REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional, first posted on December 20, 2018, is provided by Pastor Doug Tritton. Doug has been pastoring Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia since 2021.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Who are You?”

Galatians 4:6-7

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Even though December is the Advent season, a season that is meant to be filled with joy, many people are quite stressed. I imagine some of you who are reading this are stressed right now. For those who are students, finals and papers are probably occupying all your thoughts. For those with families, there is the stress to complete all your Christmas shopping – gifts for the children, gifts for extended family, gift for children’s teachers, and so on. For others, you are just trying to get things done before the holidays come. Personally, I am a bit stressed as my family waits for our son to be born – any day now! 

In the midst of the stress and the craziness of life, it can be easy to forget who we are. We forget who we really are. We know we are employees and students, mothers and fathers. These are the responsibilities that are at the forefront of our minds right now and certainly we should not forget about them. But we can easily forget our true identity, our identity as children of God. This is the foundation of our lives – being daughters and sons of our Father in Heaven. Knowing this brings freedom. Knowing this means acknowledging we are not slaves to this world and its fears and troubles. We belong to our Heavenly Father, a Father who cares for us.

When we lose sight of our true identity, we ultimately grow deaf to God’s voice in our lives. Our passage says that God sent His Spirit into our hearts, the Spirit who speaks into our hearts and reminds us who we are. Forgetting our identity as God’s children means we are not listening to the voice of the Spirit within us. Can we pause for just a few moments in the midst of the hustle and bustle of this season and just listen? Can you listen for God’s voice? Listen to Him crying out for you to come to Him. Listen for Him to remind you of your identity as His child. Listen to Him to remind you of His great, unchanging love for you. You are His child, you belong to Him. Knowing this reality enables us to truly enter into the joy and peace of this advent season.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for sending Your Spirit in our hearts to teach us who we are. May we not grow numb to Your Spirit and to Your voice. May we not grow numb to our true identity as Your child. Remind us again and again and may we not lose sight of this identity during this season. May we know Your love so that we can experience the joy of Advent.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 26

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Philippians 4:4-7: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Questions to Consider

1. What does it mean that “the Lord is at hand” (verse 5)? How is that connected to verse 6?
2. How do we receive the “peace of God”?
3. Are you in need of God’s peace right now? Spend time lifting up your burdens to God and invite His presence over you.

Notes

1. Many people know verse 6 and 7. These verses often appear as memory verses and verses we say to others in times of difficulty. Yet, we often leave out the best part! The Lord is at hand! This means He is near to us. He hears us and responds to us. We pray because God is near to us and listens.
2. There are two main exhortations here: rejoice and pray. Peace comes through doing both of these, by rejoicing and by praying. May we find peace this season through worship and through prayer!
3. Worship and pray in order to seek God’s peace!

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Evening Reflection

Before going to sleep this evening, take some time to listen for the Spirit speaking within you. Hear His voice as you go to bed this evening. May His voice bring you comfort, peace, and restful sleep!

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on September 24, 2017.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Battle is Fierce, But The Victory Is Sure!”

Revelation 13:11-18

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life. 15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

A saying I heard often in my church culture growing up was, “Sometimes you just have to go through!”—meaning, there are times when you have to walk through a tough situation because there is no way around it. You have to go to through the wilderness to get to the Promised Land. It isn’t fun, but it’s a necessary part of the journey. But whenever this saying was offered, there was always an understanding behind it that God is still in control and is working things for good and for His ultimate end. 

In today’s passage, we see a scary scene. John gives us a look into the Beast’s (Satan) efforts to thwart the work of the Lord and pursue his own ends (in opposition to the Kingdom of God). It isn’t fun, but it is part of what will come, even as God is working things out for His good purposes. One thing John is told (and that we are told by extension) is that wisdom will be required for God’s people to discern what’s going on in the midst of the Enemy’s schemes (v. 18). That’s an important reminder for us today! 

There have been many times throughout the history of God’s work in this world where God’s people had to walk through a dark and confusing time in order to get to the good ends God had in store. All looks lost in the middle, but the end always brings a joy and glory far beyond what could have been imagined. The most notable of these moments, of course, is the cross. Friday night seemed like all was lost (the Enemy himself was even rejoicing), but we know the end of the story. It was just something we had to go through in the war to walk into the victory. 

S.M. Lockridge’s Easter sermon is famous for his portrayal of this truth as he recounts the darkness of Friday (the crucifixion) with the hope of Sunday (the resurrection) in view. May this brief excerpt remind us that even when the Enemy is raging war, we know that our victory is sure! 

It’s Friday –

He’s hanging on the cross feeling forsaken by his Father. 

Left alone and dying. 

Can nobody save him? 

Ohhhh!

It’s Friday but Sunday’s comin’. 

It’s Friday – 

Hope is lost. 

Death has won. 

Sin has conquered and Satan’s just a laughing’

It’s Friday – 

Jesus is buried. 

A soldier stands guard and a rock is rolled in its place. 

But it’s Friday. It is only Friday. 

[AND WE KNOW] Sunday is a comin’!

Prayer: Almighty God, no matter how fierce the battle, help me to remember my victory in You. Help me to stand firm in every battle that comes my way today. Give me wisdom to discern beyond my own understanding. To the glory of Your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 25

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on December 2, 2017, 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/

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Asking for Confirmation”

Genesis 24:10-14

Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”

Growing up, I always believed it was utterly wrong to ask God for a sign, and not without good reason! There are many examples from Scripture where it was clearly wrong to ask for a sign: For example, when the Israelites tested God at Massah (Ex. 17), or when Jesus was tempted by Satan to throw himself down from the temple (Matt. 4), and also when Jesus rebukes an “evil generation” that seeks for a sign (Luke 11). But on the other hand, there are also some examples where it was right for people to ask God for a sign: When Gideon received his call, he asked for several consecutive signs to confirm his anointing as a judge over Israel. In 2 Kings 20, Hezekiah asks for a sign to confirm that he would indeed be healed of his deathly illness. Furthermore, in the book of Malachi, God even invites His people to put Him to the test when it comes to tithing! 

In our passage today, Abraham’s servant asks God for a sign, that the woman he asks to give him a drink would also extend herself to water his camels as well. Lo and behold, God grants him the sign, and he ends up meeting Rebekah. But what made this servant’s request appropriate? It was because he was acting within the realm of God’s will. He had already taken ten camels, all sorts of gifts, and had traveled an incredibly long distance, for no other reason than out of obedience. In other words, asking God for a sign of confirmation becomes appropriate when we are in the context of God’s will, and we are walking in obedience. 

Of course, there is a point where asking for signs can become dangerous, not only to ourselves but to others as well. (An easy way to tell this is if the sign itself becomes more desirable than the actual obedience to God. This can be called “testing”.) But I believe that when we ask God for confirmation of His will, and we have the heart to obey, He will respond. It may be through Scripture, through the wise words of a friend/mentor, through prayer, or even our circumstances. Let us not be afraid to ask our Heavenly Father to speak to us!

Prayer: Lord, we desire to hear from You, because we want to walk with You. Open our eyes to be able to see Your hand at work around us. Help us to sense Your presence, even in the unlikeliest of places. Our desire is to be able to join You in Your Kingdom work each day. Help us to do so. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 23-24 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 14, 2018, is provided by Phillip Chen who is associate pastor at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego. Phil is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thought for Thin Morning

“The Beautiful Body of Christ”

Ephesians 4:8-16 (ESV)

Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Have you ever watched a basketball team play so beautifully together that they make it seem too easy? I’m a San Antonio Spurs fan and the Spurs of the past two decades have been the model for team basketball. While many teams had superstars that could dominate in stretches, the Spurs had talented yet unselfish players to complement one another so that they could play the game to perfection. The result was a sustained excellence on the court that lasted two decades.  

A leadership podcast (Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast) that I recently heard stated that the most important element of an organization is . . . the people. What a surprise!  Yes, we can often be fooled into thinking that things such as the right location, abundant resources and cutting-edge technology are the most important elements, but in the end, people are indeed the most important factor to the success of an organization. And it boils to what kind of people we have: selfish or selfless.

It’s no different in the church—people are the most valuable components, and it is through unselfish believers the body of Christ is built up. This is to say, God doesn’t simply “baptize” the church with the Spirit’s fire so that it grows quickly (except in rare occasions); instead, He gives each member spiritual gifts so that they can work together to build up the church in love. 

In today’s passage, we see that God has given the gift of the five-fold ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers) for the purpose of training up people in the church so that the rest of the body may realize their gifting, become adept in it, and build up the body. When each member of the body of Christ works unselfishly, the body grows. 

Remember, the church was never meant to be a place for people to become spectators, but for them to become participants in the glorious task of building up the church. Your church needs you to be an active participant! Of course, you need to go about it through the right channels and with unselfish attitude, but may this be a reminder that God has given this important task of building up the church to you and me. Let’s take this seriously and be part of the exciting adventure in seeing the body of Christ grow in maturity!

Prayer: Father God, what a privilege it is that You call us to be part of the body that works together to build itself up in love. I want to be a part of that process. May You use me in whatever way You see fit; may I experience the joy of seeing Your body come into full maturity. 

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 22

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Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 (ESV): For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Question to Consider

1. In this passage, how does Paul describe the Church?

2. Why do we need different functions within the church? 

3. What does this passage ultimately tell us to do?

Notes

1. After describing the church as the body of Christ, the apostle Paul points out the need for different members of the body to work together for the common goal of building it. 

2. If everyone functions the same way with the same gifts and talents, the body of Christ would not be able to reach its full potential; in fact, it wouldn’t function at all.

3. This passage instructs us to give honor to every person in the body of Christ. While functions may be different (some more glamorous than others), all members of the body of Christ have equal value. We must be watchful to care for one another equally (not just the ones that seem more important). 

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Evening Reflection

Have you ever thought about spiritual gifts God has given you for the building up of the body of Christ? How are you using these gifts?  Think of ways you would be able to steward these gifts for the building up of the body. I would suggest talking with the leadership in your church to see what would be appropriate for you to participate in. Let’s be participants and not just spectators as we work together to build up God’s church!

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 5, 2018, is provided by Andy Kim who is the Lead Pastor of Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco.  Andy is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Godly Imagination”

Ephesians 1:16-20

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

I was always amazed by the power of a child’s imagination. Anything and everything can turn into some great fantasy for a child. Take for example a broomstick: For us, it is used for cleaning purposes only; for children, it can become anything—a flying magical stick or maybe even a great sword. They may even spend hours flying around in their imagination. But as we get older, we start to see how such naïve and childish imaginations have no place in the real world. Yet some of the greatest breakthroughs in history came from a person’s imagination. Nelson Mandela once said that “the power of imagination created the illusion that my vision went much farther than the naked eye could actually see.” It was his imagination that allowed Mandela to see a completely different world driven by peace that was so outside of reality.  

And this is Paul’s prayer for the believers in Ephesus—that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened to the immeasurable greatness of his power given to us as believers. Why is this so crucial? It’s because if we’re not careful, there exists a danger in which we may lose our sense of awe and wonder towards God. Our faith is constantly threatened by our own familiarity and can become limited by what we deem as possible. As a result, “we limit God’s help to our own ideas and we do not dare promise ourselves more than we conceive in our minds” (John Calvin). Faith was never supposed to be limited by our own means. It was always supposed to be grounded in His immeasurable power.

It may seem a little naïve at times, but may we never lose our wonder of God. He can take some of the most common and ordinary things in our lives and use them for His glory. May we continue to walk by faith and not by sight—believing God will do more than we can imagine!

Prayer: God, we confess our lack of faith in You. Forgive us that we turn to our own ways and limit what You can do in our lives. Restore us back to a place of wonder that is grounded in Your truth. Increase our faith so that we may experience You in a new and fresh way. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 21

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Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Kings 6:15-19: When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Questions to Consider

1. Notice the different reactions between the servant and Elisha. What can we learn from this? 
2. How can we fix our eyes upon the Lord? 
3. Considering this passage, how should this change us?

Notes

1. The servant, seeing with his physical eyes, naturally sees the enemy coming upon them. This results in both fear and anxiety that leads the servant to panic. The servant focuses on his own ability, while Elisha’s eyes are focused on the Lord. While the servant turns to man, Elisha turns to God. 
2. Rather than looking at their situation, Elisha deliberately turns to prayer. Because the servant is focused on the physical world, he cannot see God’s power. As Elisha prays for him, the servant’s eyes are then opened, and he finds both peace and confidence. It is in prayer where we can find the faith to fight.  
3. Personal response. May our first instinct be to turn to prayer and to Him. May we have the discernment to see how God sees things, rather than what we see with our physical eyes. 

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Evening Reflection

Mark 9 speaks of a situation in which a father asks Jesus to come and heal his dying son. Jesus condemns their lack of faith, to which the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” In this interaction we see that Jesus responds to the man’s desperation and honesty. Sometimes, faith begins with an honest confession of how much we can fall short. But take hope—even the faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. Spend some time asking God to help you in your areas of unbelief and to give you a little more faith. 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 10, 2018, is written by Phillip Chen, who has been serving as the associate pastor of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego for many years. He and several like-minded people are planting, the Lord willing, a new AMI church in Houston this summer. Please pray for them.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Co-Heirs in Christ”

Ephesians 3:1-6 (ESV)

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

If recent American politics shows us anything, it’s that people on one end of the aisle are becoming more distanced from those on the other end—and the division is polarizing. Unfortunately, the Church can also be a place where we see just as much division and hostility. At the time Paul was writing this letter to the church in Ephesus, I’m sure that the division between the Jews and the Gentiles was still very real and big. When Paul says that the Gentile believers are now fellow heirs in the promise of Jesus, I can imagine some Jewish believers literally feeling sick to their stomach. Yet, the Gentile believers weren’t without fault either, for the early church history tells us that they were arrogant towards the Jewish believers. 

But I find it interesting that Paul—a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, someone so entrenched in the Jewish tradition—is the one that God radically changes and uses to reveal this mystery and bridge that gap. He is the one fervently pushing that there is no distinction between the Jews and Gentiles in the eyes of God, even though there were clearly “distinctions” that separated these two groups which had been built up for over a thousand years. Paul tirelessly teaches the church to accept that this revelation is truly from God, and that he’s not making this up; in fact, he suffers much pain in order to carry this mystery faithfully. God truly uses the most unlikely people to do the most unlikely things.

Paul is adamant in proclaiming that the gospel is for the Gentiles to partake in—it’s not just for the Jews—and that though there was once this “wall of hostility” between the two groups, it has been torn down by the blood of Jesus Christ. So we see Paul as a bridge-builder, used by God to extend the gospel to those on the other side. Where he once would have been the last person to embrace a Gentile, the gospel radically changed him, and he became the biggest advocate for the people he once hated. 

We are in need of more bridge-builders in our time—people who are willing to cross the proverbial aisle to love others and welcome them into the family of God. Has the gospel changed you in such a way? Are you willing to let God use you in the most unlikely way, reaching out to the most unlikely people? May we be those who take our call seriously to be ministers of reconciliation.

Prayer: Father God, help us to be people who can extend Your grace to those who have yet to receive this grace. Help us to be careful stewards of this awesome mystery that has been revealed to us, this gospel message that invites all to become fellow heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. May we not differentiate and discriminate against others but be the bridge-builders who bring the gospel to the most difficult people in our lives. Give us the courage to do so. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 20

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Lunch Break Study

Read Galatians 2:11-14 (ESV)

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.  13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Question to Consider

1. Why do you think Cephas (Peter) separated himself from the Gentiles?

2. Why did Paul have to confront Cephas (Peter) in front of everybody?

3. Reflect on ways that you succumbed to peer pressure and ended up alienating people from the gospel (not in a self-condemning way, but in a self-awareness way).

Notes

1. Peer pressure gets the best of all of us. When Peter saw the circumcision party, he probably didn’t want to stir the pot and cause any commotion, so he just distanced himself from any controversy. By doing so, he also caused others to follow his lead  

2. Paul had to make it very clear that the gospel was not just for the Jews but for all peoples. When there was a large contention of whether the Gentiles had to become circumcised in order to become a believer, Paul makes a stand on a very important issue that separates Christianity from just being another Jewish sect into what Christianity is now.

3. Personal reflection.

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Evening Reflection

We are told to love our enemies and extend grace to them, but we have a hard time even loving those within our churches—particularly those who are different from us. Think of the people that are part of your church: How can you show them more grace and love? What are ways you can build bridges? Spend some time reflecting and praying for these people and allow God to use you as a conduit of His love and grace.  

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 5, 2018, is provided by Andy Kim who is the Lead Pastor of Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco.  Andy is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Peer Pressure for Adults”

Jeremiah 9:4-5 (ESV)

Let everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, for every brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. ⁵ Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity.

Growing up, our schools taught us the dangers of peer pressure, often in the context of substance abuse and other unwanted behaviors. Sigmund Freud studied how an individual succumbs to the peer pressure of a group: his research showed that as individuals feel a sense of worth and belonging to the larger group entity, they will forego their own conscious personalities for the sake of the group. Surprisingly, much of this happens at the sub-conscious level, which makes it difficult to realize the influences of peer pressure; and so this is why peer pressure can be so dangerous—who you surround yourself with is who you will become. 

In the context of our passage today, Jeremiah mourns over the influence the people of God have over one another. These are not just outsiders, but fellow believers who are deceiving each other to fall away from the Lord. This is the power we have over one another: we can either influence for the better, or in this case, for worse. For this reason, the author of Hebrews reminds us, “Let us consider how we may stir one another to love and toward good deeds.” To understand the word stir here is to imagine the spurs of a horse rider’s boots to keep the horse under its control. And so to love is more than simply to encourage one another and get along; it is also to correct and teach when necessary, even at the cost of awkward confrontations. 

As we understand the power of influence, take a moment to ask yourself this: Who are the people I am influencing?  Who am I being influenced by? Jeremiah clearly warns us to be wise in the people that we surround ourselves with. Are we accountable to a greater body that stirs us toward love and good deeds? May there be people in our lives who will not be afraid to gently rebuke us, to show grace in our failures, and to exhort us in love. Wherever we are, may we seek to be a body of believers who can influence one another to be more like Christ. Take a few moments to pray for our communities and the people in our lives. 

Prayer: Father, I thank You for the people You’ve provided in my life. I pray You will use the people around me to speak truth into my life. Give me a humble heart to receive correction when needed. I also pray I can be a godly brother/sister to the people around me and that I may be a light to them. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 19 

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Lunch Break Study

Read Galatians 2:11-14 “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Questions to consider

1. On what grounds does Paul condemn Peter?
2. What does it mean to “be in step with the truth of the gospel?”
3. What can we learn about Paul’s confrontation with Peter?

Notes

1. Paul accuses Peter of allowing the fear of man (the circumcision party) to influence him, thereby separating himself from the Gentile believers. Commentator George points out, “They were acting as if their Gentile Christian brothers and sisters were still sinners while they, because of their ritual purity and obedience of the law, stood in a different, more favorable relationship to God.” 
2. Later in verses 15-16, Paul establishes the basis for his accusation against Peter. He reminds the believers that we are justified not based on the law or even our cultural upbringing, but Christ alone justifies us. The truth of the gospel is that ALL have been justified, both Jew and Gentile, so we are to welcome and love all. 
3. At a glance, it may seem as though Paul is out of line in speaking to Peter, the well-respected leader among the apostles. If I were Peter, I may have been a little embarrassed and offended for confronting me in front of others. But we see later in 2 Peter 2:14-17, Peter continues to be in good relations with Paul referring to him as his “beloved brother.” Peter is able to receive correction with humility while Paul corrects for the sake of the gospel. 

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Evening Reflection

Consider the people Jesus chose to surround himself with—uneducated fisherman, hated tax collectors, society-rejected women, and a bunch of nobodies. In a world that tells us to be affiliated with successful and like-minded people, may we be able to see people as Christ did. May we surround ourselves with brothers and sisters who will keep us accountable to the gospel. Spend a few moments to think about the people in your life— it can be a close family member or somebody you see on the way to work. May we be Christ to them. 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional Spiritual, first posted on August 30, 2017, is provided by Hee Jung Lee. Hee Jung, a graduate of Biblical Theological Seminary, serves at Catalyst Agape Church (New Jersey) along with her husband Pastor Sam Lee. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“You First”

Ephesians 5:21

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

About eleven years ago at which time my husband and I were pastoring a different church, we had various missionaries and ministers from around the world come through our church. Those were equipping years and I learned so much during that season. I learned not necessarily intellectual or theological things, but what “the culture of God’s Kingdom” really looks like. 

One key thing I observed was the importance of honor. A lot of these people had incredible stories of amazing things they had seen God do, and as such, they brought an air of authority.  Yet, one common characteristic I noticed about them was that they knew how to honor others, especially those engaged in the advancement of the gospel. They were reverent toward others; they elevated others above themselves; and they understood the importance of submitting to those whom God had placed as authority above them.  This “consider[ing] others better than yourselves” (Phi. 2:3), to the point of submitting to them, was ultimately honoring God, as the apostle Paul says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” 

There is beauty in a culture that is built on the heart of submission in which brothers and sisters honor one another. Hearts are enlarged for God in such an atmosphere and there is harmony. So, every time we speak generously of others rather than fault-finding, elevate others above ourselves rather than competing to win, we cultivate an atmosphere of honor. As one pastor put it, honor is a royal attribute of who we are as citizens of heaven. This means that we regard and think of others more highly than ourselves. 

There is, however, another component to honoring. We are to also abide respectfully of the institutions/authorities that have been placed above us.  Our citizenship in heaven (Phil. 3:20) does not equate to defying what is required of us as citizens here on earth.  We respect the authorities and laws that “have been established by God” (Rom. 13:1) for the common good as well as for the sake of Christ; thus, we pray for our leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-2) rather than criticizing them.  This, then, allows us to be model citizens (i.e., a city on a hill—Mt. 5:14), and as God’s people whose lifestyle bestows respect and honor, we are kept blameless and pure in a society that needs the light of Jesus to guide its path.  Something to think about in our deeply divided nation.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I thank You for such a great privilege as Your daughter and a royal citizen of Your kingdom. Thank You that every time I honor another and respect the authorities You have placed above me, it advances Your purpose and sustains the culture by which we are called to live. I pray let Your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Bible Reading: Leviticus 18

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Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”

Questions to consider

1. How is God speaking to you personally about honor today?

2. What is one thing you can do to honor another person in your life who has been difficult for you to like, much less honor?

3. What are some things you could be praying over the President and leaders in our government?

Notes

1. If you have trouble honoring others, what may be lying deep down in your heart that is blocking your ability to do so? You may have been hurt by someone in authority, abused while growing up, etc. Ask the Lord to show you any blocks, vows, or determinations (e.g., “I will never . . .”) that you may have made that keeps your heart from honoring.

2. Sometimes the first step to honoring someone with whom you have had difficulty is forgiving that person.  Speak out prayers of forgiveness; let go the grudge you have been holding against that individual in Jesus’ name.  This will begin to release you from the attitude of resentment and bitterness (a.k.a., ungodly soul ties) that always cripples the desire and ability to honor those whom we dislike for whatever reasons. 

3. Read over 1 Timothy 2:1-2 and Romans 13:1.

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Evening Reflection

In light of what we meditated on this morning, how did you fare in terms of honoring others and your authorities today?  Remember Romans 12:10: “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on November 11, is provided by Christine Wang who, along with her husband Pastor Ulysses, serves the Renewal Church in Sunnyvale, California.  A graduate of New York University, Christine is a proud mother of Audrey and Noah. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Cultivating Obedience” (Part 2)

Jonah 3:1-3

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth

In my previous devotional (9.1.24), I shared how God didn’t relinquish my husband Ulysses and me from the call to China after we had run from it. Instead, He relentlessly pursued us and allowed us time in the “belly of the fish” to experience Him. 

RETURN: While God never relinquished us, it was us who, under the Lord’s tender guidance, were finally able to relinquish all of our weak reasons for disobeying and returned to His calling on our lives. Praise God for giving us second chances and not passing us over when we initially refuse! In September 2012, our family went back to China. We spent the next two years there ministering to a local church and learning so much about ourselves. We were stretched and challenged—it was so difficult but so good. It began to work in me a faith to obey Him who is trustworthy. It was a critical refining period and little did we know it would prepare us for what was to come…

REVELATION: The story of Jonah seems like it could have ended at chapter 3 with Jonah’s obedience to return to Nineveh. Amazingly, it doesn’t. Chapter 4 shows the very real and raw emotions Jonah feels after obeying God. Our obedience could easily be just about performing the task given to us. But we need to remember, God doesn’t need us to do anything. I am reminded of that fact from seeing Jonah’s rather insincere preaching (he hoped that the Ninevites wouldn’t repent and be destroyed as a result—Jonah 4:5-9) resulted in the repentance of an entire nation: “The Ninevites believed God.  They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth” (Jonan 3:5).

So then why does He choose to partner with us to carry out His will on earth? It is an incredible truth that God loves us so much that He wants to transform us and reveal His heart to us in this process. Learning to obey God has fundamentally transformed me and given me a bigger heart for others. When He called us to SF last year to plant a new church, we went through a similar process, but this time, rather than two years, it took a little over two months to say “yes” again!

In Matthew 12:40 says, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Ultimately, Jesus empowers us to say yes because He obeyed the Father and said yes to the Cross. He relinquished all of His rights as the Son of God to save us. Because of that and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can also relinquish and obey!

Do you believe God wants to reveal and transform you – not just get you to perform a task? He cares about you, not just what you do. Wherever you are in the process of turning that NO to a YES, remember that He seeks to work in you! 

Prayer:  Lord, I thank You for Your sacrifice that you made on the cross.  Transform me and fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can surrender and obey You completely and wholeheartedly.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 17

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on November 5, 2017, is provided by Emerson Lin. Emerson, who serves in E. Asia as a missionary, is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Proclaim His Compassion”

Genesis 18:26-33

The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.” 29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?” He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” 33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

During World War II, some soldiers serving in France wanted to bury a friend and fellow soldier who had been killed. Being in a foreign country, they wanted to ensure their fallen comrade had a proper burial. They found a well-kept cemetery with a low stone wall around it by a beautiful Catholic church and a peaceful outlook—this was just the place to bury their friend. But when they approached the priest, he answered that unless their friend was a baptized Catholic he could not be buried in the cemetery. The fallen soldier wasn’t. Sensing the soldier’s disappointment, the priest showed them a spot outside the walls where they could bury their friend. Reluctantly, they did so.

The next day the soldiers returned to pay their final respects to their fallen friend but could not find the grave. “Surely we can’t be mistaken. It was right here!” they said. Confused, they approached the priest who took them to a spot inside the cemetery walls. “Last night I couldn’t sleep,” said the priest, “I was troubled that your friend had to be buried outside the cemetery walls, so I got up and moved the fence.”  This story has more than one lesson; I’m opting for compassion, that is, the priest’s action was prompted by his compassion for the fallen soldier. 

In this passage, the Lord had explained to Abraham what He was about to do to the city of Sodom and Gomorrah. Knowing that his nephew Lot resided in that city, he persistently begged the Lord for His mercy upon these two cities. He was so persistent that the Lord was willing to spare the cities if 10 righteous people were there.

While this passage can be focused on the power of prayer, I believe our focus should be on the compassion of God. The Lord’s willingness to bring down the number of righteous people reveals His longing to spare the city. Lot’s family, alone, should have covered 10 righteous people; yet, we learn that this was not the case.

Our society may see a God who is quick to judge cities, however we believe in a God who is merciful and compassionate to all His creation, not just to believers. Psalm 145:8-12 says, “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made…so that all people may know of your might acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.”

Our God is persistent in showing mercy because He desires for all of creation to turn back to Him. It is our job, as believers, to proclaim the splendor of His compassion and share His goodness with all peoples. 

What are some areas of your life where you can proclaim His good news? What hinders you from doing so? As His church, we are called to be the loudest voice of His mercy.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that You are slow to anger and quick to forgive. Because of Your goodness, I am saved. Help me not to be afraid to proclaim Your goodness to my family members, coworkers, and strangers. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 15-16