long run.

Evening Reflection

How was work today? Was it hectic? In looking at how you spent your time today, would you say that God was prioritized and sought out? What would you say is most important to you right now? Remember Matt. 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

March 22, Wednesday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on March 30, 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/

Devotional Thought For This Morning

“When God Moves in an Awesomely Unexpected Way”

Acts 13:13-16, 26

Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen… to us has been sent the message of this salvation.”

In July of 2010, I was doing street evangelism with a small team on the campus of one of China’s largest universities. As we approached one of the main buildings, we noticed there was an English class going on. The principal of the English program was standing outside, so we introduced ourselves to him, as English speakers from America. After noticing our perfect English, the principal’s eyes lit up. “Would you go up on stage and share something with our students?” he asked in Chinese. (He didn’t speak English.) We were thrilled. Within minutes we were ushered onto the stage. A class of 1,000 students was interrupted for us to come up and share “something” in English!

So, of course, we shared the gospel, invited them to church service, and sang a praise song. At the end of our song, everyone clapped, including the principal, who had no idea of what had just happened. The students, however, all spoke and understood English! Later that evening, around ten students from that lecture hall showed up to the church service—and five of them accepted Christ that day! We were astonished at the platform that God had given us, especially at a Chinese University.

Paul must have felt a similar thing when the Jewish rulers (who were actually opposed to his message) invited him to share in the synagogue. Perhaps it was part of the plan all along; or maybe it came as a surprise. But what we know from this story is that Paul was present and available, and God opened the doors for the gospel to be shared through him. Are you present and available for God? Today, let’s stay on alert for open doors, even in the unlikeliest of places.

Prayer

Father, You are always working around us. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit today. Keep our eyes open that we might join You in your work. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 3

Lunch Break Study

Read John 5:19-20: So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.”

Questions to Consider:

According to the passage, how does Jesus decide what to do (and what not to do) throughout each day?
How can Jesus have such an awareness of what the Father is doing?
How can we live with this mindset?

Notes:

Jesus says that He is “limited” to doing only what He sees God the Father doing! To think of Jesus not acting autonomously may be a strange idea at first, but Jesus is basically saying that His entire ministry is not done by His own power/discernment, but rather, He just follows what He sees the Father doing.
The obvious answer is, “Of course! He’s Jesus!” But the passage tells us that Jesus is aware because the Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He Himself is doing. Jesus can tell what God the Father is doing because He reveals His work to those He loves.
Since we have been given the Holy Spirit, through Him, we can actually be aware of God’s work. As we grow in our knowledge of God’s Word, and deepen our relationship with His Spirit, we can increasingly live as Jesus lived: step-by-step with God!

Evening Reflection

How well do you submit? We don’t like to hear that word very much: submission. And yes, the word does carry some negative connotation in our day. But the beauty of our Triune God is in the joyous submission of the Father, Son, and Spirit, to one another. Likewise, the beauty of the church can only be fully realized when we are joyously submitted to Christ, and to one another! Submission is hard, but joyous submission is beautiful.