April 2, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 24, 2017.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?”

John 3:16

 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 

After reading a story about Christian mission work in a Muslim country, a reader commented, “Since when did we consider the Muslims to be unbelievers?  They do not need to be converted because the Christians and Muslims believe and worship the same God.”  This person’s point isn’t entirely without merit, since both the Syrian Christians and Jews referred to God as Allah before the rise of Mohammed in the 6th century.  But upon a closer examination, because the original meaning attached to the name Allah underwent a dramatic makeover in the Koran, anyone who says that the Christians and Muslims worship the same God is either ignorant or condescending toward religion itself.  

The best way for me to show the difference is to take you back to a meeting in 1999, where I had an opportunity to share with an audience of about 100 people—equal number of Christians as well as Muslims.  I began the talk by saying that if I had an opportunity to be either Allah or the Christian God for a minute, I would want to be like Allah in a heartbeat.  I then read from the Koran where it says, “Obey Allah and Apostle.  If they give no heed, then, truly Allah does not love the unbelievers (3:32); “Allah does not love the evil-doers” (3:57).  I reasoned that since I, too, don’t love the people who don’t believe me, as well as those who do evil, I can readily relate to Allah.  

After taking a pause, however, I changed my tune, saying, “What I really needed before becoming a Christian, was a God who would’ve loved me even if I didn’t believe Him and was doing bad things.  And there is such a God—and that is the Christian God.”  I, then, read Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Unlike Allah of the Koran, the God of the Bible “is kind to ungrateful and evil men” (Lk. 6:35). 

After the meeting, a Muslim man shared how he had never seen the difference quite like that.  No, he didn’t become a Christian that day, but I hope that he eventually placed his trust in Christ—the greatest expression of God’s love toward fickle mankind so undeserving of such amazing grace! 

Prayer: God, I exalt and worship You today.  Help me not to be intellectually lazy and naïve to the point of believing everything the media reports and what the academia spews out.  Clarify my thinking on Islam, so that I can present a cogent and sensible presentation of the gospel to the next Muslim I meet.  Amen.    

Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 2

Lunch Break Study 

Read Eph. 2:8-9 (NASB): For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

Rom. 10:1-3: Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 

Questions to Consider

1. What is the main difference between salvation by grace through faith and the way the Jews  went about it?

2. If how the Jews went about to establish their own righteousness represents world religions—such as Islam and Buddhism—then what is the main difference between the latter and the Christian faith? 

3. What would you say to a Muslim who believes that he must keep the Five Pillars of Islam—confession (“there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet”), daily prayers, almsgiving (zakāt), pilgrimage to Mecca, and fasting—to be saved?

Notes

1. Whereas salvation by grace through faith requires no works contributed by the person desiring to be saved, the Jews tried to establish their own righteousness by keeping the moral laws as well as works of the law (circumcision, Sabbath keeping and eating kosher). 

2. Whereas the Christian faith is God’s attempt to save men, world religions are men’s attempt to save themselves through their own efforts. 

3. I would share that Jesus is not merely the second most important prophet, but He is, in fact, the Son of God.  Then I would tell him that Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross made his works (keeping the Five Pillars of Islam) unnecessary to be saved.

Evening Reflection

Do you have any Muslim friends or co-workers?  Have you ever tried to talk to them about God?  Of course, we need to establish a relationship before talking about such a serious matter like one’s faith; however, the first thing we need to do is to pray for them.  Even a gifted theologian and preacher like the apostle Paul asked his friends to pray for him, saying, “Whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19).  Would you begin praying for this Muslim individual so that you may have an opportunity to share the mystery of the gospel with him or her?

April 1, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 23, 2017.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“How 9.11 Changed My Outlook on Islam”

Col. 4:5

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 

Jn. 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God.

As Bible-believing Christians, we ought to disagree with contrary beliefs, but if we are to love our “enemies” (i.e., those with whom we disagree), we should make some effort to know what they actually teach, and then disagree—rather than going just by secondary sources, or worse, hearsays.  So when I started to study about Islam, I discovered—to my surprise— some agreeable things the Koran says about Christ. 

The 9.11 occurred less than two weeks after we moved to Chihuahua, Mexico, a city about 250 miles south of El Paso, Texas.  After this happened, I knew I had to get a copy of the Koran.  It so happened that my family and I already had plane tickets to visit my father in Philadelphia for his 70th birthday bash at the end of October.  Crossing the line at the border, which took forever because of extra security measures, was another reminder that as a missionary who taught, among other subjects, missiology, it was imperative that I understood Islam.  After scouring several bookstores in Philly, I was disappointed to find only a copy that contained excerpts from the Koran; later, when Florida pastor Terry Jones threatened to burn the Korans, I was screaming, “Give a copy to me!”

After eventually securing a Koran and reading it—along with several books on Islam—I discovered that while Islam considers Mohammed as the highest ranking of all the prophets, including Jesus, it actually seems to present Jesus as more than just a prophet—maybe even “better” than Mohammed.  For instance, while the Koran presents Jesus as a worker of miracles (raising the dead and healing the lepers), no miracle is attributed to Muhammad (29:49b: “My mission is only to give plain warning”).  

While Jesus is said to be without blemish, Muhammad is told to seek forgiveness for his sins (40:55b: “Allah´s promise is true.  Implore Him to forgive your sins”).  The Koran even says of Jesus, in semblance to John 1:1, “a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary; high honored shall he be in this world and the next, near stationed to God” (3:40).  

Of course, there are several substantially conflicting teachings about Christ in the Koran that can hardly be bridged with the Bible.  What I discovered from the Koran, however, is sufficient to “conduct [myself] with wisdom toward outsiders (like Muslims), making the most of the opportunity” (Col. 4:5) by, first, presenting myself as a curious inquisitor.  

My advice to you: Islam, with its 1.7 billion adherents, isn’t going away; therefore, get to know Islam and the Koran.  Know the key differences so as to realize that Christians and Muslims do not worship the same God (discussed tomorrow); utilize any similarities between the two to begin dialoguing with them.  

Prayer: Lord, the presence of many religions in the world is quite daunting to our faith, since we believe that salvation is found only in Jesus.  Help me, Father, to understand and appreciate world religions; impart to me the necessary knowledge and wisdom to speak to them about our Savior Christ.  Amen.

 Bible Reading for Today: Hosea 1

Lunch Break Study

Read John 20:31: But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

1 Jn. 2:23: No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

The Koran declares, “Say: Allah is One, the Eternal God.  He begot none, nor was He begotten.  None is equal to Him” (112); “Allah forbid that He should have a son. . ..”  (4:171).

Questions to Consider

1. What is a key difference between the Bible and Koran over the Sonship of Christ?

2. Is that difference trivial or essential?  Can we consider those who deny the Sonship of Christ as having the Father?

3. John 3:36 (NIV) says: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”  Can you make a theological sense of this passage?

Note

1. Whereas the Sonship of Christ (but not in a physical sense) is crucial to the centrality of the Christian faith, Islam denies that God (Allah) has a son.   

2. This is an essential difference, because Scripture declares that those who deny the Son do not have the Father—meaning, believing in God without believing in the Son is not part of the New Testament faith, that is, a saving faith.     

3. The wrath of a holy God toward sinners is the default position, and it is the substitutionary death of the Son that perfectly satisfied this wrath. Thus, it stands to reason that if one rejects the Son and his atoning work, then, God’s wrath will continue to remain on him.   

Evening Reflection

Where were you when 9.11 occurred?  How did it change your world?  Well, if you are like the rest, the change didn’t last too long, unless you were directly victimized by the terror.  One thing that will never change is that the Son died on the cross to “take away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).  In contrast, the Koran says: “[The Jews] said, ‘We killed the Messiah, Jesus Son of Mary, the messenger of Allah,’ but they killed him not nor crucified him but it seemed so to them. . .. But Allah took him up to himself.”  Ultimately, Muslims need to be convinced that Jesus died for their sins.  Would you pray right now for missionaries serving in Islamic countries that they would clearly, boldly, and lovingly share the good news of Jesus Christ?  Pray that you would be equipped to speak cogently to a Muslim neighbor about Christ.

March 31, Sunday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on April 5, 2015, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian. Shan, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), is the Lead Pastor of Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Easter Sunday”

Romans 8:11

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

A long time ago, when I was still pretty young in my faith (but acting like I was mature), I remember a friend of mine closing a prayer meeting with a prayer that went something like this: “God, we thank you that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is within us.”  After he said that, my immediate reaction was, “Wait, is that true?”  It was inconceivable to me that this incredible statement could be factual.  So after the prayer meeting, I went home and pulled up Bible Gateway and did a search for those words; and to my amazement, it was true!  The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells within me and with all believers.  When we know this truth, it changes everything, doesn’t it?  

Today, we celebrate Easter Sunday—Jesus rose from the dead on this day a few thousand years ago.  It was and still is the greatest day in all of history because everything changed as a result of the Christ’s resurrection.  Not too long after this glorious day, simple, uneducated men would start sharing this Good News to strangers and even foreigners, where thousands of people started to put their faith in this Jesus.  They would help the lame to walk, the sick to be healed, and bring dead back to life, all the while rejoicing as they took on beatings and persecutions.  These simple, uneducated men would flip the whole world upside down.  All of this could only be possible because that same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwelled in them.

We can look at our own lives and just feel so ordinary; it’s hard to think we could be like those apostles and have much to offer to this world.  Especially when we focus on the darkness and problems of this world, we feel powerless.  Maybe instead of the Spirit, we see the sin that still rages within our hearts.  It’s hard to believe that we would ever be free of it.  But when we realize this truth that this same Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwells within us, and when we remember this Easter Sunday, it should change everything.  Sin has lost its power over us.  Death has been defeated.  We have this power within us that comes from the Holy Spirit.  

As we celebrate this Easter Sunday, let us rejoice that this same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. Let’s believe in that power within us!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the resurrection and the hope that it imbues.  May the power of resurrection propel me to live a life worthy of your precious name.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Mark 16

March 30, Saturday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on March 18, 2017, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children (Jonah, Lily, and Ayla), serves in Japan as an AMI missionary. Jason, a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), is currently in the process of planting a church in Tokyo. Please pray for this work.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Fellowship Meals”

1 Corinthians 10:16-22 (ESV)

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? [17] Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. [18] Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? [19] What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? [20] No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. [21] You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. [22] Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.  Whether this is sound dating advice or not, we understand that sharing a meal is about much more than counting calories or satisfying hunger.  Birthday parties, weddings, and many other events are purposely scheduled at meal times because food is intimately connected with relationships.  

Now, meals are important not only to humans, but also to God.  In our passage this morning, the apostle Paul explains that the Lord’s Supper is not simply a ritual or a memorial service for our Savior who is far away in heaven.  It is an active participation in the body and blood of Jesus.  The Lord’s Supper involves real, immediate communion or fellowship with God Himself.

Sharing a meal with God is not a new idea; it is found throughout the Scriptures.  In Leviticus, the Israelites are given instructions for five major types of offerings.  One of these, the peace offering, involves a fellowship meal.  The offeror invites his friends and family to join him in eating the peace offering in the temple.  In this way, the people of God not only eat in God’s house but, in effect, also enjoy a meal with God Himself.

In the New Testament, Jesus is always eating: he goes to weddings, eats with tax collectors and sinners, and miraculously feeds the 5,000.   Shortly after resurrecting, the Lord appears to his disciples and asks for something to eat.  Later, near the sea of Tiberius, we find him preparing breakfast for his men.  

God loves to eat with His people because meals are a means of connection and relationship.  This is why eating in pagan temples is so serious.  The Lord has abolished all food restrictions.  Idols are nothing.  Thus, Paul is gravely concerned that the Corinthians might have fellowship with some spirit other than the Spirit of Christ.

We may not be tempted to participate in pagan feasts, but morning by morning do we fellowship with Jesus or with “spirits” of social media and careerism (e.g., checking daily planner, not God’s Word)?  During our lunch breaks, do we eat with Jesus or with spirits of entitlement and envy?  In the evenings, do we feast with Jesus or with spirits of sensuality and more social media?  Throughout the day, Jesus is calling us to connect with Him—to hear Him speak and rest in His presence.  May we hear the invitation of the Lord and feast at His table alone.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You love to fellowship with Your children.  There is no reason that the Maker of Heaven and Earth would delight in me, yet You constantly call me to Yourself.  May I delight in the table of Jesus alone. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 30-31

March 29, Friday 

UPDATED Today’s AMI QT blog, written by Pastor Mark Chun, was originally posted on March 29, 2013. Mark, a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.), presently serves as a staff at Radiance Christian Church in S.F.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Good Friday”

Psalm 31:3-5 (NIV)

For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; 4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.  5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. 

When Jesus spoke the words of this psalm on the cross, it was at the very end of his suffering.  Imagine the events preceding this statement: an evening of torturous prayer, betrayed by a friend in the dark of the night, questioned and beaten by religious leaders deep into the morning hours of the next day, and then stand trial before Pilate at dawn.  

In less than two hours, Jesus would be tried and sentenced to carry his cross up to Mt. Calvary.  By 9 am, the soldiers would have nailed his hands and feet, and lifted him up on that cross.  For the next six hours, Jesus would not only suffer the physical pain of the crucifixion, but more importantly, he would endure the spiritual agony of God’s wrath and abandonment.  

This is what makes this statement so amazing, that even after enduring such despair, Jesus was still able to entrust his spirit into the hands of God.  It was and is the greatest proclamation of trust in the sovereign will of God; even unto death he was the perfect model for his followers.  It is easy to trust God when things are going well but the cross reminds us that the real trust is forged through the dark nights of our soul.  

As you come to Easter weekend, are you praying for anyone in particular to hear the Gospel?  Pray about opportunities to bring someone to church to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I confess that it is difficult to entrust my life completely into Your hands. Help me to follow the example of Your Son who lived his life in complete dependence upon Your will.  Even when I cannot understand the circumstances surrounding my life, teach me how to trust You instead of leaning on my own strength and understanding.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 29 and Mark 15

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV): “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Questions to Consider

  1. What is the basis of our trust in God’s provision for our daily needs (Matt. 6:26)?
  2. Why is it pointless to worry (Matt. 6:27)?
  3. What is God’s promise to those who put their trust in Him (Matt. 6:33)?

Notes

  1. Jesus points out that the birds of the sky are well taken care of and compares their worth to ours.  Clearly, we are worth more to God than a sparrow since we are the only creatures under heaven that bear His image.  Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that God is concerned deeply about our daily needs.  
  2. From a pragmatic sense, it is pointless to worry because there is nothing that anxiety can do about the circumstances of tomorrow.  In addition, worrying doesn’t make the quality of our lives better, but in reality, diminishes it.    
  3. God’s promise is a simple one for those who put their trust in Him and seek first the kingdom of God: Everything we need for life eternal will be provided for us.  

Evening Reflection

Are you growing in terms of your level of trust?  For some, the command not to worry is about as difficult to follow as an instruction to stop breathing.  Anxiety seems to be such a natural part of our lives that we forget that it is a symptom of our lack of trust in God.  

That said, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that the post-COVID 19 world renders trusting in God a necessity for our survival, spiritual and otherwise.  Prayer is one of the ways we can learn to put our trust into God during difficult times.  Pray.   

March 28, Thursday

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was first posted on March 28, 2017.  A graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Love Does Not Rejoice at Wrongdoing”

1 Corinthians 13:6-7

[love] does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

“Loves does not rejoice at wrongdoing.” It can be easy to read this and breeze right by, thinking, Of course, love does not rejoice at wrongdoing!  But let me you ask this: How often do you get excited when you see “justice” being served where you think it’s due?

For example, sometimes while driving down the highway, someone will speed by me or cut me off or drive in a way that bothers me, so I’ll think, “I hope they get pulled over.” I am rejoicing at the potential for their downfall. And then, let’s imagine that I see those blue lights appear and pull that car over – it would be pure glee. 

But no, God’s word says, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” This means we give the benefit of the doubt; we wish what is best for others, even if we feel they deserve “justice.” To rejoice at the downfall of others is not love – in fact it’s the opposite of love. Remember what Jesus said in His great kingdom sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).

One area in particular I think many of us can be in danger of this is in the arena of politics. I know many people who follow the headlines with glee every time there is bad news about the President. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with disagreeing with policies, but to rejoice when bad things happen, to actually wish for impeachment, as I’ve heard several people say, that goes against love as described in 1 Corinthians. That’s rejoicing with wrongdoing. No, “love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 

God calls us to love—and love is not easy. But Jesus says that by loving others, even those we call enemies, we will be children of our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:45). To live out our identity as children of God, love is a necessity, and this means we do not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoice with the truth. 

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You do not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rather, you love us unconditionally. You loved us even when we were against You. Help us to love as You do, to love even those who we find most difficult to love. Help us to obey Jesus’ commands to love and pray for our enemies. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 28

Lunch Break Study  

Read Matthew 5:43-8: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Questions to Consider

  1. According to this passage, who are we to love?
  2. How do we show that we are “sons of your Father who is in heaven” if we love our enemies?
  3. Is there any “enemy” in your life you need to love and pray for? 

Notes

  1. This passage lists several groups of people – our neighbors, our enemies, those who love us, those who do not love us. Basically, we are to love all people, regardless of our relational position or feelings towards them.
  2. By loving our enemies, we are reflecting the character of God, just as a son or daughter is a reflection of sorts of their parents. This passage tells us that God makes His sun rise on all people and sends rain on all people – these are symbols of God’s blessings. Through His common grace, God blesses all people; likewise, we are called to love and pray for the blessing of all people, even our enemies.
  3. Let’s apply Jesus’ commands! Write down the names of people you encountered today that you need to love.

Evening Reflection

Pray now for those in your life you have trouble loving. Pray for those with whom you disagree – including any politicians you may disagree with. If you are holding any unforgiveness towards anyone, perhaps now is the time to pray for that person and ask God for the strength to love them.

March 27, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on March 27, 2017, is provided by Jabez Yeo who had attended and served at Grace Covenant Church (UC) in Philadelphia and Remnant Church in New York.  His devotional is based off material from Serge’s Sonship program. You can click here for more information.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Empowerment by the Spirit as God’s Children”

John 14:15-8

If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 

An inspiring hero of the faith for me is Corrie ten Boom, who was imprisoned for helping over 800 Jews escape the Holocaust. After the war, Corrie repeatedly preached about forgiveness, and after one talk, one of her prison guards, who did not recognize her, thanked her and held out his hand. Crying to God for help, Corrie shook his hand and declared that she forgave him. She then wrote in The Hiding Place, “I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness…that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives along with the command, the love itself.” 

Unfortunately, we tend to live as spiritual orphans, cutting ourselves from God’s power. Our orphan-like tendencies are revealed in how we maliciously use our tongues, revealing whom we are truly committed to: ourselves. We also operate out of a self-righteous heart, steering away from self-examination for fear of being exposed. Furthermore, as our self-righteousness distances us from God, we forget that our spiritual brokenness cuts ourselves off from Christ’s power, which is made perfect only in weakness. We then distance ourselves from community by using the law to judge and compare ourselves to others.  

The full implications of our orphan-like tendencies are enormous. Thankfully, our merciful God gives us the power to be like Him. In John 14, Jesus first comforts His disciples over His impending departure but then gives them an impossible task: “If you love me, keep my commands.” Fortunately, Jesus then provides the means to the task’s fulfillment – the Spirit of truth who will “help you and be with your forever.” Furthermore, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will live “with you,” and that He will come to them so that they will not be left as orphans. 

As adopted children of God, Jesus’ promises stand true for us today. Our Father knows that we cannot live lives for Him alone; thus, He gives us His Holy Spirit to dwell in us, convict us of sin, and reassure us of God’s love. Let’s bask in that truth today.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You have not left me alone on this earth. I know that without You, I cannot live for You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, who lives in me and guides me to Your truth. Help me to hear Your still small voice today, and give me the courage to heed Your guidance. In Your Name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 27

Lunch Break Study 

Read Galatians 5:19-26: The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. 

Questions to Consider

1. Is there anything described in the list of the acts of the flesh that seem striking to you?

2. How are God’s children described in this passage?

3. What habits in your life is the Holy Spirit bringing to light today?

Notes

1. Because of our self-righteousness, we tend to exonerate ourselves of the “obvious” sins (i.e. sexual immorality, debauchery, witchcraft, drunkenness and orgies). What is particularly striking is that the Bible lists other sins, which we often ignore in ourselves but are considered just as obvious acts of the flesh: hatred, discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy. And the result of all these sins is the same: “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

2. They are described as belonging to Christ Jesus and have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. They also are described as living by the Spirit, and as a result, the fruit of the Spirit has manifested in their lives.

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

No matter how well or poorly your day went today, praise God that your status as His child has not changed. Praise Him that the same power that conquered the grave lives in us. Let’s continually ask God for help that our lives would reflect this reality. 

March 26, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on March 13, 2017, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children (Jonah, Lily, and Ayla), serves in Japan as an AMI missionary. Jason, a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), is currently in the process of planting a church in Tokyo. Please pray for this work.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Right to Surrender Our Rights”

1 Corinthians 9:7-12 (ESV)

Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? [8] Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? [9] For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? [10] Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. [11] If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? [12] If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?  Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

Some of America’s most celebrated heroes are those who stood up for their rights and the rights of others: Cesar Chavez fought for migrant workers’ rights; Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s rights; Martin Luther King Jr. fought for civil rights.  They were courageous and inspirational. They are still admired today and rightly so.

But the heroes of the Christian faith are surprisingly different.  They did not fight for their rights but willingly surrendered them: Abraham surrendered his home and even his son, Isaac; the apostle Paul surrendered his bright future, his right to be paid for his labors and his safety; and of course, Jesus surrendered His glory and even His life.

Yes, the American heroes mentioned earlier made great sacrifices as well.  But the heroes of the faith did not surrender their rights to further the rights of others, knowing that rights are important but not ultimate.  Their rights became disposable in light of their greatest treasure; they laid down their rights to invite all people to receive King Jesus.

According to the Declaration of Independence, all men possess the unalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  Is it possible that there is something more important than the safety and livelihoods of our families?  Is it possible that there is something more important than our freedom to control our own futures?  Is it possible that there is something more important than the happiness that the things of this world can bring?

According to the Word of God, the answer is “yes,” and that “thing” is the Good News of Jesus Christ going forth to every nation, bringing eternal salvation to the world.

Prayer: Father, often my desires and rights hinder me from spreading your Good News.  Give me Your strength that I may hold these gifts from You with open hands.  May all things find their proper place in Your purposes and not my own.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 26

Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 12:13-15 (ESV):  Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” [14] But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” [15] And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Question to Consider

  1. Is it possible that the man in the crowd who called out to Jesus had a legal claim on the inheritance?
  2. Why does Jesus reject the role of judge in this matter?
  3. What sin lies underneath this man’s “rights”?

Notes

  1. Yes, in the Ancient Near East, the eldest son received a double portion of the inheritance but the other children received their shares over what’s left.
  2. While God is a God of justice, Jesus didn’t come to earth solely to make the world an economically equitable place (“the poor you have with you  always”).
  3. The sin of covetousness.

Evening Reflection

Reflect on your day.  What rights did God invite you to surrender to Him for a gospel purpose?  Pray for grace and strength to put His purposes before your rights and needs. 

March 25, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 30, 2017.

Devotional Thought for This Morning 

“Hooray to Social Justice, but Whose Social Justice?”

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

Leviticus 19:15

You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

Proverbs 28:5; 29

Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely. The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

In our world, there seems to be a new name above all names, the purpose above all purposes—the almighty ideal of social justice.  It would be troublesome, however, if social justice is viewed in the same light as the saying, “One man’s art is another man’s pornography.”  Yet there have been many different conceptions of justice throughout the ages. Thrasymachus in Plato’s Republic says that justice is simply whatever the strongest in society have deemed to be just (“Might makes right”). The 18th century philosopher David Hume said that justice is a human convention invented for the collective self-interest. Popular, contemporary theories of social justice revolve around ending the oppression of identity-categorized minorities based on race, gender, and sexuality.

A passion for social justice is good, but if it has no answer to the question, “Whose social justice?” it can be a great force for error and evil. Take abortion as an example: both sides of the debate think that they are champions of social justice—pro-choicers see themselves as defenders of women’s rights and pro-lifers as protectors of unborn human dignity. But they can’t both be supporters of justice. If pro-choicers are correct, then pro-lifers are seeking to repressively withhold from millions of women their basic bodily autonomy, a grievous injustice. But if pro-lifers are right, then abortion is literally the mass genocide of children—dwarfing the total number of deaths in the history of the U.S., caused by notable ills like war, lynchings, or police shootings. 

Somebody is terribly mistaken here! As Isaiah 1:17 indicates, a desire for justice is good, but if predicated on a reckless theory of justice, such passion can be a great force for injustice. We can have all the fervor of a patriotic warrior as we march off to the grand, glorious war for social justice, but if we have pledged allegiance to the wrong ideological king, we may find ourselves making the nations much worse off. An earnest search for wisdom, knowledge, and God’s justice can go a long way toward making sure our social justice arrows hit the right targets. 

One man’s justice is another’s injustice. It is a reality that there are many good, reasonable people who radically differ on the nature of justice. Spiritual discernment is needed to prudently sift through the various claims and mandates concerning things like racial fairness, sexual oppression, human rights, socio-economic opportunity, and religious freedom.  

Here, we, as believers, must allow God’s Word to guide us during the formation of our views.  Today’s Scriptures remind us, first, to seek a justice that shows no favoritism to anyone: whether white or black, rich or poor, traditionally marginalized or historically privileged, for to do otherwise is to dishonor God; second, to seek a justice that looks out for those who are weak and easy to overlook, showing no partiality but making sure that they are included as part of justice for all; and finally, to seek a justice that obeys God, no matter how counter-cultural, unpopular, or unpalatable it might be (2 Cor. 10:5), for our God is a good God and in His social justice alone do we place our hope!

Prayer: God, before Your mighty and holy presence, I ought to tremble, for I’m weak and unholy.  But in Your justice and love, You had your Son to die to atone for my sins, so that I can be Your child who need not fear.  Help me to be just and loving, so that I can be Your witness in this hopeless world.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 25 

Lunch Break Study

Read Col. 2:16-7: Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Jn. 8:11:  And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Gal. 6:2: Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ

Questions to Consider

1. Is it true that God’s Word itself has undergone changes?  For instance, Paul says here that it is okay to eat the kind of food that was prohibited in the OT (1 Tim. 4:4-5). How do you explain that? 

2. What is the law of Christ?  What relationship does it have with the laws found in the OT?

3. Based on the findings from questions 1 & 2, would it be reasonable to include that God’s Word continues to be authoritative in all matters, including social justice? 

Note

1. Yes and no—the form has changed but not the meaning. The strict dietary laws were given to the Jews in antiquity to distinguish Israel from the surrounding pagans.  Maintaining the ethnic purity of the Jews was important, since God had preordained Jesus to come from the lineage of David, the tribe of Judah of Israel.  Today, such dietary injunction has no value to the NT believers, who are, nonetheless, expected to distinguish themselves from their surroundings through holy living (i.e., not living according to the norms and values of the world). 

2. The law of Christ refers to all ethical, moral and theological teachings recorded in the NT.  There are many OT laws that are no longer relevant in the NT in a literal sense (e.g., Heb. 10:18).  For instance, stoning a sinner is not part of the law of Christ.  But, most moral commands in the OT have been transferred to the law of Christ, such as injunction against adultery, stealing, love of money, etc.

3. Yes, God’s Word continues to be authoritative because the meaning has not changed—and that’s what matters the most! 

Evening Reflection

We began the day talking about social justice and the need to base it on the unchanging Word of God, which is “alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).  

So, how is your attitude toward the Scripture?  Can you really say you cannot live without it (Mt. 4:4)?  Regardless of how you respond, a better barometer is what you actually do with your Bible: Do you read it?  How often?  Do you study it?  How seriously?  Meditate on the godly habit of the Berean Christians and pray for God’s strength to imitate them.

Acts 17:11: Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 

March 24, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on March 5, 2017, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee.  He is a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches.  He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Presentation Matters”

1 Cor. 6:19-20: 

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

I am generally not strong with presentation, nor do I much care about it.  So when I give presents, they will often come in the retailer’s bag where I purchased it (sometimes with the receipt still in it).  When I cook dinner, it will generally have a bachelor’s meal look to it (think Denny’s, not fine dining).  As a practical person, I’ll give myself the excuse that I’m more concerned with the quality of the gift, taste of the meal, or heart of the man than I am with the externals.  

That being said, sometimes presentation makes a difference, doesn’t it?  I have heard rumors that there’s a magic turquoise-colored box that can make women euphoric: It doesn’t even matter if the jewelry inside is of any quality whatsoever, you could put a rock in this box, but the simple sight of it will make the woman in your life weep, laugh, blush, and sing, all at the same.  

Now, in all seriousness, I didn’t get my wife’s engagement ring at Tiffany’s, but I got it online.  But, from the moment I clicked “purchase,” I was so worried that I had either been ripped off or that whatever I just bought was going to look horrible.  But when it came after two agonizing weeks, I cannot express how relieved I was, simply because it came in this fancy cherry box.  Maybe I thought that if the manufacturer went through the trouble of packaging it well, something even more valuable must be inside.  It makes little sense I know, but the presentation made all the difference in this case.  

In the Christian life, we emphasize the heart of a person above the externals (e.g. jars of clay in 1 Cor. 4 or cleaning the inside of the cup in Matt. 23); however, as I read today’s passage, I realize sometimes the external presentation is important as well.  Believers have the Holy Spirit living inside of them, and our bodies are called the external “temple” (v.19), so we see that to mean that in some sense, external presentation is also important.  Question: What kind of package are you presenting for the world to see?  Do people get a sense that because your manufacturer spent so much time on presentation that something of immeasurable value must be on the inside?  Or to put it another way, “a good tree bears good fruit” (Matt 7:17).  What type of fruit are you bearing in your life?  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You first and foremost that of all the places in the universe You could dwell in, You have chosen to dwell in my heart.  Help my external behavior to start to match the internal truth of my being.  I surrender my body to be Your temple. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 24