The last shall be the first

Matthew 19:30,Matthew 20:16,Mark 10:31, Luke 13:30

He...

Saw Eva's msn message line today, so I Google it. It's a song name "He" by Richard Mullan & Jack Richards.

Here are the lyrics; He can turn the tides and calm the angry sea
He alone decides who writes a symphony
He lights every star that makes our darkness bright
He keeps watch all through each long and lonely night
He still finds the time to hear a child's first prayer
Saint or sinner call and always find Him there
And though it makes Him sad to see the way we live
He'll always say, "I forgive".

He can grant a wish or make a dream come true.
He can paint the clouds and turn the grey to blue.
He alone knows where to find the rainbow's end.
He alone can see what lies beyond the bend.
He can touch a tree and turn the leaves to gold
He knows every lie that you and I have told
Though it makes him sad to see the way we live
He'll always say, "I forgive".

Do you fear?

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”- Proverbs 29:25

So how faithful are you, that you can trust in Him with everything and without any fear? That's easier said than done.

Expectation?

It's been a while since I last wrote a post. I have been doing my daily devotion, but just not as dedicated writing notes about them. But today's daily bread entry gave me a new perspective of Matthew 7:7-11.

Prayer without expectancy is unbelief in disguise. - Do you agree?

The Love of God

So to follow yesterday's thought... instead of just romantic kind of love, how about other kinds of love. Recently RBC ministries sent me a mailing about "The Love of God" by Oswald Chambers. So I did a little search on RBC, and came across this article, way back from Aug 1st, 2007.

His love...

I don't read daily bread everyday, because sometime for the day I got a question and I prayed, and I will be looking up bible verse by topical on Google instead. Today went a little bit backward to see what I missed... and saw 8/31's lesson.

God is love - 1 John 4:8

serving the Lord as a family unit

Today was some catch-up work on my "book of love". I'm a little bit behind on it... sorry honey~. I was on FB and thinking about Bryan and Patty, and just happened to come across Patty's blog entry. I was encouraged from it.

至 於 我 和 我 家 ， 我 們 必 定 事 奉 耶 和 華 。 - 約 書 亞 記 24章 15節

Can I be a good dad?

Today I haven't had a chance to do a full fledge devotion yet. So I looked at daily bread as well as daily verse on biblegateway. The message on daily verse is more meaningful to me, closer to my heart.

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. - Proverbs 22:6

God, please lead my path, guide me. Teach me to be a good father to Season, to nurture her grow up in Christ.

Amen.

God is tempting me?

LP woke up very again today. While I was at Staples after my late lunch, we chatted. It was a very very very random, but we discussed something very very very DEEP and IMPORTANT. It solidify our relationship once again. Thank you God, for the plan you have for us.

About our own evil desire as James 1 taught us. Next I remembered about bible study of our own awareness of sin: Walk - Stand - Sit - Psalm 1:1. We are all imperfect, but each and everyday we are trying to be more like Him, to live a life like He taught us. Then I remember about the progression approach: Ask - Seek - Knock - Matthew 7:7

The bible is full of lesson that we keep learning and reviewing each and everyday...

Be happy all the time!

Daily Bread's entry for today reminds me the first day I shopped at a Christian bookstore. The very first bible verse bookmark I bought, was with this very same verse on it. It even has a little capsule pill on the bookmark as a symbol of medicine.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

-Proverbs 17:22

At this very moment... a little bit heavy. Cause I know LP is writing an email to 'gor gor'. The very rare short moments of alone time that we could have spent together... I have to be the supportive and understanding LG. It's just... easier said than done.

Don't waste any more moments...

Ecclesiastes 9:9, a bible verse gift from LP's friend on her Facebook profile

He's my best friend!

Who's your best friend, that will be there in any circumstance at anytime that you need?

Learn to appreciate the 'beautiful imperfections'

Today's lesson from our book of love is a wonderful reminder.

The art of maintaining an intimate relationship consists of being appreciative of each other's virtues and perceptive of each other's limitations.

親密關係的秘訣是欣賞對方的優点, 左乎洞悉對方的限制.

Just happen, in Hong Kong, it's Bryan's and Patty's 2-yrs baptism anniversary. It triggered me to look up that bible verse regarding two-better-than-one. A perfect detour for today' entry.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down, his friend can help him up.

But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Can we be the 'beautiful imperfections' to each other?

We can love, because He's with us - 因為有主在當中... †

Both 因為你先愛我們 and 我們愛[讓世界不一樣] are great!

So today I learned these 2 other great praise songs that is a great company with 好好戀愛. I learned of 好好戀愛 a long while back, definitely more than a year ago. For the past 8 months, I prayed faithfully for Him to lead my way. For those brothers & sisters that knew or asked me, they would have known how I prayed since I came back after a month-long spent in Hong Kong during Dec 2008. Even though now her & I are separated internationally 7000+ miles apart, we entrusted our path in Him. This time when I listen to it, it's a completely different feeling.

In the most unanticpated, unexpected timing and circumstance... God brought us back together.

If you haven't watched 'Fireproof', rent it. Ever since I watched the salvation scene, 1 John 4:19 had a completely different meaning to me. It's not just another bible verse on wedding program or wedding invitation, not another 'love' like 1 Corinthians 13. Brothers & Sisters, it is not an easy lesson to learn to 完全交托 and 順服. Keep practicing it with prayer!

Brothers & sisters that can remember, 當你走到無力 is my 2nd most favorite songs out of all the praise song. Other than 徐偉賢, I like 文雅言 a lot also. If not because of Martin gave Agnes to Flora, I wouldn't know her. If not because of those praise song, I might often still have questions and doubts. So I hope this song 放心 can give you encouragement, like a booster shot.

I remember when I first got 角聲使團's 振翅翱翔 from Steven, I wasn't like all the other people. Many people love 因著信, but my favorite was Immanuel. To me, Emmanuel/以馬內利, 神與我同在 is more important than anything else. He gave me peace and content that no one else can. Now when I listen to it, not only I feel God's embracing me, this lyric jump out to me - ...在愛中找到轉機...

In His name, I continue to pray...Amen.

p.s. only a -very few handful- of people know what's my absolutely most favorite #1 praise song~~~

A Lamp on a Stand

In both Matthew, Mark and Luke, there's a passage about exposing secrets, from the shadows into the light...

Jaeson Ma

I was reading this magazine I got from HK as a free gift, and there's a quote from Pastor Jaeson Ma regarding pre-maritial sex. I have heard of his name mentioned before... I'm not sure if he's the very same pastor that Eric Suen mentioned during his personal testimony at First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena. So I went online google him a little bit, found an interview and video about him. Read about his encounter with Edison Chen. Browsed to his Facebook page. He got a interesting birthday - 11/11! At only 29 years old (he's not even 30?!)... I'm impressed.

Commit to Him - 交託?

Psalm 37:5 reminded me...

Unconditional love?

Let us all be more like Him... love unconditionally!

I really like the lyric of Eternity's 愛到底. They had that song in ACM as well as BOBHK CD.

Perfect love drives out fear

I love you, LP. I knew full well how our relationship started, and where we are heading. The past - now - future all together is a complete package. Please believe in us, and entrust our path to God as He's our shepherd.

God brought us together, so that He can heal us through each other Psalm 147:3.

I know the past is taunting us now... like a shadow. I failed the temptation test... I let my own evil desire enticed me just like James wrote. I should have known better... Book of James was the very first book I bible studied on. I crossed the line and looked at the past without permission... I feel terrible about it.

Thank you my lovely little sister, she gave me a booster shot. She reminded me the very first bible verse that I learned about... 1 John 4:7-19. That was from the movie Fearless that I watched in Jan 20, 2007, the first time I stepped foot into my church.

"There is no fear in perfect love / 完全的愛，是沒有懼怕的。"

Ever since I watched the movie title Fireproof, I had a whole complete different understand of 1 John 4:19. It is my second most favorite verse, other than my life verse. I can very much so see the me-in-the-past in Caleb. The salvation scene was absolutely beautiful and IMHO -the best- part of the movie.

So I guess now other than everyone's common pick of 1 Corinthians 13, I will have to always remind myself so I can gather my strength from God's teaching, in 1 John 4:7-19 also.

I asked for God's sign ever since my departure. How friends & family were so happy and supportive about us... How Sunday sermon reminded me, that I have to walk His path to do the right thing... How Kar-Yee & Mervyns wedding showed me relationship will work out if it's in His plan. How Flora now boost me up with God's word... all and all... maybe I was just too deep in it that got blind sighted.

I was a bit bumped... and I prayed. It's like God's answering my prayer so very speedy! In a short time, 5 different friends/brother/sister MSN and call me saying "gratz on your new status". I mean, I've changed my status for over a week, and now suddenly all the greeting come the day that I need them... like a power energy drink!

I really like this quote "信心的考驗, 只有神的話語才能安慰人心, 有禱告就有力, 才能克服". And when I think about 交託, then I will almost always remember this Agnes's song.

Forget the past, charge forward!

Really wasn't following any daily bread or bible study plan... but it's more of a personal need. Want to be able to comfort her... Philippians 3:13-14

I failed terribly. As she said 'I feel pain in my chest. things change when you commit that temptation'.

This really hurts... this gut-wrenching is tearing me up inside...

Just Do It!

I can plan all I want, to think about it all I want. That's kind of my nature, being meticulous detailed-oriented without seeing the big picture. Over complicated things, second-guessing myself because 'there's always a mountain higher' principal is wired in my logical circuit.

In the end, Nike's slogan says it best - Just Do It!

My buddy Paul said - "and... stop doing everything step by step... a plan is good... but got to be able to adjust. I think you like to do things too much like programming. So i am happy you take a chance this time... pretty much nothing was planned..."

So when I read today's daily bread - "Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. —James 1:22", it basically give me a smack right into my face!

God always provide! He always lead 'helpers' to us, so that we can glorify Him - Romans 8:28.

Starting up...

I was thinking to use pen-and-paper to have a traditional style daily devotional notebook... but as a techie myself I find it much more useful to use a blog as my note. Since my mind jump around a lot, and information that I read are all online, this is probably the best medium.

Blogging daily is a new concept to me... learning to use label/tagging is going to be an interesting experience. I try to write Xanga daily like a private journal, but that's more of a daily life notes only. This blog, will be more like my spiritual diary in a sense. After going to my church for over 2.5yrs now (since Jan 20, 2007), I don't think I can keep using an excuse to call myself a 'baby Christian' anymore. I have been baptized for over a year (since Mar 23, 2008). I've been reborn for over a year!

A nerdy side note - March 23rd 2008 was the 2nd earliest possible date for Easter, and based on Computus calculation of less than 1% occurrence. The next March 23rd Easter day will not happen again until 2160. The only other earlier day for Easter would be March 22nd. It last fell on March 22 in 1818, and will not do so again until 2285.

our daily bread - http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml

daily bible reading plan - http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/readingplans/index.php/today

It is never too late! God is just waiting for you to turn to Him. He is still waiting, giving people the opportunity to turn to Him (2 Peter 3:9).