May 29, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on June 8, 2018. Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Your God is Too Small”

Jeremiah 10:5-7

“Their idolsare like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good. ⁶There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. ⁷Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you.”

In Your God is too Small, J.B. Philips describes the inadequate conceptions Christians have of God. Here are a few that he mentions: resident policeman—God has simply become a moral conscience that tells us what’s good and bad for us; parental hangover—God is a projection of our relationship with our parents; and grand old man—God is an old man much like our grandpa who is irrelevant and distant to us. Philips notes how these misconceptions unconsciously affect not only the way we see God, but also how we respond to Him. In summary, these misconceptions have made our God too small.

And so what’s at stake here? When our conception of God becomes too small, our naturally prone-to-wander hearts begin to make other gods bigger than they really are. This was the case of the Israelites in our passage today. They began turning to the idols of other nations. Idols, in which Jeremiah compares to that of a scarecrow—lifeless and powerless, always promise more than they can offer. Such lifeless idols produce lifeless faith. Timothy Keller describes idols as “anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.” And to this, Jeremiah points our attention to the true nature of who God is: incomparable, great and mighty, feared among the nations, living and everlasting, the only true God for eternity.

King David probably held the title as the most successful king conquering nation after nation and leading the Israelites into prosperity and power. Yet even in the midst of all these accomplishments, Psalm 27:4 shows that his greatest desire was to gaze upon the beauty of the

Lord. It was God’s surpassing greatness that captured David’s heart to worship and be a man after God’s own heart. It was what prevented him from turning to such lifeless idols and kept his gazed fixed upon the Lord. Start this morning reflecting on how great our God is. Before our requests for the day or even our confessions, start with adoring Him. There is none like our God!

Prayer: Father, there is none like You. Reveal the idols in my heart; forgive me that I have made them more important than You. More than anything in this world, help me to gaze upon Your beauty. I pray that You would take all of me and use it for Your glory. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 4

Lunch Break Study

Read John 4:21-26 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

Questions to Consider

How does Jesus redefine worship?
What does it mean to worship in spirit and in truth?
How should this change the way we worship Him?

Notes

Contextually, both the Samaritans and Jews placed a high emphasis on the place of worship: the Jews concluded Jerusalem was the place, while the Samaritans believed the place to be Mount Gerizim. But Jesus redefines worship to be less about the where, but more importantly about the who; in other words, worship is less about the external factors influenced by customs and traditions, but more about the heart.
First, this is the type of worship the Father is looking for. Matt Chandler describes spirit and truth as worship coming from inflamed hearts and informed minds: our minds are informed and set on the revealed Word of God and the Spirit’s presence inflames our hearts. John Piper says this: “The fuel of worship is the grand truth of a gracious and sovereign God; the fire that makes the fuel burn white hot is the quickening of the Holy Spirit; the furnace made alive and warm by the flame of truth is our renewed spirit; and the resulting heat of our affections is worship, pushing its way out in tears, confessions, prayers, praises, acclamations, lifting of hands, bowing low, and obedient lives.”
Personal response. Worship is not a one-time event, but a lifelong journey.

Evening Reflection

Spend a few moments meditating on the following verses:

“ Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” – Isaiah 40:26

^“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” – Jeremiah 32:17

“In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.” – Psalm 95:4

“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.” – 1 Chronicles 29:11

When we see something great, we can’t help but be in utter awe of it, whether it’s a person or a part of nature. It affects us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Sometimes, there is even a physical response that occurs. In the same way our worship is always a response to His greatness. As we meditate on these verses, allow worship to flow from our hearts.

May 28, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 25, 2018, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children, serves in Japan as an AMI missionary. Jason, a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), is currently planting a church in Tokyo. Please pray for this work.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Defining Moment”

Jeremiah 23:7-8 (ESV)

“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ [8] but ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”

For everyone, there are defining moments in our lives that are essential to who we are. For Spider-Man, being bitten by a radioactive spider was a defining moment. For Queen Elsa, realizing the power of love was a defining moment. For the nation of Israel, the Exodus from Egypt was a defining moment.

The Exodus is the moment when they were freed from generations of slavery. This is when they become God’s people and His holy nation. At every Passover each year, Israel remembers, first, God sparing His people from the angel of death, second, Pharaoh finally releasing them, and third, marching through the Red Sea to freedom. Israel remembers the Lord as the one who “brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.”

But here, the Lord says they will no longer know Him as the God who brought them up out of Egypt, but as the God who gathered His people from the nations to which He had scattered them.

For the Israelites, the exile is the greatest tragedy possible. Their sins have been exposed. They have been judged by the Lord. They find that they are more sinful than they ever imagined. They may wonder if they are still God’s people at all. And what they find is that God is far more gracious and compassionate than they ever imagined.

For Christians, receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior for the first time is a defining moment. We have been brought from death to life. We are a new creation. We have gone from being children of the devil to children of God. This is incredible, but it is not the only defining moment in a Christian’s life.

After we become Christians, we are not perfect, not even close. In some ways, we are worse. How so? For though we know that Jesus gave His life to save us from sin and death, we still find ourselves betraying Him and pursuing sin nonetheless. If we allow the Spirit to speak to us we find that our love for Jesus turns out to be far more fragile and self-serving than we could ever imagine; but with this realization comes the truth that the unconditional love of the Father for us is far deeper and more faithful than we could ever ask.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You love me after all these years. You have proven Your love time and time again, yet I still doubt and am so easily led astray. Thank You that You are patient and kind, and You continue to walk with me. 23.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 3

Lunch Break Study

Read Hosea 14:1–7 (ESV): Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God,for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.[2] Take with you wordsand return to the LORD;

say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls

the vows of our lips. [3] Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.” [4] I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. [5] I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; [6] his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. [7] They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Questions to Consider

In this passage, how have God’s people turned away from Him?
Who calls Israel to return to the Lord?
If the people repent and turn back to God, what will He do?

Notes

They have not fulfilled their vows (v. 2); they have looked to Assyria for salvation; they have worshiped idols; and they have not cared for the orphan (v. 3).
God’s prophet Hosea does, but Hosea speaks on behalf of the Lord so the Lord, the one who has been offended, actually calls the people back to Himself.
He will heal their apostasy (repair their faith), love them (v. 4), and give them new life and growth (v. 5-7).

Evening Reflection

Reflect on your day. Did God give you fresh appreciation of His love? Did God give you fresh conviction of your sin? Ask Him for eyes to see His kindness in such a way that it would lead you to repent of your lack of love for Him and ask for a greater devotion to Jesus Christ.

May 27, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on March 21, 2018. Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Trilemma of Jesus

Mark 3:31-35

And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers[c] are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.

If I came to you and claimed I can throw a baseball over 150 mph, you might say, “Nice try, but that’s not funny.” If I can back to you the next day and made the same claim, you might think, there is something seriously wrong with me. If I followed up next day with the same statement without a hint of humor, you will have to conclude I am flat out lying, or there is something mentally wrong with me, or quite unlikely, I might be the god of baseball.

This is right where the Jesus’ family is finding themselves. They hear the way he teaches, and they are beyond disbelief. Why does Jesus constantly make such outrageous claims, like, “I’ve always existed, I created the world. I’m the ultimate reality. I’ll return at the end of time and your eternal destiny will depend on your relationship to me.” You have to assume he was lying or he is insane or maybe telling the truth.

This was CS Lewis’ famous “trilemma” argument. Lewis says, “the one thing you can’t say about Jesus was that he was a good man, a moral man or a trustworthy leader, because as soon as he claimed to be God, He eliminated Himself from that category, because good people, wise, sensible people don’t go around saying, they are God.” He’s right. Jesus is either God to be worshipped or he’s a mad man, or a con man. We can’t reduce him to a harmless teacher who goes around saying nice things about loving and forgiving each other. Jesus didn’t give us that option.

Let us remember that Jesus isn’t from India, with over two million gods; he’s among Jews, who are fiercely monotheistic, who believed in a God who is infinitely exalted, holy and perfect; so transcendent, they dare not speak and write his name. To believe Jesus is God, this was against every fiber of their being. What was about Jesus that they were convinced? Why wasn’t he reduced to one of the hundreds of lunatics who have come and gone claiming messiahship. What makes him different from someone like Charles Manson, who is clearly proven to be a complete lunatic?

The New Testament is written clearly to make it obvious to any reader that Jesus is not a lunatic or a liar. The mind of Jesus is most pure, perfect, with His articulations the most profound. No one ever spoke like He spoke; so pure and sublime. Nor was Jesus a liar. If he was, he would be the greatest liar of all time. I mean how did he do it? Sure, there have been other religious figures who claim to be divine or to be the Messiah, but none of them ever got a religious movement off the ground, let alone sustain it for 2,000 years, without the use of a sword or threat of death.

Lunatics don’t heal sick ppl, raise dead ppl and drive out demons. Liars don’t speak the way Jesus spoke, with such wisdom for life. Lunatics don’t attract women and children, nor are liars marked by kindness, mercy and compassion the way Jesus was. You’re left with one option. He is who He claimed to be, that He is God. The evidence is in, virgin born, sinless life, power over the physical world, power over the spiritual world, power over creation, power over life and death. Clearly Jesus is Lord. His family, who knew him best, would ultimately see this truth. Mary remained faithful to the end and tradition tells us James was martyred for his faith in half-brother Jesus.

CS Lewis, in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, writes about how Mr. Beaver tells Susan that Aslan (the ruler of Narnia) is a great lion. Susan is surprised, since she assumed Aslan was a man. She then tells Mr. Beaver, “I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” She asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan is safe, to which Mr. Beaver replies, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King.” If you’ve really met the King, he will ruin you, He will ruin your agenda, but it will be so glorious. He will ruin your career trajectory, your idea of success, your retirement plans, your careful, safe, comfortable life, he’ll ruin it all. But oh how glorious it is!

Prayer: God, teach me to see the mind of Christ. Help me pursue Your knowledge and grow in confidence in the Bible today. Your claims are the most beautiful statements ever to be uttered on this planet. Help me to savor them and grow in them . . . In Jesus’ name, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 2

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 2:14-16: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

Questions to Consider

1. How does the “natural” person understand the things of the Spirit of God?

2. How do we understand the mind of the Lord?

3. How can you grow today in having the mind of Christ?

Notes

1. The natural man cannot understand because they are not able to discern spiritually.

2. We do it by having the mind of Christ.

3. Personal response

Evening Reflection

Which will you heed?

“The mind that is alive chooses the spiritual rather than the fleshly. For example, take our thought life. The world sends a constant barrage of messages to us—politics, world, business, sex, sports, products, and others. God also is sending us messages, messages about His expressed will in the Bible for us, promptings about words to say or not to say, anger to control, or patience to extend.” – TW Hunt

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jn. 10:27).

Heed the voice of the Lord.

May 26, Monday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, which was first posted on June 18, 2018, is provided by a writer who wants to remain anonymous.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Give Ear”

Jeremiah 13:15-17

Hear and give ear; be not proud, for the LORD has spoken. ¹⁶Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness. ¹⁷But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.

In my Introductory Greek class, we learned the Greek alphabet during the first week of school. I remember quickly memorizing all 24 letters and then moving on to homework that was actually due. When exam time came along, our T.A. told us to make sure we knew the Greek alphabet, and I happily checked it off the list of things I didn’t need to study because I already knew them. We got our exams and, lo and behold, the last question wrote, “Spell out the entire Greek alphabet.” To no one’s surprise, I could not answer the question and lost out on ten very much needed extra credit points. I left the exam recalling my T.A.’s words and wondering why I just didn’t spend five extra minutes brushing up on the alphabet…

In our passage today, Jeremiah is preaching the same message he had been preaching all along to the people of Israel. He says, “Hear and give ear; be not proud, for the Lord has spoken…” and reinforces God’s commandments to worship Him alone. Jeremiah preaches this message for approximately 20 years until the Babylonians invade Israel as a result of Israel’s disobedience.

The reason my T.A. re-told our class to know the Greek alphabet wasn’t because he thought we didn’t learn it the first time; it was because he knew we had forgotten it by midterm season. Only our exam results would show who had heard the heart behind my T.A.’s words. Likewise, Jeremiah prophesies repeatedly because he knows it’s what the people need to hear, and that they haven’t turned from their rebellious ways yet. He asks them to “give ear” and “not be proud” to God’s call to obedience, which seemed harsh at first, but would ultimately be life-giving. Here, the ability to hear is not based on how many times we hear something, how many services we attend, or how many devotionals we read, but it’s based on the attitude of our hearts. Today, let’s humble ourselves and give our ears and hearts to what God has been speaking in our own lives.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You always speak to us, even when we can’t or refuse to hear You. Forgive us for when we turn a deaf ear to You and speak to us again today because we are listening. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Exodus 3:14-17: Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, v“I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, land flowing with milk and honey.”’

Questions to Consider

God could have introduced Himself to Moses (and effectively Israel) in different ways and from different perspectives, but He chose to introduce Himself this way. Describe what He is highlighting.
Why do you think God says, “I have observed you and what has been done to in Egypt…”?
This is an important passage in the OT where God reveals Himself in a direct way. Is there anything new that you have learned about who God is, biblically?

Notes

God highlights the relationship with Israel He has already built as the God and faithful Deliverer of their forefathers. He is not a foreign God, but One who has been with them and cared for them since the beginning.
God seems to be affirming the pain and suffering Israel has endured thus far. This is powerful in our own lives because God does not ignore but affirms our own pain and suffering, whether it was caused by our own sin or not.
Personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

Was there anything you felt like you’ve been ignoring or forgotten about that God re-highlighted today? Many times, we forget how to hear His voice because it feels like we have to face this life alone. Let’s remember this is not the case and that God has been working in our lives from the beginning and align our hearts to His voice and leadership, again.

May 25, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Though, first posted on March 10, 2018, is provided by Pastor Mark Chun. Mark is now serving as a staff at Radiance Christian Church in S.F.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“A Banquet, More Than Just Dinner”

Mark 2:13-17

He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

In this passage, we see Jesus calling Levi—better known to us as Matthew, the author of the first Gospel—to be one of His disciples. The first thing we learn about this man is his occupation, that he is a tax collector. Now, as much as we might dislike taxes and tax collectors, the typical Jew would have had a bitter hatred for tax collectors—especially if they were one of their countrymen. And this hatred would have been justified because tax collectors were employees of the occupying Roman Empire and their governors. The Jews absolutely hated Roman control over their land, and so collecting taxes for the Romans would have been viewed as a traitorous act. Therefore, the only people who would be willing to take such a job would have been those who were desperate for money and already outcasts of society. If you have already been rejected by society, what does it matter if you are cast out even further? At a certain point you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by betraying a society that has already betrayed you. Why Matthew chose to become a tax collector, we don’t know, but we do know that he was very comfortable being around other “sinners.”

For these reasons, it is amazing that Jesus called this man to “follow him,” and to make him one of His leaders. There are only two call narratives in the Gospel of Mark: the first is the calling of two pairs of brothers, Simon and Andrew, James and John. It’s clear why Mark mentions these particular men because three of them would go on to form the nucleus of Jesus’ ministry. But after that, there is no mention of how the other eight men were called—except for Levi. And so what does this tell us? There is something significant about the calling of Mathew, because it is one thing to make disciples of fisherman, and a totally different thing to make a tax collector a disciple. There is nothing morally objectionable about being a fishermen—you might not be the most educated person or have any sort of position in society but can still be a respectable person. But a tax collector has lost all respectability and has become an outcast of society; no respectable religious leader would have kept company with such a person. But we see here that Jesus not only keeps company with such people, but He makes them disciples and identifies with them.

Jesus goes on to have dinner with Matthew and his band of “sinners.” This group would have included adulterers, prostitutes, thieves, and others on the fringe of society. By having dinner with them, Jesus was extending a hand of friendship to this group. Jesus is the friend of sinners and He longs to dine with us. When Mark wrote the description of this dinner, he used the Greek word katakeisthai, which is a far more formal and luxurious term than the usual meaning of the word “dinner.” This was not a group of friends getting together for an informal gathering. Rather, Matthew would have taken out the best of his silverware and cooked the most expensive of foods. The better term here might be the word “banquet,” because I believe it’s safe to assume that in this dinner, Mark saw a symbol of the great Messianic banquet at the end of age, when all sinners will be gathered together with Christ for a wedding feast. And at the feast of heaven, there will be people that we will not expect to be there, occupying the seats of honor. Perhaps that homeless person that you drive by everyday, who struggled all his life to maintain his faith in the midst of poverty and dementia, will be seated at a place of great honor. Perhaps sitting next to you will be former drug addicts, prostitutes, and others who were lost, but somehow they were found and gave their lives to the Lord. We can all look forward to the day when every sinner invited to the banqueting tables of God will rejoice with their Savior. What a glorious day that will be!

Prayer: Father, we are forever grateful that You call sinners to Yourself and that You sent Your Son to be the friend of sinners. We acknowledge that it is by Your grace that all are saved and not by our own righteousness. Though we didn’t deserve the love that was shown to us on the Cross, help us to receive it. We look forward to the day when we sit with our Savior and dine with Him. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Titus 3

May 24, Saturday

NEW Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is provided by Charmer Pratt. Charmer, a longtime member of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia, has served faithfully in the welcoming ministry since 2016.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Fleeting Human Strength”

James 4:14

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

On January 2, 2023, a National Football League (NFL) game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals was halted and eventually canceled on national television after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field. In reviewing the preceding moments, nothing seemed out of the ordinary; Hamlin tackled the ball carrier, who had run into his chest—something that had likely happened to him hundreds of times before. However, this tackle triggered a cardiac arrest.

What followed was an outpouring of prayers from players, coaches, media members, and fans throughout the nation for Hamlin’s recovery. Some NFL analysts even prayed on national television, which is a rare occurrence, to say the least! Thankfully, Hamlin fully recovered and continues to play football to this day.

This moment reminded the world of a truth that we as Christians already know but often try not to think about: our days on this earth are completely in God’s hands. It is good to take care of our bodies by exercising and maintaining a healthy diet, but neither guarantees that we will walk the earth tomorrow. The LORD has called you to follow Him and obey Him in a specific way. Do not hesitate to do what He, who holds your next breath, has told you to do, and do not hesitate to worship Him with every breath!

Prayer: Lord, thank You for every breath You give me and every moment You give me on this earth. Please forgive me for the moments I’ve wasted, thinking foolishly that I’m guaranteed the next one.Remind me, Holy Spirit, to never hesitate to seek and follow Your guidance.Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Titus 1-2

May 23, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on April 6, 2018, is written by Pastor David Son who pastors the Thrive Church in Taipei. He is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley (BA) and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.). Stay up to date with the church by following them here: https://www.instagram.com/thrivechurchtaipei/

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“I Do, We Do, You Do”

Mark 8:1

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.

“I do, we do, you do.” My wife is a teacher in Boston, and this is one of the phrases I hear her use all the time. If I were a teacher, the idea is that in order for me to teach something, an effective strategy is for me to first demonstrate the action while the students observe (I do). Then, I repeat the action, but this time I incorporate the participation of the students, while still being involved in the step-by-step process (we do). Finally, I pull my hands out of the process and let the students do it a third time, on their own (you do).

In our passage today, I see Jesus implementing a similar strategy. Amongst a hungry crowd of 4,000, He takes the seven loaves of bread and miraculously multiplies it while His disciples observe (I do). Then, He takes the bread and distributes it by putting it into the disciple’s hands (we do). Finally, His disciples take what the Lord has given them, and in turn distributes them to all the people (you do). And all the people ate and were satisfied.

Why did Jesus do it this way? He could have made the bread multiply and appear in everyone’s lap. Better yet, He could have made bread fall from the sky, and it would have been a much more spectacular sight. Yet, Jesus chose to use a ministry strategy that involved the participation of His disciples. This is a pattern that comes up all the time in Scripture: although God can accomplish His will on His own, time after time, He chooses to use ordinary people as instruments for doing His work. This is still true today! God’s Kingdom is advancing through His people, the Church! That means that wherever He has placed you today—whether it’s work, school, the home, or the office—you are the vehicle of God’s ministry in that place. The only difference in the “you do” phase of this is that God never pulls His hands out of the process. Instead, even as “you do” His work, He is always with us.

Prayer: Father, You are always at work, and Your Kingdom is continuously advancing around us. Help us to recognize that the various arenas that You have placed us in are opportunities for us to be involved in Your work. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Philemon 1

Lunch Break Study

Read John 16:7: “…Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you…”

Acts 1:8-9: “…But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

Questions to Consider

According to these passages, why was it “better” for Jesus to ascend to heaven and depart from His disciples?
What did Jesus say would happen when the Holy Spirit comes?
Who is called to carry out the rest of Jesus’ mission on this earth?

Notes

I’ve always thought that being alive during Jesus’ time on earth would have been the greatest experience. And it probably was, in many ways. But here, Jesus says that it is to our advantage that He goes away to the Father, because then the Holy Spirit would come. What is this advantage? Because Jesus took on a physical body, His direct Presence was only available in one location at a time; on the other hand, the Holy Spirit is essentially the direct Presence of Christ dwelling within every believer in every location at every time! This is a brilliant strategy by our God!
Jesus says that when the Holy Spirit comes, we will receive power! What kind of power is this? In short, it’s the same power that Jesus has, because the Holy Spirit who lives within us is God!
It’s crystal clear. We, who are the bearers of God’s Holy Presence, are the ones who are called to finish the mission. Our role is to be witnesses of everything that God has done.

Evening Reflection

Spend some time thinking of the five people you spend the most time with in your week. Maybe it includes a co-worker, a roommate, or a family member. How is God working in each of these five people? How can you join in what God is working in them? Perhaps this is part of your call, to be a vehicle of God’s grace to these people that He has placed in your life.

May 22, Thursday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 7, 2018, is written by Tina Pham who, along with her family, is serving in E. Asia as a missionary. Tina is a graduate of Biola University (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Seeking God through Lament”

Jeremiah 19:10-11

“Then you are to break the jar in the sight of the men who accompany you and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place for burial.”

One of the wisest choices my mother made for my sister and me was she signed us up for a Divorce Care Group for kids when we were young. She told us that she did this because she was aware that we may have emotions such as anger, sadness, or disappointment that we were afraid to express to her, but she didn’t want us to harbor it in our hearts. She told us to tell it to our care group and she wouldn’t be mad about anything we said in those sessions. I remember those sessions being a safe place to share and listen, but I honestly was too young to process. However, her choice set me up well for my college years when I started to have pent up emotions about my parent’s divorce and I knew it was permissible to grieve. In fact, allowing myself to grieve and find a counselor led to a season of healing and restoration.

In this morning’s passage, God tells Jeremiah to shatter the clay jar in front of the priests and elders as an illustration of the destruction to come. As it is clay jar that has been hardened, it would break quickly, and cannot be repaired. This is the way in which God would bring judgment to Judah and Jerusalem, and those who remain alive would be taken into captivity in a foreign land.

In Psalm 137, a psalm describing the experience of exile and captivity, the psalmist cries out, “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” The period in which God’s people lived as exiles under Babylonian rule birthed a great number of psalms, known as lament psalms. Lament is something they did as a way to wonder about God’s presence in their loss and hardship, and many prophets lamented on behalf of Israel. There is a raw combination of honesty grieving before God, repenting of past sins, and seeking God’s presence in the midst of the painful experience.

We all face difficult losses and hardships, and the Bible invites us to honestly grieve and lament as a path to finding restoring hope and strength. This morning, give yourself the permission to offer God a prayer of lament or pray on behalf for someone who is going through a difficult time.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I trust that you are faithful in all circumstances. In the dark and difficult times of my life, help me to not withdraw from you and grieve alone. Help me instead to draw near to you and pour out my sorrow before you. Even though I may not understand fully your ways and your purposes in my hardships, I ask that you strengthen me and lead me to your truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Timothy 4

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 79:1-13: O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance; They have defiled Your holy temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2 They have given the dead bodies of Your servants for food to the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth. 3 They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem; And there was no one to bury them. 4 We have become a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and derision to those around us. 5 How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You, and upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Your name. 7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. 8 Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, for we are brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; and deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.

10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our sight, vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed. 11 Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; according to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die. 12 And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom. The reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord. 13 So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture Will give thanks to You forever;

To all generations we will tell of Your praise.

Questions to Consider

1. What kind of Psalm is Psalm 79?

2. How does God’s jealousy (vs. 5) relate to the destruction of Jerusalem?

3. How does the psalmist reason with God regarding delivering them from the ruins?

Notes

1. Psalm 79 is a lament psalm over the destruction of Jerusalem, a result of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. The lament leads to a prayer of cry for help to God.

2. God’s jealousy is a godly jealousy. It’s a strong emotion rooted in love and righteous anger when a covenant relationship between two parties (God and Israel) is not kept faithfully. It is not like envy, which is rooted in lusting after what is not rightfully ours. Israel’s faithfulness to God is rightfully His, as He promised to be faithful to them. When Israel abandoned God, God reacted with godly jealousy. Deut. 4:23-24 says, “So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the Lord your God has commanded you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

3. The psalmist pleads with God to deliver Israel “for the glory of Your name” and “for Your name’s sake.” The eternal glory of God’s name can stand alone despite circumstances. However, in ancient Near East cultures, each nation’s prosperity is directly associated with the power of the god(s) they serve. Israel’s experiences (i.e. parting of the Red Sea) testify to the nations that there is no other like the one true God. In the psalm, though God abandons Israel for righteous reasons, the psalmist pleads with Him to save them so that the nations may once again see that there is no other god compared to the God of Israel.

Evening Reflection

A prayer of lament is a form of worship to God, leading to faith and freedom. Are there any sorrows you are bearing that you have been denying in your heart? Ask the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to help you offer your sorrows to God and may the Lord give you hope through prayers of lament.

May 21, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, first posted on May 30, 2018, is provided by Pastor Joshua Kim. Joshua, a graduate of Emory University, Columbia Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Talbot Theological Seminary (Th.M.), is the Lead Pastor of Upper Room Seattle church.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

Jeremiah 7.16, 27–29

“As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you. 27 “You shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you; and you shall call to them, but they will not answer you. 28 You shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God or accept correction; truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth. 29 ‘Cut off your hair and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the bare heights; for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.’ Lamentation.

It seems as if we can’t go very long without hearing about another shooting at a school. It seems like everyday we turn on the news, we hear about tragedies overseas as well as right here in our own backyards. Every time I see a new headline, a heaviness comes upon me, wondering how much longer such things will continue.

We didn’t address it in yesterday’s quiet time, but the words of verse 16 are quite shocking to the reader. God is commanding Jeremiah to not intercede on behalf of the people. He will not be heard. The actions of Judah are so grave that God is no longer willing to listen to Jeremiah’s pleas. Furthermore, in verse 27, God tells Jeremiah that even when he speaks the words judgment from God, the people will not listen. It makes sense why Jeremiah is called the Weeping Prophet.

As I meditated on this passage and how grim everything seems, I felt the Lord speak in a surprising way. Despite commanding Jeremiah to no longer intercede on behalf of the people, God used this passage to remind me the power of intercession. We see clear example of how God responds to the pleas of His people (see Abraham’s intercession in Gen. 18; Moses’ intercession in Ex. 33) in a way that is truly remarkable and beyond our comprehension.

The call of the church is to intercede on behalf of a fallen world. The call is to intercede now before it is too late. We are called to lament the gravity of sin that continues to destroy our world now and for the future. We must lament the inaction of the church in the face of injustice and sin. God has endowed upon His children the wonderful privilege of being able to do so—to intercede on behalf of a broken world.

I am reminded of a story I heard at the School of Evangelism when I went to OTR on missions. The speaker was sharing about how he went to the Middle East, saw a man on the street, and was convicted to pray for Him. Later that day, he had a dream where God came to him and said that he was the first person to bring that man before His throne.

Whether it’s for individuals, circumstances, or this world—may we be a people who intercede and lament over things that no others may have brought before the throne of God.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the unique privilege as Your children to be able to intercede and lament over a broken world. Too often we are swept up by the things of our own lives that we forget the pain and suffering of people, especially those who do not know You. Forgive us. Open our eyes. Break our hearts. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Timothy 3

Lunch Break Study

Read Nehemiah 1.1-11: Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 I said, “I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 6 let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; 9 but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’ 10 They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. 11 O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.”Now I was the cupbearer to the king.

Questions to Consider

What was happening to the people of Judah and Jerusalem?
What is Nehemiah’s immediate response? What do you notice about Nehemiah’s prayers?
Now if you read the rest of the book, we know that God uses Nehemiah greatly to restore what remains of Judah and Jerusalem. How is the example of Nehemiah, his intercession and lamentation over his people, challenging you?

Notes

Nehemiah was in Susa, the capital of the Babylonian empire. He was the cupbearer of King Artaxerxes. What he heard is the grim condition of those who had survived and returned from exile to Jerusalem. The condition of the walls of Jerusalem is significant in that the wall of a city, both practically and symbolically, represented the stability of a city—in other words, Jerusalem/Judah were in serious trouble.
Nehemiah’s immediate response is to mourn and fast, seeking the face of God, asking for discernment in such a hopeless situation. A few things to note about his prayer:
- a. He does not question the character of God. Despite what was happening, he trusts in the goodness of God.
- b. He confesses the sin of his people. He acknowledges their failure to uphold His commands.
- c. He reminds God of His promises that if His people return in repentance, he has faith that God is faithful to His words and promises
- d. He heeds to the call to action.
Personal reflection. Perhaps at the heart of our lamentation and intercession is the understanding that God may use us as the answer to our intercession. In interceding, there is an inherent obedience to however way God may answer our prayers. Are you prepared to heed that calling?

Evening Reflection

As you have gone throughout the day, being reminded of the unique calling as God’s children to intercede, what things has the Spirit brought to your remembrance? How is God calling you to pray, and perhaps, obey in light of these things? Spend some time surrendering yourself to the will of God, trusting in His goodness and faithfulness.

May 20, Tuesday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on January 12, 2018, is written by Tina Pham who, along with her family, is serving in E. Asia as a missionary. Tina is a graduate of Biola University (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Does It Mean to Live a Blessed Life?”

Genesis 36:1-4

Now these are the records of the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite; also Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth.Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel, and Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

This past summer, I visited the elementary school in the countryside of Taiwan that my great-grandfather planted. The building is now a cafe restaurant but the owners kept the atmosphere and design to look like a school. I also learned he was a pianist by training, and he planted the school initially to provide music lessons for children. I loved learning about my family history and was so blessed to visit the historic place.

Learning about our own family line can be quite interesting, but learning about another person’s can seem quite irrelevant. Genesis 36 can often be overlooked because the whole chapter is a genealogy of Esau, but this genealogy can actually help us think about the meaning of a blessed life. By just scanning the chapter, you can quickly take notice of Esau’s abundance. From an earthly point of view, his life could be one to envy. Though Esau let go of his birthright and blessing, God still faithfully made him into a nation. Esau had wives, sons, daughters, land, and an abundance of livestock. Esau’s nation, Edom, grew to have chiefs and kings before Israel did. Moreover, it seems like Esau’s family didn’t struggle with barrenness, unlike his brother’s favored wife, Rachel, and the patriarch’s wives, Sarah, and Rebekah. Esau’s wives bore five sons and numerous daughters.

Despite his wealth, Esau can be characterized as having lived for what was good and conveniently available in his own eyes. He traded his birthright for a pot of red stew and married Canaanite women, which caused grief for his parents (Gen. 26:35). In a way, Esau is the image of a natural man, who navigates through life with his own strength, independence and resources, contrary to Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham, who often ran into trouble and lack, and fought to hold onto God’s promise.

Though Esau’s life seemed rather smooth and great, he definitely didn’t experience God’s faithfulness, provision, and mercy like Abraham, Isaac, and Israel did. These men experienced numerous setbacks and delayed fruit, but they are considered more blessed in that they have an abundance of God’s provision in their lives.

In light of today’s passage, ask the Lord this morning about what it looks like for you to live a blessed life in Him, and see if there is any root of envy towards others that is crippling your heart.

Prayer: Dear God, I want to live a blessed and abundant life in Jesus Christ. I confess that I get distracted by other people’s possessions and give little thanks to You for what I do have. Give me the courage to trust in Your unlimited resources and Your wisdom, instead of leaning on my self-sufficiency. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Timothy 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 73:1-5, 25-28: Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart!But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, my steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death, and their body is fat. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like mankind. ²⁵Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.

Questions to Consider

Who is the psalmist confessing and realizing?
What realization does the psalmist have at the end?
What does it look like to overcome envy and have God as the strength of your heart?

Notes

The psalmist honestly confesses that even though “God is good” to His people, his heart still became envious of those who are not God’s people because they seem to have greater prosperity and less suffering.
The psalmist realizes that the prosperity of those who do not belong to God does not end in anything eternal. At the end, their soul still perishes. For the people of God, their gain is God and eternity in heaven.
Personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

One of the traits of love is that it does not envy. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” Envy actually prevents us from loving God and loving others. Spend some time in prayer to examine your heart and ask God to help you see if envy is something that is preventing you from loving others from a pure heart.