July 3, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on September 20, 2017.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Eternal Purpose For A Finite Life”

Genesis 5:6-8

Seth lived one hundred and five years, and became the father of Enosh. 7 Then Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. 8 So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

What if you had one week to live? How would you choose to spend your time? How would you choose to spend your money? What would you want to do? How would this news affect your interactions with the people in your life? 

[Take a few minutes to think about your honest answer to these questions.]

I imagine that, like me, you’ve encountered this question in some form before. It’s designed to get us thinking about the things that are really important to us, to take stock of our lives. The questioner usually hopes to get us to reevaluate what we’re doing with our time and our treasures, the ways we’re wasting it or mishandling them, all toward the end of living a happier and more fulfilling life. In answering, we become aware of the ways we fail to live our best life (whatever we imagine that means). The focus in all of this is usually ourselves – what we want out of life, what makes us feel happy, what we think will make us fulfilled. Those things aren’t bad. Actually, I’ve found it’s important for me to take stock of what I’m doing with my life because a lack of intentionality can lead to unfaithfulness. No, those things aren’t bad – they just aren’t ultimate. 

The fifth chapter of Genesis chronicles a portion of the genealogical line of first people on earth. One common theme repeated in all these verses is the consequences of humanity’s sin – death. As one commentator put it, “The cursed human race continued to multiply, and human beings continued to die.” Passages like this that draw our attention to the finitude of life serve as their own kind of “what if…” question, reminding us that time is limited. But, instead of turning inward and trying to imagine what things will make us happy in life, may we learn from the mistakes of the first people in the chapters of Genesis we’ve been studying together. Instead of turning to ourselves, may we turn to God, be reminded of God’s purposes for our lives, and choose to live accordingly.  

Prayer: God you made me and purposed me according to your divine love and power, creativity and wisdom. Help me today to be aware of the ways you’ve formed me and give me the wisdom to live according to Your design. Make me aware of Your purposes for my life and bring my desires and pursuits into alignment with Your perfect will. In Jesus’ name. 

Bible Reading for Today: John 11

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 90:1-12: Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. 3 You turn man back into dust and say, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night. 5 You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep; in the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew. 6 In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew; toward evening it fades and withers away. 7 For we have been consumed by Your anger and by Your wrath we have been dismayed. 8 You have placed our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence. 9 For all our days have declined in Your fury; we have finished our years like a sigh. 10 As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away. 11 Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? 12 So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

Questions to Consider

  1. What do we learn about God in the first half of this passage? 
  2. We do we learn about humanity from this passage? 
  3. In light of these things, what is the psalmist’s request? 
  4. What would it mean for you to number your days and present to God a heart of wisdom? 


Notes

  1. We learn that God is eternal. Not only is God powerful, but God has been from the very first and will be ‘til the very end. Moses tries to convey the nature of a God who is eternal, who exists outside the bounds of time. 
  2. We are not eternal. In fact, our lives are very brief and extremely contingent. Not only this, we learn that humanity is sinful and broken. Our lives our difficult and fleeting (vs. 9) because of our sin, because we choose to do things our way and not God’s. 
  3. Moses, who wrote this psalm, is declaring his trust in the Lord throughout this entire psalm. In verse 12, he makes an important request asking God to teach us to be aware of the brevity of our lives and thus walk in wisdom. When we become aware of our finitude, we can turn to the God who is infinite, and choose to live according to God’s wisdom and not our own. The God who can see all and knows all, the one who made us, knows how to lead us in wise living. 
  4. Spend some time in personal reflection. 

Evening Reflection

In a talk some years ago, author and apologist Ravi Zacharias explained the importance for every believer to know their purpose—and not in a universal or generic way, but in a personal and specific one. We start of course with God’s universal purpose for humanity (worship), then move to God’s stated purpose for the Church (witness), and close in on God’s specific purpose for own life. According to Zacharias, this is something each person should clearly and succinctly articulate for themselves (in response, of course, to the leading of the Holy Spirit through Scripture and Godly counsel). This then directs how we choose to leverage our lives. And if we do this right, it will positively influence our personal impact in the world (or God’s impact through us, rather). Zacharias articulated his purpose as follows: “My goal is to satisfy the hunger and longing for those who are seeing the truth.” For those who know Zacharias, it’s easy to see how this stated goal has influenced his impact on the world. 

Spend some time thinking about your own purpose. In light of God’s direction in your life thus far – who you are, where you are, what you have, experiences had, opportunities give, access granted, etc. – how would you articulate your life purpose and goal? Spend some time reflecting on this with the Lord. Offer your life anew to God. Enjoy a time of dreaming big dreams with God!

July 2, Tuesday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was first posted on August 7, 2017.  A graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Yoke of the Lord”

Jeremiah 27:3-5

Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them this charge for their masters: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters: 5 “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me.”

Influence fades very quickly. When Fitbits first became popular, I bought one thinking it would revolutionize my exercise habits. My friends and I all competed with each for the most steps and we all were walking more—it seemed the influence of our Fitbits and of each other was helping to keep us all healthier. Yet, after a few weeks, that influence waned and I wore it less and less. Right now, my Fitbit is collecting dust in some drawer in my house, and the Fitbits of many of my friends are suffering a similar fate.

Though this might be a silly example, we can see this in the broader world, too. YouTube stars become famous for a few weeks, only to fade once again into obscurity; movie stars who once were on the A-list are suddenly not getting any more parts; politicians who seemed like the next big thing make a few stumbles and suddenly are forgotten. Influence fades very quickly.

In our passage for today, the nations of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon were kingdoms that probably felt secure. Their kings likely could not imagine losing their influence over their countries. However, God was appointing a time when their influence would fade and be replaced by the Babylonians; and ultimately, we know that Babylon would eventually fade away as well.  Yet through the turning tides of influence, God was always the one in control—His influence never fades.

This is why we should desire to yoke ourselves to Him. If we yoke ourselves to the things of this world, we will get motion sickness—that is, we will be pulled this way and that, only to realize we need something new to yoke ourselves to. But our passage tells us that the Lord is the one who created the earth and everything in it. He’s the one in control and thus is the only true constant in this world. When we yoke ourselves to God, we will be steady. His influence never fades. May we continue to remove all yokes that are not God and truly yoke ourselves to Him!

Prayer: Lord, Your yoke never fails! Help me to follow You rather than anything else. I am tired of chasing the various forces of influence that surround me, influences that fade away. Help me to follow Your influence alone, because Your influence will never fade. I need Your help to do this, Lord! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 10

Lunch Break Study  

Read Psalm 23:1-3: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Questions to Consider

  1. What does it mean to have the Lord as our Shepherd?
  2. Where does the Lord our Shepherd take us?
  3. How does the Lord restore our souls?

Notes

  1. A shepherd guides his sheep. His desire is to protect his sheep and bring them to the things they need—such as food, water, and shelter. If the Lord is our Shepherd, this means we are letting Him lead us and influence us. It means we are trusting that He knows what is best for us. 
  2. He takes us to green pastures and still waters! For real sheep, this meant food, water, and comfort. For us, this means God takes care of us. He takes us to what is best for us. Sometimes we are scared to let Him lead and influence us. We worry that He may send us to places where we do not want to go, but God knows what is best, like a shepherd over his sheep. And when He leads us, we will find comfort! So often we are stressed and anxious about our futures – we feel like we need to be in control. But God as our Shepherd brings us comfort, a comfort that removes all stress and anxiety and brings true peace!
  3. When we find God’s peace and His comfort, our souls will be restored. We will find refreshment over our lives—a refreshment that frees us from the worries and stresses of this world. So much of the stress we experience is due to our need for control. The irony is that the only way to find true peace, to have souls truly restored, is to surrender our control to God—the only One who is truly in control.

Evening Reflection

Ask God to be your yoke. However, His yoke cannot compete against other yokes. As we did yesterday, continue to surrender every influence that is not God and allow His influence to cover over you. Invite God to be the Shepherd of your life.

July 1, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on August 14, 2017, is provided by Joanna Tzen, a friend of AMI, who attended and served at Grace Covenant Church (UC) for a long time. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Focusing on the Giver, not the Gifts”

Genesis 37:5-8 

One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever.  “Listen to this dream,” he said. “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”  His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.

Many of us are familiar with the story of Joseph. We know he was his father’s favorite son, was sold into slavery by his brothers, but rose to be a man of power in Egypt. Joseph receives dreams from the Lord in this passage that he would be lifted above his family, clearly showing that he is favored and gifted by the Lord. He shares this with his family without much tact or wisdom, and it’s plain that his character leaves something to be desired.

Have you ever received a dream or a promise from God? Maybe it is the pursuit of a certain career path or getting into a certain school. Maybe it is getting married, having children, or starting a family; maybe it is all of the above. However, when we feel like a dream is delayed, it’s difficult to be faithful in the present and remember the promises of God.  That certainly was the case with Abraham, Joseph’s grandfather, who after waiting ten years for God to make good on His promise to give him a son, came up with his own plan.  Pointing to his servant Eliezer, Abraham said to God, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir” (Gn. 15:3).  Clearly, the man who will eventually be known as the father of faith had room to grow.

As we consider the story of Joseph over the next couple of days, we’ll see how his character grew in the waiting, marked by many trials and tribulations that no doubt left Joseph disappointed, frustrated and even doubtful.  While we may be in our own period of waiting, though not as dramatic as that of Joseph’s, let’s first reflect not upon the promises themselves, but on the God who made them.  Thus, in in the process, we can train our eyes to focus on the Giver and not just the things He can give us, which may lead to having too much and disowning God, saying, “Who is the Lord?” (Prov. 30:9).  Today, let’s be content, knowing the best of God’s gift has already been granted to us: His Son Jesus. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for who You are as a good Father. Knowing this allows me to be faithful in the present and waiting. Thank you that I am given a purpose as a child of God, as was only possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus. In my current or future seasons of waiting, let me reflect on who You are and Your promises. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 9

Lunch Break Study


Read Genesis 12:1-3: The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

Questions to Consider

1. What is God asking of Abraham? What is His promise?

2. Does Abraham heed what God asks in verse 4 and 10 of chapter 12?

3. Even though Abraham is lauded as a man of faith later in the Bible, we know he made mistakes. How does that give us hope?

Notes

1. God is asking Abraham to leave his country and family, and go to the promised land of Canaan. He promises to make Abraham into a great nation and a blessing to others.

2. Abraham brings his cousin Lot in verse 4, so he does not heed to leave his family; and he leaves the promised land for Egypt in verse 10, not heeding the Lord’s command to stay in the land.

3. We cannot nullify God’s promises through our disobedience. God is patient with us, allowing us to 

learn to trust Him and obey.

Evening Reflection

Heavenly Father, thank You that You give us promises as children of God. You promise that we are co-heirs of Jesus and You will be with us until the end of the age. Remind us that You are true to your word and that You are the Promise Keeper. Amen.

June 30, Sunday

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend, first posted on May 14, 2017, is provided by Emerson Lin. Emerson, who serves in E. Asia as a missionary, is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Commending Ourselves? No, Not in His Kingdom”

2 Corinthians 10:18

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

If you have been following the NBA (National Basketball Association), there has been a notorious character flooding the sports news – Lavar Ball, the father of UCLA freshman Lonzo Ball.  He has been making outrageous claims that his son, without being drafted onto a NBA team, is already better than Stephen Curry and Michael Jordan. More recently, BBB (Big Baller Brand), Lavar Ball’s apparel company, released Lonzo’s shoe to be valued at $500. To give readers some context of the situation, only NBA super stars release their own shoes, not undrafted college players. Even when NBA super stars release their shoes, they are at most $300—not $500!

We cringe at this news because Lavar Ball is making outrageous claims about his son, even though his son cannot support them. It would be more credible if Lonzo did get drafted and other basketball players credited his abilities. 

In the kingdom of God, we too, cannot commend ourselves. Paul says in verse 18, “For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” Though Paul has the right to commend himself, yet—despite all his accomplishments for the Lord—he does not use these things to justify his ministry. In 2 Corinthians 11:25-30 Paul says, “Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in open sea… If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 

When you accomplish something for the Lord, do you boast in your abilities? Because of our sinfulness, we default to commending ourselves for preaching a good sermon or planning a great event. While God does use our abilities to co-labor with Him in His ministry, we or other people do not get to approve whether or not we did a faithful job. We are building God’s kingdom and only His approval matters. 

I want to encourage you to continue to be faithful in the work that God has assigned to you in life. Take some time to examine your heart and see if you are looking to please God or man. Matthew 25:23 says, “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” 

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to look to Your approval and not man’s. If there is any ministry where I am looking to please man rather than You, please reveal them to me. I want my life to be constantly reflecting Your glory, not mine. Amen!

Bible Reading for Today: John 8

June 29, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on July 1, 2017.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Heavenly Help in the War”

Revelation 12:7-12

And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

One of the many sermon podcasts to which I listen weekly is from a pastor in Chicago. Recently he talked about the reality of angelic protection over the people of God. He told stories from his youth that led him to believe firmly in angels and their active protection in his life. One story was of a time he was being bullied at school when, seemingly out of nowhere, the bully appeared terrified and began backing up, as though he were seeing something Charlie (the pastor) couldn’t see, then ran away. I guess only Charlie and God really know what happened in that movement (and also the bully, I suppose), but he is fully persuaded that there was a heavenly being (an angel) protecting and defending him that scared off his attacker. 

When I was in high school, my father was pretty sick and in the hospital for a while, and my family was really scared. He had to have a pretty risky surgery, and we weren’t sure how things were going to turn out. There was a stranger who came to see us in the hospital one day and spoke the kindest and most encouraging words to our family. He reminded us that God was with us and assured us that things would be OK. He said some other things to my parents that I didn’t hear and then left. We were so uplifted and strengthened in heart, but we were also so caught off guard that we didn’t even ask him his name. So my mom sent me running out right behind him to ask, but he was gone—I mean, this man was literally nowhere to be found. No one at the nurse’s station had seen anyone come or go for quite some time. No one knew of any guests fitting the description I gave. To this day I wonder if he was a messenger from the Lord.  

Our passage today reminds us that there is a heavenly host fighting a spiritual war on our behalf. God has deployed His angels to fight and win the victory over our Accuser and Deceiver, Satan. And their victory is sure! I don’t know too much about angels and how they operate in the world today, but what I do know is that God has an army of heavenly beings on His side, and somehow together they are working all things for our good and God’s glory. Not only this, but the whole earth rejoices at their victory and our salvation from sin and freedom from the reign of the Enemy. It’s an incredible scene. Let us take courage! The Lord and His angels and even all of creation are on our side.  

Prayer: Almighty God, help me to remember just how much help You’ve given me today. Not only the greatest Helper (Your Holy Spirit) and the community of believers (the Church), but also the Heavenly Hosts are for me because You, Father, are for me.  Thank You for that truth. May it strengthen my heart today. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: John 6-7

June 28, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on June 27, 2017. Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Depending On One Another”

Matthew 9:1-2 

“Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

A couple of years ago, I sprained my ankle on a day trip, and it started swelling up on the bus ride home. I had always been proud of my ability to take care of myself, but I found that now I had to suddenly depend on others. I had to call a friend to let me stay at her place because I couldn’t climb four flights of stairs to my home. I needed help getting groceries or getting a ride to church. I felt embarrassed asking for help, but what I was thankful for was others’ willingness and generosity. There were times when I was literally carried by others during my recovery.

Just like the invalid in this story, we all have experiences and situations where we find ourselves hopelessly and woefully unable to carry on. We might be sick in different ways – physically affected, emotionally burnt out, spiritually dry and distant from God, etc. In those times, the only solution is to rely on others to carry us along – by their faith in action, we are led to the source of healing. 

Imagine if the invalid was so embarrassed by his friends carrying him that he refused to leave his home. He would never have come before Jesus! Similarly, because of our pride, it can feel so shameful to be needy, having to constantly depend on others and admit all the ways in which we are weak. We might feel tempted to avoid asking for help. But our communities are meant to be vehicles of healing: the intervention and careful work of the man’s friends brought him exactly where he needed to go – directly in front of God.

Let’s consider how we can make our communities places where we may support and be supported by one another in our times of need. In different seasons for our souls, we may freely give and receive from our brothers and sisters. If you need help, will you humble yourself before others to ask for support and assistance? And if you are feeling fine, would you think about the ones you love, and how you could serve them and bring them closer to God? 

Prayer: Father, thank You that we are never alone on this earth, but that You have provided Your people to help us along the way. Teach me to be humble in my times of need and depend on others to come before You. And, Lord, when I am well, do not let me forget my brothers and sisters in need, and make me a blessing to them. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 5

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 12:9-16: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Questions to Consider

  1. What are the attributes of “love in action” as described here?
  2. Are there any differences between how to love believers and unbelievers in this passage? Let’s reflect on how we love those around us and whether they experience the love of God through us.
  3. Is there someone in your life whom you need to show that you care about?  

Ask God for strength and do it today.

Notes

  1. Love is sincere, devoted, humble, energized, and generous. It is emphathetic, even going so far as to directly experience and share the joys and griefs of others. 
  2. As far as the passage goes, there is no specific instruction on different types of love – believers are called to live peacably, mercifully, and kindly with all neighbors.
  3. Personal response

Evening Reflection

When was the last time you asked for help, and when was the last time you offered to help carry someone to God? Let’s think about how we are creating a community of interdependence, and through our different seasons of struggle, bring each other to the feet of God.

June 27, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 13, 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

“Welcomed by God”

Mark 2:1-4 (ESV)

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. [2] And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. [3] And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. [4] And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 

Many of us are familiar with the story of the paralyzed man who was lowered through a roof.  The faith of his friends seems central to the miracle and, of course, it is important.  Yet what often goes less appreciated is the incredible hospitality of Jesus.

Prior to our passage, Jesus is constantly surrounded by people, whether in the city or even in desolate places.  He returns home to Capernaum for some much needed rest (v. 1), but then the world discovers His hideout and fills every corner of His private space.  And when the four friends of the paralytic make a large hole in Jesus’ roof, He notices first their incredible faith.

At times, we are tempted to believe that we are a nuisance to God—He is busy and we are unimportant, even apart from our sin and rebelliousness.  But Jesus opens His home, gladly gives us His time.  He is attentive to our needs and delights in opportunities to minister to us.  

Of course, there are other times when we are too busy for Him.  Yet in these times, Jesus stands at the door and knocks.  To anyone who opens the door, He offers to share a fellowship meal with them.

This morning, the offer of God still stands.  Jesus is available for those who seek Him. And He is knocking and calling for those of us who are not.  Child of God, He is waiting for you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I love You.  I love Your presence.  I love that You are my God and I am Your child.  Give me grace to bring all that is on my heart and mind to You.  Free my heart to seek and find You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 4

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 11:9-13 (ESV): And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. [11] What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; [12] or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! 

Question to Consider

  1. Why does the Father command us to ask, seek, and knock?
  2. What will the Father certainly give us when we ask for it?
  3. Why does the Father give this gift?

Notes

  1. The Father commands us to ask, seek, and knock because He will (and wants to!) answer our prayers.
  2. The Father will give His Holy Spirit to those who ask.
  3. The Father loves to give good gifts to His children, so He wants to give the gift of His presence to us through the Holy Spirit.

Evening Reflection

Reflect on your day.  What worries and concerns did you remember?  What joys and blessings did you experience?  Share these things with the Father.  

June 26, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, first posted on August 17, 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

“The Great Staircase”

Psalm 61:1-3

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; 2 from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, 3 for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.

I’m typically not one to enjoy touristy sites, but a few years ago I had the privilege of going with a group of people to the Great Wall of China.  It was a beautiful sight; we not only got to see the wall up close and personal, but we got to walk on the surface itself and climb up to the highest point.

It was a great experience, but what we visited that day was not a great wall, but rather (as Pastor Young puts it) “The Great Staircase”. To reach the highest point, we must have climbed something to the tune of 40 flights of stairs.  It was physically exhausting.

But what made this trip up the Great Stairs of China especially painful was that as we went up the stairs, we could see what we thought was the summit of the Wall. So even though we were getting tired, in our minds, we kept thinking, “At least we just have to get to that part.”  But when we got to “the top”, we discovered the stairs didn’t end there; there was another long stretch of stairs to go until we reached the actual summit.  So again, we’d push ourselves to get the “real” summit, but when we got there, that wasn’t it!  Yet another long stretch to go.  We repeated this at least 5 times over.  Get to the top, it’s not the top.  Keep going.  Get to the top, bamboozled again.  Keep going.  We were so close to giving up not just because we were physically tired but because our spirits were constantly being crushed.


When David says in Psalm 61, “Lead to the rock that is higher than I,” I think he might have understood my Great Wall experience.  In his life and in our lives, we seek to ascend different summits: the summit of education, the summit of career, the summit of material wealth, the summit of relationships, etc.  But every time we reach one of these summits, we discover that it’s not the top, and then we have to keep going to the next summit.  This happens over and over again because any summit we can reach is never high enough, and the results are just like my Great Wall experience: tiring and spirit-crushing.

I think David asks God to lead him to a rock that was higher than himself, because he had experienced the same letdown of reaching his own summits and heights on his own power.  David knew that only God could take him to a place where he would be secure. He knew that only God could lead him to the ultimate summit.  

As we reflect on these words from David, consider what summits we’ve been trying to reach in our own lives. Let us lay down those pursuits that tire us and crush our spirits and ask God to lead us to the rock that is higher than us.

Prayer: Jesus, I pray that you will lead me to places where only you can take me.  I lay down my own pursuits and ambitions and recognize that I will only find joy and contentment with you.  Lead me to you, Lord. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 3

Lunch Break Study

Read Mark 10:17-22: And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Questions to Consider

  1. What summits had this man already ascended?  
  2. Why does Jesus tell him to sell all that he had and give to the poor?
  3. How do we see the grace of Jesus in this passage?  How can we experience that grace in our own failures?  

Notes

  1. This “rich young ruler” should commended in a few ways.  He (at least in his own view) lived a very moral life in keeping all of these commandments.  Also, in going to Jesus, he was seeking eternal life.  Finally, in the eyes of the world at least, he was commendable in that he had great wealth.
  2. Jesus’ concern for this man was not that he lacked compassion for the poor, but rather it was his attachment to his possessions.  This young man had achieved great things in many respects, but in reaching his summit of wealth, he was not willing to let it go in order to reach higher heights and the far greater riches of the treasures in heaven.   
  3. It says in verse 21 that Jesus looked at this young man and loved him.  As we study this passage, we notice that this young man is a classic example of someone we all might dislike because he was young, proud and rich.  But Jesus, in spite of knowing all of this young man’s flaws and sins, looks at him with eyes of love and grace.  We are not very different from this rich man, and like him we are often unwilling to lay down our pride or achievements or riches; but Jesus looks at us with the same eyes of love and grace.  In our own failures, all we need to do is to seek the love and grace that Jesus reserves for us.

Evening Reflection

Do you feel worn out and tired by life?  Do you feel like you have striven to succeed but getting nowhere?  Perhaps, you’ve been reaching for heights that pale in comparison to the rock that God wants to lead you to.  Tonight, surrender your life and heart to God, and ask for Him to lead you. 

June 25, Tuesday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 11, 2017, is provided by Emerson Lin. Emerson, who serves in E. Asia as a missionary, is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).  

Devotional Though for This Morning

“Fighting Spiritual Amnesia”

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

In 2014, Psychology Today came out with an article titled “7 Ways Facebook is bad for our mental health,” arguing that the website can make people feel like their lives aren’t as exciting as everyone else’s or even leading us to envy our friends’ successes. While all of these are true, one thing I believe Facebook does well is that it helps us to remember things. Many of us, if not all, rely on Facebook to remember our friends’ birthdays and it helps us remember our past by saving old photos. When used wisely, it can be a very useful tool.

In this passage, Paul is correcting the Corinthian church because they have abused the Lord’s table. Some believers eat without waiting for other members to arrive, preventing late members from partaking in the meal. In addition, others get drunk from the wine at the table. To combat this, Paul then recounts the narrative of the Last Supper.

Many of us have read or heard this passage hundreds of times when our pastors prepare the sacraments. Clearly, the Scriptures tell us that the sacraments help us to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. However, what stuck out to me was the word “whenever” in verses 25 and 26. Why is this word so important?

The word holds importance not because Jesus expects us to perform His rituals on a constant basis, but He knows that we are prone to forgetting His faithfulness. When we do, we may end up like the Israelites—desiring idols and wickedness. Of course, the grace of Jesus always welcomes us back! Pastor Sam Storms of Bridgeway Church says, “Spiritual amnesia leads to apathy, which can invariably lead to apostasy”; while remembrance is not the only method of preserving our faith, it is an important one. Scripture is filled with accounts of God calling His people, both Israelites and Christians, to fight spiritual amnesia by remembering His faithfulness in our lives. 

What are some spiritual markers in your life that help you remember the Lord’s faithfulness? How often do you think about them? When we forget about the Lord’s faithfulness, we must use such spiritual markers to remind us of Him. Take some time to reflect on what the Lord has done in your life. As you think, thank God for each moment which you recall.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your constant reminder to remember Your faithfulness. You know that we are prone to forget your word, but You have given us spiritual markers and sacraments to remember Your faithfulness. Thank You for your amazing grace!

Bible Reading for Today: John 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 77:7-12: “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? 8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” 10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. 11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

Questions to Consider

  1. What emotion is the Psalmist going through? (v.7-9)
  2. How does the Psalmist fight this emotion? (v. 10-12)
  3. Why do you think the Psalmist uses the future tense in verse 10-12?

Notes

  1. The psalmist’s prayers are filled with sorrow and depression. He feels that God has completely abandoned him.
  2. The important phrase to notice is in verse 10: “Then I thought.” The psalmist realizes that remembering the Lord is the key to getting himself out of apathy.
  3. The psalmist uses the future tense to show that he is still in sorrow and depression. The future tense thus shows us that he is plotting out a strategy in his mind of how to conquer his distress.

Evening Reflection

In light of today’s sharing on remembrance, were there any events today that you can record as a spiritual marker? If not, take some time to revisit the spiritual markers you jotted down this morning. 

June 24, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 27, 2017, is provided by Pastor Min Soo Choi.  Min Soo, a graduate of University of Illinois and Reformed Theological Seminary (M.Div.), has been serving as the college pastor at Journey Church of Atlanta since 2017. He and his wife Ah Rim have two beautiful daughters.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Winning is . . . not everything!”

2 Samuel 19:18-23

And they crossed the ford to bring over the king’s household and to do his pleasure. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan,19 and said to the king, “Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart. 20 For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.” 21 Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?” 22 But David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?” 23 And the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king gave him his oath.

Recently, our church hosted a friendly yet competitive kickball tournament to help raise funds for our short-term missionaries.  During the game, someone in the crowd started booing to one of the teams on the field! So, when I asked her why she was booing, she responded, “Because my team was losing.” In truth, I wanted to know why she thought it was necessary to demoralize a group of college students at missions’ fundraiser, but her answer reminded me of how there is an innate part of us that always wants to be on the winning side.

In this story of 2 Samuel 19:18-23, we see how Shimei was on the opposing side of King David. Thinking that he was on the right side, this lowly servant originally cursed and mocked David, who was God’s true anointed king. Shimei ends up the loser, however, and it’s at this point that he goes down on his knees and begs for mercy upon his life. He had wrongfully mocked the rightful king and deserved death and condemnation. However, David does something that was radically different from the time: he shows mercy upon this lowly servant and allows him to live. 

When I think about Shimei’s shameful actions, I realize that I am not much different from him. Before I had understood the meaning of the gospel, I was on the opposing side of God. I had lived a life of sin, living for my own personal glory and satisfaction. I was on the side that mocked God’s one and only Son and had even cursed Him, before He was hung on the cross. As a lowly servant, I dared to curse God’s true anointed King. I was on the wrong side, yet God had spared me. Even though I deserved death and condemnation, I received mercy through what Jesus had done on the cross. It’s from this reception of grace that I can continually go down on my knees and repent for all the wrongful deeds that I had committed before God.    

In light of the forgiveness that we have already received, let us continue to act out of mercy and love. Some of us may have even experienced pain from those that mocked us, cursed us, and betrayed our trust. But when we experience the mercy of a righteous King, who forgives us for all of our wrongful actions, we are empowered to show grace to those around us. Let us act in this grace.    

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your mercies, for they are new every day. I pray that I would never forget the unending kindness and grace that You have constantly showered upon my life. May I always seek You with a heart of repentance, knowing that You are the restorer of all things. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Mathew 5:21-26: You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Questions to Consider

  1. What is the urgency of this passage?
  2. Are you aware of people in your life that may hold something against you?  What should we do if no one comes to our minds?
  3. How has God brought healing upon your broken relationships? 

Note

1. The text urges us to reconcile before leaving our gifts at the altar. It says that if a brother has something against you, you ought to go to them first and reconcile.  The urgency is to seek forgiveness from those whom we have offended, and to forgive those who have offended us.

2. If there is no one that comes to mind, pray that God would reveal certain sins in your life that may have hurt certain people. Pray for restoration and healing upon such relationships.

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

We began the day talking about God’s forgiveness and acting out in grace and love. Have you reflected on God’s mercy upon your life? If not, let us repent and spend some time in prayer. May God strengthen and encourage us for a better day tomorrow.