REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on December 3, 2016, is provided by Joanna Tzen, a friend of AMI, who attended and served at Grace Covenant Church for a long time. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“What I Learned from Buying a 100-Year-Old House”

Heb. 11:13

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Earlier this fall, my husband and I purchased our first house. People always ask how we feel about this, expecting joy and excitement, but I think our response leaves something to be desired. As thankful as we are for this gift and experience to be good stewards, maintaining a 100-year-old house is a lot of work! It’s not just keeping up with mortgage payments, but learning how old door knobs and locks work, along with a heating system, not to mention old windows and electrical systems. All that is to say, oddly enough, the experience makes me long for my heavenly home.

Hebrews 11 is known as the “hall of faith” passage, and faith is defined as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (v.1). This is the faith for which our forefathers were lauded. They have this confidence and assurance because of who God is. God is a good and perfect Heavenly Father who is a promise keeper. Abraham knew this when he was ready to sacrifice Isaac (v.17); Moses knew this when he was ready to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (v.27).

Today, we follow the same God who was faithful to Abraham and Isaac, who furthermore, kept His promise to us of a heavenly home by sending His Son Jesus. Have you been longing for your heavenly home? If not, have circumstances overwhelmed you or made you complacent? Let’s ask the Heavenly Father to help us recover a healthy and heavenly longing today.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that you are trustworthy and a promise keeper. Thank You for showing me Your love through the sacrifice of Your Son. Remind me of how He has prepared the way for me, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies me until we meet face to face. Help me to remember Your promise and renew my mind toward heavenly things (Rom. 12:2), while You enable me to do good works (Eph.2:10) until it is time to return home. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  John 2-3

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on December 3, 2015.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“God is Love Even Though It May Not Look Like It”

Esther 3:1, 6; 7:10

After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. . . . 6 [H]aving learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. . . . 7:10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

The New Atheist Richard Dawkins said, “The God of the OT is . . . a petty, unjust . . ., a vindictive, bloodthirsty . . . bully.”  His exhibit No. 1: God’s command to King Saul to “attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them,” including, “men and women, children and infants” (1 Sam. 15:3).  

In light of this, exonerating God from Dawkins’ charge would be impossible, but realize that the meta-narrative regarding Israel and Amalek begins about 400 years earlier when Israel out of Egypt was roaming the desert in search of the Promise Land.  To do that Israel encountered many battles, and from the perspective of several Canaanite nations, they had a legitimate beef since, for instance, Israel sought to cross their land to get to her destination (Deut. 2:27-30).  But, that wasn’t the case with the Amalekites who actively searched for Israel to destroy it.  Thus, God, before telling Moses, “When the LORD . . . [gives] you . . . the land . . . as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven” (Deut. 25:19), reminds him, “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt.  When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God” (18).  

So, why was God so livid against Amalek?  Inasmuch as Israel was God’s chosen instrument to carry out his redemptive plan, Amalek, in effect, was Satan’s tool destroy it.  From the very outset, the Amalekites sought to eliminate Israel from the face of the earth. What was in it for Satan?  Once Israel was gotten rid of so was God’s redemptive plan, for it was through Israel that the Messiah was going to come.  It really was a zero-sum “game”: if Amalek prevailed, then, the “dominion of darkness” would have continued to envelop the world; if Israel prevailed, then, the imminent threat against God’s plan would have been thwarted.  

But evidently, Saul’s disobedience left some members of King Agag’s family alive, which, 500 years later, resulted in the rise of Haman the Agagite who tried to destroy all the Jews in the Persian Empire, including ones in Jerusalem.  Had he succeeded, it would have obliterated God’s redemptive plan for the world.  This was why God ordered Saul to eliminate all the Amalekites, for His love for the world was such that God risked being labelled as a “bloodthirsty bully” in order to send the Savior to redeem us from the miserable penalty of sin.  Dawkins is wrong, again!  “God is love” (1 Jn. 3:8) and “light; in him there is no darkness” (1:5).  With that in mind, go take on the day in Him. 

Prayer: Lord, I’m so thankful that I possess a life that is eternal that can never be taken away.  Then how sad is it that I continue to distrust You and doubt your promises.  I’m once again reminded today that your providence is real and that I can truly trust in your guidance of my life.  Thank You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 1

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Lunch Break Study 

Read Esther 6:5-6: His attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.” “Bring him in,” the king ordered.6 When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” (Remember that the king had in mind Mordecai, Haman’s enemy.)

Luke 14:7-11: When [Jesus] noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Question to Consider

1. What do Haman and the guests who picked the places of honor at the table have in common?

2. What is the lesson of the parable and how would it have helped Haman?

3. What makes us act like Haman and these guests? How are you doing with humility?

Notes

1. Both assumed that they were better than others, thus felt entitled to a better retreatment. 

2. The lesson is about humility which will save you from a ton of embarrassment; and it would have helped Haman in this way: Ask the king whom he has in mind before simply assuming that you are the man the king wants to honor.  Lack of humility and wanton assumption always go hand-in-hand.

3. A sense of entitlement: for some it takes no more than a mere college degree to feel like they are so much better than others.  Just take Christ’s advice: stay humble; don’t assume that you are the most decorated and educated person in the room; you are not!

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Evening Reflection

God’s providence often seems accidental or coincidental; it is when our favorable circumstances are seen through the eyes of faith in a personal God that we come to realize that it was God after all.  In looking back to today, was there a moment (however insignificant of a matter) in which you sensed that it was God who was favoring you once again?  Reflect.  Thank Him.

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 8, 2016, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian who leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.  Shan is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Teamwork”

Philippians 1:27

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

In basketball, I, as much as anyone, enjoy seeing highlights of windmill dunks, off balance three point shots with the shot clock running down, and plays where the defender jumps in from out of nowhere to block the shot.  It’s in plays like these that the talents and the athleticism of basketball players are highlighted.  To me though, the beauty of basketball really shines in teamwork.  There is something special about watching five guys on the basketball working in concert, seeing the ball being passed around, players working in unison, screening, cutting, passing; when a player has a good shot but instead passes the ball to his teammate for a great shot.   

When we read what Paul says to start this verse, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ,” our first inclination might be, like the basketball highlights that we see on TV, that we as individuals need to grow in our holiness or gifting.  We might think that living for the gospel is a personal project and that we as individuals need to shine for Jesus.  However, when Paul talks about living for the gospel in Philippians, his focus is on unity and teamwork.  He says that he desires to see the church “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side.”  It sounds like a great basketball team that works together in unison.  

When the body of Christ works in unison there is a greater power to advance the gospel.  When we are a team, we can look after one another, helping one another through trials and setbacks, carrying each others’ burden, while helping one another to stay focused on the mission that Jesus has given us as the church.  It’s not that our individual gifting and talents don’t matter, but if the world sees us as individuals laying down our need to shine, and striving and standing firm together for the gospel, they will see the beauty of the body of Christ.  Let us seek to live lives worthy of the gospel.

Prayer: Jesus, I pray that I will live a life worthy of the gospel by being a part of the body.  Help me to see that advancing the gospel isn’t just about me, but it’s about us as a church, standing firm and striving together for your gospel.  May the world see the beauty of your gospel through the church.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 12

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Lunch Bible Study

Read John 17:20: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 

Questions to Consider

1. How does Jesus pray for those who believe in him?
2. What is the purpose of unity according to this passage?
3. How can we seek to bring greater unity to the church?

Notes

1. Jesus prays that everyone who believes in him will be one.
2. The purpose of the oneness of the church is stated twice in this passage.  Verse 21, “so that they world may believe that you have sent me,” and verse 23, “so that the world may know you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”  Jesus is not praying for unity for the sake of unity, but he prays for unity for the sake of the advancement of the gospel.
3. The source of unity is not in own ability to find common ground, but it is Jesus Christ in us, our hope of glory.  If we are followers of Christ, then it means Christ is in us.  And if Christ is in us, Jesus tells us that we are perfectly one as Jesus brings us together.  We of course still need intentionally to have unity, but we intentionally seek unity that is already there in Christ.

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Evening Reflection

How are you a part of the teamwork of your church?  Or how can you be contributing to the unity of your church in a greater measure?  Take some time now to pray and ask God to help people see the beauty of the gospel through your local body of Christ.

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on December 2, 2015.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Let Another Praise You”

Esther 5:10-14

Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11 And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king. 12 Then Haman said, “Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. 13 Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows fifty cubits (75 feet) high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.”  This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.   

After the end of a long drive from Philadelphia to Houston to take my youngest child to college, it was nice to sit in a cool auditorium, listening to several speakers in a program called “New Families Orientation.”  As was customary, before the speakers approached the podium, the master of the ceremony read off a long of list of their academic pedigrees and accomplishments.   Although it wasn’t quite the same sensation as seeing a Harvard Medical School diploma hung on the office of my new doctor, knowing that these speakers weren’t “hacks” put me at ease.   

Now, what Haman did here isn’t all that different from what took place in that Houston auditorium—recounting all his accomplishments and pedigrees.   He was wealthy, had a large family of many sons, and was sitting on the top of the Persian bureaucratic totem pole.  The icing on the cake was Queen Esther’s preferential treatment of him.  The difference between the two, of course, is huge: while the praise of the speakers came from another person, Haman was busy praising himself.  Solomon quipped, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2).  

A practical reason for not praising oneself is to avoid embarrassment; something may happen that would pull the rug from under the very thing you felt proud of.  For Haman, whose fortune would soon take a nosedive, this meant leading Mordecai, “on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming . . ., ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights on honor’” (Esther 6:11).  Another reason why some people praise themselves is because no one would compliment them for the hard work they have done.  Since human nature does need some positive reinforcement, we should heed what Paul said: “They have refreshed my spirit and yours also.  Such men deserved recognition” (1 Cor. 16:18).  But a spiritual reason for not praising ourselves is because self-praise diminishes God’s glory, as if our ability or spirituality keyed our success.  

Do find yourself praising yourself too much, hoping that people would approve of you then?  Maybe you aren’t spending enough time alone with God.  Be approved by Him, because Jesus found you worthy enough to die to save you.

Prayer: Lord, I lift Your glorious Name on high for Your kindness.  Please open wide my prideful eyes so that I may see what is really going on in my life .  Help me to respond quickly in humility and repentance, rather than to wait a long time to make things right with You.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 11

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Lunch Break Study 

In the morning, we examined the vanity of Haman; this afternoon we will deal with his penchant for violence (killing all Jews on account of one Jew, and to kill him on gallows 75 feet tall).

Read Judges 9:47, 48b-54: Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 . . . And Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done.” 49 So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women. 50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower. 52 And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. 54 Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 

Question to Consider

1. In what ways are Haman and Abimelech similar in how they lived and died?

2. What fuels (thoughts, ideas, etc.) such violence?  

3. While we may not be that violent, what are some ways through which we show contempt for others?  Are you having any issue with anyone at the moment?  Are you concocting a plan to do something about it?  How can you turn that negativity into something positive?

Notes

1. Evidently, both men had no regard for human life.  To get what they wanted, killing became a necessary and rational means to go after it. 

2. A low view of life certainly is a necessary rationale for a total disregard for human life.  This  low view stems from denying that each human is created by God in His own image with a special purpose.   Haman and Abimelech saw men as being no different from insects or mammals. 

3. I think a common weapon deployed to show our contempt for people whom we dislike is telling half-truths or lies about them.  While we aren’t physically killing anyone, we are destroying their reputation and maligning their character.   The best way to turn that negativity into something positive is this: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44).

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Evening Reflection

Jesus says, “Anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. . . . Anyone who say, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” (Matt. 5:22).  Okay, fess up before going sleep: to whom did you get angry?  Was it your spouse or child?  Ask the Lord to give you the motivation and strength to mend this relationship—then just obey Him!

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 13, 2016, is provided by Phillip Chen who is associate pastor at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego.  Phil is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Ability to Forget”

Philippians 3:12-16 (ESV)

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

When I was in high school and college, I enjoyed playing poker with my friends. Although I would not recommend it, as it can become an unhealthy addiction, I did learn some valuable life lessons during those years. In poker, when you have good cards and are statistically favored to win, but someone ends up beating you because of luck, it’s called a “bad beat.” When someone gets a bad beat and end up focusing so much on it, not being able to concentrate on what is coming up, they end up making bad decisions, because they are either overly aggressive or overly passive in the future hands that they play. I remember learning early on that it is so important to forget the bad beats and not be so distraught over it, so that the way you play your future hands are not affected by it. That’s one of the aspects that separate skilled players from unskilled players—the ability to forget about the bad beats and keep pressing forward.

Paul continues his exhortation to the Philippian believers that they need not worry that they are not perfect in their pursuit of becoming like Jesus, but that they simply need to continue forward towards the end goal—the prize that is found in Christ Jesus. Paul admits that he himself is still struggling and wrestling towards the finish line, and that he does his best not to dwell on his shortcomings but to keep his eyes fixed on the finish line. 

Though it is important to reflect, debrief, and address our shortcomings and our sinful pasts, it is important that we learn to loosely hold those in tension, as we run hard towards the finish line. Maybe today you are paralyzed by your sinfulness and are unable to forgive yourself of your shortcomings. Maybe you are overly critical of yourself and have lost hope in the possibility of breakthrough. Let today’s passage be a reminder to you that you need not hold onto all of that baggage so tightly that it distracts you from running this race. Don’t let those things become a hindrance from pursuing Jesus whole-heartedly. Forget about those bad beats and keep pressing forward!

Prayer: Father, in [list the things that you have a hard time letting go], help me not to dwell on it, but rather to press forward with my eyes on the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. I know that You are still in the process of refining me. Thank You for continuing Your work in me. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 10

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Lunch Break Study

Read Acts 20:22-24 (ESV): And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Question to Consider

1. What was the big deal about going to Jerusalem?

2. What does the apostle Paul value the most? 

3. Has God called you towards a certain direction or course? What is your response, and how have you positioned yourself to respond in obedience?

Notes

1. Paul knew that there were many in Jerusalem that wanted to harm him and even kill him, but he was still set on going, being constrained by the Holy Spirit. 

2. Paul has set his mind and his heart on the ministry that the Lord has given to him. Thus, he counts everything else as meaningless in comparison to this task. 

3. Reflection question.

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Evening Reflection

This passage not only pertains to our past disappointments or shortcomings, but it can also apply to our past accomplishments. Even though we have accomplished things in the past, don’t let that be something that prevents you from continuing forward with focus and determination. We find that many of the leaders in the Bible actually did not finish well. For example, Solomon, though he was gifted with tremendous wisdom, ended up as one of the most disobedient kings of Israel. Tonight, remind yourself that your one focus and one end goal is to love God with all of your life and to set your eyes on that as you press forward in this life.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 5, 2016, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian who leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.  Shan is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Spiritual Friendship”

Philippians 1:3-6

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 

Some of you may recall a wonderfully cheesy Christian song from the 1980s from Michael W. Smith called “Friends.” The first lines of the chorus are, “And friends are friends forever if the Lord’s the Lord of them.”  While this song is cheesy, Smith, at least, hints at something that’s incredibly important for us to remember with regards to our spiritual friendships: For our friendships or partnerships in the gospel to last, the Lord must be the Lord of them.  

The book of Philippians is oozing with joy and affection from Paul towards the church in Philippi.  His heart of love towards these friends of his is undeniable when we read his letter, especially in these verses as he is so thankful for them when he remembers and prays for them with joy.  Paul has such affection for them because of their friendship, but it’s so much more than a relationship based on similar backgrounds or interests.  There was a strong friendship between them because the Lord was the Lord of them.  Paul’s love for them was grounded in the fact that God was working in them.

It is crucial for us in the body of Christ to seek out and maintain spiritual friendships that will last for an eternity.  Especially as we live in in a culture where the idea of friendship has been cheapened by the social media, it’s easy for us to settle for relationships based on similar age, interests, or opinions.  Too often we’re missing out on the richness of joy that God has for us in true spiritual and eternal partnerships that are established and rooted in the work of God in our lives.  As we are all a part of the body of Christ, let us seek to grow or maintain friendships where we can rejoice, as we see God at work in one another.

Prayer: Jesus, I thank You for all of the ways You’ve blessed me through the spiritual friendships in my life.  I pray against shallowness and superficiality in my relationships, but that in all of them I will see Your faithful hand at work.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 9

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Lunch Bible Study

Read Mark 2:1-12: And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Questions to Consider

1. What were the obstacles to this paralytic man being healed? 
2. According to Mark, why does Jesus heal this man?
3. How would you describe the friends of this paralytic man?

Notes

1. There was such a large crowd in this house that people could not get through the door.  There were also the scribes who did not approve of Jesus saying that this man’s sins were forgiven.
2. Mark tells us in verse 5 that Jesus forgives this man’s sins and heals him “when Jesus saw their faith.”  It’s important to note that Mark says “their” faith, not “his faith.”  It was on the basis of the collective faith of the paralytic man’s four friends that Jesus heals and forgives.
3. Among a number of good words to describe them, I would choose loving, persistent and faithful.  You have to assume that these four friends really cared for their paralytic friend.  They wouldn’t have gone through the embarrassment of damaging the roof of another man’s house for the sake of a stranger, but they persisted through the obstacles with great faith to bring their friend to Jesus.  What amazing friends!

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Evening Reflection

Think about the relationships and friendships you have now. Take some time to thank and praise God for the friendships that have pointed or been pointing you towards Jesus.  Also, think about some of these relationships that could go deeper.  Pray that those relationships in particular can go deeper and that God will continue to bless you through the body of Christ.

REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on February 22, 2015.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Lord, Have Mercy on Me!”

Lk. 18:9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: [10] “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ [13] But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

Some comedians make fun of personal injury lawyers, usually capitalizing on their reputation as  “ambulance chasers.”  But during Jesus’ time, tax collectors were held in even lower regard because they, while collecting taxes for the hated Romans, extorted money from people.  So, Zacchaeus, known as “a chief tax collector,” became prominent and wealthy because he was very good at practicing extortion. 

On the opposite side of the moral spectrum were the Pharisees, Israel’s religious and civil leaders, whose very name means the “separated ones,” but from what?  The Pharisees not only separated themselves from “sins,” but from those who committed them as well, because their impeccable compliance to God’s laws made them feel superior.  As a result, anyone trying to speak into their lives was categorically rejected.   They said to the temple guards, who were impressed by the way Jesus spoke, “Has any of . . . the Pharisees believed in him?  No!  But this mob knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them” (Jn. 7:49).  When the formerly blind man insisted that the one who healed him had to be from God, the Pharisees replied, “‘How dare you lecture us!’  And they threw him out” (9:34). 

Now, Jesus was a problem to both groups: to the formally trained Pharisees, hearing people say, “No one ever spoke the way [Jesus] does” (46), was threatening since he had “never studied” (7:15 NKJV) formally.  The tax collectors were threatened by Jesus because he agreed with John the Baptist who once said to them, “Don’t collect any more than you are required to” (Lk. 3:13).  So, to accept Jesus and His teaching, the Pharisees first had to swallow their pride; but instead, they tried to impugn his character (by saying he was “of Beelzebub”).   The tax collectors, on the other hand, had to repent of their greed, meaning no longer extort people.  And some did, like Zacchaeus who declared, “Now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and . . .  I will pay back four times the amount” (Lk. 19:8).  In response, Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this man. . . . For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (9-10).

Generally, it isn’t too hard for the impious to see how far they’ve veered off from God; but the real challenge comes thereafter because while we don’t need to change ourselves to be saved, a changed life must proceed after encountering Christ.   And there is also hope for people like the Pharisees: Joseph of Arimathea (Mk. 15:43) and Nicodemus (Jn. 3:1), both members of the powerful Jewish ruling council, saw that they were no different from the tax collectors; as a result, they embraced Jesus as the One who came to save the lost.  So, which one of these two do you identify with? It doesn’t matter because the way to Christ is the same: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

Prayer: Lord, have mercy on me, always! Thank you for making me aware of my desperate need of you in every waking moment. Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 8

REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Cami King, now a friend of AMI, was first posted on December 19, 2015.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Bad News All Around Us: How Did We Get Here?”

Hosea 4:1-3

Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, For the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land.2 There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed.3 Therefore the land mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky, And also the fish of the sea disappear.

Have you watched the news lately? If you have, then you know that one hour of the news is enough to break your heart. From the atrocities committed by ISIS to the refugee crisis in Syria, from the ever-present sex trafficking around the world to issues of hunger, particularly in the Global South, from the racial divide that continues to plague America to abuse of power at all levels (this list could go on forever); yes, our world is a hot mess!  And when I sit and watch and think upon all these things, I always find myself asking, “Why do things have to be this way? And how did we even get here?”

It’s hard to read the list in verse two of the passage above without thinking of the present state of our world. While we know Hosea was speaking to a people group worlds away from our own (and thousands of years prior), his message seems to transcend time and speak right into situations we are currently facing. In this passage, God is judging His people and a wicked people at that – they swear, deceive, murder, steal, and commit adultery. Sound familiar? They are violent bloodshedders who cause even nature itself to mourn under their sin and brokenness. As I look at the world around me—full of racism, sexism, classism, as well as terrorism—I see us in these verses and in God’s pronouncement of judgment. 

But the question remains – how did we get here (and how did Israel get there)? Our passage for today answers just that – we forsook faithfulness, kindness and the knowledge of God. It’s that simple. When people fail to remain faithful to the life God created us to live, when we refuse to love one another and do kindness, and when we turn away from knowledge of the Lord and lean upon our own understanding – we end up right where we are today – wicked and condemned. It’s easy to criticize the state of things without seeing the sickness that leads to these ailments in our own hearts. But the sickness is there in each of us. 

With this in mind, may we today commit ourselves anew to faithfulness to the way of the Lord, choose kindness toward our neighbor no matter what, and pursue knowledge of the Lord above all things. As we do, we will find the Spirit at work in us making our world whole again. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your righteous judgment against the sin and brokenness in the world. Thank You for keeping us from hurting one another and destroying the world You created. Thank You for Your Son Jesus who is making all things new through those who choose to follow You. May I be in that number. Help me to walk in faithfulness, do kindness, and pursue knowledge of You today and every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 6-7

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional, provided by Emerson Lin, was first posted on December 2, 2016.  Emerson, a graduate of University of California (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.), serves as a missionary in E. Asia (along with his wife Annie). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Examining Our Hearts”

Hebrews 13:3

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Growing up, I was a typical rebellious teenager in high school and would often fight with my parents. Thinking they were being too hard on me, I decided that I had enough of their “parenting.” One day, I told my parents I could not live with them anymore and made a decision to leave the house. I packed my bags and walked out the door and disappeared for a whole week, without any contact. After a week, my friend’s mom drove me home. Looking back, the whole ordeal was quite comical. 

In college, when I asked my parents what their thoughts were during that situation, they said that while they were worried, they understood that I needed some space. However, for a whole week, they knelt by my bed and interceded for me – asking the Lord to bring me home safely. 

In this passage, the author of Hebrews concludes this letter with fourteen exhortations. In one of the exhortations, the author encourages the readers to remember those in prison as if they were together with them in prison. The people who were put in prison and mistreated were, most likely, those who were persecuted for their faith. I believe that the author was encouraging the readers to not only remember them, but more importantly, to intercede on behalf of them.

Many of us – including myself—struggle with the exhortation to intercede for other believers. We struggle because of the individualistic society we live in today. Even the rhetoric we use indicates how we view our faith, “Our personal Lord and Savior.” Sometimes we are so focused on our own faith that we forget that we belong to the body of Christ. Because we constantly forget, the author of Hebrews encourages us with the word “continue” to remind us that it is an ongoing process, and that we should not cease remembering the community of believers

While it is not wrong to have personal requests, the Bible does remind us, quite often, to pray for all believers. Ephesians 6:18 says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Also, 1 Timothy 2:1 says, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people.” This is God’s command to us!

I want to encourage you to examine your heart. Do you intercede on behalf of your brothers and sisters? Do you pray more for yourself or for others? If you pray for yourself more, why?

Prayer: Lord, please continue to remind me to intercede for saints around me, as well as, those who are suffering in other nations. I do not want my faith to be so inward focused, but to be outward focused for the sake of the body of Christ. Amen.

Bible reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 5

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Lunch Break Study

Read John 17:20-6: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Questions to Consider

1. What is Jesus’ prayer for all believers?
2. Why is complete unity important for believers? How does this encourage you to strive for unity?
3. Verse 26 says, “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them.” In what areas of your life do you see the fruit of the Father’s love?

Notes

1. Jesus’ prayer is that there may be unity among all believers, just as the Father and the Son are one. 
2. The purpose of our unity is so that the world will know that the Father has sent Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and our unity points to that. The body of Christ is like a lighthouse that displays the love of Christ for the lost. If the world sees the Father’s love through the body of Christ, then it places a greater responsibility for us to love our brothers and sisters as best as we can. 
3. Spend some time in personal reflection.

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Evening Reflection

In view of today’s theme of intercession this morning, how did this impact you? Were you reminded of someone that you could pray for? Review your day here.

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 1, 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 Thoughts for This Morning

“Islam: So Near and Yet So Far from the Biblical Faith”

Hebrews 12:3-7

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

 Last month, I visited an Islamic Jummah prayer meeting in one of the college campuses near our church. Of course I told them that I was a Christian, and my purpose for attending was merely to learn. As I was sitting in the back of the room, observing the prayer time, the imam (spiritual leader) began his sermon with these words: “Life and death. Why did Allah create these things? – To test us. Everything in this life is a test, to see which one of you is the best, and to see if you will fall away or obey….” 

The rest of the sermon was strikingly similar to several Christian sermons I’ve heard, in terms of it being an exhortation to strive for perseverance and moral uprightness. However, I couldn’t shake the weight of his opening words, “Everything in this life is a test….” In other words, until their dying breath, people must strive to pass each test from Allah, lest they fall out of his favor.

This couldn’t be further from the truth of our God. The author of Hebrews tells us that those who are in Christ are already accepted as sons (and daughters) of God. The various trials, hardships, and even struggles against sin, are not entrance exams into His Kingdom. Even when God does test us (He does sometimes), they are not tests that determine His acceptance of us. Jesus already determined His acceptance of us! Instead, God uses all these things to discipline us, to teach us, to grow us, and to sanctify us. This changes everything! While Muslims must strive in order to pass the test, Christians strive from a place of already having been accepted.

Perhaps you are going through a trial, a hardship, or a struggle against sin. Take encouragement in the truth that God is growing you, even through the things that are unpleasant. If you are in Christ, you are a child of God, and nothing can take that away!

Prayer: Lord, we thank You that our adoption into Your family was not by our own merit or performance. Thank you, Jesus, for taking our sins and giving us Your righteousness. Holy Spirit, help us now to endure through the various struggles in this life, and that we might grow in discipline and faith.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 4

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Lunch Break Study

Deuteronomy 8:2-3: And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Questions to Consider

1. What kind of test did God put the Israelites through?
2. Why did God test His people in this way?
3. What can we learn about God’s method of teaching in this passage?

Notes

1. God tested his people by leading them in the wilderness for 40 years. He humbled them by letting them go hungry, and then feeding them with manna. This was intentional, that is, to show the Israelites that they have to depend on God to provide each meal, every day. The Israelites had no control over the manna. When it would fall, how long it would last all depended on God. But it was their only source of nutrients, and they had to trust God for it. It’s important to note that during the entire wilderness narrative, no one ever died of hunger.
2. God tells us that He tested His people in this way so “that he might make [them] know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” All the suffering, hunger, and trusting, was to teach the Israelites to live by God’s Word on a daily basis. Although the wilderness wasn’t a pleasant experience, God was disciplining his children, showing them that they could put their whole-hearted trust in Him, because He loves them.
3. Among other things, this passage tells us that God will allow seasons of hardships and trials in our lives, if it will lead us to trust and love Him more. 

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Evening Reflection

It’s easy to thank God when things are going well. But Paul writes in Romans 5:3-4, “…but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope….”

This evening, spend some time thanking God for the things you feel the LEAST thankful for. It might just be God’s most effective tool for producing endurance, character, and hope in you.