REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on June 19, 2014.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Timely Words for Young Leaders”

1 Timothy 4:11-12 (ESV)

Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 

If you’ve ever done ministry in an Asian church, you know that there’s often a tacit agreement that older men lead and younger men follow. While wisdom and experience can come with age, it’s not always true that the older men are always more fit to lead. Paul had a similar challenge in the Ephesian church. Timothy, a young leader in his mid-thirties, had the task of leading older men who had been elders for a number of years. Paul had taught these men himself, and yet Timothy was expected to correct some of the things that were going on in the church. That was a tough assignment for the young leader. Timothy needed wisdom and guidance to maneuver through this treacherous path.

So Paul tells Timothy to do two things: Don’t let anyone despise you because you are young, and set an example for the believers. Age should not deter anyone from leading. With humility, a young man can gain the respect of his elders by setting a good example in two areas: speech and conduct. When speech and conduct are marked by love, faithfulness, and purity, Paul says that we earn the right to lead anyone.

So if you want to serve in some leadership capacity at your church, regardless of your age, but especially if you are younger, you must see to it that you guard yourself from being arrogant, rude, critical or sharp in either word or deed. You must learn to be faithful with the small things, showing that you are responsible, reliable and not a promise breaker. And you must remain pure in a world full of vulgarity and sexual misconduct; you must strive to maintain the highest standard of holiness. This is where effective ministry flows from, where people will learn to gladly follow you.

What are some areas you need to work on today? Do you need to clean up your language a bit? Perhaps you need to guard your eyes and your heart from lust? Whatever it may be, consider how the Holy Spirit is convicting you right now through these words. Take some time to repent and pray for God to cleanse you. May others see Christ in your word and deed this day.

Prayer: Lord, in both my speech and my conduct teach me to be loving, faithful, and pure. Amen

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 8

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Lunch Break Study

Read Titus 1:7-14: For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, [8] but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. [9] He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. [10] For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. [11] They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. [12] One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” [13] This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, [14] not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.

Questions

1. What is Paul’s description of God’s steward?
2. What is one of the main responsibilities of a church leader?
3. In contrasting Titus to the Cretans, what is Paul calling Christian leaders to be? How are you doing in this area?

Notes

1. Someone who is above reproach, which is manifested in not being arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain; but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined; someone who holds firm to the trustworthy word of God.
2. To guard the church against false teaching.
3. Paul calls young leaders like Titus and Timothy to always speak the truth and to be industrious in ministry.

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Evening Reflection

Persons who exemplify purity in speech and action are truly an endangered species. The need for such men and women are critical. Are you seriously aiming to be this kind of a person?

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 1, 2013.  He is a graduate of Stanford University (BA), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (D.Min.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Path to Happiness”

Psalm 32:1-2 (NIV)

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. ² Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Our culture suggests many paths to happiness:  accomplishments, career, “bucket-list” experiences, and romance.  We seek these things to anaesthetize the pain or boredom that many of us feel.  However, the authors of scripture are clear: the true path toward happiness is to live a life approved by God (Phil 4:11-13).

Both forgiveness and a right relationship with God are the only way we can attain true happiness.  This is why Jesus came—why this past weekend, we celebrated the cross and resurrection of Jesus—so that we could be forgiven and come into a right relationship with God.  We are indeed blessed to have a God who loves us so! God’s mercies are new with every morning (Lamentations 3:23-23).

Let’s begin our day right.  As you prepare for the day, reflect upon your need for forgiveness and thank God for the repentance, cleansing and love that He offers you.

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 the freedom that comes from being forgiven and in a right relationship with you. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  2 Corinthians 7

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Lunch Break Study 

Read 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (NIV): So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Questions to Consider

1. How can we be reconciled with God?
2. Focusing on this passage, what are three consequences of our reconciliation with God?
3. What does it mean to regard no one from a worldly point of view (cf. Matt 5:43-48)?

Notes

1. In verse 19, it is clear that reconciliation with God happens through the forgiveness of sins, which is by the work of Jesus Christ.  True reconciliation is not possible without forgiveness.
2. Some consequences of being forgiven:
   1. “We no longer regard anyone from a worldly point of view”;
   2. We are new creations;
   3. We are given the “ministry of reconciliation”.
3.  The way of the world is to seek revenge:  “You hurt me. I will hurt you back.”  The way of the Kingdom is to forgive.  As one pastor put it, “forgiven people forgive people.”  If we are unable to extend forgiveness, it may mean that we have not fully comprehended the forgiveness that God has extended to us through Christ Jesus.

When God forgives us, we receive not just peace and happiness, but a new ministry!  As children who are reconciled with their father, we are new creations; we have completely new paradigms of treating others.  We are also given a ministry to help others to be reconciled with God.  When we reach out to others, we are extending the forgiveness that we have received from God.

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Evening Reflection

Is there anyone who needs your forgiveness today?  Just as importantly, do you know God’s forgiveness?  Write down a prayer and a plan for anyone who needs your ministry of reconciliation.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S.F., is an updated version of his blog originally posted on March 26, 2013.  Mark is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Praying with Expectation”

Psalm: 28:1-2; 6-7

To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary. 6 Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

One key mark of spiritual growth is the amount of time that a Christian devotes to prayer as well as what he actually prays (substance).  That is to say, there needs to be both quantitative as well as qualitative growth in our prayer lives.  Of course, this is not something that is easily accomplished, for it would take years of concerted efforts to build the spiritual discipline of prayer. And to develop a healthy prayer life, embodying consistency, perseverance, and faith is necessary.  One key lesson gleaned from David’s life is his unwillingness to accept the silence of God.    

Undoubtedly, every one of us will go through periods when it seems that our prayers are unheard, and thus, there is no response to our cries.   Refusing to accept those conditions, David confesses that only those who have rejected Him deserve such a fate.

Too often we accept the silence of God as normative when it should be a rarity.  While we are completely dependent on God for answered prayers, we have the privilege of approaching the throne of grace with confidence.  As we experience answered prayers in greater frequency, the more our trust will grow and the more our trust grows, the more effective our prayer lives will be.

When is the last time you received an answer to prayer?  Pray with the expectation that God hears your every prayer.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach me how to pray as you prayed to the Father.  Even as I go through periods of silence, teach me to persevere and to wait upon you in expectation.  May my faith be strengthened and my trust increase as I pray for your will to be done in my life.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 6

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Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 18:7 (NIV): “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Questions to Consider

1. What is the lesson that is to be learned from this parable?  (Luke 18:1)
2. Why is God compared to a lazy and indifferent judge?
3. What is the basis of God’s answer to our prayers?  (Luke 18:7)

Notes

1. The lesson is to always pray and not lose heart as we wait for God to answer. When we ask God to right the wrongs committed against us—that is seeking justice.  When we take justice into our own hands—that is seeking revenge.   One of the great benefits of prayer is asking for God’s justice to prevail when we have been sinned against.  In this way, prayer keeps us from being consumed by the poison of bitterness, unforgiveness, and anger.   
2. Sometimes the comparison of God to this wicked judge can be confusing.   This is a literary device used in the Scriptures called a fortiori reasoning.  Essentially, the questions Jesus is asking is the following:   “If the unjust judge yielded to the continuous cries of the widow, who was a stranger, and granted her the vindication she sought, how much more will God, who is just and their loving Father, hear the cries of his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night.”
3. The basis of God’s answer to our prayers is two-fold: God’s covenant agreement with his people (i.e., the church consisting of those who believe Jesus as their Lord and Savior) and our unceasing prayer, which is a sign of our faith.             

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Evening Reflection

How has your prayer life been?  Have you been mindful of answered prayers or things that God has spoken to you during the day?  Write down any words or impressions that might be from God.   

NEW Today’s AMI QT Devotional is written by Esther Chailim. Esther, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently serving as the director of ministries at Kairos Christian Church (San Diego) and pursuing a Masters in Christian Ministry and Leadership at Talbot Theological Seminary.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Blind Spots”

Matthew 7:3-5

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

About two months ago, news broke about Mr. George Floyd’s murder.  This brought many into an awakening of realizing the grave injustices that still exist in our world today.  Of course, this isn’t anything new, but this one felt different.  I, along with many people in the world, realized that something had to change.  I realized that I needed to change. And so, I have not only been on this journey of learning, listening and lamenting, but I have also had to take a really honest look at my own life and the ways in which I have personally played a part in contributing to the racism that exists in our world.  It has been a very humbling and tiring season, but I believe that this work must be done in order for changes to happen.

For me, growing up as an Asian American, I witnessed overt racism within my own family, mainly through racial jokes, slurs, and comments.  If you were to ask me if my family were racist, I would unquestionable, without hesitation, say, “Yes! Absolutely.”  I, however, never thought that in my mind, I could be a racist too.  Rather, it was easy for me to point my finger at others and judge others for being that way, while not really looking at my own blind spots.  The hardest revelation during this journey has been that I, too, have racial biases that have been formed in me and have impacted the way I see or interact with others.

One of the most eye-opening moments for me was actually a few years back during a conversation I had with a friend who speaks the same native dialect as my family.  We were discussing how growing up Asian American, we had always been raised to think of Black and Brown people as less than.  I had realized that through different interactions and comments made by my family, I had formed this idea that associating with Black and Brown people was not acceptable in my family and that it would bring shame and dishonor to them.  But I think the most shocking thing of all for me was when I realized that the term we used for “Black person” was in fact a very derogatory term.  Its literal translation is “black ghost.”  I was dumbfounded because, all my life, I had thought that the way I was referring to Black people was the proper way to say it, never really thinking twice about the translation, or even that there could be other ways to say it.  It wasn’t until my friend pointed out that there was another way to say “Black person” in my language that I realized I had been using the derogatory term all my life.  This shook me to my core because I realized that even without me knowing it, I was contributing to this racism that I knew in my head was not okay.  And for the first time, I had finally understood how deeply embedded and wrong some of these things I learned as a child were.  I have realized that these seemingly subtle comments against the black and brown community have had a very long-lasting impact in me.  Things that are still in me to this day and things that I am still trying to unlearn.

The word of God says in Matthew 7:5 that we need to take the plank out of our own eye before we can see clearly to remove the speck from our brothers’ eyes.  I believe the killing of Mr. George Floyd was different for all of us because, this time around, it made us realize that there was a deeply embedded problem in our nation.  And I think for the first time in a long time, many people, like myself, were realizing that it wasn’t just about THOSE racist people out there, but rather a call to look at ourselves and acknowledge that we might have been or continue to contribute to the problem.

Prayer:  Forgive us, Lord, for the ways in which we have been complicit in the racial and social injustices that exist around the world.  Reveal to us where our own biases and blind spots are so that we can work towards change.  Humble and refine us, Jesus, to be more like You.  May we continue to do the work of justice and be a body of peace in this world.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 5

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Lunch Break Study

Read Amos 4:4-6: “Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. ⁵ Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings—boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do,” declares the Sovereign Lord. ⁶ “I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.”

Questions to Consider

• Describe how the people in these verses were portrayed?
• What does the “ruin of Joseph” mean?
• What does this passage reveal about God’s heart for justice?

Notes

1. This is in reference to Jeroboam II and his royal court.  They had won many battles and acquired much wealth in doing so.  They were powerful and had lots of money, living on ivory beds, investing music and eating lambs.  Simply put, they were privileged.
2. The ruin of Joseph refers to the devastation of the “ordinary” Israelites (the poor city dwellers and peasants)
3. God was protesting against the leadership of Israel. It’s clear that the Lord is against those with power and privilege to live in self-indulgence and only live as if they were the only ones that mattered. Rather, he wants those with much to grieve and care for those with little (the poor, oppressed and marginalized).

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Evening Reflection

Spend some time reflecting on how your thoughts have been formed in respect to race.  Ask God to reveal some of your biases and how that might be affecting the ways you see or interact with others that are different from you.  Are there things that need to be unlearned?   Are these thoughts consistent with biblical truths?  Allow the Holy Spirit to speak and bring revelation to you in this time.

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provide by a former staff at an AMI church, was originally posted on July 6, 2014.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Intimacy with God”

Genesis 3:8-9

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

In today’s text, we find the crucial turning point for humanity. This was the moment where we went from a God planned state of hosting His presence to being separated from Him.

Even though Adam and Eve had already eaten from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil at this point, verse 8 shows us what God intended for mankind in the Garden of Eden.  One commentator wrote, “The description of Eden with its trees, rivers, gold, and so on emphasized God’s presence there. Therefore it seems likely that it was not unusual for him to be heard walking in the garden ‘in the breeze of the day,’ i.e., in the afternoon when cool breezes spring up and the sun is not so scorching. Maybe a daily chat between the Almighty and his creatures was customary. The term ‘walking’ is subsequently used of God’s presence in the Israelite tent sanctuary again emphasizing the relationship between the garden and the later shrines.” The created condition was one of hosting where God would walk among us and we would fully engage with Him.

When Adam and Eve sinned, that intimate relationship was broken. Even though God was in the garden among them, the reality was that there was an uncrossable gulf between them. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”

If we take this Genesis context into our understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice, what it shows us is that His death was for more than our sins that needed atoning: It was to ultimately bring back true intimacy with God.

When we think about the purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice, we need to look at more than just forgiveness of sins and a ticket to heaven. His broken body is the bridge that we walk through to regain intimacy with God. Today, ask the Lord for deeper sensitivity to His presence and intimacy with Him. Be confident in asking this because this is why Jesus laid down His life for us.

Prayer: Dear God, help me to draw closer to You so that I may walk in a deeper sensitivity to Your presence.  Father, I seek a palpable experience with You, not only to sense Your love but Your holiness as well so that I may have a proper fear of God to walk away from sins. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 4

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor Sam Lee who leads Catalyst Agape Church in Northern New Jersey, was first posted on December 3, 2013.  He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?”

Ephesians 4:30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

People are hungry for the anointing of the Holy Spirit; therefore, some seek out famous speakers to lay hands on them, hoping for their anointing to rub off on them. This sounds like a good plan, but it is not as easy as it may seem. Last summer, I went to a conference where several internationally famous anointed men and women of God came to speak. The problem was that since thousands of people wanted to receive prayers from these speakers during the ministry time, I couldn’t even get near most of them; it was like trying to get to a flat screen TV on a Black Friday.

We all want the anointing of the Holy Spirit, but do we have to wait for a major conference, that is, do we need to travel hundreds of mile to get that anointing? Does the anointing come just because a famous speaker lays their hand on us for a split second?

Today’s passage is the key to being filled with the Holy Spirit; the Bible says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” We don’t have to wait for a retreat, a revival meeting, or a conference. Nor do we need to seek an “anointed’ man or woman of God to get prayed over. We can do something today to be more filled with the Holy Spirit. We need to honestly ask the Holy Spirit what grieves him. You may be surprised by what you are told.

If He points out bitterness, let’s take time to forgive.  This is to say, the way we relate to one another often grieves the Holy Spirit.  If He points out pride, let’s take time to humble ourselves. If He points out anxiety, let’s take time to pray until we have peace. If He points out wrong beliefs and thoughts, let’s take time to seek out biblical truths to replace it.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to empty out the root of bitterness and pride from my heart so that the Holy Spirit can fill and saturate me. In fact, fill me with the Holy Spirit so that the grip of bitterness and pride on my heart may be loosened so that I can walk in the Spirit, not in my flesh.  Amen.   

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 2-3

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor David Kwon who heads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, was first posted on December 12, 2014.  He is a graduate of Drexel University (BS) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Missing Cookies and a Breached Wall”

Proverbs 25:28

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

My children love all kinds of dessert: ice cream, cookies, cakes, etc.  A few months ago, my wife made a batch of cookies, so I told my kids that they were not allowed to have any until after dinner.  But right before dinner, I saw that several cookies were missing, along with a mess of crumbs all over the table.  I realized that the gratification of cookies was too much to handle and as a result my kids gave into temptation.

Solomon, the writer of this proverb, compares a person without self-control to a breached wall.  The city walls protect the people from all sorts of attacks from surrounding enemies.   So the picture the writer gives is that of a city whose walls have been so nearly destroyed as to be without defense against the enemy;  likewise, the man who has no restraint over his spirit is also defenseless and exposed to temptations, which eventually leads to sin.  He has no defense against anger, lust, and the other unrestrained emotions that are harmful for the soul, as well as to others. Solomon reminds us that we should see self-control as a wall for defense and protection from the appetites of our flesh.

What area in your life do you need to ask for greater self-control?  It could be lust, anger, shopping, your speech or something else.   Only the power of the Holy Spirit can change us and give us the self-control we need to live a godly lifestyle.  Spend some time this morning asking the Lord to search your heart and surrender the areas you need more self-control in.   

Prayer: Dear God, only You can change my heart that lacks self-control at times in various areas of my life.  Through the power of the Spirit, change me and fill me with more of You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  2 Corinthians 1

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Lunch Study Break

Read 2 Timothy 1:6-8: For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. ⁸ So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

Questions to Consider

1. What is Paul telling Timothy concerning the Holy Spirit?
2. Why do you think Paul is reminding him of this truth?
3. How is this applicable in our daily lives?

Notes

1. The effective Christian worker must have the power of the Holy Spirit, but that power must be expressed in a loving spirit. The Spirit also gives us self-discipline to flee from temptations and to live a God-centered lifestyle.
2. We tend to forget the power that is available to us in our everyday lives.  The Holy Spirit gives us the power to change as we abide in Christ (John 15) and is not an act of self-will.
3. We need to be filled with more of Jesus so that we can experience His power and love, and to better minister to others.

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Evening Reflection:

What are some areas you need to surrender to the Lord so that you would be “protected” by self-control?   We need to allow the Spirit to continue to work in our lives so that we would experience his transforming power and grace.  Spend some time in prayer.   

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Jabez Yeo who formerly served at Remnant Church in Manhattan, was first posted on August 11, 2014.  Jabez is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BS) and Columbia International University (M.A., Muslim Studies).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Who Are We Trying to Please?”

Hebrews 11:1, 6

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…and without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”

During my internship on Wall Street, I remember quite vividly that my only goal at work was to do whatever it took to please my boss. As he would be the one deciding whether I would be employed or not, I would do all that I could to ensure that I not only met, but exceeded, his expectations.  While my experience is indicative of our performance-oriented culture, it is truly comforting to know that our Heavenly Father does not operate under the same guidelines. For if He did, we would all miss His standard: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Rather, it is faith that is required to please God; specifically, a faith that believes in a) God’s existence, and b) His reward for those who earnestly seek Him.  Assuming that most of us reading this devotional are believers, we will most likely not struggle with believing that God exists. However, how many of us sincerely believe that God will reward those who earnestly seek Him? We may think that we do, but many of us take matters into our own hands instead of seeking God and ascribing to His ways.

Take a clear example: God’s gift of sexual intimacy. When we do not have faith that God will reward us for seeking Him in this area, we may misuse this gift in several ways, such as using it a) at the wrong time (e.g. premarital sex) b) in ways that God did not design (e.g. pornography, homosexuality, adultery, etc.) c) in unhealthy quantities (e.g. scarcity or overindulgence).

A lack of faith in God’s willingness to reward can occur for several reasons. One reason could be an unhealthy image of God that portrays Him as a Father who is unwilling to bless His children. Another reason could be an over-dependence on our own abilities to reward ourselves; forgetting that it was God who gave us those abilities in the first place. Whatever our issue may be, let’s ask that God would help us develop a faith that is truly pleasing to Him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am sorry for placing matters into my own hands instead of trusting You. I believe that You are there but for some reason, I do not believe that You will give me what I need as I follow You. Help me discern the reason for my lack of faith and correct my thoughts according to Your truth. Help me to truly surrender to You and ascribe to Your ways no matter the circumstance. In Your Name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 16

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Lunch Break Study

Read Philippians 1:6: “And I am sure of this, that He {God} who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Questions to Consider

1. What is the good work that God began in us?
2. What are the implications of the fact that God is bringing our faith to completion?
3. Are you allowing God to bring your faith to completion? Take some time to assess whether this is the case or not.

Notes

1. God, not ourselves or our human reasoning, was the one who brought us to a saving knowledge of who He is. As Christ said; “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:29).
2. This statement implies that our faith is not complete but still lacking in some way.  As described above, our tendency to ascribe to our own ways and thinking instead of God’s ways is one way that our faith could be lacking
3. Personal response.

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Evening Reflection

In light of today’s discussion of faith, how did you place your trust in God? Were you able to grow your faith and surrender your wants and desires to Him in your daily circumstances? Let’s continue to go to Him and as our Lord Jesus commanded, to pray for our “daily bread,” among other things.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on May 9, 2014.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Respect”

Titus 2:1-2

“You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.”

When I think of older men I’ve come to really respect, two retired professors I’ve had the privilege of working with on-and-off over the years are among the first that come to mind.  Over 60 years old and though not believers, when I spend time with them, I often find myself thinking, “When I get to be that age, I hope I can be like that.”

There is a level of respect that one automatically grants any other person because they are a fellow human being, and then there is a respect that is something more, granted to certain people because of a quality they have.  Sometimes a person can be respected for their achievement, ability, the power they wield, or the position they hold.  But when one person respects another from the heart, it often has more to do with who that other person is; their character, the way they treat people.  When Paul instructs Titus to teach the older men to be “worthy” of respect, I think he is talking about this last kind.

I first started according these two professors this kind of respect upon discovering their unexpectedly humble and even teachable attitudes.  Though they were experts in their fields and I was almost a generation their junior, they treated me as a colleague, asking for my input and deferring as often to my suggestions as I did to theirs.  I also came to notice how, while they always pursued the highest standards of excellence, they also maintained a sense of humor and were able to take neither the work nor themselves over-seriously.  They had a sense of perspective which could be called true wisdom.

Sometimes, as we get older, younger people around us will automatically give us a level of respect, just because of our age or the greater achievements of our longer lifetimes.  While this is not a bad thing, if it were the only kind of respect people had for me, I would feel unsatisfied.  Today, let’s pursue in becoming the kind of person with the character worthy of others’ respect.

Prayer: Lord, as I grow older, help me not to take the respect of others for granted.  I do not live for their approval, but I know that if I have the respect of others that is given from the heart, somehow, I am doing something right.  Help me to be a decent human being today.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 15

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Lunch Break Study

Read Philippians 2:1-9:  “ Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves . . . [5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God . . .  [7] made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant . . .[and] humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place . . .”

1 John 2:6: “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

Questions to Consider

1. What do we receive out of our being united with Christ (v. 1)?
2. What should the consequent effect be (v. 2-3)?
3. When Jesus humbled himself, what did God do (v. 9)?  How is this related to what our attitudes towards receiving the respect of others should be?

Notes

1. Encouragement, comfort, sharing in the Spirit, tenderness and compassion.  We need first to meditate on what we have received from Christ, because this is our motivation for obeying all that the Spirit exhorts us to do through Paul, in the following verses.
2. Our trying to be like Christ, having his same attitude of love for and humility before others. As we get older, this takes more intentional effort on our part, because theoretically, we become wiser and more experienced than an increasing number of people around us.
3. When Jesus did not seek to exalt himself, God exalted him.  Trying to become people “worthy of respect” is different from trying to do things to “make” others respect us (i.e., boasting about our accomplishments, treating others as inferiors in position, etc.).

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Evening Reflection

How respectful was I of others today?  Remembering and thinking about Jesus, did I try to have an attitude of humility before others?  Were there moments I had to swallow my pride?  If you were successful in these areas today, be encouraged, because God has seen it; and whether you may know it or not, you may also have won the respect of others around you who were watching you today as well.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional provided by Pastor Yohan Lee, a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches, was first posted on November 11, 2014.  He is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for this Morning

“Knowing Your Limits”

Prov. 5:7-8

“And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house,”

Call it childish machismo, but I am fond of saying, “Every boy needs to get into a fight with an older kid he cannot overcome, at least once in his life.”  Many in this reading audience are probably horrified right now, but I believe that taking a beating humbles young boys and teaches them to keep quiet (once in a while).  Over the years, I’ve expanded my defense of said statement to include, “Boys need to learn how to fight losing battles”; and “Boys need to test their limits, and you can only test your limits by losing once in a while.”  By the way, fighting losing battles (for good causes) and testing limits is not exclusive to boys.

All that being said, there are just some battles that you should not try to fight; there are some limits that need not be tested.  I love how, in this book full of overtly wise and pithy statements, we get the subtle but equally wise message to “run away!”  Although the idea of running away does not appeal to the childish machismo in me, there is nothing cowardice about running from sin and situations that cause you to sin.  The truth is that knowing your limits is a part of maturing (not just spiritual maturation); those who never learn what they can and cannot handle will repeatedly find themselves in poor situations and living in regret.

For the writer of Proverbs, sexual purity is obviously one of those areas, but it is not the only one.  For those who struggle with alcohol, going to a bar on a Friday night may be something that needs to be avoided.  The person with an addictive personality may need to stay far away from a casino.  The shopaholic may need to stay away from the mall or get rid of credit cards.  Obviously, I don’t know what you need to run away from, but I want to encourage you with a wise proverb of my own: “Better to run on your feet than to fall on your face.”

Prayer: Lord, show me areas in my life that I need to totally avoid. Help me to see that Your means of grace for me in these areas is to run, and that You are growing in me the fruit of self-control in the process.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Corinthians 14

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Lunch Break Study

Read Gen. 39:1-23 (only 11-21 is provided below): But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.” 19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

Questions to Consider

1. How was Joseph able to avoid from falling?
2. How did things work out for Joseph?
3. Look carefully at this chapter.  What is the real message of Joseph’s life?

Notes

1. The obvious answer is that Joseph ran away from Potiphar’s wife (39:12).  But if you look at 39:8-9, Joseph was also mindful of God and feared sinning against Him, for Joseph knew that God always sees.  Likewise, we need to live with the realization that God always sees.   
2. Outwardly, not so good: He was falsely accused and thrown in prison.  But here is the point: sometimes doing the right thing may not immediately end in good results, and we shouldn’t be surprised if this happens.
3. Ultimately, the point of Joseph’s life story is found in 39:2 and 39:1: “The Lord was with Joseph.”  The Lord orchestrated the highs and lows of Joseph’s life, and He was with him.  God is always in charge and He does not leave his children.

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Evening Reflection

Did something come up today that you needed to avoid?  Did you run?  Did you conduct yourself today as if God were watching you?  Do you know that He is with you?

Very recently, one of my pastoral friends lamented what he perceived to be an issue with younger people.  Basically, he felt that it is getting harder to lead, teach, and shepherd people because they feel like they’d rather make their own decisions and learn from their mistakes rather than listening to a leader’s advice.  This friend further commented that to many it doesn’t matter if something is wise, right, true, good, etc. as long as they make the decision.