Devotion 18

I passed the room for Children’s Ministry yesterday when I was doing the security duty at OCM, and teacher was asking the kids: “What does the Holy Spirit do to us?” Hmm, I actually couldn’t come up with an answer to that question at that moment…

When we think of being filled with the Spirit, we may relate it to some emotional experience, a moment of spiritual high, a feeling of God’s presence…

Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. – Ephesians 5:17–18

God is saying that we should let His Spirit fill us and control our lives, like the sails being filled and guided along by the wind. This is not a one-time thing. Just as we repeatedly fill the gas tanks in our cars to keep them running, we also need to be refilled with the Holy Spirit over and over again.

Only in this way can we move from ‘Spiritual High’ to ‘Spiritual Growth’, moving beyond the Spiritual High we experience at the moment of salvation and growing in our relationship with Christ.

Remember to seek God's wisdom and the guidance from the Holy Spirit through prayers. "Always pray before planning", from today's Daily Bread. :P

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, Whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. - Titus 3:4-7

Devotion 17

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. – 1Corinthians 12:4-6

I am thinking about Spiritual Gifts. I believe God has created each one of us with some special gift(s), but I’m still not sure what mine is/are. =/

The Wiki for “Spiritual Gifts” leads me to 1Corinthians 12, where some gifts are mentioned, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, teaching, etc. Then I move on to 1Corinthians 13… v.1-3 mention gifts without love; v.4-7 talk about love apart from gifts; v.8-13 tell love remains while everything else you have changes.

There are various gifts God gives to His people to serve His people effectively. Above all, God wants us to serve one another out of a heart of genuine love. This is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit Himself!

Spiritual gifts are important, but they are not as important as LOVE. The emphasis of the gifts is service, and that stems from love. The most gifted person in the world apart from love accomplishes nothing (v.1), is nothing (v.2), and gains nothing (v.3). But love, whether gifted or not, will reach out to meet any and all the needs of the body. Love is fulfilling.

Also, God doesn’t always choose the most talented. If He calls you, He will grant you with everything you need to glorify His name.

Devotion 16

I’ve been enjoying reading lately. It is good!

It helps organizing my private world. Reading simply calms me down when I feel restless, anxious or impatient. It also helps training my mind. God wants us to love Him with all our heart – the emotional nature; with all our soul – the willing nature; with all our mind – the intellectual nature; and with all our strength – the physical nature. (Mark 12:30) Loving God 'with all our mind' is to exercise the mind, to think through. Intellectual growth is God-pleasing.

As a relatively new Christian, many times I feel being challenged with my faith walk and how my way of thinking is God-centered. I need to keep developing good filling system for my intellectual growth. Besides, it is indeed a beautiful thing to find insight and truth on every page of the books I read.

I read this today, "No vital Christianity is possible unless at least three aspects of it are developed – the inner life of devotion, the outer life of service, and the intellectual life of rationality." The third aspect is the easiest for many evangelicals to ignore, thinking it too worldly, but it is very important for us to equip our mind so that we will be ready to give Christ-oriented answers living in a challenging secular society.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will. - Romans 12:2

To be continued...

Devotion 15

We studied Luke 17:11-19 during the retreat. Nine out of ten were ‘doing the right thing’; only one returned to Jesus to praise and give thanks to Him.

How much time am I spending on the ‘right things’, leading Bible Studies, showing support to the fellowship, being encouraging to the sisters…? How much time, on the other hand, am I spending on organizing my inner world, quiet time, devotions, prayers…?

I hear people saying that I’m doing ‘well’ spiritually. I like hearing that. There is actually a danger here, the danger of doing well or even being successful. I always ask myself: From whom am I seeking approval, people or God? For whom am I doing the right things, myself or God?

When we are little in our own eyes, we depend on God. That’s also why many people, including myself, feel God’s presence more when we are ‘messed up’. But when we become strong we tend to forget, in some sense, that we have nothing that we haven’t received from God. We are so sinful by nature that every blessing of God upon our service may just add to the pride of our own hearts. How easy it is for us to forget that we have no power and no sufficiency in ourselves at all!

There is no reason to boast in anything we accomplish, for “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) It is these little things that we often forget. Remember to give thanks to God for everything, it is He who is developing us into the people He created us to be.

Let him who boasts boast in the Lord, for it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18

Devotion 14

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9

God is far more complex than we are, and we cannot understand Him fully. There is an inevitable gap there, we can only glimpse a portion of what God is doing in our lives and in the lives of others.

However, God provides a means to bridge that gap in two ways: the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

There are four things we should pray for as we study His Word: knowledge, wisdom, understanding and discernment. All starts with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). The beginning of knowledge is knowing who God is and who we are in our relationship with Him. God is all-powerful and all-knowing; He is complete in Himself. Wisdom is His calling out to us to connect with Him. God desires that we seek to know Him, to discern truth, to walk with understanding!

These revelations through the scriptures will eventually become our second nature as we read, reflect and apply. They will help to change us into the kind of person God wants us to become, deep inside where it counts. Only God can do this.

Devotion 13

I've been feeling a little sluggish since yesterday, and the result is, I don’t have much to say. It’s not that I feel spiritually low, just not as vibrant in thinking.

Just now I was trying to find the word ‘caterpillar’ online, and came across the life cycle of a butterfly: egg – caterpillar – pupa – butterfly =)

God’s creation!

I noticed the life cycle of a butterfly is one that starts with no activity, then activity, then no activity, and lastly full of activity.

Similarly, we are also going through seasons of our lives. In this journey, both the highs and lows play a role in the making of a mature follower of Christ.

Even when I find myself in a low-energy moment of my spiritual life, it is okay because the leadership of God is still ahead of me. God has always been the Shepherd and Provider in my life. He is present during those high moments of my spiritual walk, and those low and docile moments as well. It’s all part of the process.

The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. - Psalm 23

God does not just lead the way, He also lets His goodness and mercy follow us all the way.

Devotion 12

One message I missed in the Bible is Luke 22:41-42:

He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

This happened right before Jesus got arrested.

Had Jesus considered and asked the possibility to live, to stay? If so, I'm sure it was not for the purpose of being spared from agony, but out of love for His people. In the end, He submitted Himself to God's will.

Who can ever love like Jesus did? When we do things in the name of love, do we really consult our Heavenly Father for guidance? Are we showing our obedience as Jesus did in His prayer? No matter how much Jesus loved His people and wanted to stay with them, He turned to God and asked for His will. He submitted Himself to God's will and sacrificed His life for His beloved. When the curtain of the temple was torn in two (Luke 23:35), the way was opened between sinful humanity and the presence of the holy of holies. The new order of grace is ushered in, with the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

This is the unconditional & sacrificial love from Christ! This is the love that should humble each one of us.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. -- 1 John 4:10

Happy Easter!

Devotion 11

Today as I’m continuing with Ordering My Private World, I’m deeply impressed by how Jesus handled His seemingly overwhelming life, His every word being monitored, every action analyzed… However, Jesus never hurried, nor did He ever had to play catch-up.

Sometimes we find it easy to make promises, verbalize intentions, express convictions with seeming passion… However behind the talk we fail to follow up, we lose ourselves in visions of work to be done, which always remained to be done.

Two things the author mentioned.

1. Jesus understood His mission.
2. Jesus understood His limits.

Simple and straightforward!

Both require asking guidance and inner strength from God to compensate for one’s weaknesses.

Jesus was never to be caught short on time. When caught up in the busyness of life, I wish I could make sound decisions with my time too.

When money is limited, one budgets. When time is limited, the same principle holds. Time must be budgeted.

Jesus sought time in solitude with the heavenly Father before every important decision and action during His public ministry. He was spiritually sharpened. He was aware of where true importance lies, where the priorities are. And where your priorities are, there your time will be.

Devotion 10

Continuing with my Devotion 8 about the Driven vs. the Called…

I know I am still more of a driven person than a called one. Many times I have to hold on and cannot let go. ‘MORE’, instead of ‘LESS’, is the word I seek.

But there is a quality of joy that ought not to be confused with the modern-day version of happiness – a state of feelings dependent upon everything turning out all right.

I want to keep it short and just put one Bible verse here.

He must increase, but I must decrease. – John 3:30

Devotion 9

Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. – Romans 4:3

During my devotion yesterday I revisited Romans 4, then I read more about 'Justification by Faith' and came across a topic on the difference between ‘imputed righteousness’ and ‘inherent righteousness’.

Inherent Righteousness would be good things you do for God or good things God does in you, which is not the ground of your justification. God does not declare you righteous because He has transformed you into a good person or because you have done good works to earn righteousness before Him.

Instead, you are declared righteous before God on the basis of someone else's righteousness, Christ's, that God lays to your account and gives you credit for. Imputed Righteousness is something that is external to you and is given to you by someone else.

It is hard not to ask for credits for the good things we see in ourselves or we do to others. Many times I’m self-justifying, based on the progress I made in character formation, acts of forgiving or loving... Once again I should remind myself of Ephesians 2:8-9:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

& Philippians 3:9(b):

“... not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

Devotion 8

Today I learnt about two types of people, the driven and the called.

To the driven, relationships are not important; winning is. Spiritual health is not significant; physical strength is. The accumulation of knowledge and wisdom is not a matter of value; their prime targets are all external, material, and measurable.

I guess I was one of them. =(

One source of drivenness is an early experience of serious deprivation or shame. Back in college, I felt ashamed of not getting into the college I wanted to go and developed an insatiable appetite for acceptance and approval of others, even those who didn’t even know me. Rarely, however, was satisfaction reached. I still felt unconfident and insecure; my private world was still left empty and wanting, and that was where the real ache lies.

I thank God for filling up my empty world over the past 4 years. The relationships with Him and other people are just so much better. I'm also assured that the absolute confidence I can find in myself is within my relationship with God. As is said in 2 Corinthians 3:1-6:

"Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Only through faith in Him will we have lasting confidence in ourselves and whatever He calls us to do.

I’m praying that, with time, I can convert from a driven person to a called one.

To be continued… :P

出塞曲

席幕容 著

请为我唱一首出塞曲
用那遗忘了的古老言语
请用美丽的颤音轻轻呼唤
我心中的大好河山

那只有长城外才有的清香
谁说出塞歌的调子太悲凉
如果你不爱听
那是因为歌中没有你的渴望

而我们总是要一唱再唱
想着草原千里闪着金光
想着风沙呼啸过大漠
想着黄河岸啊阴山旁
英雄骑马壮
骑马荣归故乡

有很多感情，过去不明白，现在才体会。

Devotion 7

In today’s Daily Bread there’s a quote from Bill Bright, author of The Journey Home:

“May we live here like strangers and make the world not a house, but an inn, in which we sup and lodge, expecting to be on our journey tomorrow.”

He also commented:

“Knowing that heaven is our real home makes it easier to pass through the tough times here on earth. I have taken comfort often in the knowledge that the perils of a journey on earth will be nothing compared to the glories of heaven.”

It always bothers me when I hear someone say something like this. =(

Is it because I’m prideful and not humble? I really hope we, YES including myself, can change our negative or pessimistic perspectives of our living on the earth.

It’s good not to cling onto the world; however, do we have to feel suffering and/or sacrificing to justify our true identity? True, the image of Heaven is comforting; it gives us the hope, and the joy to be anticipated. But isn’t the hope supposed to be put in everything we do? Aren’t we supposed to rejoice with who we are and what we are doing right now, if we do take delight in the Lord?

Anyways, I just want to say:

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24

Devotion 6

Today I read an article talking about the 4 dimensions of God’s GLORY.

1. God’s very existence is glorious.
2. God's actions in creation are glorious.
3. God gives us the ability to perceive His glory and worship Him.
4. God gives us the ability to share with others of His glory.

I consider it a leap of faith when we can stretch from the third dimension to the fourth one.

If we really love God and really love His people, we will want to build 'bridges of grace' to let others know Him, we will want to bring others to praise and worship Him.

So I think there should be a combination of 'passion for God' and 'compassion for people'.

If it is a passion with no compassion, we are worshiping God for ourselves. However, in this 4th dimension of praise, we are to be freeing people from their bondages so that they can experience the power of our Lord living within them.

If it is compassion with no passion, it is limited and not sustainable. One quote from John Piper writes:

"The great sin of the world is not that the human race has failed to work for God so as to increase His glory, but that we have failed to delight in God so as to reflect His glory."

Compassion fades, but passion for God burns within us.

May God sustain us with lasting passion for Him and compassion for others.

Ordering My Private World

最近在看一本书，＜Ordering Your Private World＞，它在一定程度上描绘了我现在的状态：一直很忙碌，很盲目。

我是一个很享受生活的人，77％的时间我做自己喜欢做的事，或者说，我喜欢做自己做的事。

另外的23％，感觉力不从心，自我认识和肯定显得不具说服力，我需要来自外在的肯定，再肯定...

由内而外的自信，我相信是可以从个人信仰中得到的，这也是我需要'Order My Private World'的原因，也就有了这31-Day Devotion。=)

Devotion 5

I'm meditating on the following message. It is so good, richer than anything I can say, so I will just save a few words and take a break today. :P

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. – Ephesians 3:16-21