REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on May 7, 2017.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“I Will Do Anything for You Except When It . . .”

2 Corinthians 8:19-24

We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, 21 for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.  

A young man wrote a love letter that included these words: “I would cross the widest ocean for you; swim the deepest river for you; scale the highest mountain for you; and crawl across the burning sands of the desert –nothing is too much for you!” Then he added this postscript: “If it doesn’t rain, I’ll be over to see you on Tuesday night.” 

Sometimes this is the way we think about love. We think love is a feeling, that it is intensely emotional. But the kind of love the Bible speaks of is much more than a feeling—it’s an action; a reaction.  It’s to love when things are difficult; when we feel like doing the exact opposite out of self-preservation. It’s a love that is not determined by our feelings or by the situation.

In our passage today, Paul challenges the Corinthians to prove their love. Verse 21 reads, “for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.” It’s one thing to honor God, but how about being honorable in the sight of God? It’s one thing to say we love God, but it’s another to show it by loving others. We are reminded by the Lord’s brother James, “Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love” (1 John 4:8). We are always ready to receive God’s love, the affirmation of His love in our daily circumstances, but how readily do we avail ourselves to loving others? 

In other words, if we are genuine followers of Jesus Christ, there will be more than just talk. And giving is a concrete expression of love. If giving is to be truly out of love, it requires a degree of sacrifice. Giving sacrificially is a way to tangibly flesh out the emotions we actually feel; telling a hurting person that things will get better might be helpful, but it doesn’t cost anything for the giver. It’s when we give, to the point that it hurts, that we are much more like Jesus. It’s when we give that we demonstrate our trust in God. 

How tangible is your love? Are you faithful in your giving for the cause of Christ? When is the last time you just blessed somebody because you simply loved them? 

Prayer: God, help me to be loving in action, and not just in words. Help me to discover the joy of giving to others. May even my bank statements truly reflect my trust in You! In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Hebrews 8

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend, first posted on May 13, 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

“Running the Race”

2 Corinthians 10:13-16

We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. 14 We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. 15 Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16 so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory.  

If you have ever run a race at a track meet, you know that you are confined to your lane, which means you are not allowed to step outside of the lane assigned to you. If you do, you get disqualified. These lanes are there to keep you from hindering other people from running their race as well as to keep you safe.

In this passage, Paul writes to the Corinthians, defending his ministry. He understood that God did not give him unlimited authority and could not infringe upon other missionaries’ church plants. However, the Corinthian church landed in his sphere of activity, thus he is able to rebuke, encourage, and teach them.

God has given all of us a sphere of authority within the local church, some more influential than others. Those who seek to have more authority cannot infringe upon other people’s ministries: they need to be faithful to the task that God has given them, even if it doesn’t seem “great.” On the other hand, there are those who shy away from the sphere of authority God has given them. For them, they cannot be like the man who buried the one talent in the sand and waste away that gift. Take courage and be faithful to what God has given you!

While it is good to desire more opportunities to serve, do you struggle with wanting more authority? For others, do you struggle with being too timid about serving? Regardless of which camp you fall into, verse 15 states that as your faithfulness grows, your sphere of activity will greatly expand. Faithfulness doesn’t only mean perseverance; it also means doing it according to His plan. As we are faithful to His work, His kingdom will greatly expand.  So let’s be faithful in doing His work!

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that I am part of Your great plan. However, I struggle with _________ (wanting more sphere of service or shying away from it). Above all else, I want to be faithful to Your work. Help me to see that Your plan has to be done Your way and not my own. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Hebrews 6-7

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on June 30, 2017.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Fight the Good Fight” 

Revelation 12:1-6

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was with child; and she *cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his tail *swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she *had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

In today’s passage, God fleshes out for John the activity of Satan against the Kingdom of God. There is a ton of symbolism in these verses and there are differing opinions about how to interpret some of the signs—particularly the woman mentioned in verse 1. The dragon represents Satan and if we take, as many do, the woman to represent Israel/the people of God (giving birth to the Messiah in verse 5), we get a glimpse of Satan’s very active efforts to destroy Christ Jesus during His earthly ministry—efforts that were obviously unsuccessful. (Not even the grave could hold Jesus down! Hallelujah!) But when unable to destroy Jesus Himself, Satan turns to the next best thing, God’s people, and seeks to destroy them. 

No matter how you slice it, the Bible teaches us that spiritual warfare is a very real thing and a regular part of the life of the believer. Reading Revelation reminds us that we are caught up in God’s great plan to save the world and eradicate evil from all of creation. It’s exciting and comforting as we read of God’s triumph over evil. But it behooves us to remember that this is all being accomplished through a war that’s going on in the spiritual realm—a war that we can’t always see or perceive but very much affects the lives of Christ-followers. As the old song goes, “We are soldiers in the army of the Lord!” 

 So what do we do? We choose to be alert (aware of the war and listening for any marching orders from our Holy Commander), take up our armor (in the Word of God and prayer), and fight (whatever the situation, by the power of the Holy Spirit). And we do so with the confidence of knowing that we have the Almighty on our side, who protects us and empowers us, and that we are fighting battles in a war that has already been won. The victory is ours! We just have to seize it! 

Prayer: Almighty God, I acknowledge today that there is a war going on, and I thank You that it is one where You’ve already made way for victory for all those who trust in You. Help me to be aware of any way You’re leading me to fight and equip me with the necessary tools for battle. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Hebrews 5

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Lunch Break Study

Read Ephesians 6:10-18: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and havingput on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

Questions to Consider

1. According to the passage, what is the purpose of taking up the “full armor of God”? 
2. You’ll notice in v. 11 that Paul said taking up the armor allows us to “stand firm.” What does this word choice tell us about who is really fighting our battles? What, then, is our role in fighting? 
3. What are the tools God has given us for battle? List each one and think about what it means. Which ones, if any, might you need to focus on in your life at this time?
4. What instructions does Paul give us in v. 18 to aid us in spiritual battle? Why does he tell us to do this? 

Notes

1. So that we may be able to stand firmly against the schemes of the devil. Oftentimes our spiritual battles are won or lost long before they actually occur because our success is contingent upon our preparation. If we choose to rely on the Holy Spirit and take up our armor, we will be prepared when the battles come.   
2. We are not fighting our own battles; God is fighting for and through us. But we do have to do our part by showing up and staying put. Regardless of where God leads us and no matter what circumstance we face, we have to stay put (in our obedience to God and continue our posture of surrender before Him) to experience the kind of victory Paul guarantees is available to us in Christ. 
3. Our armor is as follows: the truth (girding our loins), righteousness (as a breastplate), the gospel of peace (and preparation for our feet), faith (as a shield to extinguish the arrows of the evil one), salvation (as a helmet), and the word of God (as the sword of the Spirit). Spend time reflecting on the areas in which you may need to fortify your armor. 
4. Pray! Paul calls us to pray because in doing so, we will be alert and aware of what’s going on in the spiritual battle and able to persevere and petition on behalf of our fellow soldiers.  We don’t only need prayer for ourselves but we also need to support one another in prayer. 

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Evening Reflection

Romans 8:37-39: “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Spend sometime praying through this passage allowing its truth to encourage your heart as you continue to fight the good fight. 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 21, 2017, is provided by Pastor Joshua Kim. Joshua, a graduate of Emory University, Columbia Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Talbot Theological Seminary (Th.M.), is the Lead Pastor of Upper Room Seattle church.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Who Is In Control Amid This Mess?”

Revelation 9:1-5

Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. ² He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. ³ Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. ⁴ They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.

If you spend any amount of time online, you will see how drastically things have changed over the years in order to secure information online. Those highlighted scales of password strength, entering in the secret code to verify that you are human, two-step and two-factor authentication—these things have become an everyday part of our lives. But the reality is, these methods are in need of constant updating and changing because the security that they offer is only temporary. 

The book of Revelation continues with John’s account of some horrific events. A quick note about reading the book of Revelations: this is an especially difficult book to understand as there are many different ways to read it—whether these events are account of things that have happened in the past, things that will happen in the future, or a mixture of both—drawing from all these different perspectives is probably necessary for a fuller understanding of this account. For instance, many scholars debate the identity of this star from heaven which had fallen. Some say it is a fallen angel (perhaps Satan), while others argue that this descended star is the gospel message or even Christ Himself. Though this is probably not the best place for a deep theological discussion, there are definitely things to glean here.

A few keywords to note: given (v. 1, 3), told (v. 4), not permitted (v.5). Are you starting to see a pattern here? Whether this fallen star is indeed the Prince of Darkness or the Prince of Peace, there is an establishment of authority that is over them. Even the locusts that are released—creatures that throughout history have decimated entire villages and communities—are given and not permitted certain things. In other words, despite how overwhelming these things may be from our perspective, there is indeed a God who never loses control over the world. 

God is in control, brothers and sisters. This passage is talking about God’s control over the things that face people who do not repent. How much more so for people who have confessed their faith in Christ? Whatever you may be facing now or in the time to come, God never changes. He is and will always be in control. Then that means whatever you are facing, it [1] is allowed by God (though not necessarily caused by Him), [2] is restricted by God, and [3] will result for the good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8.28). This is our ultimate security—no matter what we may face in life (whether the loss of a job or our Facebook accounts being hacked), God is the ultimate source of our security. 

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You are, in Yourself, complete and perfect. You are the Creator. You are the Ruler of this world. Nothing is a surprise to You. Nothing occurs that goes unnoticed by You. And I as Your child can rest in the security. Thank You for being my security. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Hebrews 4

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Mark 4.35-41: On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him.

Questions to Consider

1. What does Mark tell us about the interaction between Jesus and the disciples prior to their departure for the other side?
2. What do you think is going on in the minds of the disciples when they face the storm? What can we learn about their understanding of Jesus based upon their response?
3. Jesus has the power to even command the winds and the storms. How is the Holy Spirit convicting your heart in terms of the winds and storms of your life?

Notes

1. Before they set sail, note that it is Jesus’ desire and command that they leave and go to the other side. If you flip over to Mark 5, we see that He crosses the sea to heal a man tormented by a legion of demons. Jesus has a mission. He knows that there will be a storm, but Jesus also knows that He has authority over all things. 
2. Plainly, we see that they lacked faith as Jesus says. They looked at the slumbering Jesus and thought that He did not care for them, that He did not care about what was happening. What we see is that the circumstances had become their lord in that situation, not Jesus. Jesus’ display of His authority brings upon the disciples a holy fear of who He truly is—the Lord of even the winds and the storms. 
3. Personal response.

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Evening Reflection

Theologically, we can sort out the relationship between God’s control, God’s allowance, and the circumstances that we face, but to understand in our hearts is another thing. As you have reflected upon God’s authority over all things today, what has God revealed to you about who He is, and secondly, that He is for you? Spend some time worshipping the One who was, who is, and is to come.  

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on July 6, 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

“Our Fears”

Revelation 14:7

And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Growing up, there were two things I feared: heights, and my father calling my full Korean name in that tone. That could only mean I had messed up to the point of no return. From growing up in such a success and performance driven environment, the fear I still battle with to this day is that of failure. My fear continued to grow because success was always relative to a worldly standard— one I could never achieve because there was always something more to do, someone better than me. When I think about the word fear, I can only have a negative reaction to it. So imagine my confusion when I read passages that tell us to “fear” God. How can one fear God? How can that be good?

Martin Luther, the father of the Reformation, wrestled with the biblical meaning of “fearing God” by making a distinction between two types of fear: servile fear and filial fear. He defined the first as a prisoner in a torture chamber afraid of his jailer or a slave in the hands of a malicious master; while a filial fear (from which we get the word ‘family’ in Latin) is like the fear a child has for his father. In both cases fear is the response to a source or, in these examples, a person. The first is in regard to a malicious master, and the second is to a loving father. In the second case, the child is afraid to displease his father out of love and respect, leading to a sense of reverence and awe for him. Because of this, the child wishes to please his father for the sake of respect. In fact, the word fear is always found in the context of reverence and worship as a response to God’s glory and majesty. Unlike the servile fear of failure I struggled with, we can find freedom in the fear that God commands us. It is fear based on the loving yet glorious character of God, a God who deems us worthy and pleasing through the standard that was fully met through Christ. 

Luther concludes by warning us to not take advantage of this grace and slip into a casual relationship with God. To fear the Lord is to have a sense of awe and reverence to Him while at the same having a personal intimacy through Christ. May we fear Him and give Him glory. May we find freedom from the fear of man as we seek to glorify Him. 

Prayer: Jesus, we thank You for making a way to the Father. We confess that many times we take advantage of the grace You showed us. Lord restore our sense of awe for You while deepening our intimacy with You. Help us to live this day seeking to give You glory in all that we do. May it not be out of a servile fear, but a filial fear knowing that you are indeed a good Father. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Hebrews 3

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Lunch Break Study

Read Exodus 17:6: “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Numbers 20:8-12: “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” 9 And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. 10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

Questions to Consider

1. Compare these two similar accounts of God commanding Moses to give the Israelites water.
2. What can we glean from these two passages?
3. How does this apply to you? Do you find yourself comparing past experiences to what God is doing today?

Notes

1. The most notable difference is God’s response to Moses in the second account. It seems that even after Moses strikes the rock as he did in the first one, God accuses Moses of disbelief. In the first passage, God calls Moses to strike the rock to produce water; while in the second, God calls Moses to speak to the rock. Instead of speaking, Moses strikes the rock, this time doing so twice and repeating what he did in the past.
2. God doesn’t want us to trust in our past experiences. Many times we can find ourselves comparing ourselves to our past experiences and trying to chase after them in our present. We don’t realize that when we do this, we could be robbing ourselves of what God is trying to teach us today. Experience-driven Christianity can lead to a weak faith. God doesn’t want us to chase after our past, but to chase after Him. When we seek Him, new experience will come. Note: God does mention throughout the Scriptures to remember the past. But these are in context to remember who God is and His promises, and so experiences should only strengthen our faith in who He is. 
3. Personal response.

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Evening Reflection

A. W. Tozer, a renowned American pastor in the mid-20^th century, said,“I want the presence of God Himself, or I don’t want anything at all to do with religion… I want all that God has or I don’t want any.” Spend some time reflecting on this thought. Surprisingly, we can get caught up with chasing after experiences at the cost of seeking God’s presence. Take a moment to simply be still in His presence. Perhaps even ask God that He would reveal Himself in a new and fresh way.

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

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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.    

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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.

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

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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. 

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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. 

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

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

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

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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.

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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).