REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on October 9, 2016. Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“When I Went Broke in College”

Luke 15:14-17

“After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!’”

I knew college was supposed to be challenging, but one trouble I did not anticipate was that I would go broke one semester. It was my own foolishness– I had relinquished a work-study job, but I kept spending money. I knew this was a bad idea, yet I hoped I could scrape by and never tell my parents. Finally, one day when I had less than $20 left for weeks of school, I reached a crisis. 

Completely distraught, I called home and admitted what situation I was in. While my parents made it clear that they found this completely irresponsible, what they were more concerned about was that I had felt the need to hide from them. “You shouldn’t have pretended everything was fine. You should have come to us sooner,” they rebuked me.

A couple things prevented me from openly going to my parents. I feared the humiliation of being known as irresponsible. I feared they would be angry, and I was too prideful to admit that I needed help. So, I tried to handle the difficulty by myself until I reached a point of desperation. Looking back, if I had had the sense to admit my troubles sooner, I could have received help and avoided all the angst. 

Just like the prodigal son, don’t we also avoid going to God the Father at the first sign of trouble? Though the prodigal lacked no shame in asking for his inheritance, he kept himself from returning when he was in need, struggling on his own until he was completely stuck. We might feel ashamed for what we did, fearful that He will be angry, or stubbornly hope that we can handle it on our own. But our delay only puts us in a worse-off condition than if we turned home sooner. 

We all know the happy ending of this parable: the Father was quick to forgive and restore the son. Even if others have responded to our failings in negative ways, we can be encouraged that this will not be the Father’s response. He will eagerly respond to us with help, healing, and restoration. So, let’s not keep ourselves from Him. We do not have to needlessly struggle on our own when He is ready to restore us. 

Prayer: Father, You are so gracious and gentle! But I always seem to forget, and that is why I do not go to You sooner. Help me to remember Your loving-kindness and that You are slow to anger and quick to forgive. Teach me to come to You eagerly and receive Your grace that heals and restores me. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 5

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on October 22, 2016, is provided by Pastor David Kwon who leads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  David is a graduate of Drexel University (B.S.) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Greatness of Christ”

Hebrews 2:5-9

For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

After the author of Hebrews gives us a warning about drifting away from the gospel, he returns to the greatness of Christ Himself. This shift is made so that the work and role of Christ can be prominently emphasized throughout the rest of the book of Hebrews.  In these verses, it tells us how this rule is presently manifested in the world. We are told that nothing has been left outside of Christ’s control (2:8), and all of creation is now subject to the rule of Christ.

The author also quotes from Psalm 8, which celebrates God’s creation, including man.  In Psalm 8:3, the psalmist contemplates the mighty works of God by saying, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place…”  And as he thinks about the stars, planets and galaxies, and the vastness of the universe, no wonder he exclaims, “What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?”What the writer of Hebrews (and the psalmist) is saying is that man has a position of honor (v.7), meaning that we are the pinnacle of creation and also a position of authority (v. 8) as man was given rule over the earth.  

What does this mean for us? A few thoughts:

1. We have a King who knows us.  We are reminded that God not only intentionally created the universe, but we are also His beloved creation.  God knows our thoughts, wants and needs – the King of the Universe knows us and calls us by name! Rejoice, because we have a heavenly Father who intimately knows us in this way!  

2. We have a King we can trust. Jesus is a King who never fails us because of His great love for us. The Cross is proof that His love is unconditional; therefore, we can trust him with our lives.  

I know that most of us know these truths in our heads, but do we live that way in everyday lives?  Do you really trust Christ in every area of your life?  Does the perfect love of God give you the ultimate security in your life rather than things like money, family, appearances and reputation?   Spend time praying that these promises would be lived out in our lives today.

Prayer:  Jesus, thank You for being our King.  Thank You that You are the God of creation and the One who knows us fully and intimately. Help us to trust You with all of our hearts today. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 3-4 

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provide by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on October 13, 2017.  Peter is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“God Uses Ordinary People in Extraordinary Ways”

Genesis 12:10-13

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

We understand that faith plays a critical role in our Christian life. Faith is critical for our salvation. Faith moves mountains. Faith heals people. In fact, without faith, we know it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). But if we are honest, we often struggle with doubts. Many in the church wonder if they are genuinely saved. Mountains still remain while healings are sparse. It’s easy to scrutinize ourselves and have a low view of our own faith. 

As a kid growing up in the church, I remember singing, “Father Abraham Had Many Sons.” Do you remember that song? (You can google it if you want to hear it.) It was a silly song with even sillier calisthenics, but I remember one time asking my Sunday School teacher, “Who the heck is Father Abraham?” Usually, we are told that he was a great man of great faith. He was called by God to leave his family, and he did. He was asked by God to sacrifice his son, and he almost did. He would receive a promise that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky. But they never told you that he lied about his wife…TWICE. 

Here, we read the first time where Abraham lies to Pharaoh about his wife because he is afraid (the second time is found in Genesis 20). Both stories reveal a faithless man filled with self-preserving fears. I’m sure that Sarah didn’t appreciate being called Abraham’s sister, just so her husband can save his own hide. But that was who Abraham was. Now go ahead a google “father of faith” on your phone or laptop, and guess who comes up. You probably already guessed it, but it’s no one other than Abraham himself. NT passages such as Romans 4:16 (father to us all) and Hebrews 11:8-9 (by faith he made his home in the Promised Land) lead us to Abraham’s moniker, the “father of faith.”

That’s what God does. He takes people, such as Abraham, filled with doubts and fears, and simply asks us to follow Him. He already knows that we are filled with fears and reservations. I’m sure it wasn’t a surprise to God that Abraham used his wife. Yet, God simply asked Abraham to follow Him. Generations later, despite these humiliating stories, Abraham would be called the “father of faith.” When we follow Him and His ways, our fears make room for faith. One of many subplots of the Bible story is that God takes ordinary people and uses them for accomplishing His extraordinary purposes. He’s been doing that for thousands of years, and He’s still doing that today. How about allowing God to write that story in your own life? 

Prayer: Lord, I admit that I’m far from having great faith. Help me in overcoming my own unbelief. Continue to work in and through me for accomplishing Your Kingdom purposes here on earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 2

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Mark 9:17-29 (NIV): A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” 19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Questions to Consider

1. How does Jesus amaze you in this story? 
2. As you read through the father’s plea, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief,” how does that encourage you in your own place of faith and doubts?  
3. Jesus answers the disciples, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” Do you see a correlation between faith and prayer? 

Notes

1. Consider the severity of the boy’s condition, his duration, and the lack of faith by those around him. Yet, Jesus’ authority and power brings light into darkness. Is there anything that Jesus cannot do?
2. There is such sincerity in the father’s plea to Jesus. He is neither presumptuous about his faith nor deeply insecure.  
3. Prayer by definition is dependence on God. 

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Evening Reflection

Spend a little extra time tonight in prayer, cultivating a greater dependence on the Lord. 

REPOSTToday’s AMI Devotional QT, first posted on October 19, 2017, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian who leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.  Shan is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Wow!”

Genesis 13:14-18

The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

At the beginning of the movie The Lion King, Mufasa brings his son Simba to the top of a mountain at sunrise, and tells him that one day he will be king of all of the land that the light touches—it’s a majestic scene. Simba’s response is simply, “Wow,” for he is in awe of how great this promise is. The scene in Genesis 13 is uncannily similar to The Lion King, as God shows Abram (later Abraham) how great His promise is to him.  Abram looks up at the land, and God says that “all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.” Here was Abraham—just one man. And though he was already advanced in age and had yet to even have a son, God, the Creator and ruler of the world, comes to him promising him that he and his many offspring would rule over all of this land.  We’re not told what Abram’s immediate response was, but I can just imagine that as he stood there, looking in all directions, seeing how vast and great God’s promise was, that he just said, “Wow.”

There is a sense of awe when we realize that we are part of something so much greater and bigger than ourselves.  Many of us might wonder, though, “When will I ever be involved with something that compares to the greatness of God’s promise to Abraham?”  The truth is, if you’re a follower of Jesus, you already are! We might not be kings of Pride Rock or owning the land of Canaan, but we are the body of Christ, the church; and Ephesians 1:23 tell us that we as the body are the “fullness” of Christ.  As believers, we are called to make Christ “full” to the world, to be the means through which the world hears the good news and knows of the love of Jesus.  As the royal priesthood of Jesus, we are the ones whom God will use to proclaim His kingdom to the world.  And one day, when we’re in heaven, we’ll look up and see a great multitude of every nation, tribe and tongue, and we’ll altogether worship before the throne of God!  

This is what God promises us and if we realize this, I think our response should be, “Wow.” 

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for inviting me to be a part of Your kingdom and a part of your body. I thank You that I can live for something greater than myself. Help me to be in awe of You and Your promises to me. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Revelation 1

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Lunch Bible Study

Read 2 Corinthians 9:12-14: For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.

Questions to Consider

1. What is the result of the ministry that Paul talks about in this passage?
2. What then can be the result of the ministry that we do?  
3. How can you be living in such a way that others will give thanks to God and glorify Him?

Notes

1. This ministry resulted in the needs of the saints being met, but more than that it resulted in “many thanksgivings to God” and God himself being glorified.   
2. It’s, of course, the same—meaning, if we, in the name of Jesus, serve and supply the needs of others, our ministry can glorify God and lead to people giving thanks to God.  In this passage, Paul is talking specifically about giving financially, but for us, this can be any act of service that we do for the sake of the gospel.
3. Personal reflection—but it can be anything that we do that is not about ourselves but for the kingdom of God.

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Evening Reflection

Jesus invites every single one of us to be a part of His kingdom, as well as  part of His royal priesthood, proclaiming His kingdom to the world. We may feel like we’re insignificant in the big scheme of things, but each one of us has a role to play as members of His body. Consider what purpose(s) Jesus has for you in His kingdom.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on February 8, 2017.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought for Today

“Conflict Resolution” 

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.

Here is how you can turn a disagreement into a feud:

1. Be sure to develop and maintain a healthy fear of conflict, letting your own feelings build up so you are in an explosive frame of mind. 

2. If you must state your concerns, be as vague and general as possible. Then the other person cannot do anything practical to change the situation. 

3. Assume you know all the facts and you are totally right. The use of a clinching Bible verse is helpful. Speak prophetically for truth and justice; do most of the talking. 

4. With a touch of defiance, announce your willingness to talk with anyone who wishes to discuss the problem with you. But do not take steps to initiate such conversation. 

5. Latch tenaciously onto whatever evidence you can find that shows the other person is merely jealous of you. 

6. Judge the motivation of the other party on any previous experience that showed  failure or unkindness. Keep track of any angry words. 

7. If the discussion should, alas, become serious, view the issue as a win/lose struggle. Avoid possible solutions and go for total victory and unconditional surrender. Don’t get too many options on the table. 

8. Pass the buck! If you are about to get cornered into a solution, indicate you are without power to settle; you need your partner, spouse, bank, whatever. 

(Ron Kraybill, Tell it to the Church, Lynn Buzzard, David C. Cook, 1982, p. 23)

Disagreements are inevitable in community. Anyone who grew up with siblings knows that time and proximity are the only two ingredients required to eventually stir up conflict between two individuals who differ in anyway. Having conflicts is unavoidable – we can’t do much about that. But handling conflicts – now that’s another story. 

Paul speaks to us about the importance of handling conflicts well whenever they arise in the community of faith. We have to be careful to handle conflicts appropriately and swiftly so that there are no divisions among us. Why? Because we are family! God’s family – we are united as One in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Prayer: Lord, please help me to be a peacemaker in my faith community. I specifically want to surrender these specific areas of conflict that I am facing today – [name them].  Give me a heart of humility in my dealings with others and remind me of the precious bond Your children share through the blood of Jesus. In His name I ask these things. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 8

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Lunch Break Study

Read James 4:1-10: What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Questions to Consider

1. What does James say causes conflicts in our relationships with one another? Looking at conflicts you’re currently experiencing or conflicts you’ve experienced in the past, how do you see the truth of vv. 1-2 play out? 
2. What is James’ solution to our problem with conflicts? 
3. What are some ways God is calling you to draw near to Him? What are some ways God is calling you to humble yourself? How could this affect situations of conflict in your life? 

Notes

1. James says that conflict is caused by our own pleasures (or desires) waging war within us. We find ourselves in conflict with others because we have conflict within ourselves. We have felt needs or desires that aren’t being met. As a result, we try to meet them in other people (who often fall short), and then blame them our predicament – usually subconsciously. Every conflict can be boiled down to an unmet (whether perceived or real) need or desire (be it legitimate or illegitimate). 
2. The Sunday School answer rings true here – JESUS. The Lord is the source of all that we need and when we feel like our needs (and desires) aren’t being met, it’s best for us to go the source – to the one who provides all things for us. And when we go to Him, we must do so with an open heart, giving Him room to examine our motivations and reform our desires.  
3. Spend time in personal reflection. 

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Evening Reflection

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Jesus’ words above suggest that there is more riding on our relationships with one another than merely our own happiness. The fate of those outside the community of faith is bound up in our relationships. It is by our love for one another – and our willingness to lovingly address the inevitable conflicts that arise – that the world will come to know we belong to Jesus and will begin to see just what His love is all about. 

What are some ways you’ve seen how poorly handled conflict deter others away from the Church and the Good News we proclaim? Spend some time praying for your Church community. Ask that God would help you all to demonstrate his love especially in situations of conflict. 

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on May 2, 2017.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“How Do You Feel About Sin?”

2 Corinthians 7:2-10

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

When I was in middle school, I was caught shoplifting some candy at a local grocery store. It was a random stranger who turned me in to the store manager. When I was confronted by the manager, I pleaded with him to let me go, that I was sorry and I would never do it again. The manager gave me a tongue lashing, but for some reason, he did not turn me over to the police. Maybe he thought it was not worth his time to report such a petty theft. But here’s the thing: I found myself shoplifting again, no more than a month after my sorrowful repentance.  

Here is what the Bible teaches us today: there is an infinite difference between confessing your sin and feeling true sorrow for your sin. We are told that we can repent and even grieve over our sins, but if it is not accompanied by true sorrow or true regret, it will eventually lead to death. We will return to that same sin as a dog returns to his vomit. That is why we need to feel grief and sorrow so deep that we will find ourselves drawn not just to the consequence of sin, but will have real hatred for the actual sin itself.

In other words, a heart that is truly seeking the Lord will have a sense of genuine sorrow for sin. That sorrow will lead to a change of attitude in the heart, which will ultimately lead to a change in the choices we make in life. It is possible. We can find obedience to God become increasingly easier as we feel more deeply regretful over our sins.

Take some time today in your prayer, and ask the Lord to search your heart so that He can expose to you the areas of your life where you can apply godly sorrow. Ask Him to leave no stones unturned. As you do that, the Holy Spirit will begin to convict you of the areas you may need to take action in. Ask God to help you obey. In your obedience, you will find abundant life!

Prayer: Father, to be honest, there has been many times I have done something I knew to be wrong, but casually asked You for forgiveness, not really considering the seriousness of my sin.  Forgive me, Lord, for not approaching You with a heart of true sorrow for offending Your Most Holy Throne. Lord, help me to approach You sincerely and honestly with a heart determined to please You, even when I miss the mark. I want nothing more than to stand before You, pure and free from any chains that might bind me to this old world. Lord, I ask You to teach me godly sorrow and help me to quickly recognize when I offend You. Purify my heart, oh God, and help me to be a pleasing and submitted vessel of honor, set apart to glorify You—this is the desire of my heart! In Jesus’ name, Amen!  

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 7

Lunch Break Study 

Read 2 Samuel 12:1-13: And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms,[a] and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” 7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8 And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” 13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

Questions to Consider

1. Consider how Nathan approached David about his sin? What are some lessons to learn when confronting someone who may be lost in sin?   

2. What does David’s response in verse 13 tell us about the nature of sin?   

3. Is there any sin in your life that you may be ignoring?

Notes   

1. There is wisdom in the way Nathan approaches David. He reasons with him, without attacking him or faulting him on matters not related to the sin at hand.

2. All sin is ultimately against God. This doesn’t absolve our responsibility to make amends with the person we have sinned against, but ultimately, we must ask the Lord to make us right. 

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Meditate on this: “I would rather die than do something which I know to be a sin, or to be against God’s will” (Joan of Arc).  Let’s not take sin lightly, not just because it hurts the one committing it, but more importantly, it grieves the heart of God the Father.  

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on April 10, 2017, is written by Pastor David Son who pastors the Thrive Church in Taipei.  He is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley (BA) and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.). Stay up to date with Thrive Church by following them here: https://www.instagram.com/thrivechurchtaipei/

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Prancing Dad”

Hebrews 5:8-9

Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.

About a month ago, I was walking in downtown Boston, and I found myself walking behind a father and daughter, holding hands as they walked along the sidewalks of downtown. The man was probably in his 40’s, fully suited from head to toe. It was obvious that he worked in the corporate world in downtown. Next to him, holding his hand was his daughter who couldn’t have been more than 5 years old. As I was walking behind them, the daughter started skipping. In my heart, I thought, “Aww, what a cute pair…” But I didn’t expect what happened next to happen. Before I could finish my thought, the dad started skipping too! With his suit jacket flapping in the wind, and dress shoes clunking and skidding on the pavement, his gait was anything but graceful. In fact, he looked ridiculous! But as I watched them skip and prance ahead of me, I thought, “That man might be an important businessman somewhere, but he is certainly a great father.” And in that moment I understood a little more of God’s heart for us; although He is an Almighty God, He would willingly humiliate himself, endure ridicule, and go through suffering, all for the sake of being with us. 

To be clear, our passage today is not at all saying that Jesus was imperfect at one point, nor was Jesus disobedient at any moment of His life. But it is telling us that God willingly took on flesh and experienced (learned) first-hand what it’s like to be human. Jesus walked, talked, ate, wept, and suffered with us. Furthermore, Scripture says that without falling into sin, He also endured every temptation that we experience. And that’s what made Him our ideal Savior and sympathetic High Priest.

This week, as we remember what Jesus went through on our behalf, let us not forget that He did it all for the sake of being with us.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for willingly humbling Yourself, laying down Your titles and walking in our shoes. May we truly understand and embody Your great love for us.  In your name we pray. Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 6

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Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 2:14-18: Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this passage, why did Jesus have to become fully man?
2. According to this passage, what is the pre-requisite for helping those who are being tempted?
3. How can we most effectively help others who are going through trials and temptations?

Notes

1. Jesus had to become fully man, “made like his brothers in every respect,” so that He could become a merciful and faithful High Priest. In other words, Jesus’ divinity is what made Him worthy to atone for all of our sins. But it’s His humanity that made Him an eligible representative for us. He had to become like us, in order to take our place upon the cross.
2. Verse 18 reads, “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” It is true that God would still be able to help us, even if He hadn’t experienced temptation. But Jesus experienced temptation for our sake, so that we can relate to our Helper. When we are tempted, we can be sure that our Lord has been there Himself, and that He understands the struggles of being tempted. 
3. Most of the time, we feel as if we need to have it all put together before we can provide help for someone who is going through a hard time. Help is seen as something that is given as charity from the strong to the weak. But if we take a cue from Jesus, our idea of help is transformed. Although He was strong, He made Himself weak in order to minister to the weak. He willingly endured temptation and suffering for our sake. Obviously this is not a command to go out and intentionally seek suffering and temptation, but rather it is a call to be honest with our own weaknesses and flaws, because God often uses our own shortcomings as a way to minister unto others. 

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Evening Reflection

This evening, spend some time meditating on this passage from 2 Corinthians 12:9-10:

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on September 4, 2016, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children, serves in Japan as an AMI missionary.  Jason is a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Reason for My Regrets?”

John 11:45-53 (ESV)

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, [46] but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. [47] So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. [48] If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” [49] But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. [50] Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” [51] He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, [52] and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. [53] So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

When I was a teenager, I would drive very fast, but when I was pulled over once for speeding, I immediately regretted breaking the law.  But why did I regret it?  I regretted getting caught.  I regretted the possibility of a fine and traffic school.  I regretted that I would be yelled at by my parents.  But to be honest, I didn’t really regret endangering other people.  I didn’t regret my “offense.”

The Pharisees were amazingly disciplined in their religion.  They fasted and prayed, they studied the Scriptures, and they established meticulous rules in order to obey the Law of Moses.   The Pharisees did this because they deeply regretted that Israel had been conquered by empire after empire.  They profoundly felt the shame of exile and the loss of the Promised Land.

But did they regret offending God?  Did they regret that their sin had separated them from their God?

In our passage, we find that the Pharisees love their status.  Jesus is threatening because He is drawing away many people to Himself.  The Pharisees also love the honor of men.  This is why they do not want to offend the people by openly rejecting John the Baptist or arresting Jesus in broad daylight.  The Pharisees also love their power.  They do not want to offend the Romans because they could take away their authority, their status, and their nation.  

The Pharisees love many things other than God.  They do many religious things for reasons other than the love of God.  For clearly if they loved God, they would not violently reject His Son and shed innocent blood by killing their own Messiah.

According to verse 53, the Pharisees plan to put Jesus to death.  But their plan does not precede the plan of the Father.  We, like the Pharisees, rarely regret offending God.  We regret consequences of our sin, like guilt, shame, and judgment.  We, too, love many things more than God.  We are willing to sin as a means to an end.  Yet, the Father sends His Son to die for sinners like us, that His people from every tribe and nation would not perish.

May our regrets and our hopes no longer center on our punishments or rewards, but may we regret all that separates us from God and hope in Him who restores us to the Father.  The Son of God has paid the price that we might become children of God and live now and forever with and for Him.

Prayer: Father, I’m sorry that I can fear hell more than I long for heaven.  May all of my service and sacrifice be free from such unworthy motivation.  Give me your Holy Spirit that I might love You and worship You only. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 5

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on August 14, 2016. Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Would You Marry a Baker?”

John 6:27 

“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

One of my favorite stories from my mom’s college days was when she moved into a high-rise apartment with a bakery on the ground floor. She had never eaten bread so delicious before, she claims, so she would visit every single day on the way home from classes. At one point, she even wondered if she should try marrying the master baker. Then, she reasoned, she would have an endless supply of tasty breads – not a bad life!

How silly it would have been if my mother actually pursued that in order to meet her goal of eating delicious bread. That temporary pleasure would hardly be worth the commitment and cost of marriage. This, of course, is a very extreme example, but if we assess the way we live, don’t we also tire ourselves by spending needless effort on something that passes away quickly?

Our precious resources – time, energy, money, ability – are what we trade away each day to get something else. What are you spending your efforts on? Is it to get food, which you will be hungry for again in a few hours? Is it an appearance which will change with the fashions of the next season? Is it respect and fame, which fades when the next admirable person passes by?

Jesus said that His food was to do the will of God. His life was spent so that we might gain eternal life. Before we plunge again into another week or work and school, let’s take some time today to reconsider where our efforts are spent. Is it for food that spoils in these hundred years, or will it be for food that endures for thousands of millennia? May God give us the desire and the wisdom to work for His heavenly storehouses rather than those on Earth. 

Prayer: Father, I confess that I spend too much of my life in search of fleeting things, using my precious resources to gain things that bring me momentary happiness. I want to gain what gives me eternal delight, Your kingdom that will never fade or perish. Give me a heart that truly treasures the things of Heaven so that I can spend my life appropriately. Amen.

Bibe Reading for Today: Amos 3-4

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on May 12, 2017, is provided by Emerson Lin. Emerson, who serves in E. Asia as a missionary, is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Mental Game”

2 Corinthian 10:4-5

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Tennis has always been a large part of my life. I started learning how to play when I was 7 years old and spent majority of my time training for tournaments. I became obsessed with the game and would spend hours watching professionals play. One thing I noticed is that professionals in the top 30 are equal in skill: they all can hit serves at amazing speeds, have great footwork, and their forehand and backhand are fluid. However, what separates the top 5 from the rest is—their mental game. The reason why Roger Federer was able to hold his No. 1 position for years was because he had a strong mental game. Yes, he would get frustrated, but losing a game wouldn’t hinder him from finding a solution to beat his opponent. At the core of it, tennis is a mental game. 

Similarly, our Christian life is not just a battle in our spirit, but it is also battle in our minds. Paul mentions in verse 5 that “we must take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” An important aspect of winning the spiritual battle is redeeming our thoughts. In fact, the Bible is filled with passages that emphasize the importance of guarding our minds. For example, Romans 12:2 says: “Do not conform to the pattern of this word, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”; and Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” 

The reason we need to make our thoughts obedient to Christ is because our minds lean towards disobedience. Paul captures this in Romans 7:19: “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing….” Our minds naturally wander towards sinful thoughts and easily become distracted. 

I believe there are two practical ways to make our thoughts obedient to Christ: First, we can guard our mind from “garbage.” There is so much garbage on our computers, phones, and televisions. If you are struggling with taking every thought captive, try limiting what you see on your screen. Second, we can pursue the knowledge of God. Christ calls us to be disciples, which means learner. As we learn more about Jesus, we start ignoring the garbage that can flood our minds. 

Do you struggle with making your thoughts obedient to Christ? Take some time to think about which areas your mind wanders off to. Once you’ve done that, pray through these issues. Ask God to renew your mind so that you are one step closer to winning this spiritual battle.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I know I am sinner. My mind is so quick to disobey You, my mind wandering toward thoughts that are opposite of what You desire. Please give me the strength to slowly renew my mind by limiting the amount of garbage I see. As Your disciple, I want to become more and more like You. Amen!

Bible Reading for Today: Amos 2

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Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 119:65-72: Do good to your servant according to your word, Lord. 66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands. 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. 68 You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees. 69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart. 70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law. 71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. 72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

Questions to Consider

1. According to the psalmist, what are two reasons why it is important to be disciplined by the Lord (vv. 67 and 71)?
2. In verse 69, how does God’s law protect the psalmist?
3. How should we view God’s law (v. 72)?

Notes

1. First, so that we do not go astray, and second, so that we can learn how to walk on the path of righteousness again. 
2. God’s law guards the psalmist’s heart from the lies of the arrogant enemies.
3. God’s law is worth more than the material blessings He has given us.

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Evening Reflection

In light of today’s devotion regarding the battle of your mind, what steps can you take to guard your mind more? Do you need to focus more on limiting your media intake, or do you need to focus on reading God’s word more? Continue to pray that He will renew your mind more each day.