November 9, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Yohan Lee, a friend of AMI, was first posted on April 14, 2014. A graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA), Yohan served as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“We are Sons, not Slaves”

Galatians 4:4-7

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Yesterday, we touched on the issue of identity, stressing the importance of being a follower of Christ over all others we may have. Today, we will continue on in this theme, highlighting the importance of understanding our primary identities as children of God over any other we may have as believers, but first a quick story.

When I was growing up, my father franchised a Dunkin Donuts shop. Besides being somewhat lucrative, there were many perks to owning such a business, as you can imagine. Of course, there were some responsibilities as well: if an employee got sick or didn’t show up for work, guess who had to fill in? As a high-schooler, when such incidents happened, I generally wasn’t mature enough to see my responsibilities to my father’s store as a privilege and a blessing, I basically felt like a slave responding to the beckon call of my master. Of course, nothing was further from the truth. As the owner’s son, I could walk in at any time; make myself a coffee, get a doughnut, leave, and no one would say a thing. The windfall from this business also helped put me through college. What slave enjoys these privileges?

In the Bible, there a several metaphors describing the believer: disciple, farmer, soldier, body part, etc. In this passage, Paul juxtaposes two that can at times be functionally similar, but completely different in essence, the slave and the son. As believers, we are called to serve God and others, but sometimes our perspectives get a little out of balance if we feel like servant is our primary identity as a Christian.

What this passage points out is that our identity as children of God supersedes our identities as servants, and really all others. Remember, we serve because Christ asked us to, and he served as an example; therefore, serving is a key aspect to knowing and following Christ, but it never defines us. What defines us is that we are God’s children, heirs to his promises, his presence, and eternal life.

Prayer: Father, thank You that first and foremost I am your child. Although I know there are times when I have to be a servant, or a soldier, or harvester, let me always comeback to remembering I am Yours. Amen

Bible Reading for Today: Song of Songs 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Matt 4:1-11: Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Questions to Consider

How does Satan attempt to appeal to Christ?
How does the Lord respond?
What are some ways you can avoid temptation?

Notes

In the first two temptations, it is interesting that Satan prefaces his challenges with the statement, “If you are the Son of God…” In other words, he challenges Christ’s identity. After fasting for 40 days, I am sure that Jesus felt weak and hungry; was there ever a time before this that Jesus was weak or hungry? He probably didn’t feel like the Almighty Son, but he was.
Both the Lord and Satan quoted Scripture to each other, but Satan twisted God’s word. Sometimes knowing the Bible isn’t enough; we have to correctly handle the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15).
First, be secure in your identity in Christ. Second, know and understand Scripture. Three, depend on the Spirit. Four, just say no. Five, run away (not depicted in this text).

Evening Reflection

If you haven’t already, take some time to bask in your relationship with the Heavenly Father. Be his child; receive his love. Ask yourself if you prioritize all your Christian identities of child, servant, body member, student, teacher, etc. correctly.

November 8, Sunday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT blog, written by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S.F., was originally posted on March 29, 2013; it has been updated. Mark is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“A Heart that is Wounded”

Proverbs 14:10-14 (ESV)

The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. 11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. 13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief. 14 The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

One common experience that all people share, no matter your racial, cultural, or economic background, is the fact that we will all go through seasons of heartache and emotional angst. Obviously, there are some who suffer more than others but no one is exempt. COVID-19 is a great reminder of that. People may process and handle their pain differently (we hide it, laugh about it, or simply ignore it) but it doesn’t negate the fact that all of us have wounded hearts.

I’m sure that we can all go back to a time in our lives where we had to deal with loss, disappointment, anxiety, loneliness, and even depression. Some of it might seem trivial like being dumped by your high school girlfriend or being mocked on the school playground but the accumulation of these things can leave lasting scars on our hearts. The book of Proverbs recognizes the connection between the wholeness of our hearts and our ability to live fruitful lives.

We can talk at length about the symptoms of a heart that is wounded. If you put your ultimate hope in your career and achievements, it’s natural for you to struggle with anxiety and worry. If your life is built around reputation and recognition, then you will constantly struggle with insecurity and feelings of inferiority. But even when everything seems to be going well, it’s hard to escape the background noise caused by sorrow. Proverbs 14:13 teaches us that “even in laughter, the heart may ache and joy may end in grief.” Some of the funniest comedians that we have ever known couldn’t reconcile their ability to make people laugh with the depth of pain they felt in the heart. Commentaries on Proverbs point out that this isn’t just true for some people, it’s actually true for all people. All of our laughter has subtle tinges of sorrow especially as we get older and face the reality of life.

We can try to laugh away the inevitable pain of life but there is just one remedy. In order for a heart to be whole, its desires have to be fulfilled. As Augustine put so eloquently, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they can find rest in you.” The journey of faith is about getting to that point where the deepest longings of our heart finds its satisfaction in Christ. This weekend, I pray that you would allow the Lord to do some heart surgery and bring about the healing of your heart.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, we invite You to heal our wounds and our lives. Help us to discern Your voice daily and to obey You without delay. We pray that You would silence the voice of the enemy that often hurts us, so that we can follow Your leading with an undivided heart. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 12

November 7, Saturday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Barry Kang who heads Symphony Church in Boston, is an updated version of his blog first posted on April 27, 2013. He is a graduate of Stanford University (BA), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (D.Min.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

Philippians 2:3-8 (NIV)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Amid looking at the concept of training to become more like Jesus rather than trying to become more like Jesus, today, I’d like to focus on an essential characteristic of Jesus: his humility.

In Philippians 2, Paul exhorts us to have the same attitude of Christ, “who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” While the NIV translates this verse accurately, other translations (e.g. ESV, NASB and the NRSV) add a “though” or “although” to verse 6 which does not exist in the Greek text, such as for example, “though he was in the form of God” (ESV). We add an “although” or “though” instinctively into this verse because it seems to make more sense. Even though he was God, he was humble. “How remarkable!” we exclaim. And it is! But what if we’re missing the point? What if Jesus was humble not in spite of being God, but because he was in nature God? Could it be that our God is in fact the most humble being on this universe? And the answer is YES! God’s humility is on display for all to see in the person of Jesus.

And from Jesus we learn that a humble person is a self-secure person, while in contrast, a prideful person is generally insecure. A humble Christian serves knowing that he is loved by God, while a prideful Christian serves in order to receive love. It is only when we know who we are in Christ that we are truly able to be humble.

So training ourselves in humility is not actually about beating ourselves down to become lowly, but focusing our hearts on God as revealed by the truth of the scripture. When we can see God more clearly, then we are able to see ourselves more clearly, and humility will naturally follow.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that you forgive my sins anew every morning. I thank You that the blood of Jesus covers every one of my sins. Help me to live this day in humility that comes from being forgiven and in a right relationship with You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 10-11

November 6, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor David Kwon who heads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, was first posted on June 6, 2014. He is a graduate of Drexel University (BS) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Why Pray?”

1 Timothy 2:1-2

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [2] for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

When I was taking a missions class during seminary, I remember my professor each day, before class started, would pray and lift up nations and various world leaders. I was challenged by his heart to intercede for people, especially those in high leadership positions who can influence people. It helped me in my own prayers to be mindful of nations and leaders and to be interceding for them.

In these verses, Paul emphasizes the importance of prayer. First, he lists intercessory prayer–the people of God encountering God Himself on behalf of their fellow Christians and people around the world. He also says that prayer involves praying for “all people.” This is especially true when it comes to leaders (kings), even when these rulers are wicked men and women who hate the church — the very kind of leaders for whom Timothy and Paul had to pray for in the first century. We may not yet live under severe persecution, but for most of us, it is difficult to pray for authorities that might not profess Christ as their Lord and Savior and oppose the church.

As we meditate on these verses this morning, spend some time lifting up nations, world leaders, and persecuted countries, where the Gospel cannot be freely preached. Pray that the Lord would comfort his people in the midst of persecution, and also lift up the leaders that they would come to know the Lord as their Savior.

Prayer: Lord, as Paul encouraged Timothy to pray for kings who are in high positions, I want to lift up leaders and rulers who may not know Jesus, and may even be persecuting the church today. I pray that they would come to know you as the true and eternal King.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 9

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 18:1-8: And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. [2] He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. [3] And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ [4] For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” [6] And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. [7] And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? [8] I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Questions to Consider

Why do you think Jesus in this parable says “always pray and not to lose heart”?
What do you observe in the widow’s attitude when it comes to prayer?
What are some things God is asking you to be persistent in prayer?

Notes

Jesus understood that when we pray, we often lose heart. Whether it is unanswered prayers or having greater faith, it can often be discouraging. That is why Jesus says not to lose heart. He reminds us through this parable that we ought to be persistent in our prayers and to believe that God will answer us in his time.
We see that the widow did not give up, but kept on bothering the judge until she got justice. Is that how we approach prayer?
Let’s continue to be persistent in prayer.

Evening Reflection

We’ve been meditating on prayer this day, so spend this time in prayer – personal and intercessory. Let’s continue to be persistent in our prayers.

November 5, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on December 28, 2013. Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Would It take for Me to be Delightful to God Today?

Psalm 147:1-20

Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! 2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds . . . 10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; 11 the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love . . . 15 He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. 16 He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. 17 He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? 18 He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow. 19 He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. 20 He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the Lord.

To put it simply, we could say this psalm contains two main themes: God’s people delighting in Him, and God delighting in his people.

It should be easy for God’s people to delight in Him. He is almighty and powerful yet loving, compassionate and kind. For his people to praise Him, they just need to be reminded of who he is and what he has done – hence this psalm.

The second matter, however, poses more of a challenge, for although God is always worthy of being delighted in, it is not always the case with human beings. What would it take for me to be delightful to God today? Verse 11 says that he “delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” In other words, God delights in those who respect and trust Him, but how do we, as human beings, express this?

It is not an accident that a good portion of the next part of the psalm is dedicated to describing his word (vv. 15-20). Interestingly, when God commands nature, it has no choice but to respond (vv. 15-18); when God reveals his word to his people (v. 19), there is no similar description of what happens immediately afterwards. It highlights how out of all of his creations, human beings are the only ones with free will to obey or disobey.

So how do we express our respect and trust? By obeying his word. When we choose to obey, it shows that we recognize who God is, that we respect Him as the creator of the universe, but also that we are responding to his love. Because he has demonstrated his love towards us, we trust Him, believing that his commands are for our good. We, therefore, obey Him.

What am I going to do today with this amazing privilege that God has given me, this freedom to choose whether to obey and honor Him or disobey and reject his love? Use this psalm to remind you of his goodness and love, and let his love motivate your obedience this day.

Prayer: Lord, truly you are worthy of my praise. How good you have been to me, how loving. You have been my healer, restorer, provider and protector. How can I not place my hope and trust in you? May I be a delight to you this day. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 8

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 John 2:5-6: But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

John 14:23-24, 30-3: Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” 30 “I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.”

Questions to Consider

From the verses above, what is the relationship between loving God and obeying his word?
In 1 John 2:6, what do you think John meant by living “as Jesus did?” How do the verses from John 14 shed further light on this question?
What is my attitude towards obeying God? Is it like Christ’s? Is there something God is commanding me to do that I need to obey, exactly? What could it cost me?

Notes

The one who truly loves God will obey God’s word.
Living “as Jesus did” means loving God the Father and obeying his commands, exactly, at times even to the point of great personal cost (in John 14:30-31, Jesus is referring to what he was about to face on the cross).
Often our attitudes towards obeying God are casual, i.e., “If I just obey Him in general, it should be good enough.” How different this is from Jesus who sought to obey God “exactly.” We are also willing to obey as long as it does not cause us too much inconvenience. How different this is from Jesus who sought to obey God even at a great cost. Though sometimes obeying exactly is costly, remember also what was accomplished through the price Jesus paid – the salvation of the world – and let that be an encouragement. When God asks us to do something, it is not an empty request, especially if he asks us to do it at a cost.

Evening Reflection

Did I make an effort to obey God exactly today? Did I pay a price? Take comfort in imagining what God could be doing through your sacrifice and thinking of his delight in you.

November 4, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, is an updated version of his blog first posted on May 20, 2014. Peter is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Antidote to ‘Hope is a Dangerous Thing; Hope Can Break Your Heart’”

Titus 3:4-7

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

There are numerous customs that reveal that as humans, we “wish” for something. For instance, we tell our children to “make a wish” before blowing out the birthday candles, or find excitement in four- leaf clovers, wishbones, or fortune cookies. These customs show that in our hearts, we all hope.

When we are young, we are full of hope. When we hope for something, we are hoping for a particular outcome: I hope I get that job or get that house; I hope she gets well soon. I hope.

But the truth is, we discover that every “thing” that we hope for will eventually tailspin towards disillusionment. When that happens, we begin to merely manage our hopes by lowering our expectations, so that we do not again taste the bitterness of disappointment. Sadly, that leaves us with a life that is tasteless and unfulfilling. In the movie, The Shawshank Redemption, theprisoner, played by Morgan Freeman, has simply accepted his fate after numerous rejections for early parole. He says: “Hope is a dangerous thing; hope can break your heart.”

Sadly, many believers can develop this same attitude. Unanswered prayers, ministry disappointments, and personal failures can dampen our hope and weaken our faith in God. At this point, it is important to be reminded of what has been done for us. Paul reminds Titus that when we become justified by his grace, we become heirs having the hope of eternal life. It’s a hope that runs deep in our hearts and does not disappoint us (Rom. 5:5). Reflect today on the “kindness and love of God,” “his mercy,” and the “renewal by the Holy Spirit”; and give room for God to lift up hope in your hearts.

Prayer: Lord, I admit that I can fall into a cynical attitude about myself, my church, and even about You. Renew my mind today by the power of the Holy Spirit and nurture a living hope in my heart. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 7

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 2:36-38: There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Questions to Consider

How has Anna waited patiently and faithfully without losing hope for the redemption of Jerusalem?
How does Anna respond to finally seeing with her own eyes the child born for the redemption of Israel?
How is God teaching and leading you to wait patiently, all the while, instilling a sense of hope that will not disappoint?

Notes

Anna’s worshipping, fasting, and praying is underlined, thus, she is full of thanksgiving at the arrival of the child who will complete God’s promise.
Anna responds with thanksgiving and speaks about the child. Her teaching would have been heard by all who frequented the temple. Her hope looks to the completion of what God is starting.
Personal response

Evening Reflection

Are you still hopeful for your church? Your small group? Your family? Yourself? Determine what has caused the depletion of your hope in these areas and lay those things at Jesus’ feet.

November 3, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Shan Gian who is the Fenway Site pastor at Symphony Church in Boston, was originally posted on September 30, 2014. Shan is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments”

Ecclesiastes 12:13

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Sometimes I wonder why people come to pastors for advice. They will come to us, pouring out their hearts for hours with their problems such as: relationships, ministry, family, understanding God’s will, etc. They are desperately seeking some words of wisdom and insight; some piece of advice that will answer all of their problems. So what do we end up telling people at the end of the meeting? It’s typically one of these answers: “You need to pray”; “You need to be patient and wait upon the Lord”; “You need to read the Bible”; or “Repent!” Thus, some people seeking golden nuggets of knowledge from us leave disappointed by such simple and unsatisfactory words of advice.

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon goes on for twelve chapters considering what the meaning of life is, exploring the purpose of work, pleasure, wisdom, riches, etc. With all of its philosophical discourse and questions, maybe you would expect an equally complex answer. But in the end, Solomon gives the simplest of conclusions: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Many of us would have responded to him, “That’s it!? I knew that already!”

But it is that simple. In the end, that’s it: Fear God and keep his commandments.

We too often complicate the Christian life. Some of us feel like we have to have every mystery and theological question figured out, or we want to know exactly what God’s will is for our life. Or maybe some of us are legalistic, like the Pharisees who made following God so complicated by creating rules upon rules. Jesus himself simplified everything for us when he said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40).

Ultimately, fearing and loving our God are words to describe how we are to be in relationship with our God: We fear him because he is holy, and we love him because he is good. And because of his holiness and his goodness, we obey his commandments. Everything in Ecclesiastes, all of the Law and the Prophets, and, ultimately, the whole Bible points to a relationship with our God in heaven and living in obedience to him. We will continue have our questions and the desire to understand the deep things of God. And we should seek to gain wisdom and insight in these things, but let us do so with the understanding that, in the end, it’s all about being in a relationship with him and being obedient to his commands.

Prayer: Father, I pray that I would abide in You today. Help me to fear You as I see and experience Your holiness and glory, but also that I would love You as I know of Your grace and love for me. I thank You, Lord, for these simple truths that You are my God and You are worthy. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 6

Lunch Bible Study

Read Micah 6:6-8: With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Questions to Consider

According to Micah, what works do not please the Lord? What should that mean to us?
What do we often do with our good works before God (Lk. 18:9-14)?
What does the Lord require of you? How can you follow those “requirements” today?

Notes

Burnt offerings, sacrifices of rams and olive, and even offering up his firstborn child do not please the Lord. What do these represent? Doing good works without a merciful and humble heart.
Even as Christians, we often have an attitude like the Pharisees where we feel like our own righteousness and works will earn God’s acceptance and approval. No, God accepts us in Christ apart from anything we have done. Good words are important because they are an indicative of a genuine faith (James 2:14-26), but they themselves do not add anything to God’s approval of us.
Micah tells us that God simply wants us to act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly before God. If we think about these commandments, they are all relational. Walking humbly before our God is being in a relationship with him. Likewise, acting justly and loving mercy can be equated to loving our neighbors and treating them with fairness and love. This day, as we reflect on these words, think about how your relationship with God and with others can be filled with love and humility.

Evening Reflection

Reflect on your relationship with God today. Did you spend time with him and were you in obedience to his will today? Most likely, all of us have failed in one way or another, but come before God with athankful heart for the grace and forgiveness shown to us in Jesus Christ. Spend some time in prayer, thanking him for his amazing grace in your life.

November 2, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT blog, written by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S.F., was originally posted on September 2, 2014; it has been updated. Mark is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Nothing New Under the Sun”

Ecclesiastes 1:3-11 (ESV)

What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. 7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. 8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.

We live in a time of amazing technological breakthroughs. Things that seemed like the fantasy of science fiction are now becoming a reality: Self-driving cars, computerized drones that drop off your mail, and even clones of your pets are all within the realm of possibility in the not too distant future.

But even as we fill our lives with the latest gadgets and advancements, many of us still wrestle with the monotonous drudgery of life. Even in the face of so much innovation, nothing seems new to the human condition because we know deep inside that everything new will end up in the same pile as our old discarded VCRs, floppy discs, and cassette tapes. At the end of the day, we still wrestle with the same problems that humanity has been struggling with for hundreds of generations. Loneliness, depression, anxiety, and fear are still an ever-persistent problem that no new invention can help us with.

Like the sun that rises in the morning, sets in the evening, and then runs back to where it has to rise again, we can go through life as though we were on a perpetual treadmill; always in motion but never getting anywhere. Pink Floyd in their famous album “Dark Side of the Moon” sings about the futility of life.

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinking,

Racing around to come up behind you again,

The sun is the same in a relative way but you’re older,

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.

How can we escape the inherent frustration of living in a world that is doomed to repeat itself? The key is in our understanding of the statement that “there is nothing new under the sun.”

As long as we limit our lives to existence under the sun, we will never escape the monotonous cycle of life. The only way we can break free is to live for the God who exists and reigns far above the sun. This is the God who promises us that He is making all things new, including our very lives along with the heavens and the earth. In Him, we can live in the hope that everything we do will ultimately matter.

Prayer: Father, help us to break through the feelings of discontentment and frustration that are a part of our existence. Open our eyes, so that we can see that there is a reality beyond what is under the sun. Enable our ears to hear your voice over the daily commotion of our busy lives. Teach us how to depend on your mercy that is new every morning. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 5

Lunch Break Study

Read Lamentations 3:22-33: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28 Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; 29 let him put his mouth in the dust—there may yet be hope; 30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. 31 For the Lord will not cast off forever, 32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; 33 for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.

Questions to Consider

How can we reconcile the steadfast love of God with the grief that we sometimes go through?
What is the source of our hope?
How can you practically experience the newness of God’s mercy on a daily basis?

Notes

Though God does not willingly afflict his children, there are times when He deems it necessary for our spiritual growth. Whether it is discipline against sin or simply a test of our faith, God often speaks most clearly and powerfully in our pain. During those seasons, it is important to hold onto the truth that God is good to those who wait upon him.
The source of our hope is in the fact that God is our portion forever. In the Old Testament, a portion is synonymous with an inheritance or a gift that is irrevocable. The greatest gift of God is not the many blessings we receive in this life, but the promise that He is our God and we are His people. In the Hebrew, the steadfast love of God is another way of describing the covenant love that He has bestowed upon us.
There are many ways to daily experience God’s mercy anew: not taking His mercy for granted, repenting of sins, and fixing your eyes on the cross.

Evening Reflection

Are you excited about your relationship with God? If not, why not? What are some new things that God is doing in your life or wants to do in your life? Pray that you would be obedient to the call of God and seek times of refreshing in His presence.

November 1, Sunday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT blog, written by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S.F., was originally posted on March 30, 2014; it has been updated. Mark is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Why Should I Pray with Others?”

Psalm 54: 1-3

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David. When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?” (NIV)

O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might. 2 O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth. 3 For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Selah (ESV).

Today, as we prepare for corporate worship, I wanted to address two important notes that are found in the Psalms. First, the word “selah,” though the exact meaning is unknown, is an interlude in the music where the congregation is led into reflection and prayer. Second, the phrase “for the director of music,” which is in the heading of many of the Psalms including Psalm 54, is an undeniable evidence that these prayers were accompanied by music, along with a priest or leader within the temple who led people into corporate prayer.

The reason why I bring this up is because this colors the way we understand prayer, worship, and liturgy. Many people think that churches that are more contemporary and charismatic in their worship format have no real biblical liturgy, but that simply isn’t true. Based on an understanding of the Psalms and the way Jesus taught us how to pray, the community in prayer takes priority over individualized prayer.

American churches have generally reversed this order because of our culture’s extreme individualism, but the Psalms teach us that, at the fundamental level, prayer requires community; and for us to learn how to pray, we have to do so in a corporate setting. For this reason, Jesus calls the church a “House of Prayer.”

Eugene Peterson summarized this perfectly when he wrote, “From this center, lines of prayer radiate outwards (and) we go to our closets or the mountains, into the streets and the markets, and continue our praying. But it is essential to understand that prayer goes from the center outwards….”

Now you might be saying, why do I need to have someone lead me into prayer? The answer is very pragmatic: If you insist on praying based on your own motivations and initiative, you are taking on a psychological burden that is too much for most of us. We can all relate with trying to pray regularly, but falling flat on our faces; yet if you allow a pastor or worship leader to guide you, it takes prayer out of the control of your emotions, motivations, lack of physical energy, and your external circumstances, placing that spiritual responsibility on the leader. This is what your pastors are called to do, so allow them to lead you into the community of prayer this Lord’s day, even as you “go into your room, close the door and pray to your father, who is unseen” (Matt. 6:6) daily.

Prayer: O God, give me a heart of repentance as I pray so that I might desire the same change that You desire from my life. Help me to acknowledge that Your way is best and that following Your commands produces godliness and character. Finally, Lord, help me to desire to pray with others. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 4

October 31, Saturday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, is an updated version of his blog first posted on June 21, 2014. Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“A New Paradigm of How Others Are to be Perceived”

1 Timothy 5:1-2

Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, [2] older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity (ESV).

I grew up with the idea that we are to respect our elders. There were times when that wasn’t always easy, but I felt submitting to the authority of older people was just a natural part of life. Perhaps, because I’m older now and I wouldn’t mind being on the receiving end of that respect, I happen to think that’s a good idea. And so does the Bible.

In today’s passage, Paul tells Timothy to be careful when correcting older men and older women in the church; he is to have respect for them as he would for his own parents. But here is where the Bible is so radical, for it doesn’t stop there. Not only does Paul tell Timothy to respect his elders, but he goes on and tells him to treat those who are younger, both men and women, as though they were his own brothers and sisters.

Christianity gives us a new paradigm on community, on how to regard one another. There is respect, of course, but Christianity goes further and calls us to love and treat each other as members of the same family. And in this sense, Christianity offers us an alternative and even a subversive society. We don’t just respect someone because they have earned it by virtue of their old age or by some other merit, but we respect and love both older and younger people simply for the reason that we belong to the same household of God.

Take a moment and consider your involvement in your local church? Do you have more of a consumer mentality or do you see your church members as your very own family? How is or how would you like this to be expressed? Perhaps it will be you responding to that often-advertised Help Needed for Children’s Ministry, or it will be in the way you serve through the ministries of music or administration, where you serve with humility and eagerness. For some of us, it might mean that we are to extend grace and forgiveness to someone who has hurt or offended us.

Prayerfully consider how you can express love to a fellow Christian in a practical way today.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the access I have to You. Help me to believe the message of peace and love and thus to enter into peaceful and loving life in You. Also, help me to have oneness, not just an absence of hostility, with those in my life. It is only possible through You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 2-3