January 8, Sunday

UPDATED Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought was first posted on August 28, 2013. It has been updated.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Do Not Idealize the Early Church or Any Church”

Acts 6:1

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

When Jesus said that He will build His church (Matt. 16:18), surely He was not referring to some kind of movement or organization; but rather, He was talking about the New Covenant community—a family of God in Christ.  

But in a family, there are bound to be some problems. This may come as a surprise to those who tend to idealize the early church, as if she were a perfect institution, but there were issues like the one mentioned in today’s passage. While the church was handing out daily sustenance to Jewish widows in need, the old prejudice resurfaced: apparently, the Hebraic widows got more food than those who were not. That’s a serious problem! This ugly situation developing in otherwise a fine early church suggests that inasmuch as we want to avoid conflicts and problem-makers in our churches, one undeniable fact is that it cannot be completely avoided.  

May the Lord bless our churches in such a way that we will be a family that would overcome our differences to be one in Christ, to heal the sick and refresh the weary, and everyone in need being treated fairly.  Consider Revelation 3:15 that says: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!”  This is referring to churches needing to be useful (i.e., hot spring water to soothe the body and cold water to quench thirst). Pray that our churches would be useful in God’s kingdom.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to be useful in your kingdom work. Help me to be a problem-solver rather than a problem-maker for my church. Lord, help me to really love your church and protect her unity. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 9

January 7, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on March 21, 2015.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“What to Watch Out When Aspiring to Greatness”

1 Samuel 25:39-44: 

When David heard that Nabal had died, he said, “Praised be the Lord who has vindicated me and avenged the insult that I suffered from Nabal! The Lord has kept his servant from doing evil, and he has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.” Then David sent word to Abigail and asked her to become his wife. 40 So the servants of David went to Abigail at Carmel and said to her, “David has sent us to you to bring you back to be his wife.” 41 She arose, bowed her face toward the ground, and said, “Your female servant, like a lowly servant, will wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42 Then Abigail quickly went and mounted her donkey, with five of her female servants accompanying her. She followed David’s messengers and became his wife.43 David had also married Ahinoam from Jezreel; the two of them became his wives.44 (Now Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.)

Most of us aspire to greatness of some form or another. Whether it’s in our professional field, in our family life, in our social spheres – we want to be great. The dictionary defines “great” in a number of ways, all of which contain something to the effect of being better than what is perceived as average. I mean really, who wants to be average? We all want to be memorable, significant, and noteworthy. Some of us have learned (from society or from our own failures) that greatness is out of our reach; therefore, we may have long given up on this yearning within us. But, I believe all of us can find a hunger for significance somewhere inside.  

I don’t think there is anything wrong with a desire for greatness and significance. But I am absolutely convinced that, if we were left to ourselves, we would pursue it in all the wrong ways and for all the wrong reasons. Not only this, but also our sin-diseased eyes often have a hard time even spotting what is truly great when we see it. 

Saul wanted to be great; he wanted to remain king and ruler over Israel.  However, Saul was threatened by David, initially because his constant disobedience to God led the LORD to reject him.  Instead of repenting, Saul did everything in his power to remove David from the picture. But what do Saul’s efforts, his pursuit of greatness, accomplish? Well in our chapter for today (of which we’ve just read the very end), Saul is literally reduced to a footnote in David’s life story – a parenthetical addition for background and context. It’s quite the opposite of greatness. 

In the life of Saul we see the result of our own selfish ambitions and vein conceit. Instead of seeking the will of God and the glory of God (as David did), Saul was so blinded by his own quest for greatness that he squandered away his rule over Israel – the calling of God on his life and his true shot at being great. Human nature is to pursue greatness through selfishness and for self-exaltation. We beg, borrow, and steal; we slander, murder, and manipulate; we hold tightly to our lives and lean on our own understanding – this, all in pursuit of significance and abundant life. 

But the truth is, all people are like the moon – our light is only as great as that which we reflect. If we are merely reflecting ourselves, then the greatness we can achieve is quite limited and temporary. And at the end we will be but a footnote in God’s great story. But if we instead seek the kingdom of God and seek to reflect the glory of our Heavenly Father, then we can achieve greatness beyond our wildest imagination – and shine bright enough of light the night sky.

What does “greatness” mean to you? What would it look like in your life? Take some time to reflect on your person pursuit of greatness – the means, motives, and ends. Remind yourself of our great and awesome savior, who said that the first is last and the greatest is servant of all, and modeled for us (in his life of self sacrifice) the true road to eternal greatness. May we spend our lives in pursuit of what is truly great, seeking to be a reflection of the glory of our great God. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to truly understand what greatness means to You and, therefore, what it should mean to me. May the new year 2023 be a year in which I truly aspire to be like the Son of God in his love and humility. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 7-8

January 6, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Yohan Lee, a friend of AMI, who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches, is an updated version of his blog first posted on April 15, 2016.  He is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Why I Hate Apple Products and What THAT Tells About Us”

Acts 17:21

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

Does it make me un-American to say that I hate Apple, Inc.?  Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate their products.  Whenever I play on an iPhone or iPad or Macbook, I generally feel this sense of, “Wow, this thing is smooth!”  However, what I hate about Apple, Inc. is—how I feel six months after I buy one of their products.  The last Apple product I bought was the iPad 3, and for about five months, I enjoyed it.  But in the sixth month, iPad 4 (or more correctly iPad with Retina Display) came out, and then overnight, I felt like I was using a stone tablet with a hammer and chisel.  Though I am not a gadget guy by any stretch, I hate that I am one of the people who have been suckered by their marketing strategy.  I wish I didn’t care—but I do. 

When it comes new and trendy, we all have our soft spots, don’t we?  For some of you, it is clothes; you have to be in the latest fashion.  For some of you it is tech; you upgrade your phone quarterly, you have every piece of wearable technology, and you will be the first in line to get digital implants when they become available.  Others of you are foodies; you have to try the newest restaurants.  Now, I do not want to sound like one of those old people pining for the “good old days,” but let’s be real here—not all that is new or trendy is good.  You want proof?  Dig up some photos during the mid to late 90’s; women, who were not farmers, wore overalls!  You may laugh, but I know that if overalls came back in style today, more than just a few of our readers would be wearing them tomorrow.  

All joking aside, trends are not just confined to tech or fashion.  As we read in today’s passage, there were intellectual trends.  People in Athens spent all their time discussing new ideas.  The church is not immune to new trends either (think music styles, service styles, preaching styles, etc.).   While I don’t want to disparage these methods or new ideas, I don’t want us to forget that some things are tried and true.  I know of only one way to grow in Christ, and that is the old fashioned way of spending time with and obeying Him; and I know of only one way to grow a ministry—sacrifice.  

Are you trying to innovate your way to godliness?  It took former generations their lifetime to develop character:  Are you trying to bypass it for something quicker or more “impactful”?  Do you think your church will grow if it adopts a better business strategy?  Are you trying to find something new for the community because meeting together is too impractical for today’s world?  Don’t sit around discussing new ideas when the old ways are the best ways.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to wade through all the new ideas out there.  Let me see the new things that You are doing and understand all that You have done in the past.  Do not let me run after new ideas or new trends that lead to nowhere.  When it comes to spirituality and character, let me never try to skip patience, endurance, and diligence.  In all things, give me wisdom and discernment.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Acts 6

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 5:1-12: Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning.2 Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God,for to you do I pray. 3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;evil may not dwell with you.5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.6 You destroy those who speak lies;the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love will enter your house.I will bow down toward your holy templein the fear of you.8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousnessbecause of my enemies;make your way straight before me.9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction;their throat is an open grave;they flatter with their tongue.10 Make them bear their guilt, O God;let them fall by their own counsels;because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out for they have rebelled against you.11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;let them ever sing for joy,and spread your protection over them,that those who love your name may exult in you.12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord;you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Questions to Consider

1.  What is the general idea of this Psalm?   What was David requesting?

2.  Why do you suppose justice is such a big theme in the Psalms?

3.  Are there people who are recipients of injustice whom you should pray for and possibly help? 

Notes

1.  David’s prayer in Psalm 5 can be summarized in vv. 10 and 11:  In v. 10, he asks that the wicked would have to “bear their guilt”; and in v. 11, he asks that the Lord would exult the righteous.

2.  Many Psalms, such as Psalm 5, remind us that God has not closed His eyes to the deeds of the wicked or the righteous.  Of course, while the gospel reminds us that we are saved by the blood of Christ only, we must not forget that the Lord does promise to give each what his deeds deserve (Rom. 2:6).  This should be an encouragement, knowing that all the wrongs will be made right and that our good work will be rewarded.  

3.  Personal application question.

Evening Reflection

Romans 12:2 says that we should renew our minds and not conform to the patterns of this world.  When was the last time you thought about things like politics, justice, policy, liberalism,  or our culture.  Do you truly have a biblical worldview?  When it comes to the basic disciplines of growing in Christ—such as word, prayer, fellowship, service, evangelism—how are you doing?  In your constant search for efficiency, have you swiped over these things?  

January 5, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on March 24, 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

“Believers and Money”

Acts 11:27-30 (ESV)

Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. [28] And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). [29] So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. [30] And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

According to the Catholic Church, the seven deadly sins are lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride.  While we will readily confess to some sins on this list, others we may admit, though with reluctance or a bit of embarrassment.  But there is at least one which we tend to be completely blind to— greed.

How many times has someone confessed to lust, sloth or pride in your small group?  Now, how many times has someone confessed to greed?

In today’s passage, God has revealed a coming famine through prophecy.  The disciples hear God speak, and they act by collecting relief and sending it to the brothers and sisters in Judea—this is undeniable.  The part where there might be some debate is the phrase “everyone according to his ability” (v. 29).

A couple years ago, a friend of mine was speaking to a pastor he knew about a church that could not continue to pay its mortgage and was forced to close its doors. After hearing this, the pastor simply said, “The pastor of the church could have sold his house.  Then the church wouldn’t have had to close.” 

“Ability” is not measured in percentages or dollar amounts and in that way it is hard to quantify.  However, we should understand that giving “according to our ability,” or with our whole hearts, is a question of maximum, not minimum giving.

To our discomfort, the Scriptures frequently speak about money.  Is it because God needs ours?  I don’t think so.  Jesus states simply, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).  God is not interested in our money for its own sake but in our trust (will God take care of us?) and in our love (do the needs of others matter as much as our own?).

Prayer: Father, thank You that You are the Provider for me and my family.  May finances not be a matter of fear or idolatry but a means to demonstrate my trust in Your promises and my love for the world.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 5

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 19:5-10 (ESV): And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” [6] So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. [7] And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” [8] And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” [9] And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Question to Consider

  1. In light of v. 8, what was Zacchaeus willing to do because of his love for money?
  2. What does Zacchaeus do in response to Jesus’s acceptance of him?
  3. Why is Zacchaeus able to make such generous use of his money?

Notes

  1. Zacchaeus was willing to sin and defraud others because of his love for money.  He was also willing to be ostracized and separated from his people and religion.
  2. He receives Jesus joyfully and offers his goods to the poor and restitution for those he has defrauded.
  3. Because he has found acceptance and salvation in God.  In light of these things, money is no longer the most important thing to him.

Evening Reflection

Consider, what could maximum giving look like in your life?  What fears, desires, or plans make such giving seem impractical?  Pray that God would address these heart issues in such a way that you could give with the joy of Zacchaeus.

May the Lord give you eyes to see and courage to follow.

January 4, Wednesday

UPDATED  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 30, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Are You Rich? You Will Be Surprised”

Psalm 10:12, 14, 17

“Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.  Do not forget the helpless. 14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand.  The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. 17 You hear, O Lord, the desire  of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry …”

It can be stated that those folks who are on the very opposite of the group alluded in today’s passage are those people who are the top 1% income earners in our globe. It would seem that they are neither helpless nor afflicted. So who are these top earners in a global sense? According to one source, they are those who make slightly above $34,000 a year. This threshold should certainly include everyone who is reading this blog, which would make all of us very rich folks!

Nonetheless, these top earners who live in relative affluence—again, all of us—often forget that “God has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith” (James 2:5); in fact, too focused on our wants and needs, we often neglect them. Along that line, spoiled by Bless-Me-Here-&-Now theology, we often complain at the slightest inconvenience to our comfortable living and become ungrateful because someone is making more money than us.  

But we are reminded today that our troubles can be an opportunity to experience the comforting presence of God. If you feel afflicted for whatever reasons, thank the LORD for it and seek His presence. Furthermore, be thankful for all that you have received from the Lord, for the apostle Paul reminds us, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Cor. 4:7).

So what would “committing yourself to God” in your present situation mean to you? Before leaving home today, spend a moment in Him about this matter.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, despite Your beatitude of “Blessed are the poor in the spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” I confess that I dislike being poor in anything.  Thus, help me to see and accept that when I feel poor, whether financial, emotional or spiritual, I can truly experience You, which is a good thing.  Amen

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 4

Lunch Break Study 

Read Luke 21:1-4:“As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 ‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’”

1 Corinthians 1:27-9: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.”

Question to Consider

1. In terms of assessing our lives, whose assessment is most important?

2. In the above story, who is praised by Jesus at the expense of whom? Why?

3. Why does God favor the poor? 

Notes

1. Suffice it to say, what really matters is how God assesses our lives. There is a very telling statement of Jesus recorded in Luke 16:15b: “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.”

2. A poor widow is praised over wealthy people, who, in fact, gave more money than her, because she gave all that she had to live on.

3. God simply won’t share His glory with anyone. While the weak and the lowly don’t have much in themselves to aid God’s work, the wise and the strong typically think that they do. Thus, God prefers to use the weak and despised in His work so that no one can take credit for something He did. This shows that making ourselves available to God’s work with humility is more important than showing up with our talents, pedigree and gadgets.

Evening Reflection

As you look back on today, were you aware of God’s presence? Too busy to notice Him? Write about it and let us do better tomorrow.

January 3, Tuesday 

UPDATED  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on March 15, 2016.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What To Do With Difficult People in Our Lives”

Acts 9:10-19

So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 

Doing ministry for over twenty-five years, I’ve had my share of disagreements and aggrieved relationships. The temptation to do away with people who are difficult always seems so easy to give into. Yet I have found that some of my most prized relationships today are the result of persisting in difficult relationships and reconciling over broken ones. 

Paul—still known as Saul—begins his journey from persecutor of the church to apostle, after he is memorably blinded on the Damascus road by the Lord Jesus himself. Ananias, a disciple from Damascus, is called upon by God to intercede on behalf of the still blinded Saul. But Ananias is initially reluctant for good reason: Paul is a terror to the early church, and it’s possible that Ananias is on the persecutors’ list. He, nonetheless, obeys God and finds himself before Saul, saying, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, Saul regains his sight, he gets up and is baptized. 

This event would become Ananias’ greatest test of faith. Remarkably, the dutiful disciple not only follows orders but seemingly does so ungrudgingly. Ananias’ words match his actions, as he not only touches Saul but establishes rapport by receiving him as a “brother.” These gestures add up to a warm welcome, demonstrating genuine love and kindness, and more importantly acceptance as a part of the community. At no point does Ananias reproach Saul. No longer does Ananias speak about “this man” (Acts 9:13), but as “Brother Saul.” The despised enemy, the alien, has become a brother. 

He found the feared persecutor alone, blind, and helpless. All the hurt and fear Ananias had felt drained away. The same Lord who called Ananias to go to Saul also filled him with His love and forgiveness. The deep compassion and acceptance that Ananias offers Saul was not his to give: It represents the forgiveness possible through Christ, a reconciliation that would shape Paul’s ministry. 

Often the believers are called to respond counterintuitively to the world, and when we do, we can experience the dramatic reconciling power of the risen Christ. The persecuted Ananias, in the power of the risen Christ, calls his former persecutor “brother.” In Jesus, that kind of reconciled community is possible. Paul’s ministry would come to be defined by this reconciliation, between “Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female.” Paul’s life was changed by the encounter with the risen Christ, but through Paul, the very character of the early church will begin to be transformed.  

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 3

Lunch Break Study

Read Galatians 3:23-9: Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. [25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, [26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Questions to Consider 

1. In verse 24, Paul says that “the law was our guardian until Christ came.” In what sense is this true?  

2. According to verse 28, what distinction has been removed in the New Covenant that once existed in the Old Covenant.   

3. In what way is the New Covenant of neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, no male or female, most evident in your life?  

Notes 

1. The Law serves as a guardian, because it highlights and restrains sin, and it also foretells the coming of Christ. 

2. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female. 

3. Personal Response.

Evening Reflection

“God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas but for scars.” – Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915). What have you been looking over these past few months?

January 2, Monday

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on March 7, 2016, is provided by Kate Moon who continues to serve as a missionary in E. Asia.  

Devotional Thought for this Morning

“How to Respond When Unjustly Accused”

Acts 7:1-2

“1 Then the high priest asked him, ‘Are these charges true?’ 2 To this he [Stephen] replied: ‘Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran . . .’ ”

“Don’t you even have any eyes?” It was an immature response from an immature person (I was maybe around nine or ten), but it came from a very real sense of frustration at a perceived injustice.  An adult had “accused” me of not closing the screen door properly when I came into the house, but I obviously had – if the person had any eyes, she could see for herself that it was closed.  I knew I was being a little out of line, but I thought that maybe when she saw that she was the one in the wrong, she’d see my frustration was justified and let it pass, maybe even laugh.  Unfortunately, some nuance was lost in translation in the bilingual household I was growing up in (apparently the adult heard the word for “eyes” as something more like “brains,” and apparently, in her culture, calling into question an adult’s possession of brains was a particularly disrespectful expression), and I got into huge trouble.  It wasn’t about the door anymore but what I’d said to an adult, at which I felt even more frustrated, because I hadn’t said “brains,” I’d said “eyes.”  It just ended up being a terrible, mixed-up, no-good day.

Being accused of anything is never a good feeling; being falsely accused is all the worse.  The immediate instinct is to rise up in indignation at the injustice, defend oneself, attack right back.  Stephen, however, did none of these things.  When he was being falsely accused of blasphemy and the high priest asks him if this is true, Stephen, “a man full of God’s grace” (v. 8) and wisdom (vv. 3, 10), begins talking about Abraham and Mesopotamia and ends up making an eloquent defense – not of himself, but of Jesus Christ.  

How do we respond when we feel unjustly accused?  When a supervisor asks us where a report is that we actually handed in a week ago but he misplaced?  Can we resist becoming defensive of ourselves and have a more Christ-centered attitude when we face such situations?  

Prayer: Lord Jesus, when I face false accusations or misunderstandings, help me to maintain my witness for you be my primary concern, over and above defending myself or proving others wrong.  For your name’s sake, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 2

Lunch Break Study 

Though we’ve already meditated today about having a godly response when being falsely accused, what about when the charge someone brings against us is true?

Read Proverbs 9:8: “Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.” 

Questions to Consider

1. Why do you think a mocker would respond to rebuke in this way?

2. What about the wise person?  Why would he or she respond in the opposite way?

3. How do we respond to rebuke or correction?  Defensively or graciously?

Notes

1. Those who mock others often put others down to feel better about themselves.  A word of rebuke threatens their sense of self-worth, and they cannot truly receive it.  The one who tries to rebuke someone who is not ready to receive it may just end up losing the relationship.

2. Wise people can separate their self-worth from their mistakes or character flaws.  Because they do not feel their value as a person is threatened when a corrective word is given, they can receive it constructively and love the one who loves them enough to rebuke.

Evening Reflection

Were you able to respond graciously to others’ estimations of you today?  If you faced any false accusations, bring the hurt, frustration and anger to Jesus, the bearer of the ultimate false accusation (=the sins of the world).  He understands.

January 1, Sunday (“Happy New Year 2023”)

UPDATED Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 1, 2016.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“I Can Do Everything Through Him who Gives Me Strength”

Acts 1:1-1 (NIV)

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach. 

Luke 1:1-3

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account . . .

Thomas Sowell never knew his father who died before his birth. He grew up in the South in the mid-20th century where his encounters with Caucasians were so rare that “he did not know that blond was a hair color.” After dropping out of high school, it seemed very unlikely that he would one day become a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and author of thirty books.

Luke the Gospel writer was just as unlikely to have become one of the authors who penned the bestselling book of all time. In fact, he is the only Gentile among the forty whose writing was included.  Furthermore, he is the second leading contributor to the New Testament after Paul: the Gospel of Luke and Acts combine for fifty-two chapters.   

So, just how improbable was his success?  First, as a non-Jew, Luke was an unlikely candidate to tell the gospel story that originated from Jewish Scripture and culture.  Second, unlike John and Matthew, he wasn’t an eyewitness to the events he described.  Third, as for his training, Luke was a physician (Col. 4:10), not groomed to be a writer.  Also, it’s also possible that Luke was even a slave, since according to Commentator William Barclay, “even doctors and teachers . . . were slaves” in the Roman Empire. 

When given a challenge or difficult task, the first thing we often say is, “I can’t; it’s too hard.”  The outcome of Sowell and Luke’s life suggests otherwise.  While hard work (Prov. 14:23) and determination (24:16) led to Sowell’s rise, Luke presents an additional component: God equips and empowers those who obey His call.  In that context, we can proclaim, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).   

In 2023, for what challenging task will you trust God: a new business, degree program, or even forgiveness?  Whatever it is, do all things in obedience to God’s general will, clearly spelled out in the Scripture: for instance, eschew greed (Col. 3:5), selfish ambition (Phil. 2:3) and bitterness (Heb. 12:15).  As you do so, God will strengthen you to succeed in and for Him.  May this year be like no other year! 

Prayer: Father, as the New Year commences, I praise You for all that happened in 2022—both good and bad—and thank You in advance for a wonderful journey of faith that the new year will bring.  Help me never to forget how unlikely it was for You to save me; but You did because of your immense love.  May I live for You the fullest in 2023.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 1

December 31, Saturday

REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on December 26, 2015.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The City of God and the City of Man”

Philippians 3:20-2

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

Hebrews 11:10:

“For [Abraham] was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” 

Let’s be honest: We say God’s word is the most important source of truth for us, but do our core beliefs and values really reflect that?  In the church we say, “Yes, that is a sin,” but as soon as we are out the door, we become politically correct.  We sing these amazing songs about the greatness of God, but are we really all that different from the world?  Are we not as selfish, insecure, and pleasure-driven as those who do not confess Christ?

Yes, there is no escaping the human confrontation with questions of how we are to live and think. We must commit to some course of action, an overarching worldview, a narrative of reality. We declare our answer by the actions and thoughts we enact every day, until our days eventually constitute our entire life, through responding to questions like, “How far are we willing to push our moral boundaries in order achieve our goals? What kind of persons are we becoming by our actions, big and small, from reliance on the latest technological achievement, to how we relate to others, to our career choice from a vast array of options given to us courtesy of our liberal democracy?”

Before our world got super complex and wired, St. Augustine, the great 5th century Church Father, was already talking about the unbridgeable gap between the two cities: the city of God and the city of man.  The city of God stands for eternal and permanent truth that, when fully comprehended and embraced, results in “righteousness and peace and joy” (Rom. 14:17).

However, the city of man gives us different ideas, theories, and tools to respond to such questions. As Christians in the world, we listen to the answers given, sometimes unaware of their good/bad/neutral potential—power to corrupt our minds, strengthen our hearts for ethical action, or choke the life out of our loyalty to Christ through subtle, but deadly influences to commit to vice and viciousness. 

As we are at the cusp of finishing out the year 2022, my one advice to you as you encounter all the things the world has to offer you is this: do not forget your allegiance to the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. His story, His life, His teaching, His word, His person—here lays our foundation and encompassing narrative through which to understand and evaluate what the world has to offer us. We may be citizens of the city of man, but our ultimate and highest commitment is to Christ—the Ruler of the city of God. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, in the new year, continue to remind me and encourage me and strengthen me to make Jesus Christ as my one and true Lord in my life, overcoming the fear of man. Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: Titus 2-3

December 30, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 9, 2015, 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

“Difficulty of Serving Others”

Philippians 2:3-8

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. 

Whenever two people live together, they unknowingly split into two roles:  the one who doesn’t do the dishes and the one who does them but resents his/her roommate for not doing the dishes.  In my very unscientific research, whenever two or more people live together, there is an 85% chance that there will be an argument or passive-aggressive bitterness with regards to the washing of dishes.  In my life, I’ve taken on both roles:  When I’m the one who doesn’t do the dishes, I am thinking, Of course, I’ll do the dishes… eventually, but then, my roommate would end up doing them; and I would be happy as a clam since I didn’t have to do them.  When I’ve played the other role, though, every time I did the dishes—with righteous anger in my heart—I  thought about ways that my roommate could pay for his “transgressions.”  

It’s hard to serve others.  When Paul tells us to “count others more significant” and to look out “to the interests of others,” we might delude ourselves into thinking that it’s easy.   Yes, it’s easy to take on a title of being a servant, and any of us can join and serve on a ministry team.  And it’s easy to serve your roommate once or twice, here and there.  But to really count others more significant than us means doing the dishes for the thousandth time instead of your roommate, and doing it with a heart of love and joy—that’s not easy at all.  Doing the dishes might seem like a small example of servanthood but just think about all of the reasons to not do them:  you’ve had a long day; you did them the last 50 times; it’s not fair to you; or you deserve a break, etc.  We can come up with so many reasons why we shouldn’t have to serve others—and they all revolve around ourselves.  

And yet, Paul gives us the greatest example of servanthood.  Jesus, though He was God Himself, being a true servant to us all, humbled Himself to serve us, even to the point of dying on a cross. Though Jesus had an infinitely longer list of reasons why He shouldn’t have to serve us, but because of His love for us, He looked not just to His own interests but to our interests.  It may be a struggle to serve others and an even greater struggle to keep on serving others, but let us remember Jesus, who served us and let us die to ourselves that we might do the dishes for others.

Prayer: Jesus, forgive me for only looking out for my own interests.  I pray that as I remember your service to me, that I can in turn consider others more significant than myself.  Jesus, help me to be a servant.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Titus 1

Lunch Bible Study

Read John 3:25-30: Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Questions to Consider

  1. If John the Baptist had the wrong heart, what would his response have been to what Jesus was doing?  How do you think you would’ve responded?
  2. How was John able to respond with humility?
  3. When we get involved in ministry, we can easily fall prey to pride and envy.  How can we have a heart of humility like John as we serve?

Notes

  1. The crowds had been with John before, as he preached about the kingdom and baptized people in the Jordan— but now they were all going to Jesus.  If John’s heart was in the wrong place, he easily could have seen Jesus as his competition.  If we were John the Baptist, many of us in ministry would have felt inferior or envious.  The crowds leaving us could have easily made us feel as if we were failing in ministry.
  2. Verse 30 sums up John’s heart really well:  “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  John was able to respond with humility because he understood that Jesus was the Christ.  He didn’t respond with envy or out of inferiority because he understood that he was the “friend of the bridegroom,” and he could rejoice greatly because what was most important was that people hear the voice of the Bridegroom, who is Jesus.  The purpose of John’s ministry was for people to hear about the Christ, and so when the Christ came, he rejoiced. 
  3. We can be humble when we rightly understand who Jesus is and the importance of pointing people to Him.  We can celebrate whenever we see anyone striving to live for Jesus, when our desire is to see Jesus increase.

Evening Reflection

Philippians 2: 3 says, “…in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” How were you able to live this out today?  We all most likely have failed in this, in small or big ways.  Our failures in humility and servanthood all the more highlight what an amazing Savior and Servant we have in Jesus.  Take some time to reflect on how Jesus has served you, and thank Him for His love and grace towards you.