REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 3, 2016.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Are You a Spiritual ‘One Man Gang’?”

Acts 1:1-2
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

Eph. 4:11-12
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

Today spectator sports aren’t limited to watching ball games while sipping beer and munching on popcorn; now they can go to church every Sunday, to be entertained by one talented individual who can do it all: sing, dance and even preach! A while back, a professional wrestler, standing at 6 ft 9 in and weighing at 450 lb., called himself, “The One-Man Gang.”  While the moniker might fit for him, it’s unequivocally unbiblical for us!   That’s like saying, “The One-Man Church.”  Whether it’s a gang or church, no one single individual, however great he may be, should be its entire: it’s a recipe for an eventual defeat.  

Now listen to what Jesus prayed on the night of his arrest: “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (Jn. 17:4). How can Christ say he finished the work when his disciples, the very people whom he entrusted to spread the gospel, still acted like clowns? “Isn’t that too harsh of an assessment?” you might ask.  Well, you be the judge: several hours before the arrest of Jesus that same night, these men were still arguing over “which of them was considered to be the greatest” (Lk. 22:24).  

Then why was Jesus so confident about the work he had done despite the seemingly unimpressive result, which quickly got worse. Upon seeing Jesus arrested, “everyone deserted him and fled” (Mk. 14:52). Again, why was the Lord so confident? It’s because he knew his role and limitations while on earth. As far as preparing the apostles was concerned, Jesus knew that what he did for them—teaching God’s truth and then demonstrate it through actions, both miraculous and benevolent—was necessary but not sufficient. Christ knew that his men lacked the power to live out the truth in a radical and authentic manner. This is to say, inasmuch as Christ was great, he was never a ‘one-man’ church (Col. 1:18), for he had the Holy Spirit to come and be our counselor (Jn. 14:25) who empowers us (Acts 1:8).

The church should be no different: it is neither meant to be singularly led by a charismatic, dynamic person, nor simply to entertain a bunch of spectators. God appointed five distinctive ministerial offices for the sake of equipping the believers for works of service.   In light of this, one great task facing evangelical churches is transforming spiritual consumers and spectators into people who are committed to get into spiritual shape so that they can do some heavy lifting for God.  How about it?  That should be your goal for the rest of 2023.

Prayer: Father in heaven, I exalt your glorious name this morning.  How awesome it is to be called your child.  Lord, give me wisdom and know-hows to disciple someone so that that person can also produce good fruits for You.  Help me to leave behind something lasting before I die.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Mark 8

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on August 5, 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

“Are You Where You Are Supposed To Be?”
John 6:8-9,11 
“Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ’Here is a boy with five small barley loves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’ … Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.”

I am sure all of us have been delivered from trouble unexpectedly before. Maybe you forget your calculator for an exam but someone shows up with an extra one. Or maybe you are running late to the train station and a friend happens to drive by and gets you there speedily. Just as glad as you are that someone saved you, it’s likely that the other person is even happier to have been in the right place at the right time.
This boy here probably felt his good fortune. He just so happened to plan on listening to Jesus that day, he just so happened to be able to procure a little food beforehand, and he happened to be close enough to the disciples to show and give them the food, which was the fuel for a miracle before his eyes. When similar things happen to us, we often think of those events as happy coincidence. But the truth is that God, the director of our lives, has deliberately put us in places and situations to be used. What seems to miraculously come into place is actually the result of His exact and perfect planning. We are, by His will, always exactly where He wants us to be.
Do you really believe that you are exactly where He wants you to be? Do you sense purpose in the gifts you have received, the friendships He has given you, or even the path you walk from building to building each day? Or are you completely unaware that He might have a role for you to play in blessing others? God has planned all things carefully for His purposes; there are no accidents for where we are and what we will do. Let’s ask Him to help us see past the monotony of our schedules and to become more aware of His plans. Let us ask Him to show us the individual roles He has for us so that we can approach the coming week with clarity and renewed purpose.

Prayer: Father, thank You for ordaining all of my steps and my path. Even if I do not know where I am headed and what Your plans are for me, I trust that they are good. Help me to be sensitive to Your spirit and see the work that You are doing. Give me a heart that is available so that, on Your cue, I can be used by You whenever, wherever. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Mark 6-7

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on November 1, 2016.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Learning to Obey Through Suffering”

Hebrews 5:7-10

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Earlier last month, I found myself with a terrible flu. During those two weeks of suffering, I made my way into the drug store several times. At one time, I noticed a guy in line who also was buying some flu medicine, and for some reason, I found that to be strangely comforting. I guess misery loves company, but perhaps the greater reason is that we all have a need to be identified with. 
Today, the author of Hebrews asks, “How is it possible that Jesus sympathizes with us when He is perfect and we are sinful?” He wants us to clearly know that Jesus did not become a priest after He was resurrected and ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God. Rather, Jesus was already a priest during His life on earth, for He offered up prayers and petitions as evident by what took place at the Garden of Gethsemane. 

The night before the cross, Jesus was in great agony as He contemplated whether He would go through with the cross or not. In the middle of His bewilderment, confusion and anguish of soul, He does an unfamiliar thing: For the first time He appeals to His own disciples for comfort. He asks them to stand with Him in prayer as He goes further into the darkness of the night. And on His own, He prays, begging, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” He was seeking another way. 

This then explains the extraordinary words of verse 8: “Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” Though He was the perfect Son of God, He learned what it meant to obey God when every cell in His body wanted to defy God. Yet, knowing this to be the will of God, He obeyed, trusting God to see Him through. He endured and overcame, even as everything in Him said to disobey. 

How was this possible? Jesus, in the end, trusted God the Father. He cast Himself upon the Father’s loving, tender care to sustain Him. No matter how difficult it was, He surrendered His agenda for His Father’s. In what area do you have to say, “Nevertheless, not my will but Your will be done”?

Prayer: God, thank You that Your temptation was not a mere act, but in Your temptation and suffering, You found the strength to obey the Father’s command. Thank You for sympathizing with our weaknesses and for giving us the ability to overcome every temptation we face. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Mark 5

Lunch Break Study  

Read Matthew 9:35-36: Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Questions to Consider 
1. In verse 36, we are told that Jesus had compassion on the crowd when He saw them? What led Christ to have this compassion? 

2. Jesus states that there is a tremendous need out there in verse 37, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” How does Jesus want us to respond to the needs of the harvest? 

3. What is the harvest God is calling you to today?     

Notes
1. He saw in the crowd as a people who were harassed and helpless, a sheep without a shepherd. 

2. In verse 38, we are told to pray earnestly to the Lord of the Harvest so that we might be sent out to the harvest.  

3. Personal. 

Evening Reflection

As you reflect on your busy day today, did you sense the Lord of the Harvest with you? If so, did you find yourself praying for the people who make up that harvest? 

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on August 3, 2016.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought for Today

“Embracing Our Weakness”
John 7:3-5
But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.15 The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?” 16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.

What are your greatest weaknesses? Really think about it – maybe make a list. What comes to mind – mistakes made, personality quirks, physical limitations, aspects of your upbringing, deficiencies in your skills or talents (the list goes on)? We all have perceived shortcomings, and most of us go to great lengths to hide, downplay, or overcome them. But in today’s passage, we’re reminded that what would have been considered a weakness for Jesus (lack of formal education/training would have definitely been perceived as a weakness for a teacher) proved to be the very thing that enabled God’s power to shine through. 
Author John Piper tells the following story about his own weakness:  “I read slowly — about as fast as I speak. Many people read five or ten times faster than I do. I tried for years to overcome this weakness, with special classes and books and techniques. After about two decades of bemoaning this weakness (from age 17 to 37 or so), I saw there would be no change. This is one reason I left college teaching and the academic life. I knew I could never be what scholars ought to be: widely read. What did it mean for me to identify and exploit this weakness? It meant first that I accept this as God’s design for my life. I will never read fast. It meant I stop complaining about it. It meant that I take my love for reading and do with it what I can for the glory of Christ. If I can only read slowly, I will do all I can to read deeply. I will exploit slowness. I will ask Jesus to show me more in reading little than many see in reading much. I will ask Jesus to magnify his power in making my slowness more fruitful than speed. In realizing I cannot read many books, I will pour my limited scope into reading one book better than any other — the Bible. If I must read fewer of many books, then I will read more carefully the greatest book.”
Today, may we embrace our weaknesses and allow God to glorify Himself through them. 
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for all the gifts and talents and opportunities You have given me. Help me choose today to leverage all I have to make You famous. Help me surrender my reputation and my opportunities to be known to You. Use all I am for Your glory. In Jesus’ name.    
Bible Reading for Today: Mark 4

Lunch Break Study

Read: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10: Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Questions to Consider

1. Without Paul’s “thorn,” what was he in danger of doing? 
2. What do we learn in v. 8 about what we should do when we face areas of weakness or struggle? 
3. What was God’s response to Paul’s struggle, and how did Paul receive God’s response? How does this encourage you in the face of your own struggles and weaknesses today? 

Notes

1. Paul was in danger of exalting himself (v. 7), and having the thorn actually served as a barrier protecting him from that temptation.   
2. We should go to God! He is our help. 

It’s also important to note that Paul prayed fervently and many times concerning his situation—it was only after this that God responded. Many of us would have been embittered with God by the second appeal. And God didn’t respond by taking it away, but instead, He gave Paul wisdom and insight that he was able to pass along to us and that offered him a greater experiential knowledge of the grace of God. I find that very challenging – how about you? 

1. God responded by teaching Paul, through his weakness, to rely on the grace of God, and Paul learned experientially just how all-sufficient God’s grace is. Because of this, Paul responded with gladness – joyfully boasting in the area that had caused him such grief. 

Evening Reflection

Yesterday, we reflected on our tendency to leverage our resources (our strengths) for our own glory and fame and challenged ourselves to surrender them to God for the glory of His name. It requires a new depth of humility to take the extra step of exposing our weaknesses and allowing God’s glory to shine through them.  
Spend some time talking to God about the areas of weakness that came to mind this morning. What are some ways God has been able to shine through those weaknesses? Give God thanks. Are there areas of weakness that you still need to surrender? Offer them to God to be used for His glory. Ask for strength to embrace (and even boast in) your weaknesses, as you trust in Him. 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT devotional, first posted on August 24, 2016, is provided by Joanna Tzen who previously attended and served Grace Covenant Church in Philadelphia. Joanna is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Is He Safe?”

John 6: 66-7

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

The first time I read the Chronicles of Narnia was right after I graduated from college. I never thought to read it before because the fantasy genre was not of much interest to me. However, after I became a Christian in college and while job-searching, I figured that reading the Chronicles of Narnia was a good use of time. The passage above reminds me this quote from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: “Is he (Aslan) – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr. Beaver … “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

As the disciples found out, Jesus is anything but safe, but He is good. After Jesus shares that He is the Bread of Life and He talks of people eating His flesh and drinking His blood (through Communion, even though people took the literal meaning), people who had followed Him across the lake began to turn away. Jesus talked about His death in such stark terms so as to reveal the hearts of the people who desired their comforts through an earthly kingship—they did not want the true King. 

Jesus was not the kind of savior they were looking for. They were looking for a worldly savior who could deliver them from Roman oppression. But Jesus was talking about dying, and surely that was not part of the plan for worldly savior and conquering king. Jesus simply did not fit their mold. 

However, His disciples saw someone different. Even though they had only followed Him a short while at the time of the feeding of the 5,000, they knew they had seen the one true God incarnate on earth. They were not looking for what they wanted, or what was safe, but they were seeking the truth—and they found Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I desire to enthrone Jesus as the true King of my heart. I know He is anything but safe, but He is good because He is Your Son. Even when I am fearful, remind me that I can trust in Your promises. Amen

Bible Reading for Today: Mark 3

Lunch Break Study 

Read Luke 12:13-5: Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Matt. 19:20-22: And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? . . . . 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Questions to Consider

1. As we have learned this morning, people come to Jesus for different reasons. Regarding the man in the crowd who made a request to Jesus, did he want Jesus or something else?

2. What motivated the man in the Matthew passage to come to Jesus?

3. Based on how you actually live, why do you think you seek Jesus?

Notes

1. The man in the crowd wanted what Jesus could do for him so that he might gain financial freedom; he didn’t necessarily want Jesus himself.

2. The rich young man wanted Jesus as his Savior but not as his Lord who has the governance over his life.    

3. Personal response: Give it a serious thought.

Evening Reflection

In light of our devotional and study theme for today, let us do according what the Psalmist writes in Ps. 139:1-2: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting.”  Reflect on that passage for a minute, and then respond back to God.

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on September 27, 2016, 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 Silence of God”
John 18:15-18, 25-27
Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself… Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

What do we do when our God seems silent? Simon Peter was certainly a bold man when Jesus was walking on water and casting out demons. In fact, moments before this passage, Peter was the one who whipped out his sword, prepared to take on a squadron of soldiers. But seeing His captured Lord—the Son of God—remain silent, submissive, and seemingly powerless, like a lamb about to be slain… we find Peter without an ounce of boldness. 
If we’re honest, Peter’s dilemma is nothing new to us. When we experience the power of our God, it is easy to be bold for Him. At retreats, on the mission field, at Sunday service, we have no problem standing up for our Lord. But would you agree that it becomes exponentially harder to muster up that boldness when we are not surrounded by visible evidences of God’s power? In our workplaces, in our classrooms, or maybe among our families/friends, when we can’t quite understand what God is doing, and why He seems to be so silent, it’s hard to be bold. Of course in hindsight, we know that in the midst of Jesus’ silence that God was executing His most powerful work yet. But when we are in the midst of the silence of God, we can all imagine being in Peter’s shoes.
But there is a critical difference between Simon Peter in this passage, and those of us following Christ today. We have a huge advantage over Peter because we have something (or someone, rather) that Peter at that point had yet to receive: the Holy Spirit! In fact, the story of Peter does not end here. Later, in the book of Acts, Peter becomes an even bolder man than he was before, when he receives the Holy Spirit.
What do we do when our God seems silent? We ask the Holy Spirit to give us the strength and boldness to stand firm. Today, will you ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with boldness, even if God seems to be silent at the moment? 
Prayer: Holy Spirit, we ask for greater faith—a faith that believes before seeing with our eyes; a faith that knows that You are doing a powerful work, even in what may seem like silence to us. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Mark 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Acts 4:23-31:When [Peter and John] were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,and the peoples plot in vain?The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Questions to Consider

1. What kinds of struggles did the early Christians face?
2. In the midst of the threats, what do the believers pray for?
3. What happens after they pray?

Notes

1. Peter and John had just been arrested for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, that He had died and risen. Both the Bible and historical accounts affirm that the early Christians faced societal persecution: Herod, Pilate, Gentiles, Jews, and essentially the whole city was antagonistic towards the followers of Jesus and towards the gospel.
2. First, they worship God and acknowledge His sovereignty. Then, they ask for boldness to continue speaking God’s Word. Finally, they ask for God to continue healing, doing signs and wonders through the name of Jesus.
3. The place is shaken, and they are all filled with the Holy Spirit; then they continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Our society today is generally becoming increasingly hostile towards Christians. In the midst of this, let us continually ask for the boldness to speak God’s Word as He moves in power.

Evening Reflection

Spend some time this evening praying for the person in your life who you think is the least likely to come to know the Lord. Remind yourself that he/she is created in the image of God, and ask God to soften this person’s heart to the work of the Spirit. 

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on October 25, 2016, is provided by Andy Kim who is the Lead Pastor of Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco.  Andy is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Moring

“If God Shows Me a Sign, then I Will Go”
Hebrews 3:7-14
So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. 10 That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. 

“If God shows me a sign, then I will go.” How often have we uttered the same prayer, only to find ourselves frustrated and lost? I have wondered why God does not reveal Himself in the manner He did in the Old Testament. Surely if He split not even the sea, but even a small pond, people would come to believe. Yet we see that even though the Israelites saw the sea divide, walked over dry ground, and saw manna fall from heaven, their hearts were hardened after times of testing. Ironically, it seems that the more they saw God move, the less they believed in Him. More importantly, because of their unbelief, they could not enter the Promised Land. 
John Piper provides an explanation for this: “It is possible to taste of these things, be deeply affected by them, and to be in unbelief because Jesus Christ himself is not your hearts’ delight and hope and confidence and reward.” In fact, the writer of Hebrews urges us to hold to our original convictions in Christ alone. Perhaps faith is less about seeing God move but more about believing in what you cannot see and being certain of the hope that is found in Him (Hebrews 11:1). Only by such faith can we endure through the trials of life and receive life’s greatest reward—which is Christ Himself. Faith based on signs and wonders proves to be shallow and wavering, but faith in Christ is deeply rooted and unshakeable.
Jesus says, “Because you see me, you believe; but blessed are those who have no seen and yet have believed”(John 20:29). Oh, how easy it is to forget our original convictions when our eyes only look for the signs of God! We can easily forget the many ways in which God has been faithful and has done the impossible in our lives. May we change our perspective from a “show us and then we’ll go,” to what the Lord originally promised, “Go, and I’ll show you.” May we hold onto our original convictions and put our complete faith in Him. Ask the Lord to increase your faith in Him. 
Prayer: Lord, may the object of my faith be You and You alone. I confess that I lose sight of all the ways in which You have been faithful. And in times of testing, I put my trust in other things and myself. In the areas in which I lack faith in, I want to believe, but help my unbelief. Thank You for all the ways in which You have been faithful. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Mark 1

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Peter 1:6-9 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 
Questions to Consider

1. How can we rejoice when we go through trials and our faith is tested? 
2. What is the difference between being happy vs. being joyful?
3. Why does Peter say we should persevere in our sufferings?

Notes

1. Peter states that the trials we face—both short and long—are momentary in comparison to eternity. Sometimes all we can see are the trials in our lives, but as Christians we look towards Christ, though He cannot be seen. But through Him, we have received the salvation of our souls. This salvation is our guarantee of our eternity and the source of joy in our lives. 
2. Happiness is merely an emotion that focuses on the moment, whereas joy is a promise that focuses on eternity. To rejoice in suffering does not mean to convince yourself to be happy; rather, it is to focus your thoughts on the promise of eternity that awaits us. 
3. The testing of our faith is the way for us to prove the authenticity of our faith. As fire refines gold to its purest form, trials refine our character. Those who persist await the reward of praise, glory and honor through Jesus Christ. Warren Wiersbe says, “A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted.” In many cases trials are the prerequisite for God’s will to be furthered in our lives, so that He can entrust us with the greater works of His Kingdom. 

Evening Reflection

Charles Spurgeon once said, “The fiery furnace is very hot; but the Son of man is in it with you; and, by His grace, you shall come out of the furnace before long.” During trials, we are tempted to fix our eyes on getting out, but may we fix our eyes on Jesus who promises to be with us during these trials. May He remind you of the eternal salvation and glory that awaits you in the life to come. May our complaints be replaced with this greater hope and expectation!  

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on June 25, 2016.  Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Habakkuk to Luther”
Habakkuk 2:4
Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

The great reformer Martin Luther was incredibly self-aware, especially when it came to his own sinfulness. For this reason, he was constantly tormented in his conscience as he wondered whether he stood in God’s favor or wrath. He would try to remedy this problem by going to the priest for confession over and over again. It got so bad that the priest would tell him to stop coming unless he committed a terrible sin. No matter what religious duties Luther fulfilled, he never felt peace in his own conscience and no solace in his own works. However, through the grace of God, he stumbled upon Habakkuk 2:4 when studying through the book of Romans, and it provided the very freedom he so desperately needed. 
As Habakkuk waited on the watchtower, he was perplexed by the plan of God. If God used the evil Chaldeans to pronounce judgment on Judah, what would happen to the righteous? Would they also be destroyed? God provides an answer. Those who trust in themselves and whose souls are puffed up will be destroyed. But those who are righteous and faithful to God’s standards and decrees will live. In other words, those who trust in God’s plans and not their own will prevail. 
Later on, the apostle Paul would find the very essence of the gospel in this verse. Just as the people of Judah would be saved if they trusted not in their own works but in the promise of God, the gospel calls us to trust in God’s promise of life rather than our own self-justification projects. This is precisely the reason why Martin Luther found comfort in Habakkuk 2:4: He realized that salvation had nothing to do with trusting in his own works; rather, it was all about placing his trust in the work of Christ—which is always sufficient. No matter how sinful a person is, the sacrifice of Christ is always enough. This led Luther to a sense of freedom that he had never experienced before, because he knew that nothing could separate him from the love of God. In our culture where it is so easy to feel that we’re never good enough, this is a much needed reminder for all of us. Take some time to marvel at this truth today and know that in Christ, God’s posture toward us is always one of love and grace!
Prayer: Lord, I praise You and thank You that your sacrifice on the cross has made me righteous in Your eyes, so that I could be free from guilt and condemnation.  Help me to live daily in Your grace, trusting only in the blood of Jesus.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Philippians 4

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on January 22, 2016.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Why Do You Stand Here Looking into the Sky?”

Acts 1:9-11

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.  10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Most evangelicals probably no longer care what Rob Bell has to say after he questioned the existence of hell in Love Wins (and later declaring, “Smile, there is no hell”), but at one time he had their ears.  Calling evangelical theology “evacuation theology,” he said, “Figure out the ticket, say the right prayer, get the right formula, and then we’ll go somewhere else.”  That, he said, was “lethal to Jesus, who endlessly speaks of the renewal of all things.” In effect, Bell points out: “Don’t be so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly good”.

Perhaps, symbolically, that is sort of what the men of Galilee gathered at the Mt. Olive were doing: “Looking intently up into the sky as [Jesus] was going.”  You can hardly blame them for being glued to what was a spectacular scene, but they must have stared too long.  The angels were dispatched and after tapping their heads, they said, “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?”  Reading between the lines, you could almost hear the angels shout, “Stop staring and get to work.”

But that’s our default position though: we would rather be in a holy huddle and worship God (“looking up into the sky”) among ourselves rather than “to offer our bodies as living sacrifices,” which Paul refers to as a “spiritual act of worship” (Rom. 12:1).   When Peter encountered an otherworldly experience on a high mountaintop in which he saw Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, he said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.  Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah” (Mk. 9:5).  Of course, it was good to be up there, but in the meantime, all hell broke loose at the foot of the mountain.  A father would later tell Jesus, “My son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech . . . He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid” (9:18).  Perhaps, Peter momentarily forgot the true condition of men, but Jesus, “who knew all men” (Jn. 2:24), dismounted and restored the boy back to his father. 

Paul says, “Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2).  And if we really live in accordance with this teaching, being heavenly minded will stir us to be more earthly good.   We must always begin with the vertical (God’s relationship with man) and then express it horizontally (our relationship with our fellow man).  Apostle John says, “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them (horizontal), how can the love of God (vertical) be in that person?  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 Jn. 3:17-8).  Remember this throughout 2023.

Prayer: Our magnificent God, how wonderful is it to be in your presence.  That is why I “look up” to worship You and to contemplate your greatness.  But today, I’m reminded also to look around to notice those who are too weak to look up.  May I encourage them with the Gospel and my own actions.  May I not just this say but actually do it!  O Spirit, empower me.  Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: Philippians 2-3

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on October 21, 2016, is provided by Pastor David Kwon who leads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  David, a graduate of Drexel University and Columbia International University (M.Div.), was recently ordained. Congratulations. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Drifting”
Hebrews 2:1-4
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

On a family vacation a few months ago, one of the activities I did with my daughters was paddle boating.  The paddleboat was powered and steered depending on the amount of pressure put on the right and left paddles.  We would paddle hard to go fast, but when we would grow weary and took a break and stopped paddling, we would slowly drift away. Then we would have to quickly get back on course by paddling again.
In today’s passage, the writer of Hebrews warns us about drifting (v. 1).  Though these verses have often stirred up controversy because some think that it means that you can lose your faith, I do not think that is what is meant.  Remember that Hebrews is written to Jewish Christians who were thinking of returning to the old covenant.  The warning is not to drift from the gospel message in light of the great salvation it brings (v. 3). 
So how can we drift?  I want to give two ways we can drift in our own walk with Christ:

1. Familiarity with the Truth – Once we start becoming too familiar with the message of the gospel, we can often drift and not find Christ and His kingdom glorious and worthy as when we first encountered Him.
2. Busyness – In the modern world we live in, we can get overwhelmed with busyness in our lives.  When are constantly busy, we often lose sight of what is important, which is the exellencies of Christ and His kingdom.  

So what are we called to do?  One practical application is to hold on to God’s Word—to treasure and hold on to the Word so that we would not drift away from Him.  In closing, here is what Pastor John Piper says:
“Hebrews says that if we do not vigilantly pay closer attention to the Word of God, we will float by — we will drift away from God’s Word.  That is the point here: there is no standing still. The life of this world is not a lake. It is a river. And it is flowing downward to destruction. If you do not listen earnestly to Jesus and consider him daily and fix your eyes on him hourly, then you will not stand still; you will go backward. You will float by.”
Prayer:  Lord, thank You for the warning You give us in Your Word about drifting.  May our hearts cling to You and Your Word.  May we find Jesus more glorious and beautiful every passing day.  Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Philippians 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 1: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Questions to Consider

1. What is the key to “blessedness” in this Psalm?
2. How is the blessed man described?
3. Does this picture resemble our lives today?  Why or why not?

Notes

1. One who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked and as one who delights in the Word of God.
2. The psalmist describes the blessed man as someone who is rooted in the Word; and in any season of life, they will prosper.  
3. Think about where your life is today.  Are you rooted in Him?  Are you delighting in the Word consistently?   Think of some ways you can apply this passage in your life.  

Evening Reflection

Spend some extra time reading God’s Word.  Ask the Lord for a great love for it and that you would be one who meditates on it day and night.