REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on August 16, 2016.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Grow Up, Please”
Hebrews 5:11-14
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

My wife and I have three kids, whose ages are 10, 7, and 11 months old. Everything about them is wonderful, with their unique life stages—each stage bringing new discovery and learning. Sometimes my wife and I are so enamored with the simple pleasure of our children acting age appropriately, we find ourselves saying, “I wish you never grow up.” But what if that really did happen? Never growing up, whether physically or mentally, would be a terrible thing to witness. 
The author of Hebrews, in our passage today, essentially says the same thing, when he states, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food” (verse 12). The author is addressing a serious problem among his audience. They are not growing; they have remained in a state of perpetual infancy. How does this happen? It begins with the lack of interest in God and His Word. Babies remain babies, the author explains, because they are “dull of hearing” (verse 11), which is a common Greek term for mental sluggishness. 
This is a timely word for us today. Many of us prioritize social media before we take time to study God’s Word. The box score or the latest Hollywood gossip is of greater interest than studying theology or hermeneutics. For those reasons, our ears are dull, and many of us have not progressed beyond the most basic summary of the Christian message. 
As followers of Christ, we must commit to a robust study of God’s Word; we must find in His Word not just our guidance, but our hunger being satiated. Let’s not just skim through the most important gift God has given us. Let’s ask God to challenge us with his Word, with even the difficult teachings; and by His Spirit, let us pray that we will grow to maturity. 
Prayer: God, thank You for the Bread of Life, who is Jesus Christ. Help me to eat of Your Word and grow stronger in my faith. I want to be a mature believer. May Your Spirit help me to that end.  Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezra 3

Lunch Break Study  

Read Ephesians 4:17-19: Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
Questions to Consider 

1. We are commended to not walk as the Gentiles do. How does Paul describe what their walk is like? 

2. What leads to the ignorance, darkening of our minds, and being alienated from God? 

3. How can you grow onto maturity in light of this passage?     
Notes

1. The Gentile walk is equal to futility of mind. This suggests the importance of our thought life as the people of God. 

2. It’s to due to the hardness of heart. Our minds are darkened because our hearts are not open to God. 

3. Personal application. 

Evening Reflection

If you were to grow mature in one particular area of your life, what would it be? 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on September 15, 2016.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia. 

Devotional Thought for this Morning

“Finding God Amid Feeling Overwhelmed”

John 14:16-17, 25-27 

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you . . . 25 All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Recently, I have been feeling an increased sense of responsibility and with it, the often accompanying feeling of being overwhelmed.  Because of the particular journey through which I’ve ended up where I am now (overseeing a small house church in Asia), I’d often felt a sense of not having the right background for this work, wishing I’d had more training, etc.  Before I came out here 14 years ago, I had learned much from being a member of and serving our church in NYC, but things were, of course, different out here; there were challenges I had never faced or even imagined before.  
As different people prayed over me over the years, one running theme had been the affirmation that I had indeed been equipped with all that I needed for the work at hand.  The prayers strengthened me in the moment, but when I came back to face the reality of what I needed to do each day, I would forget and come to doubt once again.  What I didn’t realize was that I had been associating “equipping” with experience – what I had already learned, the skills I already had under my belt – but when I did, each time I faced an unfamiliar challenge, I would think that I hadn’t been equipped to meet it.  
The truth was, however, that my equipping was not only my past experience but His Holy Spirit dwelling in me who would “teach [me] all things” (v. 26)—“teaching” implying that He would help me with what I didn’t already know, “all” including situations I had not previously faced.  I began to make a list of all the situations I didn’t know how to handle but wished the Holy Spirit would teach me to handle, and as I presented them to Him, the peace came (v. 27).  
What is on your wish list today?  Something you are feeling at a loss about?  A situation where you wish you knew what to do?  Take heart – there is a Wonderful Counselor living in you who has been sent to be with you to teach you all things.
Prayer:  Lord, I give every “I don’t know what to do” to you at this moment – would You teach me Your ways in all things?  You are alive in me, so help me to walk closely with and depend on You this day. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezra 2

Lunch Break Study

Read John 14:23-26:Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”Jeremiah 31:33:“. . . I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts . . .”

Questions to Consider
1. In addition to teaching us all things, what is the other role of the Holy Spirit mentioned in  verse 26?

2. In what other words is “everything I have said to you” (v. 26) described throughout this passage (vv. 23-25)?

3.   What is the main idea Jesus is trying to convey in this passage (i.e., what is the context in which His promise of the Holy Spirit is given)?  When we seek the Holy Spirit, what do we  usually seek Him for?
Notes
1. Reminding Jesus’ disciples of all the things He had said to them.

2. “All this I have spoken” (v. 25), which refers back to “my teaching” (vv. 23-24) and “these words you hear are not my own” (v. 24).

3. He is urging His disciples to obey His teaching.  He promises the Holy Spirit who will help them remember His teaching so that they can obey it.  We may seek the Holy Spirit for power or for comfort, but how often do we seek Him to remind us of Jesus’ teaching so that  we can obey?

Evening Reflection

How was my fellowship with the Holy Spirit throughout this day?  What did He teach me?  What teaching of Jesus did He remind me of, and did I obey?

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was first posted on September 21, 2016.  A graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Making Space for God”
John 16:12-15
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

I’m a terrible multitasker; if someone tries to speak to me while I am doing something, I often will not hear that person. I know it can be frustrating for others when they are trying to get my attention and I am completely oblivious. The problem is that when I am doing something else, I am unable to listen.
This passage is very clear – the Holy Spirit will speak to us. As this passage says, the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all the truth.” We talked about yesterday how Jesus left so that we could have the Spirit; and now with the Spirit in us, we can hear God directly—whenever. We are not dependent on the earthly Jesus to be near us to hear God as the disciples were while Jesus was on earth; rather, with the Spirit in us, we can hear God anytime, anyplace.
But many times, I hear people ask, “Why can I not hear the voice of God?” A common response is: “Are you listening?” Often we raise our fists up at God, yelling at Him for not speaking to us, but we are not even opening our ears to Him. If we do not listen, how can we hear? And how do we listen? We make time for real relationship with God in our lives, cultivating real intimacy so that hearing from God becomes a normal part of our relationship with Him.
God always has many things to say to us. He wants to be involved in our lives. But when we do not make space for Him in our lives, we miss out on all that God wants to say and do. How can we make space for Him? Well, praying and reading the Word are certainly great starts.  If we are not even doing those on a regular basis, we should not expect to hear from God. But as we draw near to Him daily, as our intimacy with Him grows, we will hear Him and our relationship with Him will flourish.
So today, let’s make space for God to speak. Let’s build our relationship with Him and open our ears. Jesus said to His disciples, “I still have many things to say to you.”  And I believe He still has many things to say to us.
Prayer: Lord, give us ears to hear You. So often the noise and distraction of this world drowns out Your voice in our lives, but help us to quiet our hearts, draw near to You, and listen. Remove the distractions so that You become the center of our lives.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezra 1

Lunch Break Study  

Read John 8:47 & 10:27: Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Questions to Consider

1. Who hears the words of God?
2. Who hears Jesus’ voice? What is the result of hearing His voice?
3. How can you hear God’s voice in your life?

Notes

1. This passage is very clear that whoever is of God hears the words of God. To not hear them means we are not of God. This verse is very black-and-white about this. Though it’s challenging, it should cause us to check our relationship with God; if we are not hearing from God, there may be something distracting us in our relationship with Him.
2. This verse tells us that Jesus’ sheep, or His followers, hear His voice. Being a follower of Jesus means we will recognize His voice as He speaks to us through His Spirit. And as we hear, we will follow Him – that is the natural result of hearing His voice.
3. These verses show us that those who are of God, who are in Jesus’ flock, hear His voice. Thus, we hear God by being His people. This comes through relationship with Him. Cultivate your relationship with God and you will hear His voice. 

Evening Reflection

Spend time trying to listen to God. Do not just bring your requests, but bring just yourself. Rest in His presence and listen for His voice. As we read earlier, Jesus’ sheep hear His voice, so acknowledge that you belong to Him and open your heart and mind to Him.

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 10, 2016.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“When Living in a Nice House is Not Enough”
Acts 1:12, 15
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk  from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. . . .  15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty.)

My uncle had always been a man of bravado but not that day: he spoke slowly in a low voice following a grueling surgery to treat his cancer.  A man of substantial wealth, he was living at a nice condominium during the treatment, but it paled in comparison to his house, a mansion.  In fact, I had stayed at this sprawling property the night before while in town.  As I was leaving, my uncle said, “Whenever you are in town, please stay at my house; in fact, it’s open for any Lord’s servant; I want my house to be used for the Lord’s work.”
It wouldn’t surprise me if Mary’s house was bigger than my uncle’s, which is quite large but probably wouldn’t accommodate 120 people; yet that’s how many had gathered at Mary’s house to pray.  Now, Mary’s house appears to be the main meeting place in the early days of the church, for when the imprisoned Peter miraculously got out of jail, Luke tells us that “he went to the house of Mary . . . where many people had gathered and were praying” (Acts 12:12).  So, my uncle and Mary have one thing in common: Being people of means, they gladly offered their spacious house for the work of the Lord.
It seems like a rite of passage for the average middle-class family to move up the social ladder, ostensibly through moving into a bigger and better house.   Of course, the Bible is known to frown on things like that, backed by a myriad of verses that warn against ostentatious display of wealth.   Probably the most graphic passage is Haggai 1:4, 9 (NLT): “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? . . . You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor.  And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away.”  Scary.
Does that mean the end of American dream for those who desire to be good Christians?  We cannot God ask for a bigger and better house?  Well, I think there may be one spiritual ground for asking God for one, that is, as long as we go about obtaining it the right away.  What could that be?  I think that if you are willing to use your house the way Priscilla and Aquila did with theirs, you can aspire to own a “mansion.”  Paul, as he was wrapping up his letter to the church in Rome, wrote, “Greet also the church that meets in their house” (Rom. 16:5).   
So, are you willing to use your space for the Lord’s work the way Aquila, Priscilla and Mary did?  Then ask the Lord for a bigger house.  Work hard to afford one but don’t cheat God—neither with your time nor your money—on your way to attain one.  If spiritual compromise is what it will take to get one, then, don’t do it because once you have the bigger space, your faith will be nowhere to be seen.   Plan wisely.
Prayer: Dear God, I confess that You are the King, Lord and Ruler of my life.  I once again count all my blessings that I do not deserve.  As I seek to rise in wealth, constantly drive this point to me: “Do good . . . be rich in good deeds . . . be generous and willing to share” (1 Tim. 6:18).  Amen.
Bible Reading for Today:  Mark 16

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on April 9, 2016.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“About Money”
Acts 16:16-21
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

A local pastor told the story of a man who, in response to a radio station ad promising $10,000 to whomever could come up with the craziest way to earn the money, consumed an entire 11-foot birch sapling over the course of three days.  Yes, he ate a tree – leaves, branches, bark, and all (adding a little French dressing for flavor) – and filmed the whole deal to win $10,000. The ridiculous lengths some are willing to go for money are astonishing. But unlike the comical story of the boy who ate a tree and ended up with a tummy ache, the desire for and pursuit of riches is usually a bit more sinister and more hurtful to us and to those around us.
Money has a way of blinding us – not only to common sense (in the case of the story above), but also to right and wrong. And the pursuit of money often blinds us to the needs of those we hurt and trample along the way. When doing our taxes, when paying our workers, when giving our offerings, when tipping our servers, when spending more time in the office than with family, when spending more money at the mall than on the needy, we have to ask ourselves if our sense of right and wrong has gotten a little bit hazy in our pursuit of and consumption of wealth. Pastor and author Tim Keller explains that, “Money is different from other things. Materialism and greed is a sin of the eye. It blinds you…” This is part of why Paul says that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). When we are blinded and can’t see, we are bound to stumble and sin in many ways. The men in our passage today were willing to leave a girl harassed by a demon in order to make a profit. They were blind to her needs, blind to God’s work in her healing, and blind to right and wrong in the situation. Instead of rejoicing at her healing, they demanded the blood of her healers and were blind to the injustice in that. 
What about us? How far are we willing to go for money? What are the ways the love of money and pursuit of riches blinds us to the needs of others and hinders us from participating in God’s work around us? May God open our eyes!
Prayer: Lord, open my eyes! Search my heart and reveal to me any ways that my love of money and pursuit of riches has led me astray. All that I have is from You; help me to acquire it and spend it in ways that honor You, advance Your Kingdom, and bless others.  In Jesus’ name. Amen. 
Bible Reading for Today: Mark 14-15

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on February 12, 2016.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Does It Mean that We Struggle as Believers?”
Romans 7:19-20

For if I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 

Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

We want to be a good person, yet we fail in so many ways. And it frustrates us to no end; evidently, that’s how Paul felt as well.  We want to forgive or stop our sexual sin, yet we find ourselves not being who we want to be.  For many, this routine of failure can cause painful questioning: Is God even with me? How can I live with these feelings of self-doubt, loathing, and shame? Am I even a Christian? How can I change?

But, that struggle is a mark of being a true believer.  The Christian and fake Christian may commit the same amount of sins in a given period, but the difference is in the heart.  The fake believer is one who shows no sorrow over sin, who has deliberately gone off-road from the Christ-like path.  In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the Pharisee is more outwardly righteous but is condemned by God since his heart shows no sorrow and humility regarding sin; the tax collector, a worse sinner to the Pharisees, is accepted by God since he humbly cries out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Lk. 18:13). 

So, we must not give up.  We must always look to Christ to give us the power for moral transformation (Eph. 4:28-9). We must always ask forgiveness for our daily sins (Matt. 6:11-12). We must look to Christ for comfort amidst our frustrations and guilt regarding sin (Heb. 12:2). As we continue on the path of sanctification, we will find greater freedom, although it may take much time. 

And that was the experience of a pastor who finally found freedom from years of torturous struggle with strip clubs and pornography.  He confessed: “I cannot tell you why I had to endure ten years of near-possession before being ready for deliverance…. But what I can tell you, especially those of you who have hung on every turn of my own pilgrimage because it so closely corresponds to yours, is that God did come through for me. The phrase may sound heretical, but to me, after so many years of failure, it felt as if he had suddenly decided to be there after a long absence. I prayed, hid nothing (hide nothing from God?), and he heard me.”  

Prayer: God, I exalt and I praise You above all things.  What a sight it must be, seeing us act so holy and righteous outwardly but inside we are full of envy, greed and selfishness.  How awesome it is that Christ always intercede for us before You (1 Jn. 2:1), imputing His righteousness to us!  Thank You.  Amen.
Bible Reading for Today:  Mark 13

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 John 1:9-10: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Galatians 5:1:For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Cor. 7:1: Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of bodyand spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
Question to Consider

1. What assurance can you draw from these promises?

2. What is often the reason for us thinking that we aren’t all that sinful (e.g., the Pharisees)?

3. What is our part in freeing ourselves from the yoke of slavery to sin?

Notes

1. While we aren’t always sure whether the people whom we offended would forgive us after  confessing our sins to them, Christ assures us that He will ALWAYS forgive.  Furthermore, He  assures us that His interest extends to liberating us from the bondage of sin. 

2. We compare ourselves to someone who seems to be behaving worse than us, which guarantees a feeling of moral superiority.   Therefore, Paul says, “But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding” (2 Cor. 10:12).

3. God’s promises, such as always forgiving our sins and freeing us from the yoke of slavery, should  prompt us to discipline ourselves to extricate us from things that defile us.   There are some things  under our control that can lessen the possibility and frequency of sinning.  Can you think of any? 

Evening Reflections

Psalm 119:11 says, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”   Not everyone will respond to the same verse in the same way at a given moment.  What inspires one may be quickly forgotten by another.  What is a verse that speaks to you now that may inspire you to not sin against God?  For instance, does this verse speak to you? : “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on November 23, 2016, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee.  He is a friend of AMI who in the past had served as a staff at several AMI churches.  He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Would Jesus Think?”
Hebrews 10:26-31
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

My old youth pastor told a great story of how once, when he was jogging around the track at his local high school, some big guy jumped him from behind, put him in full-nelson, and began questioning/berating him about his ethnicity. Apparently, this person had lost a member of his family in the Vietnam War, and because he thought that my youth pastor was Vietnamese, he assumed that somehow my pastor was responsible for the tragedy (which happened over 30 years ago).  After diffusing the situation by convincing him that there was a difference between Vietnam and Korea, my youth pastor, who was understandably very upset, went home and grabbed a wheat sickle from his garage and started to leave the house, determined to do something bad to his attacker. Thankfully, his mother cut him off (get it?) and was able to calm him down.  At one point, his mom—trying to reason with him—asked him directly, “What about your Christianity?  What would Jesus think?” to which he replied, “I don’t care!”  His point in telling this story was that he was so angry and humiliated by what had just happened, he didn’t care about his actions, his faith, or anything else.  I know the way the story reads, it sounds really intense and scary, but the story was meant to be comical, and all of us were laughing as he told it.  
Hopefully, you’ve never been so angry that you didn’t care if you committed murder, but have you ever been in a situation where you just did not care about your actions or its outcomes?  Perhaps the situation did not rise out of anger; maybe you were having so much fun that you didn’t care where the night would end, or you were in a business venture and the rewards seemed so great that you didn’t care what you had to do to make it happen.  Here is the point: as believers, you never want to look at sin and say, “I don’t care what God thinks” or even, “God will forgive me later.”  Look how today’s passage describes the one who deliberately sins; it is akin to “trampling the Son underfoot, profaning the blood of the covenant, and outraging the Spirit” (v. 29).  Without trying to sound too condemning, we need to remember that sin is serious— it is a serious affront on the character of God, and it is the reason why Christ died on the cross.  Because we are loved by God as His children, let’s do our best to “care.”  
Note:  Please remember that this passage talks about those who “deliberately” sin.  If you are struggling with an issue or addiction, keep fighting—there is grace for you.  
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to truly love the things You love and to truly hate the things You hate.  Help me to walk in holiness to honor You, and because I know it is good for me.  Allow me the strength to resist sin and run toward righteousness.  Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Mark 12

Lunch Break Study

Read Philippians 4:4-9:Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  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. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Questions to Consider
1.  According to this passage, what can we do when we are full of anxiety?   2.  Why is it beneficial to think about whatever is true, honorable, just, etc.?  3.  What are some other ways you can strive for righteousness?
Notes
1.   Instead of being anxious, Paul instructs us to pray (vv. 6-7).  In the process of prayer, God will give us His peace.  Have you experienced God’s peace when you prayed? 2. It’s been said that in order to drop bad habits, you need to replace them with good habits.  Training or renewing your mind (Romans 12:2) to honor God is similar to this: we need to replace thoughts of anger, bitterness, jealousy, lust, etc. with truth, love, and God.  This is one reason why memorizing Scripture is so powerful.   3. Personal response

Evening Reflection

Today’s theme was about avoiding sin and striving for righteousness.  Are there some good habits that you’d like to pick up?  Are there things you need to avoid altogether.  Have you thanked Jesus for taking the punishment of sin in His body, so that you don’t have to?  

Today’s AMI Devotional QT, first posted on August 9, 2016, is provided by Pastor Mark Chun through whom God founded the Radiance Christian Church in 2012. Mark, after recently stepping down as its Lead Pastor, is currently on a sabbatical. Continue to pray for his health as Pastor Mark underwent a very serious surgery this past Monday. 

Devotional Thought for the Morning

“The Difference between Authority and Power”
John 12:37-50 (ESV)
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. 44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.” 

Leighton Ford, the brother-in-law of Billy Graham, in his book Transforming Leadership states that the two words to best summarize the earthly ministry of Jesus  are: authority and power.  Stephen Neil, in his study on the life of Christ, concurs  with this assessment and writes: “The Jesus who strides through the Gospels is a  man of immense and terrifying power.  He is the master of every situation.  He speaks with authority and not as the scribes.  He is never at a loss for an answer…   He knows how to draw men and women to himself in a devotion which will prove  stronger than persecution and death.”  
Those who study the field of leadership have debated on what the difference is  between authority and power, but the general consensus is that power is the ability  to change unwanted circumstances so that they align with your own desires, while  authority is the ability to command that change by the sheer force of your will and  personhood.    In relation to people, authority then is the ability to get others to do  what you want, because they recognize through your life that what you ask of them  is legitimate and right.                                                                                                                                             And in Jesus, we find this perfect balance of power and authority in the miracles that  He performs, the life that He lives, and the obedience that He demands.   Because His  authority comes directly from the Father, there is no earthly parallel to the sheer  power and influence that Jesus commands at His will.  Many of us would agree with  this assessment of Jesus, but at times we fail to show Him the honor and the  devotion that He is so worthy of.  Too often, we settle for a lukewarm faith that Jesus  simply did not allow for, and ultimately, this points to something that is lacking in  our modern experience of Christianity.  The unavoidable conclusion that was made  by every person that met Jesus was that He was someone that demanded some level  of reaction—either to follow Him or to reject Him.  The authentic Jesus did not leave  room for a middle ground.                                                                
Like the authorities who believed but could not confess their faith, we too can fall  into the trap of loving the glory that comes from the world rather than the glory that  comes from God.   This morning, let’s pray that the Spirit of God would lead us to a  deeper understanding of Christ’s authority, so that we may be drawn to Him with  complete devotion.  
Prayer: Lord, may we receive Your word as the sole authority over our lives.  Show  us how to honor You with our devotion and to live in a manner that is worthy of the  gospel.  Help us to seek the glory that comes from God, over and against any glory  that we can receive from man.  Amen.
Bible Reading for Today:  Mark 11

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 10: 23-33(ESV): “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. 
Questions to Consider

1. How can Christians make decisions on non-essential matters of lifestyle?
2. What does Paul mean when he addresses the subject of Christian freedom on the ground of conscience?
3. How can we balance doing everything for the glory of God, and at the same time try to please everyone in everything?  

Notes

1. In the gray areas of Christian behavior, the rule of the thumb that this passage points to is how our actions impact the good of our neighbors.  Does the exercise of our liberties serve to build people up around us and benefit them, or are they solely about my own good?   
2. Paul advocates that we make decisions on Christian liberties not just on personal conscience, but also based on how it affects the conscience of others.  Even if your conscience gives you the freedom to act in a particular way, if you know that your behavior negatively impacts the conscience of a brother, then it is best to refrain.    
3. From Paul’s point of view, the good of all is measured by how people can be brought to salvation.  If the saving of souls is your primary motivation for life, then living for God’s glory and trying to please people are in perfect alignment.  It is when you forget this directive of the gospel that pleasing people becomes dangerous.

Evening Reflection

In what ways were you aware of Christ’s authority in your day-to-day activity?  How did you adjust your actions based on doing all things for God’s glory?  Have you been motivated to share your faith, both in words and deed?  Pray that the Holy Spirit would give you boldness to truly live for the glory of God.  

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on February 25, 2016, is written by Tina who attended Biola University (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). She and her husband Anthony will soon be moving to E. Asia to serve as missionaries. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What’s Your Ammo?”
Joshua 1:1-9 (NASB)
Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 2“Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land, which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the laws which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

In preparing to serve at a new AMI church in Asia, a close sister from California asked me, “What’s your ammo?” She said “ammo” is the spiritual ammunition or weapon I need to overcome spiritual obstacles and to combat the attacks of the enemy. Knowing that I would be facing a significant change by leaving California to live and serve in a different country, she wanted me to be aware of the ways I might be vulnerable to Satan’s attacks, and thus, prepare my ammo. Why is it important to prepare ammo? The reason is, as God’s masterpieces, we are all Satan’s targets. While God has appointed us to bear lasting fruit and to experience His promises, Satan aims to deceive us, confuse us, and rob us of what God has in store. 
When God called Joshua to lead Israel to inherit the Promised Land, God prepared Joshua with “ammo.” God called Joshua and Israel to inherit His promise of land, but they would need to overcome many obstacles in order to walk into God’s promise. First, Joshua faced a daunting change as his mentor, Moses, passed away and he is Israel’s new young leader. Second, the Israelites were weak in military strength compared to the nations that were occupying the land of Canaan. Fear and intimidation could cripple and defeat them. God called Joshua to be armed with the “ammo” of His Word and His presence. The strength of the Canaanites would cause Joshua and the Israelites to melt in fear, but the truth of God’s Word and His presence would enable Joshua to courageously lead Israel to inherit God’s promise.
I believe that the ammo I need is daily surrender of my own control and trust in God’s control. Being quick to control situations in the midst of uncertainties is my weakness that Satan could target. By meditating on God’s Word day and night, I desire to surrender my control and to genuinely trust that the Lord is with me and will help me succeed. 
You are God’s masterpiece, and also Satan’s target. What weaknesses or obstacles do you have in your marriage, relationships, family, workplace, and ministry that Satan might target? Ask the Lord to equip you with “ammo” so that you may live victoriously today.
Prayer: Dear God, help me to see that the obstacles that I face before walking into Your promise and blessings are opportunities to exercise my faith in You. Help me to be strong, to be courageous and to meditate on your Word day and night, so that I may hear Your voice and stand firm against the schemes of the enemy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.  
Bible Reading for Today:  Mark 10

Lunch Break Study

Read John 10:7-10 (NASB):Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.?
Questions to Consider
1. Why does Jesus use the pasture and sheep metaphor? 2. What is Jesus’ desire for His disciples/sheep? 3. How do you see Satan trying to snatch the joy of the Lord and love for the Lord away from you? What would it look like to live out Jesus’ promise of having life to the full?
Notes
1. Sheep belong in their shepherd’s pasture and are fully under their shepherd’s care. Yet sheep are defenseless and prone to wander, so shepherds protect sheep from being harassed or snatched away from thieves and robbers. Sheep are also trained to listen to their shepherd’s voice. In the same way, disciples are in the care of our Master and Shepherd, Jesus. Being the Good Shepherd, Jesus protects and leads His disciples so that we learn to listen to His voice of truth.  2. Jesus desires that through His sacrificial love displayed on the cross, we would be restored and have an abundant life in Him. 3. Personal Reflection

Evening Reflection

Christ did not redeem us to live a defeated or mediocre life. He chose us and redeemed us so that we  may live an abundant life, bearing lasting fruit. Reflect on this verse tonight from John 15:16: “You did  not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit  would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” 

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 26, 2016, is provided by Pastor Joshua Kim. Joshua, a graduate of Emory University, Columbia Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Talbot Theological Seminary (Th.M.), is the Lead Pastor of Upper Room Seattle church.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Losing the Sight of the Simple, Pure Gospel”
2 Peter 3:1-7
This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

My wife and I just celebrated our first anniversary. Time flies, doesn’t it? It seems just like yesterday that I experienced the rude awakening of ring shopping. Because neither of us knew anything about engagement rings, we went to one of those big-name jewelry shops to get educated. The man who helped us was a genteel, old man with a faint British accent. Sensing our ignorance, he proceeded to school us in the 4 C’s of diamond shopping: carat, cut, clarity, and color. He showed us two diamonds, both seemingly nice and shiny. But it was bewildering to find out that one diamond cost $1000 more than the other. The reason? The purity of the diamond. Details that the naked eye could not see made all the difference. When you look closely, you see the impurities, the discoloration, the nitty-gritty details that change the valuation of the diamonds.
In this final chapter of Peter’s letter, we see the reason why Peter has written his two letters to the church: I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder… The word sincere here is the same word we get the word pure, a word used to describe the kind of purity found even under the examination of sunlight. Because of the work of grace in our lives, God has gifted us with a pure faith.  However, this pure faith can become covered, distorted, and even complicated. As attested in other verses in the short letter, this church had faced persecution from outside the church as well as false teachers from within that led many astray. Oftentimes, trials and inaccurate teachings cause us to lose sight of the simple, pure gospel truth. It is this sincere mind that Peter seeks to stir up in the church so that their pure faith may not succumb to trials or false teachings. He does this by reminding them of all the things that have come to understand in the Lord. Peter reminds them of God’s promises that they already know at the core of their faith, the place of sincere mind. 
Who speaks these reminders in your life? In times of trial and tribulation, how are you reminded of God’s truth? The reality is that whether through personal devotion and prayer, through a friend or mentor, through worship or through preaching, we serve a God that is constantly speaking and reminding you of His promises. The question is, are we listening? 
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You that You still speak to us. Whether through scripture, prayer, or perhaps a friend, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we believe that You speak to us. Give us a heart and ears that are open to be reminded of the incredible truths that You have spoken to us—truths that provide peace and direction in this crazy world. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Mark 9

Lunch Break Study

Read John 14:25-27 (NIV): “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Questions to Consider

1. Take a moment to skim through the rest of this passage. What is the context of this passage?
2. What is one of the primary functions of the Holy Spirit in our lives? What is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives?
3. How can you avail yourself more to the reminding of the Holy Spirit throughout your life?

Notes

1. This passage falls in the middle of Jesus’ final night with the disciples. He is preparing a group of followers who still have not realized what is to come. But before He leaves them, He promises that though He is not going to be with them anymore, He will send the Helper, the Holy Spirit.
2. The primary function described in this passage is that the Holy Spirit will teach and bring to remembrance all that Jesus has spoken to us. The result of this is a kind of peace that the world cannot offer.
3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

In what ways has God spoken to you today? Think back about the ways He spoke to you. What did He use? Who did He use? How did you notice these things? As you end your day, reflect upon these things; let us give thanks for the ways that God reminds us of His truth. Finish your time by praying for His grace to be sensitive and attentive to these reminders.