June 11, Tuesday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 18, 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/

Devotional Thought For This Morning

“Gospel Contextualization”

Galatians 2:7-9

On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

Last year, there was a huge debacle concerning Epi-pens. If you’re unfamiliar with the product, it’s a handheld device that is used to inject 0.3 milligrams of epinephrine into someone who is having a severe allergic reaction or going through anaphylactic shock. The reason Epi-pens were in the news was because of the outrageous jump in price. What used to be only $50 suddenly skyrocketed to $400 per Epi-pen. 

Interestingly, the actual cost of one dose of epinephrine is roughly 10 cents! Why, then, were people shelling out $400 for an Epi-pen? Because they were paying for the “delivery system.” The delivery system is just as important as the substance being delivered. See, you can’t just swallow a spoon of epinephrine; it is only effective if it is injected into the body using the appropriate delivery system.

In a similar way, the gospel must also be accompanied by a thoughtful, appropriate, delivery system. In our passage today, we see the leaders of the early church acknowledging and affirming that ministering to the circumcised Jews and the uncircumcised Gentiles required different “delivery systems.” This is called contextualization. The gospel message has always remained the same, but the delivery method has necessarily changed across the various cultures, languages, traditions, and generations. Of course a delivery system without explicit gospel content is just like an Epi-pen without epinephrine: empty and useless. But the gospel message without proper, thoughtful contextualization can also often lead to misunderstandings.

This morning I want to invite you to consider your delivery system for the gospel. How can you effectively contextualize the gospel message for your campus/workplace/home? Ask the Holy Spirit for insight as to how you can better communicate the Good News to those around you. 

Prayer: Holy Spirit, teach me how to be a deliverer of Good News to those You’ve placed around me. Today, open my eyes to opportunities to minister to my classmates/coworkers/ friends/family. Give me wisdom and boldness. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Hebrews 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Acts 17:22-25; 30-31: So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything… The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

Questions to Consider

  1. To whom is Paul preaching the gospel to?
  2. How does Paul contextualize the gospel to these people?
  3. How is this gospel presentation different from others we see in Scripture?

Notes

  1. Paul is in Athens, preaching to Greek Gentiles. He mentions that they are a very religious people.
  2. Paul uses the spirituality of the Athenians as an entry point for the gospel message. He notices that they even have an altar to “an unknown god.” Seeing their desire to worship deities, Paul begins his gospel presentation by establishing that there is but one true God, who is bigger than creation and uncontainable by temples. He concludes his message by calling the Athenians to repent and turn to the true God. 
  3. This is the same gospel message, but a very different delivery system than the ones we see presented to the Jews. First, there is no mention of the Law or circumcision. In nearly every case where the gospel is preached to the Jews, it begins with Moses and the Law. But the Mosaic Law means little to nothing to the Athenians, and so Paul has no need to mention it. Also, interestingly, Paul doesn’t mention the name Jesus yet. He merely refers to Jesus by calling Him “a man whom [God] has appointed.” Perhaps this is because Jesus (Yeshua) is a Hebrew name, and mentioning a Hebrew name might have immediately lost much of his audience. Paul knows that without Christ there is no gospel, but at the same time, he refers to Jesus without mentioning His Hebrew name in order to contextualize to the Athenians.    

Evening Reflection

This evening, spend some time praying for those around you who do not yet know Jesus. While thoughtful contextualization is something we must continue to work on, at the end of the day, the Holy Spirit must soften and turn hearts towards Him. Let’s ask the Spirit to move in our city.

June 10, Monday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 10, 2017, is provided by Andy Kim who is the Lead Pastor of Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco.  Andy is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Happens When We Worship God”

Revelation 14:1-3

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps,3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

I recently met a new believer who stayed for the praise portion of both of our services back to back. Her reasoning was quite simple: she said there was something tangible about God during the praise, and that seeing others worshipping together drew her into the room. For some this is still true, but for others the praise portion of the service can be sometimes be a buffer time to find parking, as long as you’re in time for the message. But it’s true that worship can sometimes become mundane and even a little repetitive. 

In fact, this was the situation that worship artist Matt Redman and his church found themselves in. So the pastor of the church did the unthinkable: he literally stripped all the sound equipment and instruments until only the voices remained. Can you imagine that? If you’re a little self-conscious about your voice, this sounds like a nightmare. But out of this bold move, Matt Redman wrote the famous song “Heart of Worship” that would recapture the purpose of worship for their church. 

The reality is that our feelings may come and go, the style of worship may change, but worship will not. In fact, when we worship we are partaking in an eternal act, and what we do here on earth is merely a glimpse of what is to come.  It is one of the few things we know we will continue to do for eternity. Our passage describes of a worship so unfamiliar to our earthly ways –and yet so glorious! We will all join in and sing a new song—a song of our redemption and final return to Jesus; a song that is no longer about how much we need Him or about our sufferings, but a complete redirection of our attitudes and hearts solely focused on the Lamb. 

Metaphorical or not, I personally do hope that the praise in heaven will be like the “roar of many waters” and the “sound of thunders” where we all praise His magnificent name. Oh, how glorious that will be! May we never lose the wonder and awe in our worship. May we never simply become consumers of worship, but always find ourselves as active participants responding to His majesty and glory. Consider it a good practice for what’s to come!

Prayer: Lord may we never lose our wonder and awe in worship. May we begin this day with an understanding of Your glory and respond in worship. May our worship services be immersed in Your splendor and majesty. Bring us back to the heart of worship. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Hebrews 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 12:1-2:I appeal to you therefore, brothers,by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2 Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Questions to Consider

  1. How would you define worship?
  2. What is Paul saying about worship in this passage?
  3. What would this mean for your life?

Notes

  1. Personal response
  2. Worship is not simply a one-time event we do on a given Sunday. In this passage, Paul uses a different word for worship—latreuo (used over 90 times in the Bible, usually meaning “to serve”) compared to its more common counterpart proskuneo—meaning “to bow down” in the sense of reverence and respect. Paul is reminding the Romans that worship is not just an outward one-time experience or limited to a localized event, but as John Piper says, “an inward, spiritual experience that has no bounds and pervades all of life” in which we become a living sacrifice. 
  3. Our entire lives and all that we do must be worship unto Him both outwardly and inwardly. As Paul says, it requires a complete renewal of our intellect in response to the grace that God shows us. Because of this, worship does not stop when the team stops playing on Sundays, but it is both our Sunday worship and the rest of our days. 

Evening Reflection

Spend some time thinking about the concept of worship. What comes to mind? Instead of praying your to- do list and your requests, spend some time simply adoring and giving Him praise. Then, reflect on areas in your life that can be offered as worship unto Him. May your worship always be a response out of His infinite glory and love. 

June 9, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on June 11, 2017. Peter is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Awe for God”

Revelation 4:1-4, 8-11 

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 3 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” 9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

A pastor friend once shared with me that his new year’s resolution was to limit himself from using the phrase “That’s awesome!” He realized the essence of something awesome is that it brings incredible awe—and this should be reserved for God. Instead of saying “That’s awesome” at regular news, such as finding parking at Disneyland on the weekend within the first minute of arriving, buying electronics devices at big sales, or just any news that he hears from people throughout the day, he resolved to only use the word “awesome” to when he ponders about and describes God—because only God’s presence and majesty is full of awe. Everything else is just good, cool, or nice, but only God is worthy of being deemed awesome, and nothing and no one is as AWE-some as God.

The apostle John is writing here the revelation he received when he was in the Spirit. 

John’s experience of Jesus is extraordinarily special compared to the rest of the 12 disciples. Along with the rest of the disciples He witnessed Jesus preaching with authority, healing the sick, and casting out demons, as Jesus lived a fully human life dependent on the Father. He is the only one among the 12 who stood by Jesus as he witnessed Jesus with the nails and thorns on his body and shedding of blood. Then, John, along with Peter and Jesus’ women disciples, witnessed the empty tomb after Jesus resurrected. Not only did he witness Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, he also received this vision in Revelation 4 of Jesus in His glorified state on the throne, surrounded by worship. As John saw the majesty of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, dwelling in a place of glory, he was full of awe for God. In the same way, the 24 elders in the vision are ascribing honor to Jesus, and all their attention is given towards the awesome presence of God. John’s vision recorded in the Bible gives us great hope of our future eternity. We will join in with the elders and be in awe of Jesus Christ, and our lips will declare that He is worthy. Today, let’s resolve to live our lives in light of our glorious future by declaring to Jesus how awesome He is! 

Prayer: Dear Jesus, as the psalmist says, “in your presence is fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11). You are worthy of my praise, and may my praise declare how awesome and great You are. May my worship be solely reserved for You. In Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Nahum 3

June 8, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provide by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on April 8, 2017.  Peter is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Our Attitude towards Money”

1 Cor. 16:2

On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

Have you ever thought about what factors have shaped your attitude towards finances? If you are an eager saver, where did you pick up those habits? If you are a generous giver, do you think it’s just your personality? If you are a carefree spender, have you ever paused to consider why you spend as much as you do? 

As a pastor, I don’t ignore this topic during pre-marital counseling, since some studies indicate that couples argue about finances more than any other topic, no matter how much or how little they own. Some say that frequent financial arguments early in marriages may actually serve as a predictor of divorces. So, why would people who love each other deeply argue so much when it comes to finances? 

Early on in our marriage, we, too, had our share of disagreements over this. We realized that joining of two people entailed joining two totally different orientations towards money. Money operates as a metaphor representing status or security or enjoyment opportunity among other things. At the times I wanted security, my wife wanted enjoyment; and at the times she wanted security, I wanted status, and so forth. Eventually, we had to sit down together and talk about why we viewed finances so differently and how we would move forward. We had to figure out who or what would shape our view of finances.

Here, Paul instructs the Corinthian believers how to handle a portion of their income at the beginning of each week. They are to set aside a sum of money as a collection that will provide relief for other believers. “But Paul isn’t just interested in raising money to help those who don’t have very much. He wants this to be a sign of something more, something bigger: to signal to the Gentile Christians that they are part of the same family as the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem; and, more importantly still, to signal to the Jewish Christians that those Gentiles out there are part of the same family as they are.” (Wright, N.T) 

With that unifying goal of love in mind, Paul begins to shape a new way in which the Corinthian believers are to behave when it comes to money. 

Earlier, I asked if you’ve ever thought about the factors that have shaped your attitude towards finances. I have another important question. Do the teachings of Scripture about money shape your attitude towards money? 

Prayer: Lord, thanks for providing for me all these years.  Please help me to be more generous towards You in recognition of Your Lordship in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Nahum 1-2

June 7, Friday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 14, 2017, is provided by Phillip Chen who is associate pastor at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego. Phil is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Private Victory, Public Victory”

Luke 4:1-2 (ESV) 

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.

After He was baptized, three of the four Gospel writers point out that Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, was led into the wilderness for forty days. As I was reading the passage this time around, it dawned on me that according to conventional human wisdom, the moment right after the baptism would have been most ideal for public ministry. Think about it: when Jesus was baptized by John, the heavens opened up and the visible presence of the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. This was no secluded matter, as many had come to be baptized by John in the Jordan River. How could you not believe someone if you saw the very presence of the Holy Spirit fall upon Him, not to mention hearing an audible voice saying, “This is my son in whom I am well pleased”? If I were Jesus’ PR manager, I would have told Him to start His ministry now. 

But for some reason, the Holy Spirit leads Him into the wilderness, where He is utterly alone (aside from the devil who is tempting Him). Why does the Spirit lead Him away from the public eye at the most opportune time to minister? When we read what happens next, we realize the importance of the wilderness experience in this passage. Jesus must overcome the private battles before He conquers the public sphere. Jesus was a man just like us and was tempted constantly, but in the following passage (Luke 4:3-13), Jesus overcomes His private battles.

In Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he points out that private victories must always precede public victories. We want the world to know our public victories before we conquer our temptations privately. We want the recognition before we have harnessed our character; we desire fruitfulness before we have even put in all of the work. Today, let’s be reminded not to short-change the wilderness stage of our lives. Let’s work hard to win our private battles so that we can win our public ones. I have come to learn from our senior pastor that this period of waiting and development is a season of grace which the Lord gives us, so that we are ready for the greater assignments He has for us later on. Being hidden is not a curse, but a blessing. Let’s focus on the private matters of our lives (our devotion to God, our habits, our work ethics, and many more) so that we can be fruitful Kingdom-minded workers for the Lord!

Prayer: Lord, help us in our private battles so that we may be people who overcome the temptations of life. Thank You for the ways that You hide us and shield us.  We ask that You continue to work in our lives so that we may be effective Kingdom servants! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Timothy 4

Lunch Break Study

Read Colossians 3:22-24 (ESV):

Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 

Question to Consider

1. What does Paul say about work ethic?

2. What is our inheritance that Paul talks about?

3. What are some ways we need to commit your work to the Lord?

Notes

1.  Paul is talking to those that are bondservants, but this applies to us as well. Whatever we do, we are to do with all of our heart, believing that even if our work has absolutely nothing to do with the church, we must still view it as belonging to God. The way we go about our work is an indication of our heart’s tenderness towards the Lord.  

2.  Paul talks about the reward for which we are striving. I believe this is not salvation, but rather a

reward given to those who are faithful and diligent in the ways they serve the Lord. We may glorify those in vocational ministry and see their future rewards as great, but if we are faithful and diligent in how we conduct our lives for Him, we will certainly be rewarded greatly as well!

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Tonight, as you reflect on your day, commit your work to the Lord. Pray for the next day, that it will be filled with joy and purpose as you go about your lives in a way that is honoring to God. Pray that God would make you a man/woman of substance and that at the proper time He will lift you up (1 Peter 5:6).

June 6, Thursday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on June 29, 2017.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought For This Morning

“The Glory That Is To Come”

Revelation 11:15-19

Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,

“We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. 18 And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

Now is the perfect time to pause and really think about the glory to come when the Kingdom of God is here in its fullness. If you’ve been tracking with us through Revelation, by the time you’ve finished chapter 11, you may have let out a huge exhale after reading about the strife and painful anticipation in the chapters leading up to it. Furthermore, if you’ve been doing the Christian life long enough, you have likely experienced your own longing for what’s described in the verses above. The two words in these verses that I strike me most are “has become” in verse 15. This idea that all of the things in this world, all our pain and suffering, all our faithfulness and obedience, all our ups and downs, all of it, every single part, are becoming something – something beautiful and abundant for those who fear God – really leaves me speechless.

An excerpt from C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce: “‘That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, ‘No future bliss can make up for it,’ not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory. …‘Ah, the Saved… what happens to them is best described as the opposite of a mirage. What seemed, when they entered it, to be the vale of misery turns out, when they look back, to have been a well; and where present experience saw only salt deserts, memory truthfully records that the pools were full of water.’” 

If you have read quickly through the passage for today, take a moment to slow it down and read them again. No matter what we are presently going through—the good and the bad—we should overflow with praise when we take time to think and begin to picture the incredible work God is doing and the unimaginably delightful end toward which we are headed as His people. May we take time today to really meditate on the promises of God and the truths we know about His coming Kingdom and allow our hearts to be filled with worship and hope.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are truly awesome and worthy to be praised. As Paul articulated so well in 1 Corinthians 2:9, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what You have prepared for those who love You. Give me a more vivid picture of Your coming Kingdom today and allow that picture to fill my heart with hope and worship. In Jesus’ name. Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Timothy 3

Lunch Break Study

Read Isaiah 65:17-25: For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.
18 “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
And her people for gladness.
19 “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people;
And there will no longer be heard in her
The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.
20 “No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days,
Or an old man who does not live out his days;
For the youth will die at the age of one hundred
And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred
Will be thought accursed.
21 “They will build houses and inhabit them;
They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 “They will not build and another inhabit,
They will not plant and another eat;
For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people,
And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands.
23 “They will not labor in vain,
Or bear children for calamity;
For they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord,
And their descendants with them.

24 It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord.

Questions to Consider

  1. In the biblical text, the word “for” often points to purpose, reason (explanation), or result. According to vv. 18-19, what is God creating His people for (i.e. for what purpose, to what end, for what reason)? 
  2. What are some of the things God promises in this new creation He is making? What does this tell us about the kind of God we serve and the kind of existence He wants for His people? 
  3. Read through this passage once more. What strikes you most from the text and why? In what specific ways are you encouraged or challenged as you think upon these verses? 


Notes

  1. God is creating His people for rejoicing and gladness! And He himself wants to participate in it! While so many of us walk around with a negative or overly stoic view of God, here we get to see His merriment and His delight. God creates His people for joy—that’s their chief end and where He is taking them. 
  2. While the theology around this passage gets a little complicated (esp. when trying to pinpoint the exact fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic words), it does paint a picture for us of just how good a Father and Creator God is and what kind of existence He wants for those He calls His own. Some things to note about the new creation: death will lose its power, the people will enjoy and delight in the work of their hands/their blessings from God (e.g. their homes, the crops, etc.), their offspring will be a godsend and be righteous instead of being full of calamity, God will hear and respond to their needs before they even call, and there will be peace where not previously possible (e.g. between the wolf and the lamb).
  3. Spend some time in personal reflection. 

Evening Reflection

C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce has been for me the greatest human fumbling at describing the reality of Heaven and Eternity. Let’s read a little more of the brief excerpt from this text that we read this morning: 

“‘That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, ‘No future bliss can make up for it,’ not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory. And of some sinful pleasure they say “Let me have but this and I’ll take the consequences’: little dreaming how damnation will spread back and back into their past and contaminate the pleasure of sin. Both processes begin even before death. The good man’s past begins to change so that his forgiven sins and remembered sorrows take on the quality of Heaven: the bad man’s past already conforms to his badness and is filled only with dreariness. And that is why, at the end of all things, when the sun rises here and the twilight turns to blackness down there, the Blessed will say ‘We have never lived anywhere except Heaven,’ and the Lost, ‘We were always in Hell.’ And both will speak truly.’ …‘Ah, the Saved… what happens to them is best described as the opposite of a mirage. What seemed, when they entered it, to be the vale of misery turns out, when they look back, to have been a well; and where present experience saw only salt deserts, memory truthfully records that the pools were full of water.’”

While remembering the end encourages the faithful, it should also serve as a warning for the unfaithful. And truth be told, there is a little faithfulness and unfaithfulness in all of us. What are the areas in your life where you declare in your own way, “Let me have but this and I’ll take the consequences?” Spend some time in repentance before God offering those areas to Him, remembering that you are ultimately trading trash for treasure.   

June 5, Wednesday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on August 16, 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

“Murphy Was Wrong!”

Genesis 41:14 

Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh. 15 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.”16 “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”

You might have already heard of Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”  While the so-called law doesn’t exactly come from the Bible, it appears that Murphy wasn’t completely off base when we examine the life of Joseph.  As if being sold into slavery by his own brothers wasn’t bad enough,  Joseph was thrown into jail on false charges as a result of his faithfulness to God at Potiphar’s house.  There, after meeting two prisoners who had served as Pharaoh’s chief baker and cupbearer, Joseph was able to interpret their dreams.  He hoped he would be remembered by the cupbearer whose dream of freedom he had interpreted correctly, but “the chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him” (Gn. 40:23).  Joseph waited two more years before being remembered and then summoned to interpret Pharaoh’s dream.   Always spiritually alert no matter what the circumstances, Joseph attributes his gifting to God.  And this is where Joseph’s life parts company with Murphy’s Law: after interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, he is lauded for his wisdom and appointed second in command of Egypt.

Even though we know Joseph’s happy ending, we can’t help but wonder what he thought as each day passed. As doubts crept into Joseph’s mind, he returned to the promises of God as his only hope. It was not the promise that he would one day rule over others as his dream predicted, but he clung to the hope of a faithful and trustworthy God.  In fact, it appears that Joseph had long forgotten the dream, for it was when he saw his brothers for the first time in over 20 years that “he remembered his dreams about them” (Gn. 42:8).

What waiting period do you find yourself in today? Let’s return the promises of God when we are waiting and tempted to lose hope. As our hope is restored, we find strength to be faithful in our present circumstances. God continuously shapes and molds our character in the seasons of waiting. We saw how God used that waiting period to shape Joseph from a proud and impetuous boy, to a wise and humble man. When Joseph rose to power, he was no longer proud; but his faith was solidly founded on the One who had not failed him.

Prayer: God, I confess that I feel weak and hopeless in my season of waiting. Lift my eyes above the mountains to the One who can move them. Thank you for the unconditional love demonstrated on the cross. Remind me that You are working in my time of waiting. 

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Timothy 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Genesis 21:1: The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3 And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

Questions to Consider

1. Who kept his word?

2. Who decreed the timing of Isaac’s birth?

3. What can we learn about our own character and God’s character during our waiting?

Notes

1. The Lord kept His word, and did exactly what He promised in bringing Abraham and Sarah a child.

2. Verse 2 says Isaac’s birth happened at just the time God said it would.

3. 25 years had passed between God’s promise to Abraham in Gen 12 to Isaac’s birth in Genesis 21. God was refining Abraham’s character in that time, as had always trusted in his own schemes rather than in God’s promises. Abraham learned that God is trustworthy and His way is better than what we have planned in our own efforts.

Evening Reflection

Lord, remind me of what You are doing in my waiting season. You are refining my faith and shaping my character to reflect Christ. Remind me that waiting is not purposeless, and that there is joy coming in the end. Jesus’ death and resurrection shows me that You are for me and with me. Amen.

June 4, Tuesday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 4, 2017, is provided by Andy Kim who is the Lead Pastor of Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco.  Andy is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Finding Your Brand . . . in Him”

Revelation 14:9-11

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

We live in a world driven by branding. In fact, business experts show us that NIKE has taken the lead in the sports industry because of their branding strategy—spending over $1 billion a year in advertising alone. From the mundane, such as what we wear, to the more significant, such as where we work, it’s all about the name. It’s amazing how a small piece of accessory with the word NIKE on it can be priced 10x higher than a non-name brand, even though it is pretty much the same thing! Even more importantly, it’s so easy for us to tie our identity to the name of the school we graduate from or the company we work for. In fact, experts emphasize the importance of “finding your brand” and “selling/marketing yourself ” as the way to success.  Now, striving for such things is not bad in and of itself; however, when we allow these things to claim our identity, we become subject to the very products of this world. 

In this passage, whether literal or not, the writer makes it clear that in the end we will all be accountable to a name. That name can either have your name on it or something else in the world; but only those who are marked by His Name will be able to partake in the celebration before the throne of Heaven. Commentator Mounce writes, “When judgment comes there will be no room for ambiguity; people will have by their mark declared their master.”  There is no room for negotiation in this matter. May we never find our identity in names of this world, but remember that we are forever branded and marked by Jesus Christ. For only in this name do we find true salvation and redemption for eternity. This is good news because this is the one name that cannot be earned, but can only be given by His grace. While this world continues to be enslaved to the needs of this world, we are freed by the Name above all names, sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).

With that we have been given the responsibility of carrying that Name in a manner that is worthy. Charles Spurgeon challenges the church to “not come and take His name and then dishonor His Character.” In other words, taking upon the name of Jesus comes with the responsibility of following in His character. As we start this morning, ask yourself this: What do I want to be known for? What would the people around me say about me and my branding?

Prayer: Lord, may we find our identity in the one name above all names—the name of Jesus. We confess that many times we associate ourselves more with this world and lose ourselves to the needs of this world. Father, may our lives reflect Your character so that others may see we are of You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Timothy 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Deuteronomy 8:1-5: “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you.

Questions to Consider

  1. Why does God humble us? 
  2. Why is humility good for us?
  3. What are the areas in your heart that you cannot let go and trust Him in? 

Notes

  1. Humility is not something that we can artificially produce, but it comes from the Lord. To be humble is to obey the Lord. Many times we allow external circumstances to harden our hearts that deter us from His will. God will use circumstances to humble our hearts so that we will not forget it is God who leads us and provides for us. 
  2. Humility teaches us to remember to not trust in our own abilities or even what the world offers (the daily bread); rather, we are to remember that it is God who provides for us, even our daily needs. God humbles us out of discipline (verse 5), and we know that in Hebrews 12:6 that God disciplines the ones He love. Humility stems from His love for us. 
  3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Humility can be difficult and can be so easily confused with a false humility. Remember, humility is not necessarily about the external appearance but the internal attitude of your heart. It is the full surrender and acknowledgement of our own weaknesses while having a full understanding of His sufficiency. May we trust in His provision, believing that He truly has the best in mind for us. Spend some time reflecting on the areas in your life where God is teaching you about humility.  

June 3, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on August 7, 2017.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Is Today Monday or Sunday?”

Hebrews 10:25 (NIV 1984)

“Let us not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Is attending Sunday worship service important to you?  As a believer and a father trying to model a life of faith to his children, worshiping God corporately on Sundays has been very important.  And today’s passage suggests that once you miss a Sunday, it may become a habit for some.

I don’t like to travel on Sundays, but sometimes I have no other option, as was the case with my recent trip to Cuba where I taught at a seminary near Havana.  My daughter faced the same predicament as her plane to Boston was scheduled to leave an hour before mine.  We did try to find a Saturday service but couldn’t; I even searched for Korean churches nearby since they are known to hold early prayer meetings but to no avail.   

My daughter, however, felt that she could make it to AMI’s Symphony Church if her plane arrived on time.  So, I was elated to read her text, while waiting for my connection flight to Cuba, that read: “Got to Symphony service in time for the sermon.”  But I wasn’t so fortunate: my plan to visit the airport chapel was quickly quashed upon realizing that it required leaving the airport security zone; there just wasn’t enough time.  Then, something happened the next day in Cuba that made up for what didn’t happen on Sunday.  

I went to Havana, with my teaching assistant Jon (staff at Radiance Christian Church), to teach from Monday through Friday.  But the first Monday class didn’t start until after 3 PM because the week begins with a prayer service from 10 AM to 1 PM.  There were over 200 people, comprised of students and local church leaders, in attendance.  It was a full service with an hour-long worship, intermittent prayers, and a sermon, which I preached.  During the worship, I asked Jon (who also missed Sunday), “Is today Sunday or Monday?”  He assured me that it was Monday!  We then broke out in joyous laughers with me saying, “Thank the Lord; we didn’t miss Sunday service after all.”  

Sometimes we have no choice but to miss a Sunday, but don’t make a habit of it.  If you missed it last week, write this down in your phone: Meet God at His house this Sunday. 

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving us a living institution, Your church, where we can worship You corporately.  Forgive me whenever I become lackadaisical about Sunday worship and give into temptation.  Help me to truly worship You.  Amen.    

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Timothy 6

Lunch Break Study

Read John 4:24: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Mt. 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” 

1 Cor. 12:12: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

Questions to Consider

1. How should we worship God and what does that imply?

2. We can certainly worship God alone but how is that different from worshiping the Lord corporately?  Think about the workings of the Body of Christ. 

3. What is the great obstacle in your life that diminishes your weekly worship experience, including being inconsistent with attending Sunday services?

Notes

1. We are to worship God in spirit and truth.  Worshiping God in truth would certainly include worshiping Him with right doctrine (1 Tim. 4:16, 2 Jn. 1:9).  Worshiping God in spirit would include worshiping with the right heart, with prayer and praise to Him.

2. The corporate worship of God, that is, together physically with members of the body of Christ, can accentuate the presence of Christ among them when it is done in spirit and truth.  This is not to underplay the importance of individual worshiping of God at home or other places. 

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Let’s conclude this day with a beautiful psalm that beautifully depicts the worshiping of God.  

Slowly read Psalm 95:1-7 as you worship the Lord.  

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”

June 2, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on June 10, 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.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“To Eat or Not To Eat”

1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1 (ESV)

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. [24] Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. [25] Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. [26] For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” [27] If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. [28] But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—[29] I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? [30] If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? [31] So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. [32] Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, [33] just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.  [4:1] Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

In Living Water’s after-school program, one of our most popular songs has a refrain that goes: “Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh do remember me – way beyond the blue.”  While this song is catchy and fun, I’m not sure what that line is getting at.  When we like a song or a quote but we’re uncertain as to what it means, we tend to fill in the blanks ourselves.  Sometimes we do this to Scripture.

I have heard (and probably given) many teachings on 1 Corinthians 10:31 (“whether you eat or drink…do all to the glory of God”) and 11:1 (“be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”).  These are amazingly inspiring words, but I’ve often felt that they were sort of vague in regards to application.  This is probably because I was reading these verses out of context.

Paul is making a very clear point.  In v. 25-27, Paul instructs believers not to raise any question when sharing a meal with their host. This is so that believers can enjoy the meat as well as not trouble their unbelieving host.  In v. 28-29, Paul then teaches believers to refrain from eating the same meat if it bothers the conscience of another person (either another guest, an unbeliever, who assumes Christians should not eat the meat offered to idols, or a believing guest with a weak conscience).  Again, the Christian’s goal is to avoid troubling the other person.  Therefore, the decision of whether to eat/drink or not is a battle between the believer’s freedom and another’s conscience.  The decision is decided by the same principle: do what troubles the other person least.  This glorifies God (v. 31).

Christians are called to “give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God” (v. 32).  This does not mean that Christians are to be people-pleasers.  No, we are people willing to surrender our own advantage that many might be saved.  We are not interested in avoiding conflict but in the eternal salvation of all peoples for the glory of God.

This was the concern and practice of the apostle Paul, and according to him and all Scriptures, this was and is the concern and practice of the Lord Jesus Christ (11:1).

Brothers and Sisters, may God reveal to us which freedom and preference hinder our witness so that we may freely surrender them.

Prayer: Oh Lord, forgive me, for I often trouble others for my own benefit.  Open my eyes to the beauty of Your Son that I may be free to seek the advantage of others unto their salvation. Amen,

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Timothy 5