Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 31, 2013, was written by a sophomore in college then who is now a pastor.  Praise the Lord!

Devotional Thought for This Morning

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens!
² Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent greatness!

³ Praise him with trumpet sound;
    praise him with lute and harp!
⁴ Praise him with tambourine and dance;
    praise him with strings and pipe!
⁵ Praise him with sounding cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

This being the last day of 2021, I would like to consider the last Psalm that gives two reasons why we praise God; we praise him because of “his mighty deeds” and “his excellent greatness.”

Let’s consider the first reason. In the Bible, a pattern of worship is often seen—when God performs some wondrous, glorious act of deliverance for his people, the only proper response seems to be fervent worship. For example, when God parts the Red Sea so the Israelites could cross and escape from Pharaoh’s army, Moses breaks out into an exuberant song of worship: “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). Another example of this pattern can be found in the birth story of Christ. When shepherds see the infant Jesus, knowing that they are witnessing the coming of the Savior, they leave the stable “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them” (Luke 2:19). For Christians today, the ultimate act of God’s deliverance is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to save us from wickedness, suffering, and sin. This is why we praise God—because of his mighty deed of remembering us and rescuing us from all that is painful and evil in exchange for eternal life. 

The second reason Psalm 150 gives for praising God is “his excellent greatness.” We have already seen that God is a completely perfect being worthy of reverent adoration and praise. In fact, it seems difficult to imagine anyone other than God receiving worship. For example, think about some people greatly esteemed in our global community. People like Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai are surely heroes we might respect, but would they be worthy of worship? Such a response would strike us as bizarre, even crazy—I can certainly admire Mandela and Malala for certain acts of altruism and bravery in their lives, but I surely wouldn’t fall down and worship them and assemble praise services to venerate them for years to come! But that sort of response is exactly what God deserves: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and praise!” (Revelation 4:11). God, and God alone, is worthy of worship. 

So, as we usher in the new year, let us worship God, and let’s not stop worshiping Him throughout 2022!

Prayer: Thank You, God, for an amazing year in which I grew so much through both good and bad times in Your abiding presence. I worship You on this last day of 2021 and will continue to do so in 2022. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Thess. 5

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Lunch Break Study

Read Habakkuk 3:17-8: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the LORD, is my strength.”  

Psalm 77: 1, 4, 11, 19-20: “I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” 

Questions to Consider

1. What is astounding about the faith of Habakkuk as he anticipates the coming of the Babylonians who will destroy everything in sight as part of God’s judgment against Israel?

2. In light of how we usually respond to trials in life, what distinguishes the faith of this “tormented” Psalmist?  

Notes

1. It’s easy to praise God when one thinks about his wondrous creation, perfect character, and mighty deeds as told in the Bible. But it can be so hard to praise God when one reflects on the suffering in one’s life and the seemingly hopeless reality of pain that fills the earth. The first passage concerns this very issue: the prophet Habakkuk was living during a time where he saw so much suffering that God could stop but chose not to: “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?” (Habakkuk 1:13). But Habakkuk eventually chooses to trust that God knows what he is doing, that God has sufficient reasons for permitting what happens in the world. Such faith and worship in the face of suffering is unbelievably difficult, but it is the path God’s people must take. 

2. The second passage concerns a time when the writer was undergoing a deeply difficult trial.  But his heart is strengthened upon remembering how God took a hopeless situation of seeming defeat at the Red Sea into a great deliverance of freedom. Such is our hope for today. In this life, we will experience all sorts of pain and despair: we will fail, be confused, have heartbreak, suffer depression, lose loved ones, feel utterly crushed; this is what it’s like living in a fallen world. It’s supposed to be hard. But we remember that Jesus Christ has delivered us from all this! We remember that there are better days ahead, a future with the God we worship. What will ultimately deliver us from sin and suffering? Sophisticated behavioral therapy?  Better science and technology? More friends? Romance? More sex and drugs? “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).  

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Evening Reflection

As a new year comes, what do you look forward to? What do you dread? 

Along with the times of joy and happiness we eagerly anticipate, there are also going to be times of great sadness and terrible pain. But God is with us! We worship a God who has already ensured that we will have an eternally good future with him forever. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me . . . Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23: 4, 6). With Jesus by our side, we continue on our earthly journey to the gates of the city of God. Praise the Lord!

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on October 3, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Rising from the Rubbles of Life”

Isaiah 61:1, 2-3(NIV)

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners . . .  ³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”

The rags to riches stories are really encouraging to hear, but most people aren’t that poor to begin with, and even less people become that rich to make an impression.  The story of orphan Esther, who rose to be the queen of an empire, is certainly amazing but may seem too improbable for ordinary people to be inspired by it.  But if you get to know some people around you, they may share a story that is both inspiring and within your grasp with God’s help. 

When Jonathan, a German-descent Mexican in his late 20s, came to my class in 2004, he was a youth pastor, eager to learn.  In his teens, he ran away from an abusive father who forced him to sell things on the street and beat him.  Living now with a relative, he worked to support himself while going to school.  And during this time he came to know the Lord.  

After studying diligently with me for 3 years, he had progressed enough so that his superior allowed him to train other pastors with my courses. But I was so disappointed when Jonathan informed me in 2006 that he was moving to New Mexico to take on a small pastorate.

Soon after we moved back to the states in 2011, Jonathan invited me to offer a course to his leaders and to preach.   Oh, how pleased I was to find that a church of 30 had grown to a congregation of 200 adults and 100 kids!  Though the numbers do not always tell the right story, but in this case, it does. Pastor Jonathan, who could have easily given up, didn’t; instead, he worked and studied hard and prayed even harder to be the right spiritual leader for many Mexican-Americans who had a hard life in the states. 

The Bible is full of people whose ashes became a crown of beauty because God wouldn’t give up on them, and they wouldn’t give up on God (Peter, Mary Magdalene).  Today can be the start of a new beginning to become, not a queen, but someone useful for God’s kingdom work.     

Prayer: Dear Lord, how I exalt You for your steadfast love towards me.  Although I have given up on myself many times, You have always stayed close to encourage me.  Lord, although I cannot offer much, if at all, use me for your Kingdom work.  Cleanse me, train me, and equip me so that I can be useful for You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Thess. 4

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Lunch Break Study

Read Phil. 1:6 (ESV): “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; 2:13 (ESV): for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

2 Tim. 2:6 (NIV): “The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.”

1 Peter 2:11 (ESV): “…whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.  To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Questions to Consider

1. What should be the basis of our confidence?  How is this fundamentally different from humanism?

2. What is the relationship between God strengthening us and us working hard?

3. Ultimately, what are we trying to demonstrate by trying to be successful in the Lord?

Notes

1. Our confidence stems from what God has promised.  He promises to strengthen our will in order to produce the work that would please him; on top of that, He is going to ensure that we finish what we have begun.  Humanism is relying on personal resources without acknowledging or depending on God. 

2. Among several variables, one tangible connection for me is motivation.  God’s strength motivates me to discipline myself to work hard and to yield the fruits desired by the Lord.

3. We aren’t trying to tell the world how great and smart we are; instead, we want the world to know how great and awesome God’s power is to transform broken lives, thereby glorifying Him.

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Evening Reflection

How would you describe the day you had? Was it another mundane day?  Be silent before God and think through all that have happened today.  Perhaps had you missed the encouraging voice from the Lord.  Pray.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on October 29, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Mind of Someone Who Will Sue You for $3”

Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, didn’t consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.”

The forerunner of the reality television probably was programs showing real court cases involving all sorts of bizarre issues.  In one particular episode of “The People’s Court” (1981), a pizza parlor owner was sued for $3.00 for not giving the thick pizza ordered by the plaintiff.  At the center of his mindset was a sense of entitlement with a bloated sense of rights.   

Certainly, some rights are legitimate as when Thomas Jefferson exulted over the inalienable rights of men consisting of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  If the problem then was that these rights didn’t extend to Black Americans, then the problem today is the hyperextension of the concept of rights to mean that individuals can do or should get whatever they want—anything that hinders it is infringing upon their rights. 

This attitude has spilled into the church, where people come with a consumer mentality, expecting to be pampered like high-end clients.  If the church does not cater to their every whim, they don’t come back since there are plenty of other churches to choose from. One minister confessed that two families left for another church because his parking attendants didn’t direct cars out of the lot fast enough.

If the believers truly appreciate the mind of Christ, they wouldn’t behave like that, at least, not all the time.  The key Greek concept in Philippians 2:5-8 is kenosis, meaning “emptying of self,” which is what Jesus did to take on “the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”  He did that to bear the human sin and then to pay for it with his own death.  The kenosis of Christ involves two aspects: (1) condescension seen in his incarnation or leaving heaven’s glory to take a human form, and (2) humiliation seen in his life of suffering leading to, and including the cross.  

The best antidote for an entitled self is serving others.   So look around to see if there is anyone whom you can serve today.   Remember, Christ “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45).

Prayer: Magnificent Lord, how I worship You this morning for what it took for You to save me from going to hell!  I cannot quite fathom how Christ, who created the world, could lower Himself to be a man as if he were part of the creation.  To think that You did that just to die for me, I am speechless.  Thank you.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Thessalonians 3

Lunch Break Study

Read John 5:27, 12:47, 17:5 (NIV): “And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man . . .  If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person.  For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world . . . For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead . . . [Jesus prayed], “Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

Questions to Consider

1. What were the rights that Jesus lawfully had as the Creator of the universe (Jn. 1:3) looking down on humans living in rebellion against God?  

2. What did Jesus choose to do instead?

3. Based on Jn. 17:5, what did it cost Jesus to become a man?   What do you need to give up in order to become more of an authentic servant?

Notes

1. As the Creator of the universe, Christ was given full authority to judge his creation.

2. In his 1^st coming, instead of judging the world, he died to save it.   This is to say, the Father had given the Son authority to judge the world but he renounced that right in his 1^st coming in order to save it.  In other words, he had the right to rule and judge but gave that up to serve; in his 2^nd coming, he will judge.

3. It cost him his glory, which he left behind with the Father in order to become a man.  It is safe to assume that we have little or no idea what that means, but suffice it to say that it was much more costlier than what we think.  

Evening Reflection

As you review today, did you run into situations in which you acted more like an entitled king than a servant?  Perhaps, you came through and served others as Christ would have.  Reflect and pray.  

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Andrew Kim of Tapestry Church (Los Angeles), was originally posted on December 29, 2015.  Andrew and his family are soon moving to Montreal to assume a pastorate there.  Please pray for them. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Picture of Grace”

Hosea 11:8-12

“How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger; I will not destroy Ephraim; For I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. They shall go after the Lord; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt; and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord. Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of the Israel with deceit, but Judah still walks with God.” 

In my early 20’s, I was going through a very difficult season while dealing with depression.  Although I was attending church, I wasn’t necessarily looking for God.  Instead, I sought comfort in all the wrong places; in fact, I rebelled against God in every way imaginable. But one Sunday, I found myself at a prayer meeting and God met me in a way that left no part of me untouched. And for the first time in many years I felt whole again. This was the beginning of a journey that continues even to this day. You see, this is a picture of grace—God’s undeserved favor bestowed upon someone who not only didn’t deserve it but wasn’t even looking for it!

In Hosea 11, we find a similar story.  The chapter begins with a heartbreaking depiction of God’s relationship to Israel. He likens it to a son dismissing his own father through a series of betrayal and rebellion.  And like many fathers would, God responds with judgment and discipline: the Assyrians will be sent to destroy Israel.  If this were the end of the story, we would say, “What a fitting end; they deserve it!” However, in a surprising turn of events God does the unimaginable: He promises a day when they will be called back and be made His own forever. This is a perfect picture of grace—God saving a people who deserved nothing less than to be eternally exiled.

It bears repeating: God’s grace can reach anyone.  Many feel as though their sins are too great for God to love them.  Some of us struggle with an immense amount of guilt and believe that God has given up on us. But understand that no sin is too grievous or disturbing that God will forsake us.  Just as He said to Israel, “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel?”  He says to us, “How can I give YOU up?”  The rest of the Bible tells the same story of God’s relentless love bestowed on us in His Son Jesus. Through the outstretched arms of Christ, God’s grace reaches out to even the most distant sinners. So let us approach the throne of God with boldness today because we can trust that His grace is greater than our sins, and that we are never too far from His love!  

Prayer: Precious Savior, thank you for remaining faithful to me despite my sinful ways. Help me to understand more of your grace and love in a way that will bring transformation to my character and boldness in my relationship with You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Thessalonians 2

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Lunch Break Study 

Read Romans 5:8: “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  

Questions to Consider 

1. Why is the word “while” very important to this verse? 

2. How did God show us His love for us? 

Notes  

1. The word “while” is important because it shows us that our salvation is never based on performance. God didn’t show us His love after we stopped being sinners but even as we were rebellious towards Him. This is an important point to understand. This is the crux of the Gospel message.
2. God shows us His love through the sacrificial death of His Son Jesus Christ. This is the ultimate demonstration of God’s grace, offering us eternal life and communion with Him in spite of our sinful ways. 

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Evening Reflection 

Our culture is obsessed with performance. From the outset of our lives, we are taught that everything needs to be earned, whether it’s the relationships we want or the promotions we strive after. Many times this way of thinking bleeds into our relationship with God, where we feel the need to earn God’s love. Do you struggle with accepting God’s grace and love? Do you find it hard to approach God after you’ve sinned? Ask God to reveal His amazing grace to you, that you would be able to experience the freedom that only God’s grace can give! 

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was first posted on June 17, 2015.   A graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), Doug is the UC site pastor of Grace Covenant Church in Philadelphia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Our God is a God of Details”

1 Kings 6:1-6

In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord. The house that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house. 4 And he made for the house windows with recessed frames. He also built a structure against the wall of the house, running around the walls of the house, both the nave and the inner sanctuary. And he made side chambers all around. The lowest story was five cubits broad, the middle one was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad. For around the outside of the house he made offsets on the wall in order that the supporting beams should not be inserted into the walls of the house.

When I come to these passages that detail the dimensions and specifications of a building or structure (such as the temple, tabernacle, or Noah’s ark), I often skim through them, thinking to myself that this is not important. I want to get to the stories—the commandments, the things that seem to actually matter to me.

However, God chose to include these passages in the Bible. If He did not want us to read about the exact details of these buildings, then God could have left them out. The reality is that God cares about details. Perhaps we liken God to a boss who immediately gets bored when you start talking in details. No, God cares about even the smallest of details, for Jesus says to us, “Even the hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matt. 10:30).  We were woven by God in our mother’s womb, formed perfectly according to God’s  unique specification for us, just like the temple was built uniquely to an exact specification.

What does this mean for us? This means that we can bring anything to God because He cares. He cares about every part of us, even up to the tiniest detail. God will not get bored with us and turn away, but He listens and He cares—this is who our God is. As much as God is infinitely transcendent and distinct from us, He is also infinitely immanent and near to us. He wants to get involved in every area of our lives, for we are His beloved children and He cares fully about us.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for being my Father in Heaven who formed me to be who I am according to Your perfect specification. Thank You for loving me fully, for loving every part of me. Let me never doubt the level to which You care for me, but rather believe that You care about every single area of my life. Help me to trust You with all I am and not keep You at distance. Let Your love go ever deeper in my life.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Thessalonians

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Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 10:29-31: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Questions to Consider

1. What does it mean that “not one of [the sparrows] will fall to the ground apart from Your Father”?

2. Why should it comfort us that “even the hairs of your head are all numbered”?

3. Why should we not fear?

Notes

1. This passage is saying that God even sustains sparrows, and nothing can harm a sparrow apart from God’s will since He is the One who is in control. Not only sparrows, but everything is under God’s control. It’s because of His control that we can trust Him.

2. We often have a desire to truly be known by others. Sometimes we have friends who may know us so well that they know even our freckles and spots. But do they know each individual hair? God knows us so well that He recognizes every hair; more than that, He knows every emotion, hurt, tear, joy in our lives. We are fully known by God. How amazing is that!

3. God is in control and cares for sparrows. But praise be to God that we are worth more than sparrows in God’s eyes! If He even cares for sparrows, of course He will care for us! We can trust Him because He is completely and utterly in control. He will provide for us and sustain us, just as He sustains the creatures of this world.

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Evening Reflection

Take time to reflect on the truth that you are fully known by God. He shaped you and formed you to be who you are. Let that truth comfort your soul, removing any fears you may have about your life and future. God is in control, worthy of all our trust. Pray for greater trust and dependence on God.

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on February 23, 2014.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Leaning on the Lord Even Without Trials in Our Lives”

2 Cor. 1:9

“In our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raised the dead.” 

Once, a professor gave a huge amount of material to study for the midterm to his freshmen class.  As anxiety grew in the room, the first-year students gasped and sighed loudly.  In the ensuing week, the professor, after tossing the graded exams on his desk, declared, “After I left here last week, the Lord spoke to me.  He really appreciated the midterm, saying, ‘Thanks, professor.  I haven’t heard from some of your students in years!’”  

Yes, there is nothing like trials in our lives to get us to pray. This is why after major calamities like the 9/11, people flock to churches the following Sunday.  Unfortunately, the shelf life of drawing near to God to seek His favor in time of felt-need is very brief.  

The greatest enemy to prayerlessness and drawing near to God is this: our prosperity.  God told the 8^th century B.C. Prophet Hosea regarding people like you and I:  “I cared for you in the desert, in the land of burning heat.  When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me” (13:5-6). Does this mean losing our prosperity is a way to remember and return to God?

My father went to be with the Lord, but for the longest time he didn’t acknowledge God.  A rather wealthy man in Korea, he continued his disbelief in the U.S. even though he wasn’t as prosperous. Wanting desperately to see him turn to God, I finally prayed that God would take away what prosperity he still had so that he might turn to God.  In 1987, he came to California from the East Coast for my engagement.  One afternoon, as we were walking on the campus of my seminary, he said, “I lost my business but now I have God in my life and I am so joyous.”  It was a bittersweet moment.  Why bitter?  Because my dad added, “Your uncle gave you $1,000 for your engagement but I can only give you $100 because I need the rest.”  

My dad never wavered in his faith afterwards because his turning to God wasn’t to get a fast A on a mid-term, but the trial that singed him showed him his need for the Savior for every moment of his life.  At the age of 65, when elders at Presbyterian churches stop serving, my dad became one.   

Are you going through a trial? I hope it’s not as bad as the one that seared my dad.  Then again, he may say, “Why not, because ‘this happened that [I] might not rely on [myself] but on God?’” (2 Cor. 1:9).  Something to think about the next time when we face another around of trials.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I praise You this morning.  LORD, even without trials in my life, I shall pray to You faithfully and lean on You. Thank You for loving me and taking care of me so thoroughly.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Philemon 1

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on December 25, 2014.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Merry Christmas”

Luke 1:31-33

“You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 

Every year for at least the past 12 years, I’ve tried to make it a personal Christmas tradition to read through and meditate on the Christmas story in the Bible (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2).  It breaks down easily into four parts: Mary’s Story, Joseph’s Story, the Shepherds’ Story and the Wise Men’s Story.  I’ve been challenged by the struggle of the parents as I imagine what it must have been like to deal with the virgin (seeming to the world illegitimate) birth.  I’ve considered the significance of the first birth announcement going out to humble shepherds in a field.  I’ve also thought about how the Christmas story is not all lightness and brightness and joy, that when the wise men came to seek the newborn king, many children lost their lives at the hand of a threatened King Herod, that the world Jesus came into had this kind of darkness.  

Yet this year I am especially reminded that when I think of Christmas, what I mainly need it to be is “Jesus’ Story” and that all others are subordinate.  In today’s passage, what we see is that there was a prophecy given about Jesus before he was born regarding who he would become.  He had a call to greatness on his life.  He would become a great king, one whose kingdom would never end.  God himself would be the one to make this happen; God would give Jesus the throne.  Though we often think of Jesus as Savior, do we as often recognize that one of the main reasons he came into this world was to become our King?  

This Christmas season, has Jesus been reigning in our hearts?  Or have other things, such as the busyness of social schedules, our holiday to-do lists, or even ministry, been ruling our lives?  If any other thing has taken his rightful place in our hearts, this Christmas Day, let’s take a moment to repent and welcome Jesus back onto the throne.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, forgive me if in the busyness of it all, I’ve let other things take over my life.  When you’re not ruling and reigning in my life, I lack joy and peace.  Won’t you step upon your throne in my heart once again?  Be my Lord and King.  In your name I pray.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 1-2

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional Quiet Time, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on December 24, 2015.  Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Christmas Eve”
John 1:14 

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

When I was in school, my friends and I enjoyed some go-to study spots. But, just as typical irresponsible teenagers might, we left the clean-up responsibilities to others. Eventually, school administrators, fed up with the amount of clean-up needed, locked us out. The rest of the school year, wherever we went, we had to take more ownership for our presence and take greater care in picking up after ourselves. 

As Christians, we are frequently reminded that the Earth is not our home, as we should be pilgrims yearning for Heaven. However, we often use this as an excuse to leave the world’s chaos for someone else to deal with. Many of us are not interested in leaving this earth better than we found it: we don’t want to clean a place physically, or we don’t think we have the patience and time to restore someone in our community. Instead of tangling ourselves in the hard work of this world, it seems easier to live a quiet life before ending at Heaven.

It should amaze and move us that God, beautiful and holy, came with a completely opposite intent. Though He could have lived in comfort with a blind eye to the world, He dwelt among the broken and sick, spending His life healing, restoring, and redeeming the world. Such was the importance of His work that, before returning to Heaven, He charged us to continue it and gave us access to the Spirit so we could have God’s presence and power.

As we usher in Christmas this year, let us fix our eyes on our Savior, whose example should stir in us a desire to take part in God’s work of healing and restoring this Earth. May we yearn to live lives that echo the footsteps and the humility of our Lord, who did not come to earth to be served as a king, but came to serve.

Prayer: Father, thank You for sending Your son to us. Help us to be imitators of Christ and have our eyes and hearts open to the world around us. May we recall the humility and indignity with which Jesus came and, by the power of Your spirit, endeavor to leave this earth and its people better than we found it.

Bible Reading for Today: Luke 2

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Lunch Break Study

Read Mark 8:27-31: Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 

Questions to Consider

1. Considering that Jesus lived with His disciples, why would He ask these two questions about His identity? Are these questions still relevant to us?

2. Right after this exchange, Jesus begins to teach His disciples about the coming suffering and pain. Why does He choose to time this revelation this way?

Notes

1. Jesus asks these questions that reveal the difference between His reputation and His disciples’ personal opinions. The questions are still relevant for us. The world, our friends, and our family members may have different ideas and definitions of who Jesus is. However, at the end of days, the only answer that will matter will be what we personally profess Him to be – whether He is our Lord and Savior.

2. It is interesting that Jesus shares this information about His death only in light of the confession of faith. His disciples would have held a traditional understanding of the Messiah, which is that Jesus was expected to be a political and military leader. Now that they were convinced He was the Messiah, He could begin to reveal the greater picture of His plan. 

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Evening Reflection

Oftentimes, God has already placed us into a setting where He can use us, though we might have difficulty discerning how to be salt and light in that environment. Do you know why you are where you are? Ask God to reveal His will for you so that you might make disciples according to His wisdom and grace. Then, ask Him for obedience to be faithful to that calling.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Jabez Yeo who formerly served at Remnant Church in Manhattan, was first posted on October 18, 2014.  Jabez is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BS) and Columbia International University (M.A., Muslim Studies).

Devotional Thought for this Morning

“Training Our Minds for God”

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. 16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

History is filled with people who have sought meaning in philosophy—only to be disillusioned by the fruitlessness of their search. One such person was Justin Martyr (born in the early 2^nd century A.D.), who attempted to find fulfillment in the Greek philosophy of Stoicism.  Unconvinced, he then cycled through the teachings of different philosophers but was never completely satisfied.  Around A.D. 130, conversations with an elderly believer led Justin Martyr to surrender his life to Jesus and experience a powerful life transformation.

Around the same time, the heresy of Gnosticism was becoming rampant in the early church. In a nutshell, the Gnostics believed that the material world was unimportant and that physical bodies were prisons trapping the human spirit, which they considered to be the “spark of God.”  Thus, they proposed that Christ had not come in the flesh, but only appeared to be human.  Since its inception, Gnosticism has spawned heretical beliefs, including the elevation of the soul to divinity that has echoed throughout history, especially in the recent New Age movement. 

Utilizing his past experience in Greek philosophy, Justin Martyr countered the claims of Gnosticism thoroughly in his writings. In particular, Justin Martyr delved into the concept of the Logos—God’s pre-existent Spirit who became incarnate in Jesus Christ. He explained, “Just as fire comes from fire without diminishing the original source, so Christ as the universal Logos pre-existed as God’s Son.”  Justin Martyr then wrote Syntagma, which established him as the most important 2^nd century apologist in the eyes of many— it was the first major anti-Gnostic writing by an orthodox Christian.

Ultimately, Justin was arrested for his faith and was ordered by Roman authorities to denounce his belief in God. Refusing to do so, Justin was then executed and surnamed “Martyr” as he gave his life for what he considered to be “true philosophy.”  As Christians today, may we also find our true satisfaction, not in the world’s wisdom, but in God’s eternal truth.

So, let us study and train our minds for God; and then live for God’s glory.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for being the Way, the Truth and the Life. Help me to find ultimate meaning in Your Word and may it spur me to lead a life that is pleasing to You. May I not trust in my own intellect or in the world’s wisdom but help me to place my hope in Your truth, even though my mind cannot completely comprehend it. Lord Jesus, as my Good Shepherd, lead me in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. In Your Name I pray.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Philippians 4

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Lunch Break Study 

Read Acts 17:16-21: While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Lk. 9:23-5: Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

Question to Consider

1. I have heard some people say that philosophy (love of wisdom) is inherently harmful. That’s nonsense.  How can philosophy help us?

2. But Paul didn’t like the way the Athenian philosophers went about it—why?

3. Fundamentally, how is the Christian faith different from philosophy?  How did Justin Martyr show this difference?

Notes

1. Since philosophy deals with matters of reality, existence, and knowledge, a wrong philosophical foundation produces a wrong worldview which distorts the truth.  In my opinion, philosophy is helpful when it acknowledges the existence of fixed truth, and the limitation of science and moral law.

2. These philosophers did nothing but talk about the latest ideas.  In fact, they didn’t care about how these ideas were relevant to real life. 

3. The Christian faith begins with “ideas” about how life ought to be lived under the rubric of a personal God who sent Jesus Christ to save us from the penalty of sin.  This led Justin to die for Him when given the choice between believing God—or denying Him.  Philosophy, by definition, loves ideas, rather than putting the ideas into practice.       

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Evening Reflection

Today was a different kind of devotional, right?  The followers of Christ should be doers but not before having first become thinkers.  That’s part of loving God with our mind.  What do you really believe?  Are you living accordingly?  Do you have a set of non-negotiable beliefs and values that you will not compromise under any condition? What are your non-negotiables?

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 23, 2015, 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

Hosea 9:8-10 (ESV)

They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the Lord, and their sacrifices shall not please him. It shall be like mourners’ bread to them; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for their hunger only; it shall not come to the house of the Lord.

What do you tend to do when you’ve messed up? We see movies that show the man insincerely buying flowers and chocolates in hopes of making up with his significant other—and we are baffled at his naiveté, thinking, Surely, he doesn’t think that forgiveness can be bought! Gifts (without sincere repentance) cannot appease broken relationships. We get that, but surprisingly, humans think that this works towards God. Subconsciously, this is what many of us do as we approach God, falling into the lie that we are allowed to continue with sin in our lives as long as we are attending church, giving tithes, serving and going on mission trips. We use these “acts of worship” to barter with God to justify sin. Yet God is not interested in those “acts of worship” if a repentant heart does not accompany them. 

We often treat God as if He is obligated to receive our worship, whether it is the Sunday worship service or small groups. If we serve in different ministries and go on mission trips, God should be grateful for our service and all that we give—but this is certainly not the case. Here, in this passage, God tells Israel that He is not pleased with their offering—it is not accepted in His sight. Then what does God desire?

King David knew that God desired the heart more than simple, outward actions. In Psalm 51, as he reflects on his treacherous sin in having Uriah murdered to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba, he says, “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” There is a difference between being sorry for getting caught and being genuinely sorry for our sins. King David does not offer sacrifices—an outward action—simply to appease God. Rather, he is sincerely remorseful as he repents of his sin, which is what God desires of us. When we sin, let us approach His throne of grace with a broken and contrite heart, for He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us of our sins!

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your steadfast love. Even in the midst of my faithlessness, You remain faithful. I don’t want to keep offering sacrifices that are not from a genuine, repentant heart. Help me in my weakness, and cause me to hate sin and run from it towards You. May my worship be a pleasing aroma to You! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Philippians 3

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Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 51:4, 11, 13-7: Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. . . . 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. . . . 13  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise

Question to Consider

1. What do we make of v. 4 when David says, “Against you, you only, have I sinned…” when David has clearly sinned against Uriah and Bathsheba?

2. What is the significance of David asking that God would not take His presence away from him (v.11)?

3. What do verses 13-17 teach us about what God desires when we approach Him? 

Notes

1. I believe this is not to be seen as David thinking naively that he has only sinned against God and not seeing the impact of his sin towards others. Rather, I think it is the recognition that every sinful action directly offends God first and foremost. Also, comparatively speaking, his sin is most severe against God.

2. Many of us tend to have a faulty idea of repentance. A religious person will confess and repent out of a fear of consequences, but a true Christian will confess because they fear losing God’s presence. They understand the value of belonging to God and being in His presence.

3. God is not looking for gifts and sacrifices simply to appease Him. Rather, God is looking for hearts that have turned to Him in repentance and true worship that arises from a truly repentant heart. True praises ring forth from our mouths from a broken and contrite heart. 

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Evening Reflection

Have you justified certain sins in your lives and have been okay with it? Have you used religious acts of worship to mask and justify these sins? Loving God and true worship comes from a heart that hates sin and runs from it. Tonight, ask God to search your heart and reveal to you any areas of your life that grieves Him; then turn towards Him and know that in His loving kindness, He restores and makes our paths straight.