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.

January 19, Sunday

Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on May 11, 2014. Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Admonitions to Older Women”

Titus 2:3-5

“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live . . . to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

Whether mother/daughter or mother-in-law/daughter-in-law, the closest of relationships between older and younger women have never been easy. Deborah Tannen has actually also written on this topic in two of her later books: I Only Say This Because I Love You, and You’re Wearing That?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation. The titles say it all.

But relationships between older and younger women also have great potential to be something really special. I know of many women who are hungering for a connection with a “spiritual mother” or older sister figure, someone they can turn to for advice on family, career and relationships with friends. Why does the supply seem to fall so short of the need?

When churches are planted with college students and young adults, there aren’t many people of an older generation who are even a part of that community and therefore available to mentor. Sometimes, once women get married and start families of their own, it is hard enough for them to manage these relationships, let alone consider mentoring others in these areas. For some women, if they have never received mentorship themselves, they do not know how to go about mentoring others.

The good news is, though, they can learn. In Paul’s instructions to Titus on teaching older women, we notice the following:

1) Paul thought older women were worth investing in and training. They had an important role to fulfill in the community of the church. He tells Titus to teach them a) how they themselves needed to live, and b) how to teach others. Then, they would be equipped to carry out the important ministry of mentoring other women.

2) Areas in which the older women were to help the younger:

Being good wives and mothers, including respecting their husbands (vv. 4-5)
Exercising self-control (issues women can struggle with today: overeating, overspending, addiction to romantic fantasy in T.V. or novels)
Avoiding idleness and being diligent at their work
Being kind in their relationships with others

As this mentorship happens and women of character are raised up, people’s perceptions of and attitudes towards the word of God can change from being critical to granting respect (v. 5).

If you are an older woman, would you consider becoming a spiritual mother or older sister to someone? If you are among the men of our churches, would you consider encouraging and supporting the women in your life to become involved in such relationships?

Bible Reading for Today: John 20

January 18, Saturday

Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor Charles Choe of Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was originally posted on December 6, 2014.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“A Mark of What’s Really Going on in our Hearts”

Proverbs 15:30-33

“The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones. 31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. 32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. 33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

Solomon made many keen observations about life. One of my favorites is found in Proverbs 15:30 in which the king says those who have a heart that rejoices will have light in their eyes, a twinkle in their eye, if you will. That’s what joy does: giving us a spark or a glow about us. In a world full of unhappy people, this joyous disposition in the believers can truly set them apart for Christ.

While the Bible says we are not to judge a person according to appearance (Jn. 7:24), it is also true that what’s in the soul of a person is often reflected in his countenance. If we are always frowning or always looking sad, it may be an indication of what’s going on in our hearts. And if we are quick to smiling and have serenity about our lives, that, too, can be a mark of what’s going on in our hearts.

Now, one of the ways we learn to gain this disposition of joy is through a reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord (verse 33). When we approach God with a humble attitude, God in turn will honor us for it. There will be a sense of his overwhelming grace and love in any situation we may find ourselves. When we strive to have a proper attitude of holy fear before God, we will find ourselves receiving God’s favor and grace. When His favor is on us, His wisdom will be evident in our lives. People will know God’s favor is on us because they will feel blessed in our presence. They will find themselves wanting to be joyful along with us. This is the twinkle to which the Bible speaks of.

So be joyous today, knowing that God knows and cares about you.

Bible Reading for Today: John 18-19

January 17, Friday

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Cami King, was originally posted on April 1, 2014. Cami now serves as a staff at Remnant Church in Manhattan.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Are You Sent by God?”

Galatians 1:1-2

Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me, to the churches of Galatia.

One of my favorite parts of Paul’s letters is always the greeting. Unlike the salutations we are used to seeing when we receive a letter, or more likely an email, Paul’s opening lines pack a pretty big theological punch and often set the tone for what is to come in the rest of the letter. They are usually strategic.

In this letter to the church in Galatia, Paul introduces himself as an apostle. We may take this title for granted because we know all about the apostles… those big wigs in the New Testament who wrote the Bible and started churches, right? Well, apostle means “one who is sent,” and here Paul’s primary identification is that of one who is on a mission (sent by someone to accomplish something).

Not only this, but Paul takes time to explain the source of his calling: Jesus Christ. More importantly, he is clear about what the source of his mission is not. It’s not from men – from himself, his parents, his peers, society. It’s not from human agency – his skill sets, a chance job opening, popularity or favor. He realizes that he is where he is and does what he does because of the sovereign will of God – because God has Kingdom work for him to do there.

What about you? We are all on mission with God, to make disciples and share the love of Christ. We are where we are and do what we do because God has Kingdom work for us to do there. How is God calling you to be on mission with Him today? Though we are obviously not called to be an apostle as Paul was, we are all on mission. So let’s get going!

Prayer: Sovereign God, help me to remember that I am where I am and that I do what I do because of Your sovereign plan. Open my eyes to see what You’re up to. Help me to partner with You in the Kingdom work You have for me to do today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 17

Lunch Break Study

Read Ephesians 2:1-10: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Questions to Consider

What do we learn about our lives apart from Christ?
What motivated God to intervene in our broken situation?
What do we learn from verse 10 about our lives in Christ?

Notes

We follow the way of the world and even the way of Satan, indulging in the desires of our body and minds. Although we think we’re living, we’re really “dead” in our lives of sin.
God was motivated by his own nature – being full of grace and mercy – along with his immense love for each of us.
In Christ, we are made new by God (his “workmanship”) and given good works to do for His Kingdom.

Evening Reflection

I listened to a sermon recently where the pastor asked, “What have you done this week that will last for eternity?” How did you partner with God in his Kingdom work today? Is your primary identification as one who is on mission with Christ? Pray and ask God to help you orient your life in this way.

January 16, Thursday

Today’s devotional, prepared by Pastor Jason Sato, was originally posted on December 14, 2013. He and his wife Jessica (along with their three young children) recently moved to Japan to serve as missionaries.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Secret to Having a Blessed Family”

Psalm 128:1-6

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. 5 The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! 6 May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!

Much of our striving is for the purpose of building a life of blessing for our families. We pursue academic and professional advancement to guarantee a certain kind of material future. We employ the latest psychological techniques and attend relationship seminars in the hopes of producing idyllic children and marriages. In Psalm 128, the Psalmist simplifies this very complex and very important pursuit.

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord.

The Psalmist even clarifies for us what fear entails—walking in His ways. Our families will never be more blessed than when we completely and willingly trust and obey God.

When we prioritize anything—money, psychological well-being, extracurricular activities, even conflict free relationships in the home—over complete obedience to God, we subtly imply that true joy and security are found in something other than Him. In doing so, we deprive our families of His blessings and of His presence that leads to true life.

This morning, bless your family and those whom you love by committing yourself to fearing the Lord and walking in His ways today.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You are generous with Your blessings to me and to my family. I thank You that You do not pit my love for them against my love for You, but they are blessed when I love You more than anyone or anything. May my household be united in our worship of Your Son. May we enjoy life, joy, and Your very presence as we abandon all that the world offers us for You. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 16

Lunch Break Study

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 Lord cares for you! Keep those thoughts in mind as you turn in for the night.

January 15, Wednesday

Today’s AMI QT blog, written by Pastor Barry Kang of Symphony Church in Boston, was originally posted on April 3, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Glorifying God through our Skills”

Psalm 33:1-3 (NIV 1984)

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 2 Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

The Hebrew expression translated here as “play skillfully” literally means to “do well in playing music.” Psalm 33:1-3 reminds us that the gifts that God has given us should be used for His glory (literally for His “praise”). If we have musical talents, then we should learn to “play skillfully” for the Lord. Although this may take years of diligent practice, the musicians are encouraged to work hard on developing their skills and to express their praise “with joy.”

We can extend the same principle to other areas in which we have received talents from God, such as our professions, careers, passions, or even hobbies. Metaphorically speaking, all of us should learn to “play skillfully” for His glory in these areas as well.

In addition, we should not forget about joy. As we serve the Lord with excellence, let us rejoice in being able to use what God has given us for His pleasure and glory.

So, what talents and abilities will you be using today? How can they be used to give God glory? Are there talents that you have not been developing or using? God has given them to you for a reason. Ask God for ways to use them to give Him praise.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that I am “wonderfully and fearfully made.” This day, help me not only to seek to give You praise with my lips but also with every gift that You have given to me. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 15

Lunch Break Study

Read Exodus 33:1-11 (NIV 1984): Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: 7 the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— 8 the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, 9 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand— 10 and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you.”

Questions to Consider

What is the context of this passage (see chapter 25:8-9)?
What is the significance of God giving Bezalel the Holy Spirit?
What do you think the role of the Holy Spirit is in our worship (c.f. John 4:23-24)?

Note

God is giving detailed instructions to Moses about how to build the tabernacle, that is, the location where the Israelites are to experience God’s presence and to render unto Him the worship due to him. Bezalel is chosen as the main craftsman to furnish the tabernacle.
It seems odd that craftsmen need to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to do their work. However, Exodus 33 indicates that the Holy Spirit is necessary for anyone who seeks to do the work of God, no matter how ordinary the work may appear to the human eyes.
Authentic worship can only happen when we are right with God at the spiritual level (since God is spirit). For this to happen, our sins must first be rectified before the Lord. This requires the work of the Holy Spirit because he comes to convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness (Jn. 16:8). In light of the morning devotion, we need the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to properly give glory to God.

Evening Reflection

Every gift/ability given to us by God is to be used for His glory. Put differently, a proper usage of the gifts can enable us to render unto God the worship that would please Him, no matter how prosaic this may appear to some. How does this happen?

The Holy Spirit will guide, teach, and empower us into the right way of giving all the glory to God; therefore, let us ask for the filling of the Holy Spirit once again!

Reflect on the ways you used your gifts today. How was your heart and attitude as you used them? Were you able to use God’s gifts to give Him glory? Journal about how God may be asking you to use your gifts.

January 14, Tuesday

Today’s AMI QT blog, written by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was originally posted on February 18, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Being Passionate for Our Lord and His Truth”

Psalms 18:1-3

I love you, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

Have you ever seen really passionate singers who are all in while belting out their tunes on stage?

Sorry, I don’t know any new singers, but I can think of a few back in the days: Freddie Mercury (of Queens) or Janis Joplin. Suffice it to say, their music didn’t emerge out of vacuum: something deep within was driving them.

Now, consider todays’ psalm: Can a psalm like this, so passionate and full of pathos, be produced in a vacuum? Not likely! A famous jazz musician (not a believer), attending a church service for the first time in a long while, wanted to walk out while the worship team was playing. His reasoning: The members of the worship team were playing music they didn’t believe in! Isn’t it ironic? Mercury and Joplin sang passionately about things as if they were true but, ultimately, weren’t, while these Christian musicians were singing about the truth with neither passion nor life. You can be sure that David, who wrote this psalm after being delivered from the hand of Saul, believed every word of it and sang it with passion.

Yes, we need to be grounded in the doctrines of our faith, so that, among other reasons, they could safeguard our experience with God but not replace it. When we experience God and His merciful deliverance in our daily lives, we too can speak to one another with psalms and spiritual songs. But are we at least asking God to deliver us from our woes? What are some things that are heavy on your mind right now? Would you give them to the LORD and let Him handle them?

Prayer: Dear LORD, my finite words fail to adequately capture Your goodness and kindness towards me in every moment of my life. Thank You, for You are utterly faithful and amazingly good to me even though I continue to fail You time in and time out. I praise You God; I love You LORD; I worship You

Bible Reading for Today: John 14

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Timothy 4:16-18: At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Questions to Consider

Paul wrote this while locked up in a dreary Roman dungeon. In what sense did he experience God there (2 Tim. 4:16-8)?
How can we hear God, thereby experiencing Him, and be sure that it’s truly God (Rom. 8:16; Ps. 37:7; Jn. 10:27, Acts 17:11)?
Paul never got out of that dungeon; he was later executed. What was his final experience with God (2 Tim. 1:12, 4:18)?

Notes

I don’t think Paul meant that Jesus literally appeared to him and stood by him; rather, he sensed a palpable presence of Christ inwardly. He might have recalled at that moment the Scripture or encouraging words to sense that he wasn’t alone.
Paul stated that the Holy Spirit in us testifies with our spirit, which means that some thoughts or images that come to our minds are not from us but from the Spirit. To hear anything clearly, we need to lower the level of noise and be quiet, literally. So we need to develop the discipline of being quiet before God. The way to discern whether what we heard is from the Spirit or not is to weigh it (1 Cor. 14:29) by Scripture (like what the Bereans did). Thus, we need to read and study the Bible in order to do so. If what we heard falls within the parameters of Scriptural teaching, we should consider it as having come from the Spirit. The next step is to put it into practice, i.e., obedience.
His final experience, as he was being executed, was the faithfulness of God. He said, “I know whom I have believed, and convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day” (i.e., his exit from this world).

Evening Reflection

Before turning in for the night, meditate for a moment Ps. 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” What thoughts came to your mind? Ultimately, God wants us to know that He is sovereign and that we can trust Him. So, did you experience God today? It doesn’t have to be something big. It could be a thought that came to your mind. Write about it.