January 2, Thursday 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on January 3, 2018, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato. Jason, along with his wife Jessica and their three young children, is serving in Japan as an AMI missionary.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning 

“From Negotiator to Worshiper”

Genesis 33:18–20 (ESV) 

And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. [19] And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. [20] There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel. 

When I proposed to my wife, I spoke about my love and commitment to her.  I did not take this time to hash out the details of our marriage, such as negotiating household chores.  Obviously this is appropriate, because marriage is not a business transaction. 

The first time Jacob hears from God, he is fleeing his brother Esau.  God declares,  “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring…and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed… (Genesis 28:13-14). Jacob’s response is to say: “…If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, [21] so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God…” (Genesis 28:20-21) 

God is giving Jacob His covenant promise to bless him, yet Jacob is in negotiation mode. He sees his relationship with God as a means to an end.  If the Lord will fulfill Jacob’s demands, then Jacob will follow the Lord in return. Even after fleeing his uncle Laban, Jacob still refers to God as “the Fear of his father Isaac” (Genesis 31:53).  But after wrestling with the Lord all night and seeing the face of God in his reconciliation with his brother, Jacob knows God in a different way.  He builds an altar and calls it “El-Elohe-Israel” (the God of Israel). 

Jacob’s life has been transformed in two ways.  First, Jacob becomes who God says he is. 

No longer is he Jacob (meaning “he cheats” in Hebrew); he is now Israel (meaning “he strives with God”).  Second, God is not merely the God of Abraham and Isaac; He is now the God of Jacob as well. As Jacob had asked, the Lord was with him, gave him bread to eat and clothing to wear, and brought him back to his father’s house in peace.  But the Lord has done far more than fulfill the bargain that Jacob proposed.  God has made Jacob a new man and shown him faithfulness and a love which amazed him.  Jacob’s desire is no longer to bargain with God, but to worship Him. 

Prayer:​ Father, You are greater and more wonderful than anything I can imagine or ask of You.  Thank You that You are not my business partner, but my generous Father.  You are not just the God of others but my God, and I am forever grateful. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 2

Lunch Break Study 

Read Philippians 3:8–11 (ESV): ​ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the​ surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—[10] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 

Question to Consider 

  1. How much does Paul value Christ? 
  2. According to verse 9, what is needed to know Jesus? 
  3. According to verse 10, what does knowing Jesus involve? 

Notes 

  • He is willing to suffer the loss of all things in order to gain Christ. 
  • To know Jesus, we need a righteousness that is not our own, the very righteousness of God that comes by faith. 
  • To know Jesus is to know Him in the power of his resurrection and sharing in his sufferings and death. 

Evening Reflection 

Reflect upon your day.  How were you tempted to use God as a means to an end?  How did God invite you to know Him?  Spend some time enjoying the presence of God. 

January 1, Wednesday

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 1, 2014.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Some Reflections for the New Year”

1 John 1:5 

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”

Of all the numerous New Year’s Eve services that I have attended, I do remember the very first one in 1981, about seven months after I became a believer. Actually, the only thing I remember is Isaiah 60:1-2 that someone read during the time of testimony: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” The interpretation of this passage, in the hands of some theologians, can get polemical (i.e., “Millennium Kingdom”), but for ordinary folks like us, it gives what we desperately need: HOPE! 

So, what can typically happen to an ordinary person in the course of any given year? Well in 1987, I got married! Had I read this passage that year, it perhaps wouldn’t have meant as much (too happy). But by the end of 1990 or 1999, it meant a lot: in 1990, because I was so exhausted from driving a shuttle van to make a living while pastoring a church that was going nowhere; in 1999, because that church, which eventually went somewhere, didn’t go far enough. Later, having left that congregation and feeling like a failure, I was wondering about my future as a minister as well as a father to three young children. 

Many things happened thereafter, but in due time I came to really see with my heart what I always knew in my head: that which all the light in the Old Testament had foreshadowed (Heb. 10:1) has indeed come and is always with me. Said Jesus, “I am the light of the world” (Jn. 9:5b) and “with you always” (Matt. 28:20b). I experienced that Christ, like a lighthouse to a lost ship at sea, drives out the darkness of hopelessness and despair from our lives. It is both instantaneous (Jn. 8:32) and a process (Phil. 1:6); either way, we need to stay close to him. And having a meaningful and consistent time with the Lord is part of that process. As we begin the New Year, consider taking a moment each day, however busy you might be, to converse with the LORD through His Scripture and unhurried prayer.

 Prayer: Lord, as I start the New Year today, constantly remind me to stay close to your heart.  Help me to stay so close to you that I can hear your heart beat.   Dear Father, whenever a momentary darkness dampens my hope, especially because things do not go as I planned, remind me to center my life and plans from the standpoint of eternity.  May this year be a year in which my life truly glorifies you.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 1

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Jn. 1:5-9: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Questions to Consider

1. Positionally, the believers are always in the light but our actual life can get pretty dark sometimes.  What causes temporary spiritual darkness in our lives that sometimes lasts too long?

2. Why do we, from time to time, act like we are walking in the light when, in fact, we are in darkness, much like the Pharisees who claimed to see but were blind spiritually (Jn. 9:39-41)?

3. What is one sure and fast way to rid ourselves of temporary darkness so that we tangibly experience “righteousness (e.g., a clear conscience), peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17b)?   

Notes

1. In short, it is sin (in actions and attitude), which, when left unrepented for awhile, hardens the heart.  Once that happens, other more sinful things that we couldn’t fathom committing before become quite easy to do.      

2. Among several reasons, one is this: Looking good before the people.  Of the Pharisees who did many outwardly good things, Jesus said, “Everything they do is done for men to see” (Matt. 23:5a).  That leads to hypocrisy, which is leading a double life.   In other words, we care more about what men think than what God thinks.

3. An honest evaluation of ourselves followed by an authentic confession of our sins that ought to lead to a genuine repentance; that is, a concrete plan not to commit the same sin (Lk. 19:8).

Evening Reflection

As the first day of 2025 is about to be history, evaluate how the day went: Did someone say or do something that made you feel sad or mad? Stay close to Christ and hear his heartbeat; what is He saying to you?

December 31, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 28, 2018, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee.  He is a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches.  He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Confession of a Pastor”

Ephesians 6:1-4

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

This is not a devotional; this is a confession. 

I can genuinely say in all the ways that matter, I want my son to exceed me.  I want him to be more successful and smarter than me; I wish him to be a better athlete and educated than I am; I desire that he becomes a better friend, father, husband, and most important, a better follower of our Lord.  So when I think about my desires for my son, I know in my heart that I genuinely love him, not just a little, but tremendously. 

I can also genuinely say this: There is no one on earth who can infuriate me like my son can.  I can’t tell you how many times when we’re playing baseball in the backyard, he’ll give me a little bit of his attitude, and I’m so tempted to just chuck the ball at his stomach (hyperbolically speaking).  Or if I want to teach him something that will benefit him later on, and he blows me off as if Legos are more important than a life lesson.  Or after asking me how to do something that I’m more than capable of doing, he has the audacity to reject my wisdom in favor of doing it his way, only to then mess it up.  Those are times when I want to (or do) flip my lid!

I didn’t realize I had a bad temper until I had children; my son also has a temper.  In truth, we “exasperate” each other.  I love my son, and I’m very confident he loves me.  I think we have a good relationship, and so those incidents that I just described, while happening almost daily, haven’t had long term damaging effects on our relationship (or at least haven’t shown up yet). 

They say that in the brain, the amygdala controls emotions like love and anger, so love and anger are physically really close together.  Through having children (all four of them), I’ve realized it’s true.  However, spiritually speaking, I would say that love and anger are very far apart?  (See 1 Cor. 13:6).  It makes total sense to me that Paul would instruct father’s not to exasperate their children, but rather to raise them up in the Lord.  God help all parents.  Lord, give me patience—the sooner the better!  Lord, thanks for teaching me patience; thanks for being patient with me.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to love my children (or future children, or any person really) as You love us.  If I struggle with anger, help me to replace it with love.  Help me to know that You gave me my children as well as my parents for a reason—to be more like You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Luke 22

Lunch Break Study

Read Proverbs 29:22-27: An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins. 23 Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor. 24 The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies; they are put under oath and dare not testify. 25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. 26 Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice. 27 The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.

Questions to Consider

  1. What are some of the character issues raised in this passage?
  2. What do you think the Proverbs writer means when he says the fear of man will be a snare?
  3. What do the righteous detest, and what do the wicked detest?

Notes

  1. Anger (vs. 22) which stirs up conflict and causes sin.  Pride is also mentioned in vs. 23, but ultimately pride brings us low, not lifts us up. 
  2. Fear of people is like a trap or snare that either slows us down terribly or stops us altogether from doing what God has in store for us. 
  3. While it stands to reason that the righteous hate dishonesty, it’s ironic, but also true that the wicked hate the upright.  People don’t like others that reveal our shortcomings. 

Evening Reflection

The latter half of many New Testament epistles are practice-driven; in other words, it addresses how faith ought to impact our everyday life.  Today’s passage asks how Christ impacts your relationship with your children and parents?  This evening, take some time to reflect on other relationships (work, school, church, etc.) that need the grace of God in your life. 

December 30, Monday

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 31, 2018, is provided by Pastor Joe Suh. Joe became the Lead Pastor of Canvas City Church in Philadelphia in 2024 following the passing of its founding pastor Eddie Kim. 

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“God’s Gift of Second Chance in Life”

As we close this year, it is a great time to reflect and take stock of what God is doing all around us.  As I look back on my life, I am reminded of a miracle and second chance I was given by God.  In 2009, just 3 weeks after our first child was born, I suddenly collapsed at my office.  The last thing I remembered was telling my secretary (I was a litigation attorney) that I was going to the restroom and then headed to my deposition for the day. I never made it.

To make a long story short I had suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm and was in an induced coma for 24 days.  The next thing I remembered was a nurse, who stood at the edge of my bed, asking me what had to be the scariest question for my wife Betty.  Pointing at her, the nurse asked, “Do you know who this is?” I said “yes,” and relief came over Betty.  The next question was, “Do you know where you are?” to which I responded, “Seems like a hospital.”  Correct! That was another good sign.  “Do you know how long you have been here?” was the final question and my answer of 3 days was about four weeks too short.  The nurse informed me that it had been a month.  That’s when I felt like I was smacked in the face and snapped out of the haze.  

This long hard month may have taken a toll on me physically, but for my wife, it was another story.  She was 3 weeks postpartum with our daughter and had a husband in the hospital with a dire prognosis.  At the time my doctors were not so sure I was going to make it, since I did not respond well each time they tried to wake me from the induced coma.  They first tried on the 7th days, then at the 14-day mark, and on the 21st day my surgeon informed my wife that he had not kept someone in a coma longer than 21 days.  My wife insisted that they do whatever they could to wake me. You see a couple of days into my ordeal, Betty’s friends came over to pray with her.  At that time Betty heard from God.  In a still small voice He let her know that He was not done with me yet.  So, in faith, she knew I would wake up; she was just not sure of what my condition would be.  Amazingly, by the grace of God I was miraculously healed with no known deficits.  

Fast forward to where I am now, I clearly see that God was truly not done with me.  Since that time, we added a second child to our family and, in February 2017, I transitioned from my career as an attorney to fulltime staff at the Church of Southland.  In reflection, this God-given opportunity to serve came at the right time and most definitely the right place.  With a lot of prayer, fasting, and faith, my wife and I obeyed the call God placed on my heart.  I am thankful every day for the miraculous healing, the second chance, and many opportunities to serve.  His fingerprints are all over our lives; we just have to open our eyes to see them.  Look and see what our God is doing.  In 2025, let’s join Him and His ongoing work more readily and joyfully.  

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the life I have received from you.  Forgive me not being grateful at times. Give me wisdom to seek You first during my journey on earth and not try to do things by my own strength.  I praise You and worship You for being a loving Father.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Luke 21

Lunch Break Study

(By Joshua Chzen at Kairos Christian Church)

Read Colossians 3:5-8, 12-14 (NIV): Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips . . .12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Questions to Consider

  • What does Paul tell the Colossian church to put to death or get rid of? Why?
  • What does Paul tell the Colossian church to clothe themselves with or put on? Why?
  • How does love relate to the other virtues in this passage?

Notes

  • Paul tells the church to put off sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed/idolatry, anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. These are part of the earthly nature and the old self that leads to incurring the wrath of God.
  • Paul tells the church to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love. He also instructs them to forgive one another. These are the virtues God’s chosen people, who are holy and dearly loved, are to demonstrate.
  • Love binds the rest of the virtues together in perfect unity. We can deduce from this that love plays a role in each of these qualities that we are to demonstrate as God’s beloved.

Evening Reflection

Oftentimes we are unaware of what’s going on in our own hearts. Who are the people you love the most? Does your love for them reflect the heart of Christ, and demonstrate the virtues of someone who is holy and dearly loved by God? Is your heart for them shaped more by your earthly nature or fleshly desire? Ask God to guide you through these questions of reflection, and to give you an openness to being changed by Him in 2025.

December 29, Sunday   

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on November 6, 2016.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Looking Back on 2024: The Election (as Someone Looked Forward to the 2016 Election)

—Just as Relevant Today as Back Then”

Hebrews 6:13-20

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

This Tuesday, we will head to the polls and elect a new president to the White House. With any presidential election, there is great hope for the nation to grow and prosper. But there’s also a great deal of skepticism because of the way politicians have failed to come through on the promises made on the campaign trail. We can sometimes become jaded and begin to think they will say just about anything to get our votes. 

It’s not just our politicians, but it’s also the media, the advertising companies, and even our own friends and family who break promises. It’s so pervasive that we are tempted to think this is just the reality of life. And this mindset begins to affect our relationship with God and the way we think about the promises He has made. But there is a distinction between the promises of man and the promises of God: While man’s promises have many varied reasons for not coming to pass, God’s promises are as certain as the morning sun, as He has decreed it to be fulfilled tomorrow. He will carry His Word to fulfillment by the strength of His character and power of His love. 

The author of Hebrews ends chapter 6 by calling us to hold fast to the promises of God because they are true. He reminds us of God’s promise to Abraham, that he would become the father of many nations.  Though at times this appeared to be impossible, Abraham held on to God’s promise, and soon he was rewarded with a sound of an infant crying in his own home. This child would be part of the way God kept His promise to make Abraham a father of many nations. 

Just as Abraham held fast to the promises of God, we too must hold fast. As we do, we will discover that the promises of God begin to change us and give us new motivation for living. We will no longer have such strong ties to the things of this world, for God’s promises are better than anything the world has to offer. We become strangers and aliens, as Peter says (1 Peter 2:11), and our lives will be filled all the more with contentment.  Meanwhile, we become attractive to the watching world. Let us hold fast to the promises of God, which culminates in His Son Jesus Christ. Let us trust in the work of the Lord on the cross to save us and sustain us, until our faith become sight! 

Bible Reading for Today: Luke 20

Prayer: Lord, regardless of who wins the election, help me to live out my faith boldly today. May I never be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation.  And may You guide the next president to lead our country, according to your righteousness and compassion. Amen.

December 28, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on December 9, 2017, 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.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend 

Genesis 26:18-25

And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah.22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. 23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

Moving is stressful because it means finding a place to live in a crazy housing market, adjusting to different cultures, and embracing a new community. In the midst of this chaos, what we deem as non-negotiable keeps us sane: For some it’s an in-unit washer/dryer; the school district; bathroom water pressure; the type of people; nearby friends; etc. The general rule of thumb is that if you can secure what is non-negotiable to you, then you should sign the papers—or else you might lose it. And in the Mosaic period, the most important non-negotiable was a source of water.

Our passage today shows Isaac’s journey of searching for a well in hopes of settling down. Unfortunately, every time he finds one, the Philistines feel threatened and force him to leave. But as Isaac continues to wander, he finally finds a well unchallenged in Rehoboth; but rather than settling there, Isaac continues onto Beersheba— Beersheba was the first place Abraham and Isaac set out for after Isaac’s life is spared on Mt. Moriah. It most likely reminded Isaac of the traumatic memories of when his father almost sacrificed him, but the Lord provided. And yet, Isaac decides to settle down here. Why?

Notice how the sequence is reversed: (1) Isaac hears from the Lord and is reminded of the promise given to him; (2) he responds by building a place of worship; (3) he settles his tent there;   (4) finally, he digs the well. In other words, Isaac’s reason for settling there was that he encountered the Lord—not merely because of a water source. He prioritized his spiritual needs before his physical needs, because he knew the Lord would provide. May this be a good reminder for our lives. Whether it is moving to a new place, starting a new career, or even transitioning into a new season, may our non-negotiable be first and foremost His presence and His word. Let us take hope in that as we seek after Him, He is a good Father who will provide. 

Prayer: Father, we confess that oftentimes we are driven by our material needs rather than our spiritual ones. Help us to set our priorities according to Your Word, for You are a good Father who will always provide. May we not worry about our lives, but help us to always seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness (Matt. 6:25-34).  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Luke 18-19

December 27, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 16, 2018, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee.  He is a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches.  He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Changing”

Ephesians 5:1-8

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.  8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 

For the last year or so, my wife has been a changed person.  She went from a relatively normal person into a fitness nut (maybe semi-nut is more accurate).  Whereas before she didn’t regularly workout, now she spends several hours a week in studio doing classes like cycling, bar, and body pump.  Sometimes she takes three classes back-to-back-to-back in a single day.  It’s kind of humbling because I used to always be the most fit person in my house; now I have to hang my head in shame and admit that my wife is in better shape than me (unless, of course, you consider “round” a shape).  Here’s the thing that I know because I’ve been around people who exercise a lot—I can tell that my wife is genuinely changed.  She’s not going to be one of those people who hits the gym hard in January only to lose the love in February.  I can see that exercising is in her blood, and it would take an extraordinary set of circumstances for her to go back to an inactive lifestyle.  

In our passage, we get a picture of an even more dramatic change than even any fitness plan can put us on.  It’s what you see when darkness becomes light (vs. 8).  We see that the early Christians once walked in varying degrees of immorality but were now called to walk in love because we are God’s holy people.  So this morning, let our passage remind you of who you really are in Christ and the implications of your changed identity.  

Of course, like anyone who is committed to physical fitness, there are going to missed workouts and occasional snacking, you aren’t going to be perfect and you’re gonna mess up, but generally are you living like a genuinely changed son or daughter of the Holy God?  Do you represent him well?  Are you becoming more like Jesus?  Are you changed?  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that because the Holy Spirit lives in me, I am genuinely being changed.  I am no longer darkness, but I live in Your light!  Help me to live this day as a child of light.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Luke 17

Lunch Break Study

Read Proverbs 26:17-22: Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own. 18 Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death 19 is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” 20 Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. 21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. 22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.

Questions to Consider

  1. What does the Proverbs say about quarreling words?
  2. What are the dangers of gossip?
  3. Do any of these speech problems plague you?

Notes

  1. Quarrelsome words can get you or others hurt or bit (vs. 17), and they are the fuel for long-term feuds (vs. 21). 
  2. We often forget how harmful gossip is as it also prolongs and fuels quarrels (vs. 20).  But we also see that gossip, if we are honest, is kind of tasty (in a bad way – vs. 22).  
  3. Application question for children of light.

Evening Reflection

Today’s theme was being a child of light and living like we are truly transformed.  In the afternoon, we talked about speech patterns that we may still struggle with.  Are there other areas in your life that you feel like the Lord wants to refine in you?  

December 26, Thursday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on April 12, 2018, 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.).  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Child-like Faith”

Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. 

I LOVE to do this to my 2-year-old nephew: I would play music via a Bluetooth speaker, but whenever he touches the speaker, I pulse the music from my phone; when he moves his hands away, music will continue. I explained to him that this speaker can sense his touch and only he can stop the music (of course!). Without doubting for a second, he believed me. He would put his hand on and off the speaker over and over again, just to test his “power” and then laugh so happily every time the music stops.  (Poor kid! Aunt is so sorry!) 

In today’s message, Jesus tells the disciples to receive the kingdom of God like a little child. So what is so special about receiving like a child? From my little nephew’s example, can you imagine how these children would react after Jesus told them about the kingdom of God? They probably jumped up and down and shouted with joy, just as if they were told that they could eat ice cream all day long. And what would happen after Jesus placed His hands and blessed them? They probably would all cling onto Him, pleading for more—just as how they would beg their parents for more bed-time stories. 

As we grow up, all of us have to get on a roller coaster called “life”—the drudgery of work, the loss of good health, unbearable hurts and betrayals which has led to great fear and uncertainties; all these things which can hinder us from believing without questioning that our Heavenly Father desires to greatly bless us. Jesus’ version of the kingdom of God—where there will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain—can sound too good to be true, when we look at our version of the “kingdom of reality.” 

However, God is not like the naughty aunt playing tricks to a two-year-old kid. He asks His children to trust in a hope that does not put us to shame. He desires to see us trusting Him like a child, so He can reveal to us how He protects His children: “He who did not spare His own son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). The question is, are we willing to receive this good news as simply as a child? 

Prayer: Dear Lord, please grant us a child-like heart today. We want to be more excited about Your Kingdom like a little child, and trust that You desire to bless us more than we can imagine. We place all the uncertainties and fear before Your feet and we say goodbye to all the “what-ifs” that hinder us from trusting You completely. Bless us today as we eagerly plead like a child; place Your hands on us so that all can see Your good deeds and praise Your Name on high. In Your Name we pray. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Luke 16

Lunch Break Study  

ReadRomans 8:14-16: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

Questions to Consider

1. What changes take place after we receive the Spirit of God? 

2. What does it mean for us to be called “children of God”? 

3. Is it difficult for you to cry out “Abba, Father!” when facing difficult moments in your life? If so, what do you think hinders you?

Notes

1. The Spirit of God reminds us of who we are—that we are no longer slaves to fear but children of God. 

2. The book of Romans reminds us that if we are God’s children, we are granted the “quick-pass” to the Almighty God and His Kingdom. Even better: we are heirs of God! We get to share the eternal glory together with our Abba Father.   

3. Personal response. 

Evening Reflection

Did you encounter a moment where you just chose to simply trust God like a little child today? Did you feel the joy coming out of trusting Him?  Review your day here.  

December 25, Wednesday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on December 25, 2016. Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.

Devotional Thought for the Day of Christmas 

“Immanuel”

Matthew 1:23

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”

Recently, I noticed while reading through my Facebook feed that many were calling 2016 one of the worst years in recent memory. And once you begin reflecting back, it’s not surprising that many have come to this conclusion: police brutality, racial divide, Aleppo, numerous shootings/bombings around the world, and the election (to half of the nation). Yes, it’s been a terrible year for many. In light of this, many of the comments expressed confusion. Others offered their own well-intentioned solutions in the form of new political policies and strategies. But most were resigned to a loss of hope. What can be done when the issues seem so much bigger than us? 

It was a similar situation around the time of the birth of Christ. The people of Israel had been in exile for many years and even as they returned to the promised land, they were met by Grecian, Ptolemaic, Seleucid and Roman oppressions. They had become foreigners in their own land. As a result, many Jews attempted to resolve the situation by means of violent revolution or by colluding with the Roman authorities for more power. But none of it brought the liberation they had been longing for, which led to a profound sense of hopelessness. But little did they know, that true freedom had come in the form of a baby, who was called Immanuel, “God with us.” This baby would go on to bring about a type of liberation that they could have never imagined; one that gave them freedom from their greatest oppressor: the power of sin. 

As we go about our Christmas, let us rejoice in the hope found only in Jesus, who is Immanuel. He is the embodied presence of God. He is the true hope of the world. In the midst of darkness and pain, both globally and personally, He is the only answer. This Christmas morning, let us be reminded that our ultimate hope does not lay in politics or human ingenuity but in a baby named Jesus. 

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 2

Lunch Break Study

(By Kate Moon—first posted on 12.25.14)

Read Psalm 144:9-15: “I will sing a new song to you, my God;on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,10 to the One who gives victory to kings,who delivers his servant David.

From the deadly sword 11 deliver me; rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. 12 Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace. 13 Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields; 14 our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls,

no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets. 15 Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.”

Questions to Consider

1. What is David’s situation in Psalm 143?  What about in Psalm 144?

2. What story do these two psalms tell when they are read side by side?

3. What are his main concerns in Psalm 143 versus in Psalm 144?  

4. As we see God’s faithfulness in fulfilling his promise and call on David’s life, what hope can we have for our own?

Notes

1. Where Psalm 143 is the desperate cry of a man on the run, Psalm 144 is the battle cry of the leader of a nation.  

2. Taken from two very different periods of David’s life and here juxtaposed, these two psalms tell the story of how after all the hard times, King David finally comes into his own.  He has gone from being a fugitive to being a king, and this is evidence of God’s personal goodness and faithfulness to David in his life.

 3. In Psalm 144, David is no longer asking for God’s deliverance as one being hunted down; instead, he is now calling on the Lord for victory over foreign nations (v. 11) and blessings for an entire people (vv. 12-15) from the position of being their king (v. 10).  Though there are different seasons we go through in life, once we get through difficult stages, our prayers can be less focused on personal struggles and turn more towards establishing God’s kingdom and bringing its benefits to others. 

4. God is mindful of us.  Though our lives are like a mere breath or shadow compared to His eternal existence, His desire is for us to live it in a significant way.  In addition to being thankful for what He has done in the past, let’s continue to hope in God for his future goodness towards us, His faithfulness to fulfill his promise in us.

Evening Reflection

As I celebrated Christmas today, was it a busy day?  Was there a moment that I had with the Lord where I felt true joy and celebration in my heart over who he is, what he has done and what he will do?  If not, it’s not too late – take a moment in quiet celebration with him even now. 

December 24, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 24, 2017, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee.  He is a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches.  He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for the Eve of Christmas

“They Came”

Luke 2:8-12

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Good morning!  Since it is Christmas Eve, I thought I’d break from our Genesis study to give us a little Christmas devotional.  But a little warning—this might seem like a series of random thoughts, but it’ll come together in the end. 

I think we are all familiar with the term FOMO (fear of missing out).  I have the opposite problem: At my old church, people would often make a joke that I had JOMO (joy of missing out), because I never wanted to go anywhere or do anything.  I never feared missing out on something potentially amazing, because I’m not easily awed, and I’d probably be more content having a relaxing evening at home—I know, it’s like I’m 70 already!   

As I was writing this morning’s devotional, I asked my wife why, of all the people in Bethlehem, God would choose to tell these shepherds about the birth of his Son.  My wife jokingly commented that this is what God told the shepherds: “Hey, you guys with the sheep, you don’t seem so busy, so why don’t you go visit that manger over there—there is something cool inside.”  But it got me thinking…perhaps my wife was on to something.  Perhaps, the reason God invited these shepherds is that He knew they would actually come and celebrate the birth of His Son.  As I thought about it more, I wondered if I would have come.  I’d like to believe that if angels came and lit up the sky, I’d be prone to listen to them.  But at the same time, my JOMO might start to kick in, or I’d be like, I’m already in my pajamas, I’m settled for the night.  Perhaps I would have missed out.  

Before I had kids, I wondered why in the world parents would want visitors right after their new baby was born.  I mean, come on, mom just gave birth: she’s tired, hasn’t really cleaned herself up, they are just learning to take care of this new life, etc. So why would you want guests?  But after having kids, I realized how proud parents are to show off their new baby—to any and everyone who would want to come.  Now, visiting newborns is one of my favorite aspects of being a pastor; I love blessing the baby and the new parents.  And most of the times, the parents are so thankful to have me come by—you can see the excitement as they show off their new child. Perhaps the reason God invited the shepherds that evening is because He wanted to share His Son and His joy with them, knowing that they would not turn down His invitation.  As we head into Christmas (and really all of Christian life), do you see how God invites you to share His Son and His joy with you?  Let’s thankfully accept this invitation and not miss out on what God has for us!  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son into the world to save us.  Thank You that You also want to share Your joy with us.  Help me to see and respond to Your invitation, so that I can share in Your joy and Your presence.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Luke 2

Lunch Break Study

(By Kate Moon—first posted on 12.24.14)

Read Luke 2:15-18: “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

Questions to Consider

1. After hearing the angel’s message, what did the shepherds want to do (v. 15)? 

2. What happened when they got to Bethlehem (v. 16)? 

3. What did they do afterwards (v. 17)? Why do you think they did this?  From where do get our motivation to share the good news?

Notes

1. They wanted to see for themselves what had happened.

2. When they saw Mary, Joseph and the baby, they experienced for themselves the truth of the message from God, and they could believe their Messiah had truly come into the world.

3. They spread the word.  They did this because of what they had heard but also experienced; they believed that this was truly good news.  We are most motivated to share when we have experienced the truth of God’s message for ourselves and really come to believe it is good news. 

Evening Reflection

Did I have a tangible, personal experience of God and the truth of his word today?  Who will I tell