July 13, Saturday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on April 29, 2017, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian. Shan, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), is the Lead Pastor of Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Commending Ourselves in Christ”

2 Corinthians 6:4-10

but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

As a pastor and probably also as an Asian, I feel somewhat awkward when I receive a compliment about a sermon I preached or some other ministry responsibilities that I carried out.  The Asian side of me simply isn’t used to receiving compliments, but the Christian/pastor side of me feels awkward about them because I’m supposed to strive for humility and not let myself get “proud” about what I have done.  Because of this, I find it interesting that Paul is willing to say in 2 Corinthians that “as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way.”  

Since it seems strange that any servant would try to commend or prove himself to others, we should be mindful of the context of 2 Corinthians.  Here, Paul tried to establish that he was a servant of God to the Corinthian congregants who were rumblings about whether he was worthy to be considered as an apostle or someone with spiritual authority over them.  Paul certainly was not trying to boast or show off, but even if he was, he had a funny way of doing it.  If Christians were required to apply for a position as God’s servant, having to submit a resume that shows why they should be selected for the position, Paul probably wouldn’t have gotten an interview!   Now, while the approval by the Holy Spirit and the power of God certainly would’ve worked to his advantage, experiences such as afflictions, hardships, and poverty wouldn’t have; that is, these don’t seem like the kind of stuff that anyone should be boasting about.  So why would Paul boast about these things?

Paul commended himself because all that he had on his resume, including the trials and struggles he had gone through as someone striving to serve God, pointed to something beyond him.  The apostle was able to endure all of the hardship and boast about it because he was empowered by the love of Jesus to love the church.  Because Paul so intimately knew the love of God, he could declare that he was sorrowful but always rejoicing, that he was poor or having nothing but really possessing everything.  He was so in love with Jesus that he knew that all he had was in Christ and that no afflictions or calamities or hunger or anything could hinder him from displaying that love to the church and to the world.

As we all strive to be servants of God in this world, let us commend ourselves to this world by displaying that all we have is in Christ.  We may face hardships, trials, and persecution, but we can always be rejoicing in the midst of them as we have been deeply touched by God’s immense love expressed through His Son Jesus.   

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for your love for me. I pray that as I know you more and more, that I can be empowered to be your servant in this world. Help me to remember that all I have is in you, and give me strength to endure anything that comes my way.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Haggai 1-2

July 12, Friday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 27, 2017.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Our Brothers Who are Easily Forgotten in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”

Hebrews 11:10 (NIV)

For [Abraham] was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 

The recent United Nations Security Council’s resolution to condemn Israeli settlement in territories taken during the Six-Day War (1967) continues to stir passion on both sides.  While U.S. support for Israel may not be what it used to be, Christians who believe in the literal fulfillment of end-time prophecies are squarely on the side of Israel.  Yet, in the midst of this bitter conflict, we have forgotten a people whom the believers have more in common with than the Israelis.   

In 2015, while attending a conference on theological education in Turkey, I befriended a theological educator named Jiries from Jordan.  He is a Palestinian.  Never having met a Palestinian Christian before, I cautiously asked, “How do you feel about American Christians unilaterally supporting Israel?”  Jiries answered, “It’s a matter of human interpretation of the Bible on the one hand, and God’s justice on the other.”  I understood what he meant by “human interpretation,” but since I didn’t get the justice part, I asked for an explanation.  The following is his story.

“I was born in Lydda (Lod) near Tel Aviv in 1944—four years before the establishment of Israel as a state in Palestine.  In Nov. 1947, the United Nations divided Palestine into Arab state and Jewish state; Lydda was in the part allocated to the Palestinian Arab state. In July 1948, because the Israelis took control of Lydda and expelled its population, my family, including my pregnant mother and three children under the age of four, left home on foot.  Walking several hours and spending the night in the open air, we met Jordanian soldiers, who took us to a small town in the remaining part of Palestine.  Since then, I’ve lived in Jordan—and I can’t go back to my home and my land.  Where is justice in that?” 

I had no response; in fact, moved by what this brother said, I promised to share the plight of Palestinian Christians in an ensuing conference in Hong Kong, where I was scheduled to speak.  But while preparing for the message, I suddenly felt this urge to share what I believed the Spirit placed in my heart.  So, in an email I wrote: “Jiries, ultimately you know that this is not our home, for we are ‘aliens and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one’ (Heb. 11:13-6).  Of all people, you must know this better than anyone else.”  Jiries later wrote me back, saying, “Thank you for your interest and being fair.  Blessings.”

This blog isn’t about political policy but spiritual tension that demands Christ’s followers to move from either/or to both/and.  First, the needs of the Palestinian brothers in Christ shouldn’t be ignored, since we are commanded to “do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Gal. 6:10).  So, while they wait for “a better country—a heavenly one,” we pray that safe places are found for them to raise their families.

What about Israel?  Jiries, in a later communication, wrote, “When we think of the present situation, we pray for three issues: justice, peace and mercy of God for all, including Israel whose existence I validate according to all United Nations’ resolutions.”  While I understand Jiries’ position, I find myself increasingly frustrated with the UN’s overall mission in the world.  My support for Israel’s right to exist, therefore, doesn’t stem from any UN resolution but God’s Word, “for if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings” (Rom. 15:27).  Thus, at the very least, we should support Israel’s need for safe places—free from terror—to raise their families; we also pray that they come to a saving knowledge of Yeshua, and enter one day “the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

Prayer: Lord, we pray for the governing bodies represented at the United Nations to treat the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with fairness for all.  We pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps. 122:6) and that many Israelis will come to believe in Jesus.  We also pray for the well-being of Palestinian Christians.  Amen.    

Bible Reading for Today: John 21

Lunch Break Study 

Read Gal. 3:28-9 (ESV): There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Gal. 6:5: For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

2 Cor. 5:27a: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

Questions to Consider

1. What is the basis for Christian brotherhood?

2. What does it mean that there is neither Jews nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female in Christ Jesus?

3. If we truly understand Christian brotherhood, then what kind of church should we strive to be?

Notes

1. Regardless of our ethnicity, class or gender identity, once we believe in Jesus, we all belong to Christ—we are all one in Him.

2. When we are in Christ, all ethnic, class and gender differences are melted into a new creation.  “In Christ” is a spiritual melting pot in which all our sins are washed away (i.e., forgiven) by the atoning  blood of Jesus. 

3. A church that doesn’t discriminate based on ethnicity, class and gender; a church where everyone is welcomed whether they are white, yellow, black, rich, poor, educated, not educated, etc.

Evening Reflection

Before it was called Palestine, the place where Israelis and Palestinians live today was called Canaan.  It was to this place—a land of milk and honey—that God had called the enslaved Jews in Egypt to enter.   The Jews’ claim to this land is based on the Old Testament, but while they were absent from Canaan for nearly 2,000 years, the Palestinians have lived there for centuries.  Certainly, they both have a compelling case for having a stake in the land.  I share this so that you can pray for these people, that there will be prosperity (milk and money) for all, and a genuine revival among them so that the dividing wall of hostility would be finally demolished.

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility (Eph. 2:14).

July 11, Thursday 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on September 14, 2017, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children, serves in Japan as an AMI missionary. Jason, a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), is currently planting a church in Tokyo. Please pray for this work.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Good News of War”

Genesis 3:15 (ESV)

“I will put enmity between you and the woman,and between your offspring and her offspring;he shall bruise your head,and you shall bruise his heel.”

 In response to Adam and Eve’s sin, God pronounces judgment.  First, he curses the snake that tempted them.  The end of this curse is sometimes called the proto-euangelion (i.e. the first gospel).  What is the good news that God shares?

News of war.  

Human beings and Satan will constantly be at war.  And ultimately the war will end with the offspring of the woman destroying the serpent.

This is the greatest news that Adam and Eve could possibly receive.  The devil had succeeded in separating them from God.  Death had entered into the world.  Sin would keep them enslaved.

But in the end, the devil will not win.  Death will not win.  Sin will not win.  One descendant of the woman would come.  He would be bruised but victorious.

Sometimes peace in and of itself appears to be best.  But it always depends on what kind of peace and with whom.  By and large, the German church was at peace with the Nazi party.  In that time, war was the better option.  

Today, we are lulled into thinking that peace with sin is grace, but making peace with the cancer that kills you or the addiction that keeps you in bondage is not a peace worth having.

Thank God, Jesus does not make peace with death.  Instead, He wages war.  And He will not falter, He will not cease to fight until evil is extinguished and sin, death, and the devil are done away with for good.

He will fight until the knowledge of the glory of God covers the earth as the waters cover the seas.  May we have peace with God and with our neighbor and may we wage war against sin and the enemy if that is what it takes to obtain it.

Prayer:  Father, I am so thankful that Your Son has brought me peace with You.  Thank You that I am no longer Your enemy but Your child.  May I always be at peace with You and at war with sin that would try separate me from You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 20

Lunch Break Study

Read Exodus 15:1-4 (ESV): Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying,“I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.[2] The LORD is my strength and my song,and he has become my salvation;this is my God, and I will praise him,my father’s God, and I will exalt him.[3] The LORD is a man of war;the LORD is his name. [4] “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea,and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. 

Question to Consider

  1. Exodus 15 follows the crossing of the Red Sea.  According to v. 1 and 4, why do the people sing?
  2. In verse 2, the people sing of God’s salvation.  What did the Lord save them from?
  3. According to verse 3, what is part of the greatness of Israel’s God?

Notes

  1. Surprisingly, they are not most impressed by the raw miracle of the Red Sea splitting.  They sing of how God destroyed the Egyptian army.
  2. The Lord saved Israel from slavery and more immediately He saved them from certain death and capture at the hands of the Egyptian army.
  3. The Lord is a man of war.  He is a conquering warrior.

Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day.  What evil did you witness in your own heart, home, or community?  Pray that God would grant forgiveness to sinners but that He would also destroy this sin and wickedness.

July 10, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on September 27, 2017, is provided by Pastor David Kwon who leads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  David is a graduate of Drexel University (B.S.) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Wait on the Lord”

Genesis 7:17-24

 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters.19 And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered.20 The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep.21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind.22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died.23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.24 And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

I do not like waiting.  I have gotten better over the years but patience has been a virtue in my life that I have had to work on.  Whether it is waiting for an email reply, waiting for my food to be served at a restaurant, or waiting for the birth of my children while my wife was in labor, patience has been something that I have asked God to grant me over the years.

Thus, I take to my heart Scripture’s constant call for us to be patient.  Job had to endure a long period of trouble before hearing from God. The Psalms regularly urge us to wait for the Lord’s deliverance (for example, 37:5–7). Paul lists patience as a fruit of the Spirit’s work in the Christian (Gal. 5:22–23) as well as a key component of love (1 Cor. 13:4).

In today’s passage, Noah and his family are in the midst of the flood that the Lord had sent.  We read how great and destructive this flood was as it covered the mountains and destroyed every living thing on the earth.  God sent rain upon the land for forty days and nights and the waters covered the earth for 150 days in total (v. 24).  One lesson we can take away is Noah’s life encourages us to wait upon the Lord especially in seasons of suffering and despair.  For Noah, there must have been moments when he might have doubted the Lord or even wondered if God would ever end the flood.  But Noah waited patiently and was faithful to what the Lord had commanded him to do.  We are also called to do the same.

Are you waiting patiently for the Lord?  Maybe for you it has been a prayer you have been praying for many years.  Or are you waiting for a person to change or a situation to turn out differently?  God is calling you to wait upon him and to be faithful.  


Prayer:  Lord, help us to wait patiently upon You in all the areas of our lives.  May we never think that Your timing should be the same as ours but help us to have patience and to be faithful.  Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: John 19

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Peter 3:8-10: But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Questions to Consider

  1. What do we learn about the timing of God?  What does this mean for you?
  2. What is our hope according to Peter?
  3. What do you feel you are called to do in light of these verses?

Notes

  1. We need to be reminded that God’s timing is not our timing.  He is sovereign over time and we need to be reminded of that truth daily.  
  2. Our hope is that the Lord fulfills his promises.  He is faithful to His Word and we are commanded to trust.
  3. The Lord is patient because He does not want anyone to perish.  It means we are called to be witnesses for Him and to share the Good News to all who hear.  

Evening Reflection

Gratitude is one of the best ways to overcome a discouraged and complaining heart.  Spend some time this evening giving thanks to the Lord especially for the many blessings he has given you.  

July 9, Tuesday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted September 5, 2017, is provided by Pastor Mark Chun. Mark, after stepping down as its Lead Pastor in January of 2023, is now serving as a staff at Radiance. 

Devotional Thought for This Moring

“What God?”

Genesis 1:3-24 (NIV 2011)

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. 20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. 24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 

In today’s world, creationism is dismissed as a myth or the wishful dreams of the uneducated.  CS Lewis once observed that within the scientific discipline, biologists tend to be the most irreligious and that physicists are the most religious. The reason for this general trend is evident.  Biologists tend to look at life as a closed system, that there is life and death, a beginning and an end.  On the other hand, physicists ultimately have to deal with the mystery of ultimate beginnings and how the universe came to be.  Any honest scientist has to confess that the idea of the universe being created from nothing cannot be intellectually satisfying.

I would propose that the view that is better than any theory out there is the belief that the universe began by the initiative of God.  In fact, the idea that everything has its beginnings in God’s initiative is at the heart of Biblical Christianity.  The world was created because God desired its creation.  The fallen mankind can be saved because before the foundation of the world, God chose his Son as a ransom for our sin.  We can love because God first loved us from the very beginning and we can know Him because He has made Himself known.  Our fundamental understanding of God comes from the belief that everything starts with Him, including our own existence.   

The acceptance of God as our creator is the most logical place to start a relationship with Him.  Some years ago, a young woman, who was wrestling with her faith, asked me, “Did God create man or did man create God?’’  And whether she realized it or not, she landed on the foundational question that every single person, whether you are religious or not, has to answer.  And ultimately your answer to this question places you on two completely different paths of life.   Sadly, this young woman decided that God was an invention of man and decided to walk away from the Christian faith.  

Our world is filled with distorted ideas of who God is and what spirituality should look like.  Every idol and every false system of theology begins with a rejection of God’s initiative and replaces it with the initiative of man.  We become the creators of our own gods.  The challenge that awaits us as Christians is how we can break the stronghold of idolatry and the deception of false gods (e.g., materialism).

Prayer: Lord, we thank You for taking the initiative in creating us and ultimately loving the ones You created.  As You have first loved us through Christ, teach us to love others in the same way.  Help us to submit our lives to You so that You can shape us as the potter shapes the clay.  Reminds us that in You we move and breathe and have our being.   Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  John 18

Lunch Break Study

Ephesians 1:3-10 (NIV 2011): Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship n through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Questions to Consider

  1. When did God come up with the plan of salvation?
  2. Why and for what reason did God predestine our relationship with Him?
  3. Where does our salvation fall into the greater scope of God’s plan?   

Notes

  1. We read that God chose His people for salvation even before the creation of the world.   This reminds us that none of the events of history came as a surprise to God.  Sin and all of its consequences were permitted by the will of God so that He could choose a people for Himself solely on the basis of His grace.    
  2. Although there is a lot of debate about predestination, the apostle Paul’s main emphasis was on God’s love as the primary reason for initiating this relationship with us.  From the beginning of time, it was God’s plan to take sinners like us and adopt us into His family as spiritual sons and daughters.  
  3. Man’s salvation is the climax of God’s saving work.  It is the crowning achievement in the redemption of the whole created order.  One day God will bring all things into unity under the reign and rule of Christ.  This is why Paul tells us that all of creation waits eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed. (Romans 8:19)  

Evening Reflection

Every day is a gift from the Lord.  It is one more day to celebrate His salvation and to live in the joyful knowledge that God has known you and loved you from the very beginning.  As parents carefully plan their future family, Christ has been preparing a place for you in God’s family.  Reflect on this truth and pray to the Lord. 

July 8, Monday

REPOSTToday’s AMI Devotional QT, first posted on October 16, 2017, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian who leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.  Shan is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning  

“Being Rich”

Genesis 13:1-4

So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. 2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. 

Many of us tend to have a paradoxical view of wealth and possessions.  While so many people strive for greater and greater wealth, these same people feel contempt towards those who have great wealth.  One example of this is how much people love the classic stories of Robin Hood.  They are exciting and inspiring stories about the bravery of Robin Hood and his merry outlaws as they fight injustice.  Robin Hood is a hero to most because he steals from the rich to give to the poor, yet people tend to ignore the fact that what he’s doing is theft; and since most people themselves would love to be rich, Robin Hood would be stealing from them!  

Some have a negative view of the wealthy for a variety of reasons: perhaps we think of the wealthy as being conceited, selfish, or entitled.  Yet at the same time, most people would love to have that problem. 

In Genesis 13, it is made very clear that Abram is very rich. He is loaded with tons of livestock, silver and gold. If Abram were our neighbor, he would’ve been the one with the biggest house, the nicest cars, and the best clothes. But what we see about Abram’s life in this passage is far from any mental picture we have of conceited, rich people.  Instead, we see from Genesis a man who is not defined by what he has but in whom he trusts with his life. He is not this selfish or entitled man who looks down on others or don’t have need for others; instead, we meet a man who trusted not in himself, but called upon the name of the Lord in worship. 

Having lots of money or possessions is not inherently wrong or sinful, but they can lead us to be conceited or entitled if they define us and lead us away from trusting in God. In fact the opposite can be true as well: not having a lot of money and possessions can lead us away from trusting in God if in our lack, there is an unhealthy striving for more.  The only way for us to have a healthy relationship with our possessions and wealth is to follow Abram’s example—and that is to call upon the name of the Lord and worship Him and Him alone.  Let us not be defined by our possessions and wealth but let us seek to trust only in God!

Prayer: Jesus, I entrust my life to You today. I pray that I will not let myself be defined but what I have or don’t have, but instead, I will be defined by who You are and what You have done for me.   Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 17

Lunch Bible Study

Read 1 Timothy 6:6-10: But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Questions to Consider

  1. What is the biggest enemy of contentment, according to this passage?
  2. Verse 10 is often misquoted as saying that the “money is the root of all evil” instead of “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”  There’s a slight difference in wording but there’s a drastic difference in meaning and application.  What is the difference for our lives?
  3. How have you seen the love of money be a hindrance to your own walk with God? What steps can we take to be more content?  

Notes

  1. The biggest enemy of contentment is the love of money—the desire to be rich.  This love/desire is what plunges “people into ruin and destruction” and leads them away from faith.  
  2. To say that “money is the root of all evil” implies that money itself is what corrupts us, which is wrong because is money is not inherently good or bad; rather, it is “love of money” that is the source of “all kinds of evil.” And that means that it is the sinful desires of our own hearts that is the source of many kinds of evil.  Money is not the problem but it is our relationship with money that leads us away from contentment and trusting in God.
  3. Personal reflection question.  

Evening Reflection

In what ways are you defining yourself by your possessions or wealth?  The desire for more is something that we all struggle with and something that we all need to bring before God in prayer.  Surrender your heart and desires to God and seek to trust in Him alone.

July 7, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on September 3, 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. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Commissioned”

Luke 9:1-3 

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey-no staff, no bag no bread, no money, no extra shirt. “

In this story found in Luke 9, Jesus gathers His disciples and does a few things whereby He sets a platform for them to have confidence to do His work. First, He commissions them by giving them power and authority, authorizing them. Jesus gives them simple commands—drive out demons, cure diseases, etc.—which seem very difficult to anyone. He releases them to demonstrate to others that the Kingdom of God was at hand and that Jesus had the answers to their sufferings, whether physical, spiritual, or emotional. Then, He also tells the disciples to take nothing for the journey. By this, He positions them to trust in Him for their provisional needs, setting them up to experience His power firsthand. Jesus wanted them to experience that God was not only capable but incredibly faithful. They were about to see that wherever they went, they would be carrying God’s very presence with them, and that God would always be with them. 

These are truths for us today. Through the redemptive work of Jesus, we are now carriers of God’s presence to demonstrate to the world what the arrival of our Savior means for them. It is the Lord’s pleasure to reveal Himself to people through us. We need only to trust Him and mindfully step out as the disciples were commissioned to do. The Lord has already qualified us for His work. As with the disciples, He has given us a platform to be confident in Him. So let us not take this commissioning lightly, but allow ourselves to be that vessel that brings God’s answers to others—this is the good works He has prepared for us to do. Let us be intentional in our relationships and interactions with those whom God has placed in our lives, in order that we would be a source by which they will experience God’s amazing and faithful demonstration of Himself through our words, prayers, actions—and release of His miraculous ways. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You so much for not only trusting us to do Your work but equipping us with Your very presence to do it. Please help us to be willing but to also be compelled by Your love to be that vessel. Allow us, Lord, to experience and also demonstrate Your great power working through us. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Bible Reading: John 16

July 6, Saturday

REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on April 15, 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

“The Most Uncomfortable Day”

Luke 24:54-56

It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

During elementary school, my best friend’s mother passed away from leukemia. It was the first tragedy that I had encountered in my life, and also the first funeral I had ever attended. But as I made my way to pay my respects at the open casket, more than grief, I was overwhelmed with fear. I had known this woman; I loved her, but there she was, passed on. What was going to happen to my friend? I proceeded to greet the family, and I found him weeping intensely. I wasn’t prepared, I didn’t know what to say, and I didn’t know what to do with all the pain surrounding me. I gave him a quick hug and a muted smile, and ran away to hide in a different part of the building. I wish I could have done it differently. I wish I had stayed beside my friend, but the fear and discomfort of pain drove me to run away. It was the most uncomfortable day of my life.

When we look through the four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ burial, they all mention that it was Joseph (the owner of the tomb) and the women who buried Jesus. My question is, “Where were the men? Where were Peter, James, and John?” The Bible doesn’t say where they were, but clearly they were not at the tomb. To a certain extent, I understand how the disciples must have felt on that eve, and all throughout that Saturday. It must have been the most uncomfortable, scary, and confusing day. Why couldn’t Jesus have risen after one day? Why did God wait until the third day? Why didn’t God heal my friend’s mother? Why doesn’t God put a swift end to the brokenness and suffering in this world? We shouldn’t presume to understand the ways of God, but one thing is certain: seasons of suffering seem to be within God’s good plan.

We know the good news, we know the end of the story, we know that Jesus will resurrect, and we know that God will one day make all things new. But hope is not an escape mechanism. Let us not run away or hide ourselves from the seasons of suffering that we face presently. Instead, let us encourage one another, walk alongside each other, and comfort our brothers and sisters who are going through pain, in the hope of Jesus Christ. 

Prayer: God, we trust You even when circumstances are bleak. We know who You are—You are a God who turns mourning into dancing and sorrow into joy. Help us to persevere together as we walk in the faith that You are a good and faithful God. Thank You that the end of the story is victory, restoration, and resurrection. We love You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: John 14-15 

July 5, Friday 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on September 29, 2017, is provided by Pastor David Kwon who leads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  David is a graduate of Drexel University (B.S.) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“God’s Reckless Grace”

Genesis 8:6-12

 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground.9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark.11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

 A few days ago, we looked at the judgment of God and how He sent the flood because He saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth.  Today, we want to look at the other side of judgment—the grace of God.  

We read that the Lord has ended the flood and as a sign, Noah had sent out a dove to see if indeed the waters had ceased.  When it had not returned after several days, it was God fulfilling His promise that He would stop the floods and restore humanity.  At the end of this great act of judgment, we see the grace and love of God as He spared Noah and his family.  Grace is simply getting something you never deserved in the first place.  This passage portrays a great picture of that truth.  Noah did not deserve to receive God’s grace but instead received a new beginning to life, which is often the response of grace.  One commentator put it like this about this passage:

“This is symbolical of the beginning of a Christian life. It marks the end of the old; the end of our dependence on man, on ourselves, and the beginning of our dependence on God. It is to be lived in a world, which is yet a mixture of good and evil, truth and error, but it is a new beginning. “

One of the first Christian books that I read was What’s so Amazing about Grace? by Philip Yancy.  He gives a brilliant definition of grace: “Grace means there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, and nothing I can do to make God love me less. It means that I, even I who deserve the opposite, am invited to take my place at the table in God’s family.”   Is that how you understand grace in your life?  More importantly, do you experience and live out of grace, which results in freedom and security?  Take some time and ask the Lord today that you would experience this amazing grace!

Bible Reading for Today: John 13

Lunch Break Study

Read John 8:2-11: Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Questions to Consider

  1. What struck you when you read this story?
  2. What do we see about the character of Jesus?
  3. How does this passage encourage you?

Notes

  1. It is clear that this woman is guilty of adultery and should have been punished as the scribes and Pharisees desired.  She did not get punished but rather was shown grace.
  2. Jesus does not condemn us as our sins deserve.  His grace and forgiveness are bountiful and we worship a God who continually extends, even when we stray from His ways.  
  3. We are called to live in freedom because Jesus has forgiven us.  We are no longer bound by shame and guilt, but rather, we can truly live as redeemed children of God.  

Evening Reflection

Reflect and spend time thinking on Christ’s great love for you.  In our constant fight against sin, we must always remind ourselves that we have a God who loves us unconditionally, despite all of our weaknesses and failures.  Thank Him for His constant love that never ceases.   

July 4, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on August 24, 2017, is provided by Jonathan Moon who is an AMI missionary serving in Coban, Guatemala. Jonathan, who was born and grew up in Bolivia, is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.). He and his wife Stephanie are proud parents of three children. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Finding Joy in an Unlikely Place”

Acts 2:42, 46-7

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. . .. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.

Last month, I went to Cuba with great excitement to see what God was doing and be trained under Dr. Ryun who went there to teach at a seminary.  Cuba was what I had imagined: the cars were old, the infrastructure was outdated and in poor condition, technology was lacking, and the signs of poverty were very evident.  

However, after a week of spending our days worshiping, fellowshipping, and teaching, I was amazed and encouraged by what God was doing in the lives of the 71 seminarians.  It felt like I was living out the experiences of the early church of Acts: “Devot[ing] themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”  Every day, these students, many pastors and church leaders, would get up at 5:30 a.m. to pray and worship together. The fervor of their prayers and the joy in their singing was clear, as their voices roared throughout the seminary. A short devotional followed this, and then they broke bread together. After breakfast, they got ready for a grueling day of five sessions of lectures on different courses. What was encouraging was seeing that each session started with a prolonged time of worship and praise, and that they went through whole the day with an eagerness to learn.  

And everything—singing, dancing, learning—was done with so much joy.  In a country where things are lacking, the heat and humidity are suffocating, and poverty is rampant, you would expect complaining, dissatisfaction, and unhappiness, but not in the believers that we met. On the contrary, their hearts were filled with joy, and they relied on God for their daily spiritual and physical sustenance, trusting that God will take care of them as He takes care of the lilies of the field (Matt. 6:25-34).

How about us, whose privileged life is unfathomable to Cubans?  Are you filled with joy? Is knowing God sufficient for us, or do we seek the things of this world to satisfy our needs and provide us with a false sense of security?  Let us worship God and sing to Him even though life may seem hard, or those around us are more successful than us.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for grumbling and complaining about life, despite all that You have done for me. Remind me how much joy and fun worship can be; show me what it really means to have joy in the Lord.  Thank You once again for Your Son Jesus who willingly took my place to give me life eternal.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 12

Lunch Break Study

Read Philippians 1:12-19: I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.  Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance . . ..

Questions to Consider

1. What made Paul’s circumstance a difficult situation to have joy?

2. Despite his trying circumstances, what gave Paul joy?

3. What present circumstance facing you is robbing you of joy?  Identify its cause and process it through God’s abundant measure of grace, mercy, and love towards you.

Notes

1. First, he was under a house arrest in Rome (no freedom) that would last for two years (Acts 28:30); second, some of Paul’s colleagues were actually glad that he was in prison because it gave them opportunities to preach the gospel with the wrong motive of shining before men. 

2. First, Paul saw this house arrest as a blessed opportunity to share Jesus with his captors. It’s as if Paul was saying, “I’m not chained to them…They are chained to me!” (David Alas).  The second reason for his joy was his eventual deliverance from the present predicament.

3. Personal response

Evening Reflection

Joy is inward disposition while happiness is circumstantial (like your favorite team winning the championship).  As you review your day, how was your joy in the Lord?  Ask the Lord for greater joy to permeate your life as you strive to live for Him tomorrow.