January 16, Friday

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on June 6, 2019, was written by Pastor Phil Chen, who recently relocated to Houston, Texas, to plant a new AMI church. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Glory of God”

Exodus 33:21-23 (NASB)

Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; 22 and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

Glory is something that is very difficult to describe. Whenever I play basketball with people who are older and out of shape, we like to talk fondly about their “glory days” when we used to be able to run around, dunk and do all sorts of things that we can no longer do. But now, we need to stretch just to make sure we don’t pull a muscle. When we think of our “glory days,” we think of the peak of our human existence, when we felt like we were on the top of the world. Depending on how old you are, you will typically see yourself as either approaching the apex of your life or coming down from the apex of your life. Whether it be our physical attributes, our beauty, our careers, our energy level, we know that there is a peak in our existence that doesn’t last forever – which is why those that have passed it always refer back to the “glory days.” We have trouble defining glory because it is so hard to grasp – human glory is fleeting.

But the glory of God is different in that it is constant throughout the ages. There is no waning of His glory. It is not defined by time or space. So how do we define the glory of God? In many different passages, it says that “the whole earth is full of his glory.” Perhaps a synonym to that would be beauty. The whole earth is full of his beauty. I think of my days in San Diego when I used to sit on the Cliffs in La Jolla and look at the vastness of the ocean, thinking of the greatness of God and the beauty that fills the whole earth. Creation is full of the glory of God – and we know that feeling when we encounter something that takes our breath away.

In this passage, it tells us that the glory of God was too much for Moses to comprehend. Moses found favor in the sight of God and God honors his request to see the glory of God. But the caveat is this: Moses can only see the backside of God because seeing God face to face would be too much for Moses. For Moses, there was absolutely no reference point as to what the fullness of the glory of God would look like, and it seems to be impossible to comprehend for any human being.

John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” As much as Moses longed to see the glory of God, he was not able to behold it. But we live in a time where we have not only seen the glory of God through Jesus Christ, we have the glorious Holy Spirit living within us. How does it make you feel to know that by knowing Jesus, you have known the glory of God that was too much for Moses to comprehend? May we not take for granted this glory that has been revealed to us. As you start your day, let me encourage you to pause and take a moment to reflect upon the glory of God that has been revealed to you – and let that prepare you for the day to come.

Prayer: Father God, everywhere I look, I want to be reminded of Your glory. But more than Your glory that is mirrored in creation, help me to see the fullness of Your glory. Help me to understand the gravity of the glorious Holy Spirit dwelling in me. May my life then become a reflection of that glory. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 17

Lunch Break Study

Read John 1:14-18 (ESV): And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Question to Consider

1. What do you think the “dwelling among us” means?

2. What is the difference between the glory that Jesus embodies from the glory that Moses was able to see?

3. How can you be more cognizant of the glory of God?

Notes

1. The word that could be used here is “tabernacle,” as in, the Word became flesh and tabernacle among us. In the time when Israel was in the wilderness, they pitched a tent in the middle of an encampment where God would dwell with them. This was different from the gods of the past who were distant and far away, but God’s very presence was in their midst. Jesus and the fullness of His glory was described to have come into our very midst for the purpose of dwelling with us.

2. John talks about the glory that we have seen in the manifestation of the Word of God through the flesh of Jesus Christ. Jesus, as the Son of the Father, was the fullness of the Father. At the time, sons were an extension of their father. Therefore, Jesus was not just a representative sent from the Father, but the fullness of the Father coming to them. God made himself known as a visible manifestation to explain the invisible God through Jesus Christ.

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Read this Psalm from David and spend a moment reflecting on God’s glory:

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moons and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:1-4).

January 15, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was originally posted on September 12, 2019. Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Cultivating Generosity”

Matthew 25:20-21, 29

And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master’ . . . 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

Today’s passage is from the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). If you have not read the entire parable before, I would encourage you to do so before reading this.

The past few days we have been exploring the idea of generosity. Being generous is tied to righteousness, so if we have received Christ’s righteousness through our faith in Him, we ought to express that through generous living. Further, we can be generous as we trust in God, who is our abundantly generous Father. To close this little series, I want to take a look at the Parable of the Talents. Very often when we read this passage, we think of this parable about using our gifts and abilities for God (partly due to the word talent being used in this passage; note that talent here refers to a unit of money). However, when we interpret it this way, we lose sight of the immediate idea of the parable, that of money.

This parable is about a rich man entrusting money to three of his servants with the assumption that they would use it wisely, according to the interests of the master. In the end, two of the servants use the money to increase the wealth of the master while the other servant simply buries the money and then returns it. Jesus commends the two who increased the wealth of the master but chastises the third. The two faithful ones are then given even more because of their faithfulness.

At face value, this parable is teaching us that what we have, especially our finances, are not our own. They belong to our Master and our Master expects us to use them wisely, according to the interests of our Master. All we have is actually all His. God does not just own the 10% we give in our tithe – He owns everything we have. And God is looking for us to make a return on what He gives us. The return He is looking for is not gained interest, but lives that are transformed. He expects us to invest into the Kingdom. This is God’s invitation to us – sow generously into the Kingdom, invest into the Kingdom, make a return on the Kingdom. This is an amazing invitation that God has given to us and when we accept that invitation, we grow in trust and we learn to live under the goodness of God and our lives become fruitful.

Now, quick disclaimer. The last verse says that to those who have, more will be given. This is not saying that we are guaranteed more wealth if we are generous. Rather, the more we make interest on the Kingdom – through our finances, our gifts, really, our whole lives – the more we see God move and the more we get to be a part of God’s Kingdom work. Generosity is a key avenue to being a part of God’s plan of bringing His Kingdom on earth. He is inviting us to join Him, to bring all that we have, and see an abundance come from what we bring. This is surely something we would not want to miss out on!

Prayer: Lord, may You cultivate a heart of generosity in us. May we not be like the third servant who simply buried his talent. Rather, may we seek to invest into Your Kingdom, to bring all we have so that we can reap a fruitful, Kingdom harvest. May we long to hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Bible Reading for Today:John 16

Lunch Break Study

Read Mark 12:41-44: And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Questions to Consider

Compare what the widow gives to what the rich people give.
Why does Jesus commend the poor widow?
Is your mindset more like the rich people or the widow?

Notes

In total numbers, the rich people likely gave a much, much greater amount than the poor widow. Yet, the widow gave all that she has. We do not know what the rich people gave, but likely they gave an amount that was comfortable for them, enough to feel good about themselves.
Jesus says that the widow put more in than all the rich people because she gave everything she had, out of her poverty while the rich people gave out of their abundance. I heard the following quote recently about this passage: “Generosity is not measured by what you give, but by what you don’t give.” The widow held nothing back, while the rich people likely held much back, even though what they gave was likely a lot.
I know it can be easy to think, “Well I’m not rich so I’m not like them!” But the rich people’s mindset was that they’d give what was comfortable for them. Do you give what feels comfortable or what may cause a little discomfort? The widow gave out of her poverty and she is who Jesus commends to us.

Evening Reflection

This evening ask God show you what could happen through your generosity. Perhaps there could be kingdom work accomplished as you enter on the journey of generous giving! Invite God to give you direction about this.

January 14, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s Devotional Thought for Food, originally posted June 17, 2019, is provided by Andy Kim. Andy is the Lead Pastor of Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Devil God is in the Details”

Exodus 37:1-2

“Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 2 And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it.”

Exodus 27:1-2

“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 2 And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.

Selective listening. It doesn’t take too much effort to walk away from a conversation and only take away what I want to hear. It’s also tend to ignore what I don’t want to hear, especially things I’ve already heard before. And as you read our passage this morning you may also think, Wait, didn’t I just read this passage a few weeks ago in chapters 25-27? You may even find these instructions for building the temple elsewhere. In fact, it’s these passages I often find myself skipping because it seems repetitive—yet, we see one small, but significant difference.

If you look in chapter 27, God provides what seems to be the same set of instructions starting with the command, “You shall make….” Now notice in our passage this morning that it begins with “Bezalel made….” So the difference is that these chapters serve as the fulfillment of what God commanded Moses to do. What we see here is an absolute trust and obedience to His word—down to the smallest detail. But it’s the small things that are always difficult to listen to because we tend to minimize them. Or worse, we tend to pick and choose what we hear from Him out of our own convenience. And the issue with selectively listening to God is that it leads to selectively obeying Him.

We are reminded in our passage that what seems small and insignificant in our eyes is absolutely necessary for building His temple. Jesus teaches us, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much.” For even Jesus, who was God, became small and insignificant in the form of a man to save us. God isn’t impressed with our grand gestures; He’s moved by our faithfulness to His word. May our lives be the fulfillment of His word spoken to us. May we learn to obey Him in all things, not just what we want or is convenient for us so that we live according to His good and perfect will.

Prayer: Father, I confess I only want to hear what I think is good for me. Soften my heart so that I may be sensitive to Your Word. I believe whatever You started in me, You will see it to completion. Purify my desires so that I may faithfully obey You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 15

Lunch Break Study

Read James 1:21-25: Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Questions to Consider

We are continuously taught to read His Word as a spiritual discipline. Why should we read His Word?
How does the Word of God lead us?
How has the Word of God been speaking to you? Does your life reflect it?

Notes

Only His Word can save our souls and so we are to do everything we can to receive it. However, merely listening to the Word does not mean you are actually receiving it. To receive is to do what the Word of God commands. Apostle John in 1 John 2:3 and John 14:21 says that to know Him is to obey Him.
James provides this analogy of a man looking in the mirror. As a mirror reveals a man’s face and the things he cannot see, the Word of God reflects the true condition of our heart. It provides the areas we are to change and grow in. Those who allow God’s Word to direct their lives will be blessed.
Personal Application.

Evening Reflection

When I was young, my pastor would always point us to Colossians 3:23 where Paul writes, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” The example he always gave was that even in our study habits, we could glorify God. Either this was the greatest ploy to get us to study more, or it was indeed true. He is to be glorified in all areas of our lives. Whether it is in our work or even the way we interact with strangers, may we be motivated by His glory. Spend some time reflecting and asking God to reveal these areas in our lives.

January 13, Tuesday

REPOST Todays’ AMI Quiet Time, originally posted on January 21, 2019, is provided by Pastor Ryun.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in the First Trump Presidency”

1 Timothy 2:1-3

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.”

Since immigrating to America in 1974, and prior to the 2016 election, I have lived under seven presidents (beginning with Gerald Ford). None of them have been quite like the current one—perhaps none ever have. Every president, whether Republican or Democrat, receives his share of the good, the bad, and the ugly when his administration is evaluated. Yet many on the political left seem poised to make an exception with Donald Trump. They will undoubtedly highlight a litany of negatives associated with him: several people close to the president facing imprisonment for illegal activities, as well as multiple investigations into his campaign and even his foundation. The political right, however, will counter by pointing to record-low unemployment and NATO allies finally increasing their defense spending in response to Mr. Trump’s firm stance.

So how should we evaluate the performance of the current president?

As a pastor with a working knowledge of Scripture, I can confidently say that although the Bible was completed long ago, it still speaks clearly to many contemporary issues—same-sex marriage (Rom. 1:26–27; 1 Cor. 6:9; Eph. 5:31), the sanctity of unborn life (Ps. 139:14–15), and unjust labor practices (James 5:1–6), to name a few. Yet Scripture does not speak with the same clarity on other matters, such as whether to build a wall to secure porous borders (something many politicians on both sides have supported), whether to repeal the Affordable Care Act, or whether to withdraw remaining U.S. troops from Syria.

Therefore, if I am to bear prophetic witness to Donald Trump’s presidency, I must do so on the basis of issues Scripture addresses plainly—leaving no room for your opinion or mine.

Evaluated through that lens, one unequivocally good development during this administration is the weekly Bible studies held in the White House. Several top officials attend, including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. As believers, we should be grateful that the President allows these leaders to gather in the White House to “humble themselves and pray and seek [God’s] face” (2 Chron. 7:14) as they navigate complex issues that inevitably leave some dissatisfied. Of course, it would be even better if the President himself joined them—something worth praying for in 2019.

But what about the bad—what some would call the illegal? For example, is building a wall immoral? There may be legitimate reasons to oppose it, but as CNN anchor Chris Cuomo—of all people—remarked, “Wanting barriers along the border is not propaganda. It’s not immoral. It’s not wrong.” The truth is that while the intensity surrounding Trump’s alleged misdeeds has reached a fever pitch in some media circles, the key allegations against his campaign remain unproven; some have already been debunked. The most recent claim—that Trump instructed his former lawyer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress—was denied even by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Nevertheless, it is true that Trump committed adultery with an adult-film actress before becoming president and paid hush money for reasons still unclear. That is unequivocally wrong, and he ought to apologize. Sadly, I would not be surprised if, in time, Trump’s wrongdoing outweighs whatever good he may have accomplished. For now, however, I cannot speak against alleged misconduct related to his campaign until facts are confirmed. If and when they are, we will mourn and call our president to repentance.

Meanwhile, there is much confirmed ugliness in the current presidency. So what would the prophet Nathan or John the Baptist—who confronted King David and Herod Antipas, respectively—say to our President if they were his spiritual advisors? We need not guess. Pastor Eddie Kim of the Church of Southland expressed it well in an August 19, 2018, sermon, from which I quote:

“I don’t mean to get too political here, but I am going there. Whether you like President Trump or not, economists say that our economy is actually steady; as a matter of fact, it is actually booming and growing. Even foreign policy experts and analysts are saying that despite the crazy rhetoric and schizophrenic policy of this administration, there is a weird stability around the world. Even the Iranian pastor who spoke at the AMI conference last week mentioned that the U.S. policy toward Iran right now is actually helping the people—something you don’t hear about in the news. Now, the sad reality is no matter how well this economy does—we could have zero unemployment; we could have Middle East peace and world peace—this presidency sadly will always remain controversial. And that’s because our president comes across as lacking humility.”

The absence of humility—also known as pride—looks ugly on anyone, including the most powerful person in the world. And so we pray for our president. That is our duty, for we are commanded to offer “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings…for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Tim. 2:1). Pray that President Trump will “humble [him]self before God” (2 Chron. 34:27). Then let us pray the same for ourselves, for we need humility just as much as he does.

Prayer: Lord, we pray for President Trump, the man whom You chose to lead this nation at this moment. God, cause him to humble himself before You and cry out for Your grace and mercy. Remind him to seek forgiveness for his sins and Your righteousness to govern our nation. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 14

Lunch Break Study

Read Daniel 4:28-37: All this [the king’s dream] came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. Nebuchadnezzar Restored 34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Questions to Consider

1. In what way is our President similar to King Nebuchadnezzar?

2. In what form did the humbling of this mighty king take place?

3. What do you suppose this king realized while he was roaming in the wilderness for 7 years?

Note

1. Nebuchadnezzar was an egotistical king who truly believed that his success was due to his own doing; and it was all for his own glory. A person like that shares credit with no one. It sort of reminds us of a man who used to fire people on his own reality show.

2. God stripped him of everything, even his humanhood. This goes to show how hardened Nebuchadnezzar’s ego was. To this end 1 Peter 5:5^a says, “God opposes the proud.”

3. He reached the end of himself. It took 7 long years for him to realize a simple lesson: God is everything and I am nothing. Jesus puts it: “For apart from me you cannot do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). The second half of 1 Peter 5:5 says, “But [God] gives grace to the humble.” That grace was manifested through his men who searched for Nebuchadnezzar to restore his kingship.

Evening Reflection

As we began the day praying for our President, let us end it by praying for him again. There is no doubt that he has become such a polarizing figure that many of us simply do not like him. Yet he also inherited a nation already deeply divided by what is often called “identity politics,” which prioritizes the needs of certain historically marginalized groups while largely overlooking many of the people who helped elect him. I am veering off course here—but it is a complex job, one that turns every president’s hair gray quickly.

Know that God placed Mr. Trump in office for reasons that are clear to Him and largely a matter of guesswork for us. So pray for the President and for Vice President Vance, as well as for your senators and governors. That is our responsibility.

January 12, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on March 25, 2019, is provided by Pastor Matt Ro. Matt is currently pastoring a church in the state of New York.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Art of Celebration”

Exodus 15:1-18 (ESV)

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider[a] he has thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. 4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. 5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. 7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. 8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ 10 You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? 12 You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. 13 “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. 14 The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. 16 Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. 18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.”

The Rocky Run. You know it. An early morning run beginning in the streets of South Philly, then sprinting along the waterfront of Penn’s Landing, moving to the banks of the Schuylkill River, culminating with a final climb up the 72 steps to the top of the Art Museum. The steps scene in the movie “Rocky” is arguably one of the most iconic shots in film history; it’s an allegory for personal victory and has been copied and parodied countless times over.

Today, we find ourselves celebrating so many things. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, job promotions, a good grade on a test…the list goes on and on. It’s so easy to celebrate something that goes in our favor, and we often remember to thank God for His goodness when things are going right.

In Exodus 15, Moses and the Israelites sing a song to the Lord in celebration and thanksgiving of their escape from the Egyptians through the Red Sea. Verse 2 states, “The Lord is my strength and my defense: he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” It is so easy to remember that God is the reason for anything good in our lives when everything is good. When we’ve experienced a victory, it’s easy to praise and thanks Him and give Him the glory.

But what happens when things aren’t so good? Where is our urge to give thanksgiving and praise to God when a loved one is dying, our car breaks down at the worst possible time, or our marriage is falling apart? How can we thank God for being good when we just don’t see the good?

Exodus 15:13 says about the Lord, “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed.” As Christians, we have the ability to trust in God in the good times and bad because we know God’s love never fails. He is always leading us to something better than we could ask or imagine. Praising Him and thanking Him even through the trying times will help give us clarity and discernment, and it will remind us that God really is good all the time.

Do you find it difficult to praise and thank God when times are hard? How do you think your perspective of God could change if you begin to praise Him in all circumstances? Take some time today to thank God for the good in your life and ask Him to show you the good in the situations that may be trying.

Prayer: Lord, you are my strength and my song; you have become my salvation. You are my God, and I will praise you, I will exalt you. Teach me to give thanks always; to bless Your name! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 13

Lunch Break Study

Read Philippians 4:4 (ESV): “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice.”

1 Thess. 5:18 (ESV): “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Question to consider

Based on these passages, why is it important to practice the discipline of thanksgiving and celebration (i.e., rejoicing)?
What are some benefits we derive from giving thanks to God especially when facing difficult moments?
What are you going through at the moment? Regardless, give thanks unto the Lord.

Notes

Thanksgiving and celebration remind us that every success happens by the grace of God. It is important to remember that we contribute nothing to our own salvation, and subsequently, our journey in faith. All our success is from Him, through Him, and for Him.

2. Thankfulness is not an add-on activity. Gratitude towards God removes pride and opens the door to future blessings. Without it, we would forget what is truly important—faith in God.

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

The spiritual discipline of celebration is not just an outward expression. It is also something internal. Joy is something we have to find in our own relationship with God.

Were you able to celebrate God’s blessings in your life today? If not, take some time to celebrate them now.

January 11, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was originally posted on September 16, 2018. Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

Intercessory Prayer: “Prayer Changes Things”

Ephesians 6:10-13, 17

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm…18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…

In my previous QT blog, we talked about how God has given us authority in the heavenly places. He has “seated us” with Christ, which means we have dominion in the spiritual realm. Thus, if we have dominion and authority in the heavenly places, our words affect the spiritual realm. This is a critical component to intercessory prayer.

In today’s passage, Paul uses similar language to our verses from yesterday. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” We have authority in the heavenly places, yet there are forces that are working against our authority, and more importantly, working against Christ’s authority. This passage is calling us to battle against these forces and this is the heart of intercessory prayer—a spiritual battle in which we use our authority in Christ to oppose the spiritual forces of evil, which are the forces of the devil.

Intercessory prayer is a battle. It’s the tool for using our heavenly authority to combat the enemy and his schemes that oppose God’s kingdom. Intercessory prayer changes things. Our words matter. Some people may feel uneasy about this. Isn’t God the one in control? If our words affect the spiritual realm, doesn’t that undermine God’s authority? God, in His grace, shares His authority with us. God is fully in control, yet in His goodness He gives some control over to us. If you are still unconvinced, read Luke 9:1 (“he gave them power and authority”) or Matthew 18:18 (“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven”). Think of this like a form of the Radical Middle of “both/and”: God is fully in control and yet we also have authority in the spiritual realm such that our prayers change things.

So what should we do about this? We should pray in boldness. Prayer is not simply a religious activity, something we do in obligation to God. We pray knowing that our prayers affect reality. We pray to see changes happen. Pray for your family who are not believers. Pray for healing for your friend who is sick or injured. Pray for your church to make a greater impact in your area. Pray for your city or town to look more and more like God’s kingdom. These are not merely physical matters—these are spiritual issues, in the heavenly realm. Pray boldly, pray with authority because our prayers affect spiritual reality. Prayer changes things.

Remember: God has given you authority in the heavenly places so that we may wage war in the heavenly places. He’s given us prayer as a tool for this. So, will you use it?

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the authority You’ve given me in the heavenly places. I know there is a battle being waged in these heavenly places, so give me boldness to jump into this fight, knowing that my prayers matter. Lord, teach me to pray in Your power, by Your Spirit. May I keep on praying, knowing this is the greatest weapon You have given me. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 12

January 10, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought,, provided by Christine Li, was originally posted on March 9, 2019. Christine serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“A Heart of Celebration”

Exodus 10:9

“Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord.”

In her memoir, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom writes of an evening in the Ravensbruck concentration camp, where her sister Betsie insists on thanking God for their living conditions – a barrack infested with fleas. “’Give thanks in all circumstances,’ [Betsie] quoted. ‘It doesn’t say, in pleasant circumstances. Fleas are part of where God has put us.’” While Corrie writes of her doubtfulness, she finds out later that because the guards hated the fleas, this sector of camp was rarely monitored and harassed. As a result, Corrie and Betsie were able to have prayer meetings and minister to women freely, so that even in a dark place they found abundance of life!

This idea of celebration is extremely important. The purpose for Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt is so that they may worship the Lord and celebrate His faithfulness, for God is fulfilling promises made to their forefathers. Isn’t it amazing? The response of the people after receiving their freedom will be to worship the Lord. The agenda does not include complaining about the last several hundred years, regretting lost time and wasted opportunity, or wishing that deliverance could have come sooner. Instead, what the people will do is to rejoice in what God has wrought on their behalf. Moses does not know what the journey out of Egypt will entail, if it will be easy or difficult. But what he does know is that the people will worship God.

While we know that the Israelites will certainly fall short of their intentions (and so do we), we can still learn and aspire to be people who celebrate. Celebration is not only a spontaneous reaction to positive things. Celebration can take place because we plan for it.

So today, let’s plan to celebrate what God has done and will do. Let’s commit ahead of time to giving thanks when we anticipate both good things and hard things happening. Let us choose to celebrate with all that we have and with all those around us. May we ask Him to help us live up to these plans of believing, seeing, and testifying that He has been and will continue to be good to His people.

Prayer: Father, thank You for all Your goodness in my life. Put words of thanksgiving in my heart! Help me to intentionally and purposefully celebrate Your work in my life. Cultivate a habit of praise in my life so that I will become someone who celebrates Your goodness in all circumstances. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 10-11

January 9, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on March 1, 2019, is shared by Pastor Mark. He is currently preparing to launch a site church (of Radiance Christan Church) in the East Bay area near San Francisco. Please keep him and his planting team in your prayers.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Corresponding Justice of God”

Exodus 7:14-25 (ESV)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. 16 And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed. 17 Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.” ’ ” 19 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’ ” 20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile. 25 Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

Before God called upon Moses to deliver the people of Israel, we are told that God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and that He saw the suffering of His people and knew their pain. This first plague is a clear sign that the injustice that the Israelites suffered at the hands of Pharaoh was not overlooked nor forgotten by God. It is no coincidence that the waters of the Nile that claimed the lives of so many innocent children, sentenced to drown by Pharaoh, was justly turned into blood. The stench of death that the Nile had come to represent now filled the conscience of every Egyptian that allowed such an atrocity to happen. I’m sure that Moses, who was saved out of the Nile, would have understood the deep significance of the life-giving waters of the Nile being turned into a lifeless cesspool of blood. God had remembered.

In a world that is filled with so much injustice, it is easy to believe that God doesn’t know, doesn’t care, or has forgotten about the plight of the oppressed. This passage comforts us with the fact that He does not forget and that in due time vengeance will be His. Of the ten plagues, only this first one is given a specific duration of time, seven days. In the Scriptures, the number seven is a symbol of God’s completed work and is usually connected to the finished work of creation. However, in this case, the seven days of the bloody waters of the Nile are a promise that God’s justice would be made complete.

All injustice and oppression will one day come to an end and although we may never understand the timing of God, nevertheless, we can rest assured that His justice will be done on this earth.

Prayer: Father, help me to fight for the cause of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. When I feel like I am losing that battle, help me to find comfort in knowing that one day Your justice will prevail. May You give me the faith to see that You know and care about the suffering of the world and the courage to wait for the day of the Lord to come. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 9

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 94:1-23: O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth 2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. 5 They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage. They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless; 7 and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” 8 Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge—the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. 16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?

17 If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 18 When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. 19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. 20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? 21 They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. 22 But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. 23 He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out.

Questions to Consider

Why do evil people persist in their sin?
What is the promise of God in the midst of our suffering?
How does God minister to the downtrodden?

Notes

Verse 7 tells us that people persist in their evil ways because they do not believe that God sees their sin—leading them to assume that they have free reign to continue their exploitation of the fatherless, widow, and sojourner.
The promise of God from verse 14-15 is that He will not forsake us or abandon His people into the hands of wicked. Instead, His justice will return to those who follow Him in righteousness.
In the last stanza of this Psalm, we see that many ways that God ministers to those who suffer injustice. God alone is our stronghold and refuge and able to bring consolation to the soul. In a world filled with people damaged by the trauma of sin, God becomes our ultimate protector and healer.

Evening Reflection

In the West, we tend to shrink back from the idea of a God of justice but Miroslav Volf, theologian at Yale, talks about the need to have a God of both justice and love, and that ultimately men cannot be freed from the cycle of vengeance and hatred unless they believe God to be just. He writes:

“My thesis that the practice of non-violence requires a belief in divine vengeance will be unpopular with many…in the West…[But] it takes the quiet of a suburban home for the birth of the thesis that human non-violence [results from the belief in] God’s refusal to judge. In a sun-scorched land, soaked in the blood of the innocent, it will invariably die…along with other pleasant captivities of the liberal mind.”

Strangely, when we allow God to be the final arbiter of justice, it frees us to forgive and love one another. Pray that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.

January 8, Thursday

REPOST Todays’ AMI Quiet Time, originally posted on January 30, 2019, is provided by Pastor Ryun.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“With God, Watch Out for a Very Unexpected Career”

Philippians 4:13

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

I first met John and Esther in 2009, when I taught a class at Vision University in Vietnam—both of them were students there. After meeting in our school, they eventually married, moved to Malaysia to serve for two years, and then returned home. (They completed their bachelor’s program in 2016.)

At the conclusion of my recent class in Vietnam for the master’s program of Kairos Global University (Nov. 2018), John invited me to dinner at what turned out to be a rather fancy restaurant. When he arrived to pick me up, I was surprised to see his vehicle—not a scooter (the standard mode of transportation for most Vietnamese) but a fairly new car. Later, over dinner, John shared a series of events that had turned his life upside down. Here is the condensed version.

About two years earlier, a believer in Malaysia told John that God wanted him not only to play a harp, but to make one. (“That is so random,” I thought.) How did John—who had never even seen a harp, much less had $3,000 to buy one—respond? Naturally, the word “crazy” came to mind. Nevertheless, he began praying that God would provide a harp, if this was truly His will.

Meanwhile, a Christian woman in Singapore—who had never met John—felt the Lord prompting her to sell the gold she had recently inherited from her late mother and bless someone with the proceeds. When she shared this in her cell group, someone who knew John mentioned his situation. As a result, this sister in Singapore decided to bless John with a brand-new harp! This happened just two months after John began praying.

John then started teaching himself to play. Not only that—he actually made a harp, a process that took him three months. When I incredulously asked how he managed it, John simply said, “God taught me.” Well, what can you say to that?

But the story gets even crazier. Around this time, the same Malaysian believer told John that God wanted him to make thirty harps. Shocked, John nevertheless obeyed—and completed all thirty in just two months. By this point in the story, I had put my fork down. To date (as of January 2019) John had made 700 harps.

John and Esther—who still remember the days when they could afford only one meal a day—were able, through this unexpected blessing from the Lord, to buy a small vehicle for their growing family (their second child on the way) and treat me to a very nice dinner.

Let John’s story remind you: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13). “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4). Yes, we must handle God’s blessings with care—something John and Esther understand well—but let their story also remind us that “everything is possible for him who believes” (Mk. 9:23). So believe, pray, and work hard (Prov. 14:23).

Prayer: Dear Lord, we love You and praise You. Thank You for all the great promises that You have given us. We are often timid and pessimistic, but we are so thankful that we can have a full confidence in You to do the impossible in and through us. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: John 8

Lunch Break Study

Read Mark 11:23-24: As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Proverbs 14:23: “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

2 Tim. 2:6: “The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.”

Questions to Consider

1. The Mark 11:23-24 passage is loved by the advocates of Prosperity Theology. Why do you think they like this passage so much? What is a danger of misunderstanding this passage?

2. What is the antidote to misunderstanding or abusing passages like this?

3. New Year is a time of hope! What are you going to trust God with for this coming year? Is this something achievable by talents and training you already possess/have or something beyond your ability? Can you raise the bar a little so that you have to trust God for it?

Notes

1. One reason the advocates of Prosperity Theology like this passage is that they think that they can get whatever they desire. Also, too much emphasis is placed on what they hope God would do for them and not enough on men’s responsibility.

2. The antidote to the possible abuse is that we need to work—and work hard! While John said that God was the One who taught him how to play and make the harp, I am very sure he read some books on it or even watched some You-Tube videos. And he worked hard and prayed even harder.

3. I trusted God to publish a book in 2017. God answered that prayer in 2018. I worked hard and prayed harder.

Evening Reflection

Did you get to pray today? What are you praying about? Do you trust God that He is willing and able to accomplish amazing things in your life? While we need to be content with our present life, we also ought to have a holy-discontentment, wanting everything God has planned and prepared for us. Remember 1 John 5:14-15: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

January 7, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on February 6, 2019, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato. Jason is serving in Japan as an AMI missionary.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Unstoppable”

Exodus 1:6–7, 11-12, 16-17, 20 (ESV)

Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. [7] But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them… [11] …they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. [12] But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel… [16] “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” [17] But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live… [20] So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong.

My plans are easily frustrated. If I plan something as simple as a nice outing to the park with my family, it can be ruined by an endless number of factors that are outside of my control. Bad weather, unexpected sickness, or moodiness (my kids’ or my own—ha ha) can prevent us from even getting to the park, let alone having a great time. But, while my plans may be easily frustrated, God’s plans are unstoppable.

Joseph, the second in command in Egypt, dies, but the people continue to multiply and grow. The Egyptians actively seek to weaken the Hebrews through systematic oppression and slavery, but “the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied.” The king of Egypt commands that all male babies be killed at birth, but God grants the midwives the fear of the Lord and the people continue to multiply and grow strong. The Lord is almighty; He has a purpose for His people, and no opposition, human or otherwise, can stop Him.

In our day-to-day lives, our everchanging circumstances and the whims of people around us appear to be impossible to overcome. We aim to progress in various areas of life (relationally, financially, etc.) yet so often we feel as if we are behind and things are not going according to our plans. In response, we may “invite” God to bless our plans and empower us to accomplish them, but He invites us to something far better. Jesus invites us to give up our insignificant and easily stoppable plans and embrace His certain and unstoppable plans.

May our time and energy be invested in the plans of our sovereign Lord in whom we have hope that will not fail us.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You accomplish Your will. Forgive me that I hesitate to entrust my future to You. I imagine that my plans could be better than Yours. Help me to surrender my own plans that I might walk in Your will and receive all that You have for me.

Bible Reading for Today: John 7

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV): “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Questions to Consider

What prevents us from being steadfast in the work of the Lord?
What allows us to continue in the work of the Lord?
Is there labor in this world that is in vain?

Notes

We can grow discouraged when we face opposition, see little fruit, or do not receive what we had hoped from our investment. It can seem as if our work for the Lord is in vain.
We must know that our labor for the Lord is not in vain as Jesus is faithful to receive and use all that we give to Him.
Yes, labor that is not done for the Lord. Even works that are impressive from a human perspective are ultimately in vain if they are not done for Jesus.

Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day. At any time, did God invite you to surrender your plans and embrace His? At any time, did God demonstrate His sovereign power to accomplish His purposes? Take a moment to thank the Father for His presence in your life and invite Him to accomplish His will in your life.