January 29, Wednesday

In light of Kobe Bryant’s sudden and shocking death last Sunday, I thought it would be appropriate to reprint our Chinese brother Napa’s AMI QT blog posted three weeks earlier. I added a few thoughts of my own.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Kobe Bryant’s Last Shot”

James 4:13-15

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

[Napa] When I was in high school, the NBA held a summer camp in the biggest city of our country. They invited NBA stars to host this camp to teach high school students how to play basketball. One of my classmates was selected to attend the summer camp. Since the camp was only for a couple of days, he skipped school because this was his chance to meet Kobe Bryant! Since then, he became a star at school. Many people would ask him all kinds of questions. For example, “What did Kobe teach you? What kind of person is Kobe? Did you have dinner together? What else did you do together?” All this to say—playing basketball with Kobe Bryant made my classmate extremely special. [Ryun] Now that Kobe has suddenly passed at the young age of 41, along with his young daughter (and seven others), we are finding out how special he was to so many people.

As for me, being a die-hard San Antonio Spurs fan, the main rival of Kobe’s Lakers in his hey days, I couldn’t allow myself to like him too much. My guys were Duncan, Ginobili and Parker; Kobe, Shaq and Fisher were foes to root against (to put it mildly). And after his rape allegations in 2003, I found an additional reason to keep myself from admiring Kobe’s incredible skill and dedication to win.

Be that as it may, perhaps no one fits the description of a “ mixed bag” better than Kobe, because over the years we saw this man mature into a dedicated husband/father who really loves his family, an incredibly busy man (now in animation business for which he won an Oscar!), who still found time to give himself to improve the lives of others; and most importantly, he reconnected with God. I am told that he and his daughter attended a 7 AM mass on that fateful Sunday morning and took communion—before getting on the helicopter that later crashed.

Upon finding out that he died this past Sunday, I joined millions in utter shock and sadness. But, if Kobe could speak from the grave, he would say, “Let my untimely death remind you all of the fragility of life”—that is, as today’s passage says, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

So what should we do? Get right with God. How? Accept the provision He has made for us so that we can be with God forever in heaven. How do you do that? Believe that Jesus Christ became a perfect man without relinquishing one iota of his divinity, to assume our sin in order to pay for its penalty by dying on the cross. And when you do that while we tarry on earth, that is thousand times more important than the five NBA championships Kobe won.

Here is hoping that Kobe is in heaven because he made peace with God through placing his faith in Jesus Christ. If you haven’t done that yourself, do it today. Remember that “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for reminding me of my special identity. Let me know that my relationship with You is special. I am so honored to know You, to walk with You, and to be in You. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 10

Lunch Break Study

By Jason Sato

Read Matthew 5:3-12: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Questions to Consider

According to Jesus, who is blessed?
According to Jesus, what are blessings?
Where is our reward?

Notes

The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
The kingdom of heaven, comfort, inheriting the earth, satisfaction, mercy, seeing God, and being called sons of God.
In heaven.

Evening Reflection

Are you blessed? Is your family blessed? The answer is always “Yes” because of Jesus Christ. Remember, the Lord cares for you!

January 28, Tuesday

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Day Workers”

Matt 20:8-16

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

If you have ever been to one of those large home improvement stores, you’ve probably seen day workers gathered in the parking lot hoping to get hired. This is the way it works. If you go early in the morning, say 6 or 7am, you’ll notice that the young stronger guys get picked up first. If you come back at 10am or so, you won’t find any young guys; instead, you’ll only see middle-aged and older men. If you come back after noon, all the middle-aged men will be gone, presumably because someone has hired them, but you’ll likely find a handful of older men. At this point in the day, the prospect of finding employment for these men is minimal. Now this is the truly sad part, if you go back the next day or the day after that, around the noon to 2pm hours, you’ll notice that it’s more or less the same older men standing out there hoping to get work. How often do you think these guys get picked up for work? Can’t be more than a few times a month, right?

Now could you imagine how joyous one of these older day workers would be if some guy came up, hired him to do an hour worth of yard work or something, and then paid him like $200-$300. How excited do you think this old man would be to tell his wife about the gracious bounty he received and how for at least a few days, they wouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet?

Look, I may not be a 6am worker, but I do feel like I’m at least a 9am worker (not trying to brag), and when I read this parable I often identify with the grumbling workers who bore the sun’s heat. Too often I’m ashamed to admit that I forget to rejoice at the master’s generosity toward those who really really “need” it. Perhaps it’s because after so many years of walking in Christ, I’ve actually felt entitled to his grace, and instead of remembering how much I need it, I’ve actually come to believe I’ve earned it. What about you? How would you feel if God made that person in your life who has made all the wrong choices “equal to you”? Would you rejoice or would you grumble? Why?

For the record, I basically stole this morning’s devotional from a recent message I heard from Ryan Baitzel, pastor of Emergence Church, Totowa, NJ.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your grace in my life. Thank You that You’re gracious to me and You’re gracious to people who’ve made all the wrong choices in life. Help me never to be envious or entitled but remind me of Your generous heart.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 9

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 1001-5: Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Questions to Consider

What are some things the Psalmist gives thanks/praise for (vs. 3 and 5)?
Do you see these things in your life?
How is your heart of thanksgiving lately?

Notes

In vs. 3, the Psalmist praises the Lord for his ownership and care, and in vs. 5 he praises the Lord for his enduring love.
As believers, God has adopted us into his family so we “belong to him”. He also cares for us and provides for us. And his everlasting love in Christ remains forever. Hopefully, you have personal testimonies of all these ways God shows his love for us.
Personal response

Evening Reflection

When was the last time you thanked God for the most fundamental gift of Christianity, eternal life in Christ? Do you still have a heart for those who still need God’s grace in their lives?

January 27, Monday

The AMI QT Devotionals for today and tomorrow (new) are provided by Pastor Yohan Lee, a friend of AMI, who has served as a staff at several AMI churches in the past. He and his wife Mandie have four adorable children: Simon, Maggie, Jonathan and Abigail.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“New Year, New You”

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed for his compassions never fail; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

It’s been about four weeks since the calendar turned to 2020, and I can confidently say that the new year has brought about a new me; unfortunately, this has not been a good thing. I’ll blame it on the Christmas holidays and associated vacation, but for whatever reason, I’ve fallen into a bad rhythm. I’ve probably only been to the gym about four times in 2020, and each time I cut my workout short in both duration and intensity because I’ve been dealing with heart and gut problems (These two organs seem to have gone missing in me). I’m eating like a teenager and can’t remember the last time I’ve had a salad. I’m sleeping in way later than I want to, and by 7pm at night I feel and act like a zombie. Around the home, all my projects and chores remain incomplete or overdue. And to top it all off, I’m already like 10 days behind in my Bible reading schedule. I think it’s fair to say that I haven’t exactly hit the ground running in 2020.

Because today’s passage is so familiar to many of us and because it’s written in such a beautifully poetic way, we often take for granted the deep spiritual truth of it. And the truth is that, even if you’ve had a series of bad days, weeks, months, or even years, God loves you, he has a plan for you, and you are not consumed (or defeated) by poor choices—even if those poor choices have become a hard to break bad habit. Not only that, his mercy or compassion for you is new this morning as well. In other words, today can, and if you make it, will be different. Today, pick one, two, or three things you want to do, and do them. Start some good habits. For me, I’ll pick up my Bible reading schedule, cleaning my microwave, and perhaps eating a salad!

Prayer: Lord, thank You for this day. Each day is genuinely a gift from You. Help me to have a good day and successfully start a good habit. Most of all, let me be mindful and obedient to You this day. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 8

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 7:14-25: We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Questions to Consider

What was Paul struggling with in this passage?
What truths about the new life in Christ does this passage reveal?
What will be the ultimate prevailing truth (vs. 25), and how is this an encouragement for you?

Notes

In this passage, Paul shares that while he is a new creation in Christ, he still struggles with the desires of the sinful nature. For example in vs. 15, he says what he wants to do he doesn’t do; but what he hates to do, he does anyway. I think we’ve all been there.
The spiritual truth revealed in this passage concerns the process of sanctification. Namely that if we have genuine faith in Christ, we are spiritually changed and the Spirit lives in us, but at the same time, the sinful nature within us is also still alive (though slowly dying). So in our hearts, there’s always going to be a struggle in us to live for Christ, until we see Jesus face to face.
Ultimately, we are going to be fully delivered in Christ; and we will be “slaves” to God’s righteous law. Hopefully, this is an encouragement to you to know that your future will be glorious.

Evening Reflection

Now that we’re almost a month into 2020, how has the new year been for you? Are there resolutions you’ve quit on already? Do you need to refocus? Do you already feel defeated? Don’t; Christ lives in you.

January 26, Sunday

Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang. This blog was originally posted on March 10, 2013.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Money: Handle with Care”

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Sherri and Big Girls Don’t Cry, two of the popular tunes of the 1950s and 1960s, were sang by the Four Seasons who sold more than 175 million records, tapes, and CDs in 50 plus years. The two original members of the group, Franki Valli and Bob Gaudio, who were friends long before they struck gold, had an unusual financial relationship between them. During the days when they were working as a barber and a printer while playing in small clubs, the two friends decided to be partners forever and share their earnings equally. Even though neither of them knew where they were going to wind up, they decided over a handshake, to split their future earnings in half. During the course of their careers, they each had earned enough to divide $70-80 million. No matter what happened in their lives, they never thought of breaking their deal. Said Gaudio, “That would be like telling your brother that he couldn’t come to dinner anymore. We’re a family.”

While a wise usage of money can bring two friends become closer than brothers, money has actually separated many brothers. 1 Timothy 6:10b says, “Some people, eager for money, have . . . pierced themselves with many grief.” One major grief over money is the damage inflicted on family relationships and friendships. Once, someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” In response, Jesus said, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Lk. 12:15). Apparently, money was more important to this person than somehow salvaging his relationship with his brother.

So how can we ensure that money will never break our important relationships? One wise rule is that we do not make money off of our family members and friends. Proverbs 28:8 says, “He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.” Dismayed that “my brothers and my men are also lending the people money,” Nehemiah declared, “Let the exacting of usury stop” (Neh. 5:10). In Psalms 15:5, one aspect to righteous living is described as “lending his money without usury.”

Therefore, when friends or families want to borrow money from us, pray about giving them an amount we can afford rather than lend it to them. Proverbs 3:28 says, “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow’—when you now have it with you.” In that way, we will not get bent out of shape for not being repaid.

However, the borrower should make every effort to pay back what was lent to him, for Psalms 37:21 says, “The wicked borrow and do not repay.” If it was a gift, then the receiver should show the same kind of generosity to those who are in need. Most of all, we should all be generous.

Prayer: Lord, give us the wisdom to use money wisely; help us to be generous and rich in good deeds. Most of all, remind us to put our trust in God, not in our bank account. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 7

January 25, Saturday

Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang who is the Teaching Pastor of AMI. This blog was originally posted on March 9, 2013.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Don’t Get Fooled by This World; Live for God Instead”

Ephesians 2:10a

We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.

After declaring war on Japan, Franklin D. Roosevelt passed an executive order in1942 Japanese Internment that interned nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans in desolate concentration camps in the deserts. Those of Japanese descent born in America faced a different dilemma of either complying with the draft (to the dismay of their parents) or be imprisoned for refusing it. Some years later, John Okada, a Japanese American, wrote a novel called No-No Boy. In the preface, he wrote, “As of that moment, the Japanese in the United States became, by virtue of their ineradicable brownness. . ., animals of a different breed. . .. Everything Japanese and everyone Japanese became despicable.” Okada’s compatriots initially rejected the novel perhaps because it was all too real: the loss, alienation and anger.

During the Old Testament times, something far worse could have happened to the Jews living peacefully in the Persian Empire, when Haman the Amalekite, serving as a confident to the emperor, maneuvered to enact a genocidal policy against them. Had it not been for Queen Esther, who risked everything in order to plead to the king on behalf of her people, the plight of the Jews would have been worse than what the Japanese-Americans had endured.

These two events are a good reminder to us, who, in our opulent and comfortable lifestyle, often forget that our ultimate citizenship is not of this world, for Paul says, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). Thus, those who follow Christ shouldn’t be too dismayed by how the world treats them since, as “aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Pet. 2:11), they were told in advance, “It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him” (Phil 1:29).

Perhaps, some of us have forgotten this in pursuit of the things that the world says we must have in order to feel successful. Remember, we are not here to cater to our every whims and wishes but to do God’s work. As Christ’s followers, regardless of whether we are interned or threatened by enemies, we have the same task of trying to be the salt and light in a hopeless world. Perhaps unwilling at first, since it is risky and difficult, but let us be reminded of what Esther’s cousin Mordecai told her: “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Est. 4:14). You can replace “royal position” with “influential profession” or “abundant finances.” When the Lord, in his time, calls you to go all out for him, may you declare what Esther said, “I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (4:16).

Start living for the Lord now, little by little; make a small difference for Christ, today. Remember that “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.”

Prayer: Lord, help us not to be duped by the trappings of this world. Instead, help us to keep our eyes fixed on You so that we are both willing and ready to maximize all that has been given to us from above for Your glory.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 5-6

January 24, Friday

Today’s AMI QT blog, written by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was originally posted on November 24, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Can You Take a Rebuke?”

Prov. 17:10

“A rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool.”

Let me start today with a question: How do you personally handle a rebuke that addresses one (or more) of your character flaws? Do you find yourself becoming defensive? Or do you begin to distance yourself from the person(s) who rebuked you? Or are you saying, “Well, it depends…” Or are you thinking to yourself, “When exactly was the last time someone rebuked me?”

There was a sermon video that had gone viral. In it, Pastor Jim from a Baptist church in Oklahoma veers off for about 5 minutes from his sermon, personally rebuking his church members. In it, he states, “You’re the sorriest church members I have – you’re not worth 15 cents,” as he justifies that his comments are motivated by “love.” You might have a less than favorable opinion of the method this pastor took to address some people in his church. However, Solomon observed that a “discerning person” actually took a rebuke to heart. They did not become defensive. They did not become evasive. Rather they listened; and in doing so, they grew in wisdom and maturity.

During his ministry, Jesus rebuked the religious leaders. He rebuked evil spirits. And at times, he also rebuked his disciples. 2 Tim. 3:16 tells us that God’s word is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. For a person who desires spiritual growth, it seems that at times, a rebuke, however gentle or stern, is necessary. Have you been rebuked recently by God’s word? Allow it to make a deep impression in your life. Next time you might feel the sting of a rebuke, take a deep breath and yield to the Spirit of Wisdom to bring the refining process into your life.

Prayer: Lord, honestly, I don’t think I like getting rebuked by anybody. So would You help me in nurturing a teaching heart? Provide godly relationships in my life who would speak truth to me. In Jesus name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 4

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 9:51-55 (NIV): As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.

Questions to Consider

What made James and John take the perspective of wanting to destroy the Samaritans?
Do you think James and John were angry on behalf of the Lord or on their own accord?
What attitude should we have towards people who do not receive the ministry of Jesus?

Notes

In addition to their temperament (“sons of thunder”) and the strong racial hatred that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans, the final straw was being rejected rather than given hospitality by the town’s folks.
From Jesus’ response, it would seem that Jesus had no anger towards the Samaritans. It concerned Jesus enough to “rebuke” James and John about their request to destroy the village.
Matt. 5:44 and Romans 12:14 tells us to love, pray, and bless those who oppose us. It is an absolutely difficult position to take. However, let us remember the mercy that God has shown us that we may also be merciful.

Evening Reflection

Have you been rebuked recently either by someone privately or during a sermon or a Bible study? If so, how did you respond? Spend some time reflecting on the areas in your life that God wants to change.

January 23, Thursday

Today’s AMI QT blog, written by Pastor Barry Kang of Symphony Church in Boston, was originally posted on March 13, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Family Resemblance”

1 John 3:1-6 (ESV)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

We often talk about abiding in the truth of Jesus. This morning, let us consider the glorious truth that because of Jesus’ death on the cross, we have been adopted into God’s family. One powerful implication (actually, the Bible flat out tells us this) is this: God loves us as His children! One of my greatest sources of comfort and confidence is that whatever the world may say, I am my Father’s beloved.

And yet there is more to being a child of God than the glorious truth that God loves us. When we are part of a human family, we know there is much more that unites us than simply love. For example, there are many reasons how I know my children are mine and not someone else’s: I was there when they were born, took multiple photographs at the time, so I know what they look like, and I took them home from the hospital.

Most importantly, they resemble me! Some of the resemblances are genetic, while others come from their observing me as we’ve lived together for the past 10 to 14 years. They are picking up my speech and other behavioral patterns. More importantly, they are picking up my principles and notions of honor, faithfulness, etc. I believe the Apostle John is drawing a similar analogy: now that we are part of the family of God, there ought to be a family resemblance! So, do we, as God’s children through His Son, resemble Christ?

Prayer: Father, thank You for adopting me into Your family. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. I certainly do not deserve to be called Your child, but now that I am, help me to pick up the family resemblance. May I honor You as I seek to become more and more like You. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 3

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 John 3:1-6 (ESV): See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

Questions to Consider

What kind of love has the Father given to us?
What does it mean to purify oneself?
How does John define sin? Is sinlessness our present or future reality?

Notes

The Father gave us the ultimate love. He has adopted us, we who were once his enemies, and brought us into his family, making us his children.
We are to purify ourselves as Jesus is pure (v.3). In other words, our definition of purity is to look at Jesus and follow his example.
a) John defines sin as lawlessness. Sin demonstrates a rebellious attitude to the perfect one who gives the law. The one who “makes a practice of sinning” is a person who has decided deliberately to keep on sinning. b) It’s both. Jesus’ death on the cross took away our sin and broke the power of sin. However, as John notes in chapter 1, no one is without sin presently. Rather, we are in process of becoming more and more like the Father. Not until Jesus appears, will we be completely like him.

Evening Reflection

Can other people see that you resemble the family of God? What ways has God changed you? In what area(s) is God asking you to submit to His transforming love?

January 22, Wednesday

Today’s AMI QT blog, written by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S.F., was originally posted on March 26, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

Obedience in Love

1 John 5:1-5 (ESV)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

One of the most important questions that this passage answers is, “What is the evidence of genuine faith?” The answer is relatively simple: right belief, obedience to God’s commands, and a life of love. Often times, we overly focus on the complexities of Christianity and forget the basic essentials. I think most of us would agree that our initial attraction to faith was simply based on God’s love for us. When God’s Spirit begins to work mightily in a person, one of the first convictions that He gives is an understanding of how much love it took for God to send His only Son to be a sacrifice of sin. And along with that understanding, the Spirit gives a simultaneous compulsion to love others just as Christ loved us.

When I first became a believer, I remember having this overwhelming desire to love others so much so that the church that I attended put me on the welcome team. Unfortunately, I think I scared some people by being so friendly and open with God’s love, but I couldn’t keep it from overflowing. In that season, the command to love was not burdensome but one of life’s greatest joys. Eventually, though, my heart became hardened like most of us who have been Christians for a long period of time and my desire to love began to fade. There were circumstances and people that made me realize that the church was an imperfect community and it became much harder to love. For this reason, many of us are able to put our love for God and our love for others in different compartments of our heart.

However, John reminds us that it is completely incongruent for us to think that we can love God, while giving little consideration to loving our brothers and sisters in Christ. In fact, loving God through our right beliefs and obeying his commands are the evidence that we love the children of God. Only in this way can we truly become imitators of Christ, who loved His Father with perfect knowledge, obeying him without sin, and ultimately becoming the perfect sacrifice of love for those who would become his brothers and sisters by faith.

Prayer: Jesus, help us to become more and more like You. May our lives produce the same evidence of genuine faith that was so apparent in Your life and ministry, that we would love God with a purity of mind and heart, striving to live in obedience, and loving others in the way You have loved us. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 2

Lunch Break Study

Read John 15:12-17: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Questions to Consider

What is the greatest expression of love?
How can we fulfill this difficult command to love?
What is the basis of our friendship with Christ?

Note

The greatest love is found in the willingness to lay down our lives for one another.
Frederick Bruner, in his commentary on the Gospel of John, teaches that Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t just an example for us to follow, but it is also the source of power for believers to love just as he loved us. We can only love to the level we believe God loves us.
The basis of our friendship with God is that we obey the commands of Christ and by the fact that everything He has heard from the Father, He has now disclosed to us.

Evening Reflection

Are you growing in your love for God and for others? Are the commands of God becoming burdensome? Pray that you would rediscover that first love that you once had and to simplify your faith with what matters most.

January 21, Tuesday

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Why should I Fast?”

Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Matthew 9:14-15 (ESV)

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

At the turn of the new year, our church typically has a corporate fast to start out the new year. Fasting has quickly become a forgotten and neglected practice in our culture of opulence and instant gratification. We have access to an abundance of things at the tip of our fingers, and so it has become increasingly difficult to abstain from things like food, drink, social media, entertainment…etc. After fielding several questions from people who genuinely wanted to engage with the Lord in this time of fasting, I thought it would be helpful if I shared a little bit of my experience and understanding of why I believe fasting is so important.

First of all, fasting quiets the noisiness of our flesh so that we can be attentive to the Holy Spirit. The greatest paradox of fasting is that when we fast, time actually feels like it goes slower. There are less distractions when we shut out social media. There is less noise in our lives when we simplify things. Our usual tendency is to drown out our inner turmoil with the noise of the world. We think that more toys, more entertainment, more relationships can fill the voids in our life, but they cannot. They are mere distractions. Only the intimate presence of God fills that void and fasting quiets our flesh so we can deal with our inner turmoil and seek Him in the midst of it. Psalm 46:10 tells us to be still and know that (He) is God. Fasting helps us experience that reality.

Second of all, fasting is meant to strengthen our spirit. It is a voluntary weakness of our flesh that is actually meant to strengthen our inner man. Think about it, we have every right to eat anything we want to eat, and yet, when we choose to lay down these rights in our flesh, I believe we are building an inner resolve that aids us in our pursuit of holiness. The truth is, we are people that easily give in to temptations, but fasting is a spiritual discipline that helps us to resist the devil. Do you long to pursue God and a life of holiness but find yourself lacking in willpower to resist temptation? You need to fast! It is ridiculous to think I can run a marathon without training. Similarly, it is ridiculous to think we can finish the marathon of life without spiritual training. I like the NLT translation of 1 Timothy 4:8. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” May our times of fasting be the training needed to run the race that God has designated for us well.

Finally, fasting is an expression of our longing for Jesus’ return. In our first passage, we see John’s disciples question Jesus and his disciples: Why did they not practice fasting, rather it seemed like they were overindulging in food? In fact, Jesus was called a glutton probably because he ate so much with the people he came to minister to (Luke 7:34). But Jesus, without skipping a beat, points to the fact that their national mourning, repentance, and longing for the coming of the Messiah is actually fulfilled in Jesus’ coming. He is the King of the Kingdom of God, the Bridegroom who would receive his Bride. There is no reason to fast when He is present, but when He departs (which He has), the bride will fast while it waits for her bridegroom to return. Our fasting is in response to the ache inside of our hearts for Jesus to return.

There are so many other reasons to fast – to mourn and repent, to seek guidance and direction, to experience breakthrough, just to name a few of the things. But my prayer is that the next time you decide to fast, your heart would be in the right place – and you would be all the more aware of the rewards of fasting.

Prayer: Father, in my times of fasting, may my heart be quickened to your Holy Spirit. May I know the depths of Your love and may the times I fast produce fruitfulness in my life. May it produce a deeper yearning for intimacy with You. May it produce a deeper hunger for Your presence. May it produce a stronger will in my spirit to pursue a life of holiness. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Romans 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV): “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Question to Consider

Did Jesus expect everyone to fast?
In this passage, what is a proper fast?
How do you feel about fasting and its place in your life?

Notes

While Jesus did not command a fast, it seems like he expected his disciples to fast. Notice in verse 16, it doesn’t say “if you fast,” but rather “when you fast.” Thus, we can deduce that fasting is a spiritual practice that should be part of our regular regiment.
Jesus teaches us to fast not as a badge of honor to show off to others, but rather as an intimate act between our Father and ourselves. While it may seem more rewarding to be complimented by others in our discipline and holiness when we fast, there are actually greater rewards from our Father when we do it in secret and with the right heart.
Personal Response.

Evening Reflection

Have you considered regularly scheduling a fast for yourself? Some of us may have corporate fasts with our church during the start of the new year, during lent, or during the advent season, but consider scheduling in days to fast throughout the year and see how God will move in your life!

January 20, Monday

The AMI QT Devotionals for today and tomorrow (new) are provided by Phillip Chen who serves as the College Pastor at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“He must Increase, I must Decrease”

Mark 1:4-9 (ESV)

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

I don’t know if you personally struggle with this, but I believe we are tempted to conflate our accomplishments and our identity. We want to present our best self at all times and often have a problem showing our weaknesses. Think about it. When you go to an interview and the question “What are some of your weaknesses” is asked, what would your response be? The classic advice that is given is for you to be real about your weakness, but not too real – because you don’t want to be too much of an open book.

Though there is nothing wrong with wanting to present yourself in a good light, I think the reality of wanting to promote ourselves more than we actually are comes from a place of insecurity. We long to be significant, to matter, and we loathe the idea of being discarded, disregarded because we are not important.

When I look at the ministry of John the Baptizer, I see a ministry that is marked by security. He is comfortable and secure being the messenger of God and nothing more, nothing less. He is comfortable with his role in the Kingdom of God. He is comfortable with His assignment. I think one thing that we often forget is how incredibly popular John was. It says that the entire Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. All of the country folk and all of the city folk are coming out to see John the Baptizer and hear what he had to say. In fact, it’s worth mentioning that Mark seemed to think that it was important to make it clear that John the Baptizer was simply the messenger that came to prepare the way for Jesus. He was not the main event. Perhaps he had to make this clear because people were mistakenly thinking of John as the Messiah. They had not heard a message as one that he had been preaching. They had not seen a charisma like his before. He seemed to be the one who was able to mobilize people and there was clearly a move of God that accompanied him. People were flocking to him in droves. People were confessing their sins. People were getting baptized. There was revival that was not only happening on a personal level, but seemingly on a national level.

This was a man that was at the pinnacle of his ministry with the most fruit and the most influence he could ever have, yet in the midst of all of this, he remembers his role as a messenger. He could have presented himself as more than he actually was, but he did not.

In the Gospel of John, John calls himself the friend of the bridegroom – and his delight is to see the bridegroom receive his bride. He doesn’t try to pretend to be the bridegroom even as people are starting to leave him to follow Jesus. In fact, his response is “He must increase and I must decrease.” May that be our response as well.

Prayer: Father God, help me to be secure in my identity in You. I confess that many times I make things about my glory rather than Yours, but oh that I would be like John, to declare boldly and come into agreement with this statement: You must increase and I must decrease. I pray that in my life, in my witness, in my ministry, in all that I do, there would be an earnest desire to see You increase. May that come from a place of understanding that I am Your beloved. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 21

Lunch Break Study

Read Acts 20:18-24 (ESV): And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.[c] 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by[d] the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Question to Consider

What is Paul’s conviction in regards to his past ministry?
What is Paul’s conviction in regards to his future ministry?
What would you consider to be your ministry that has been assigned to you?

Notes

Paul says he did not shrink from declaring anything that was profitable. His ministry is (in my opinion) marked by faithfulness to what was given to him; what was entrusted into his care. He wanted to remind them of his genuine love and care for them.
Paul knows that there are many trials and afflictions in regards to his assignment from God. However, his conviction is that he would be able to fulfill the ministry that has been assigned to him. He knows that it is only by the grace of God that he will be able to finish well.
Personal Response.

Evening Reflection

John the Baptizer was “successful” in his ministry and he did not shy away from that success. At the same time, he did not allow that success to get to his head and cause him to pursue things that he wasn’t called to pursue. He knew his assignment and was content to do what was assigned to him. In what ways do we need to streamline what we pursue? D.L. Moody says “our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.” Come before God and ask Him to clarify once again what you really ought to pursue.