Sign of Your Pleasure

[S] Psalm 41:11-12 --

¹¹By this I know that You are pleased with me,
         Because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me. 
¹²As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
         And You set me in Your presence forever. 

[O] Many times, I wonder whether God is pleased with what I do for Him or not.  I feel defeated many times and seek for His sign of approval.  Today's passage provided me a new perspective to hear God in these situations -- even though my enemy may have scored some points against me, as long as the enemy does not shout triumph over me, I should know that God is pleased with me.  He is the one who will uphold me and embrace me into His presence.  In fact, the game score is already settled to be a victory for God's Team so I should not fall for the trap of discouragement in these situations.

[A] Unfortunately, I am going to face setbacks as I do God's work.  So, this will be another weapon under my belt for times of discouragments.

[P] Thank You, God, for being victorious PERIOD.  Even though I may fall here and there sustain my mind to retain the fact that You will prevail.  And may that knowledge affirm my heart to know that you are pleased with me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

From Oppositions to Opportunities

[S] Judges 3:3-4 --

³These nations are: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.

⁴They were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses.

[O] God left these five nations to test out Israelites' faith.  Going through the struggles in life tests our faith and thus in turn become opportunities to respond in Godly way (or not).  In previous verses, God let's these enemies to stay because the Israelites failed to wipe them out clean as they conquer the land.  This is so much like our lives here today in 2009 where because we failed to keep ourselves holy for God, we are bombarded with oppositions.  In times like these our prayers should not merely be asking God to remove these oppositions but shower His grace and teaching of His words in our hearts to respond in upright manner bringing out His glory in the struggling situations.

[A] Next time I or my family face a struggle, try not to focus on resolving the situation but prayerfully seek His wisdom to respond in a right manner.

[P] Dear God, thank You for the reminder of why You left these oppositions for Israelites.  Whenever I run into oppositions of this world may I be reminded that they are my opportunities to respond in Your ways that I'm learning from the Bible.  Help me O God.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Linked Imitators

[S] 1 Corinthians 11:1 --
¹Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

[O] Modeling is one of the key components that shapes a culture we live in.  We become what we see and hear around us and the funny thing is that even the things we dislike shape the culture so it's not only the ones we try to immitate but everything around us are poised to shape our lives.  In our spiritual walk, we are to imitate Jesus so that's not a difficult concept, but what this verse highlighted for me is how I should be in the linked chain so others can model after my relationship with Jesus in turn to be imitating Christ as a result.  In order for this to take place, I must first and always need to be imitating Christ consistently so whoever imitates me will not be led astray.  This short statement by Paul is auite powerfu.

[A] One by one, mend broken relationships in my life.

[P] Dear God, use me as one of the links in your chain of influence in my workplace.  May I be diligent in being a good model for others to draw near to You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Not even one failed

[S] Joshua 21:45 --
⁴⁵Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.

[O] I'm so used to striving for almost perfect (e.g., 99.99999%) that a concept of 100% perfection is a foreign concept to me so when I read this verse which happens to be on my memory verses list, strikes a special chord in me.  Not even one of many promises God made failed.  This means when He speaks He really means it.  As simple as this may sound, I don't always mean what I say and that's the root of the problem here.  In James 1:19 it says to be slow to speak and that's because choosing the right or good words to speak requires time; time to think about do I really mean what I'm about to say?

[A] When I compose an email make sure I mean every word I type as it can get real easy just to type things up and click the send button.

[P] Dear God, Your perfectness just amazes me even though I knew that.  I want to walk my life such that I mean what I say and walk my talk.  Please work in the areas of my life to build me up.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Lawfully Profitable and Edyfying

[S] 1 Corinthians 10:23 --
²³All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable All things are lawful, but not all things edify.

[O] This passage reminds me of limitations fo the law.  While it certainly provides protection, order, fairness, etc. it does not automatically means the end results are profitable or edifying.  The Old Testament defined the Law of God and how we are to obey it down to the details but the Israelites lived lives that were not always profitable or edifying.  So, just to focus abiding the law will not lead me to a life desired by God.  I must intentionally make efforts to make my life and those around me to be profitable or edifying.

[A] At my workplace, think about how I may be a source of blessing to them.  That is to say how my faith may play out at work such that those around me will be edifying.

[P] Dear God, at the same time I pursue to follow Your commands from the Bible, may I not forget to be edifying those around me.  May I be the one people enjoy having around them because Your blessings will be showered upon them through my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Walking the Talk Lest I Disqualify

[S] 1 Corithinans 9:27 --
²⁷but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

[O] Isn't it so easy to "preach" to others how to do things than do it myself accordingly?  This applies to may cases for me but especially in the area of raising my children this is more so critical because I really need to walk the talk for them to see that I am also disciplining my life to follow Christ with utmost seriousness.  Here Paul talks about how he does not want to be disqualified by not following what he preached to others.  I am a bit comforted by seeing that even Paul asks such question but at the same time, this question makes me to increase my commitment to Lord for walking my talk to set a model for my children to follow.

[A] Lead the path by doing my morning devotions regularly so they would follow.

[P] Dear God, thank You for revealing me the insight of leading my children to follow You.  Instead of making a checklist of things to do or not to do, make me to set a good example of walking my talk.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Consequences of Lame Excuses

[S] Joshua 17:12-13 --

¹²But the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land.

¹³It came about when the sons of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.

[O] To me, this scene is nothing but "lame excuses."  The Israelites had their chances and opportunities to wipe out the Canaanites but they did not and as it says in verse 13, so even after they grew stronger, they could not drive them out.  The consequence of not wiping clean our sins they seem to linger on longer and longer.  When it comes to our sins we must be brutally clear on removing them from our lives.  Any exuses for leaving behind residue of sin is "lame excuses."

[A] No ands or buts -- when God identifies my sin, simply stop and remove from my life completely.

[P] Dear God, I'm learning from the Israelites who even though Your Promised Land was already provided for them they did not conquer completely by driving out the Canaanites completely.  I'm learning that in addition to Your promises for me, my complete obedience is necessary for me to fully enjoy the fruits of your promises.  So help me and my family to live out Your promises by complete obediences according to Your word that we study daily.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

I Am Still As Strong Today

[S] Joshua 14:11-12; 15:14 --

¹¹"I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in.  ¹²"Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken."

¹⁴Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the children of Anak.

[O] Caleb professes to be as strong as 38 years ago when he was sent to spy out the Promised Land with 11 others.  He was filled with the conviction of God allowing them to conquer the land even though it was occupied by huge and strong people.  His zeal for living a victorious life persisted through all the years of wandering the wilderness and then conquering the land of Canaan.  He was ready to finish the job that he was unable to complete 38 years ago and to do that, he was as strong today as he was back the.  What is driving my life; and what is providing the strength for me to carry on my life for God's glory?  In 15:14 we see that he indeed defeated the sons of Anak and took over that region to accomplish the task for God.

[A] What is the area in my life that needs to be followed through according to God's promise?  Am I as strong as before to accomplish this task with flying colors?  If my desire has decreased along the way, this is the time to refresh my commitment and charge forward.

[P] Heavenly Father, please allow me to carry on the full strength even though I age every year in physical sense to carry out the ministry at Pathway for expanding and equipping the second generation Asian American Brothers and Sisters.  You've given me this purpose 25 years ago and I, too, wanna say to You that I am still as strong today as then.  Thank You for sustaining this zeal.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Counsel on Routine Matters

[S] Joshua 9:14 --
¹⁴So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD.

[O] Could God have stopped them from making this serious mistake?  Yes, but He didn't because they did not ask for His counsel.  It appears that this event for the Israelites seemed to be a normal routine task and did not feel necessary to seek God' counsel because the circumstance look OK to proceed on their own.  From this passage I am learning that no task is too insignificant to ask God's opinion before making the decision especially even when it comes to my routine tasks.

[A] My old car's transmissions came to its end of life last week.  The cost of fixing it is going to out weigh the value of that car so I am going to donate this car and buy a new one.  At first it seemed like this is my routine task for researching for the next car under budget and go buy it but after reading this passage what came to my mind was to seek His counsel on which car we should select and purchase.

[P] Dear God, Your direction is always the best one for me and even purchasing a new car is something You would guide me best.  Please let us know which car is best for our family situation to be used for your ministry as well.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Do I Have Privilege to Disobey?

[S] Joshua 7:18 --
¹⁸ Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

[O] Achan, whose sin caused the Israelites' defeat against Ai, belong to the tribe of Judah which Joshua belong to.  I may be reading between the lines here but I believe it is much easier for the people close to the leaders to break or bend the rules just because of a privileged feeling.  I recently learned this while preparing the lesson plan for BSF high school class I teach -- God's privileged leaders do not have the privilege to disobey.  Application from this principle is that whenever we feel like I'm a bit more special to not to follow all the rules, I should instead of practice humility and obedience because the consequences may be too severe as with Achan.

[A] Whenever I am tempted to override any rules and regulations, remember Achan.

[P] Dear God, Your holiness and purity blessed me as I read over what happened to Achan's sin.  You want us to live pure and holy lives even if it means being "deathly" serious about removing wrong-thoughts/actions from our lives.  May I walk this life of holiness for your pleasure.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Shouldn't You Stop the River Flow First?

[S] Joshua 3:8, 15-17 --
⁸ Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river.' "

¹⁵ Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, ¹⁶ the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

[O] The phrase "go and stand in the river" blesses me every time I read it because here we are just about to kick off the conquering of the Promised Land.  The Jordan River is not that wide according to the historical background I read before so this is different from the Red Sea crossing, however the instruction was for the priests carrying the Ark to go and stand in the river while the water was flooding over the banks.  What's wrong with this picture?  Well, shouldn't the river be split apart before they are to carry the Ark on dry ground?  What if they lose control of the Ark and get swept away down stream?  Forget all the "If questions" because God's miraculous power followed the obedience of the priests.  God was in full control once again and when we obeyed 100% He came through.  He never fails.

[A] When He instructs me to do something that just doesn't make any sense to me, obey anyways expecting what He already promised to supply.

[P] Dear God, even if you tell me to go stand in the overflowing river when You told me You'll stop the river for me to cross over, I desire to obey without a doubt.  I want to be sold out for You 100%.  Thank You for putting this desire in my heart.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

When vs. If

[S] Joshua 2:14; Pslam 37:29 --

¹⁴ "... when the LORD gives us the land."

²⁹ the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

[O] In verse 14, the two spies Joshua sent into Jericho assures Rahab that "when the LORD give us the land" they will honor what she had done for them.  It was not a "If ..."  And when they safely return to Joshua their report was that the LORD indeed has given them the land because the people's hearts were melted.  To the spies, the mighty Jericho fortress with sealed shut gates, or their army mattered to them because they saw it through the eyes of what God had already promised them.

[A] With many uncertainties in life, I tend to say "If God allows, etc." but from now on I should have the faith of "When God wills ..."

[P] Dear God, who has promised me this land, forgive my lack of faith in You.  As in Psalm 37:29, I will stay upright for You and enjoy the inheritance of this land to dwell in for me and future generations of believers.  Grant me the victorious life as I claim what You had already given me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Apple of His Eye on Eagle's Wings

[S] Deuteronomy 32:9-12 --

⁹ For the LORD's portion is his people, 
       Jacob his allotted inheritance.

 ¹⁰ In a desert land he found him,
        in a barren and howling waste.
       He shielded him and cared for him;
        he guarded him as the apple of his eye,

 ¹¹ like an eagle that stirs up its nest
       and hovers over its young, 
       that spreads its wings to catch them 
       and carries them on its pinions.

 ¹² The LORD alone led him; 
       no foreign god was with him.

[O] God guarded His people like the apple of His eye, and cared for them as an eagle catching them and carrying them on its pinions.  This picture is really vivid in my mind as I was reading this passage and encourages my soul tremendously.  I see the life I go through like the desert land, barren and howling waste.  I can be all discouraged about it while I tread through it on this earth or put on the mind of being His people whom He thoroughly cares and protects.  I really can do all things as long as I am called His people.  The LORD ALONE LED ME.

[A] When I face a challenge this week, just fall into the wide-spread wings of God instead of worrying about it too much.

[P] Dear Father, Your amazing care and protection blessed me so much today.  I am the apple of Your eye!  Thank You for this encouraging words for me today and may my life reflect that to many others around me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Hundred Twenty Years Old and Done

[S] Deuteronomy 31:1-2 --
¹ Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: ² "I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has said to me, 'You shall not cross the Jordan.'

[O] I am wondering what my last words will be as I'm reading what Moses told the Isrealites about how he had "completed" his task at the age of 120.  I heard from Pastor Wayne Cordeiro about how he wants to have his tombstone have the gasoline guage pointing to the "E" (for empty) because he would have given all he's got during his life.  This is quite a challenging concept because generally speaking we're all busy gathering stuff rather than giving all we got during our life's course.  Jesus also "gave up His Spirit" (Matthew 27:50) willingly on the cross because He had completed His work on earth there.  Will God grace me with similar opportunity at the end of my life so I can willingly come to a point of accomplishing my work here?  Looking at the life of Moses such journey up to that point is not a walk in the park, but I deeply desire this and will be the rest of my life's goal.

[A] Continue to discipline my life to grow deeper with God by having a daily devotional time with God.  This will be a good starting point for sure.  Then whatever ministry I'm involved with, give all I got.

[P] Dear Lord, shower Your grace upon my life such that I may walk the life that will lead to a point of completion for Your ministry here on earth.  No matter the size or significance of my responsibility in Your ministry, may I give it all.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Be the Head, not the Tail

[S] Deuteronomy 28:3-6, 9-11, 13 --

³ You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

 ⁴ The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

 ⁵ Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

 ⁶ You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

⁹ The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. ¹⁰ Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. ¹¹The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.

¹³ The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.

²⁰ The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him

[O] I had to reduce the number of verses from the beginning of this chapter because it was filled with hopeful blessings from God for our city.  Lately, I just learned a new song called "God of This City" and so my mind was framed around the city (the literal city I live in as well as the virtual community of friends and co-workers) as I was meditating on these blessings about how much God is interested in blessing us so abundantly as long as we keep His commands (verse 9).  He's going to make us the head and not tail.  The list of blessings is just awesome.  However in verse 20, He also lists the consequences of our failure to follow His commands.  I shortened this list but it is as long as the blessings list.  The ball's on our court.

[A] There are much uncertainties these days and I feel this passage is more significant for me to focus on following His commands now than ever because I can easily be distracted away from doing that and regardless of my excuses the outcome will depend on my response to His commands.

[P] Dear God, please use my weakness to bring out your strengths.  I am more than ever encouraged by this passage to know that You desire to overflow me with Your blessings.  I desire that for me and my family.  Please continue to steer us in the way to be in Your word to know and follow Your commands.   In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Promised Treasured Possession

[S] Deuteronomy 27:18-19 --
¹⁸And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. ¹⁹ He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.

[O] God says I'm His treasured possession as He promised!  This statement alone just made my day.  However there is one condition to this -- that I am to keep all His commands.  So, as long as I stick to His commands, I will remain as His treasured possession.  Futhermore, He will set me in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations.  How I desire to be above all nations and I don't have to be a worldly known, highly visible person as long as I follow His commands because how He will set me above all is really up to Him according to His timing.

[A] Be happy about how I am God's treasured possession when I read the Bible, and apply them into my life.  Being a Christian is not just a chore of doing all the right things but being content of knowing how God sees me.

[P] Dear God, allow me to be content, happy and joyful about how You see me trying to follow You every day.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Result of Ordinary vs. Promise

[S] Galatians 4:23 --
²³His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.

[O] The comparison between Hagar and Sarah is made in this section and I'm reflecting on the thought of how much of my actions and involvement in ministry are done as a result of ordinary ways vs. a result of a promise from God.  As we see the constrating outcome of these two descendants my life's outcome based on my own ordinary human ways vs. what I will do because of the promise God has put in my heart will bear totally different fruits.

[A] I need to examine very carefully before carrying out any of my plans what the source of motivation is behind them.  I need to think of how God gave Isaac through Sarah as the result of a promise because the fruits bore from my life should be like Isaac which will be everlastingly scalable for His Kingdom's sake.

[P] Dear Lord, grant me a heart to desire to bear fruits based on your promise.  Even though at times I feel I am lost or trapped with no way out, I ask You to remind me how Isaac was born as a result of your promise and how I also need to go back to Your promise/purpose for my life instead of getting discouraged.  I will claim the same God who provided Isaac as the promised child to display the same miraculous power in my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

The Hang-Out Factor

[S] Deuteronomy 20:18 --
¹⁸ Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God.

[O] What type of environment I foster will determine what type of lifestyle I will pursue.  No matter how I plan to live out my life, if I choose to be in an environment that goes against my plan, then the failure rate is tremendously high.  In fact, not only I will fail to pursue my plans, I will instead be heading down the opposite direction in no time.  Verse 18 reminds me that who I hang out with is very crucial because they WILL influence (teach) me to follow their ways and in the end I will be straying away from God.

[A] Integrate consisten prayer time with those "inner circle" friends in my life such that we will be accountable to each other about being the "good" influencer for walking the path God desires.

[P] Dear God, I pray that me, my wife and my children will learn to "hang out" with godly friends so we would encourage each other to pursue after Your heart.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Jew Who Lives Like Gentile

[S] Galatians 2:14 --
¹⁴When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

[O] Paul corrects Peter because "he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group."  As he states in verse 14, if his purpose was to draw more Gentiles to follow Jesus then he needed to set a good example and promote inviting atmosphere for the Gentiles instead of avoiding them.  As I am currently praying for a certain person to draw closer in accepting Christ's love, this passage allowed me to reflect on how inviting I am to this person.  What will Paul say to me?  Clean up my act and live like a follower of Christ?  I hope so, and I also hope that my desire to be more like Him will be reflected in my life to this person I'm praying for.

[A] Continue to pray for my friend that God's amazing love would touch his life.

[P] Dear God, please move the heart of my friend.  Your love is so big and amazing, and unconditional.  Would you please channel that right into this person's heart that would overflow out of that person's life and transform the mindset and the way of thinking about the greater purpose for how to live on?  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Audience Of One

[S] Galatians 1:10 --
¹⁰Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

[O] This reminds me of the violin student who was only focused on his master's approval after the concert regardless how much the audience was applauding.  He had the audience of one.  When I do God's work, do I also have the audience of One or am I trying so hard to earn other people's recognition?  Who I am trying to please will determine who I am serving.  So, if my focus is to please God then I am a servant of Christ.  If not, I would be servant of other men.

[A] While I need to collaborate with other people in doing God's work, I must not be too hung up about being recognized by other people as long as I am approved by God through His Spirit and Word.

[P] Dear God, whenever I'm involved in doing your work, I want to only please You while treating others I work with as dear Brothers/Sisters.  I thank You for sending co-workers into my life but may I not confuse them to be the ones I need to please.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Right Rain In Its Season

[S]  Deutronomy 11:14 --

¹⁴ then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. ¹⁵ I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.

[O] The backdrop of this scene is about how God will provide for His people in the Promised Land.  The key section that jumped out at me was "I will send rain your land in its season."  Even today, the rain is something we cannot control because the "Mother Nature" is in charge of that.  We've seen one too many cases where either too much or too little rain impacts the community that today's technology cannot alter.  So most likely no one has any issues about how little we can do to control the rain but reading this passage presents to me a picture of how God will provide the rain in right timing as well for people who are dedicated to follow Him.  I will have many different "seasons" throughout my life and I must trust that God will send appropriate rain for each season I will go through.  This may be an obvious information but today, the concept of God providing for me in every season comforted me a lot.

[A] Surrender my environment and circumstances to God because in the end I don't really have any control anyways.

[P] Dear God, thank You for sending the right rain for the right moments in my life.  I am so glad You know what you're doing because I sure am not in full control of my life even though I try my best to as much as I can.  May my life be more dependent on You such that my life will be aligned to Your plan for me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Not By Numbers, but By Covenant

[S] Deuteronomy 7:7-9 --
⁷ The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. ⁸ But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ⁹Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.

[O] I always look for bargain deals on almost everything and that's why Costco is one of my favorite shopping places (so it used to be more of a warehouse, bulk-rate place than it is today) as much as finding a charter flight rates for traveling.  But am I glad God does not operate with the same mindset because I would never make His list on my own.  This passage states that it's the love of God, nothing of what I do or which group I belong to draws me close to Him.  He keeps His covenant of love to me.  This is a great comfort!

[A] I need to stop applying the rules of this world -- how volume, power, strength, money, etc. makes a big difference.  In God's domain, His love for us is the only thing that makes a difference.

[P] Thank You, for your Love for me by keeping Your promises not depending on my performance.  I want to grow deeper in You to understand that deep Love and I want to pass that on to others.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

How To Prolong Our Days

[S] Deuteronomy 6:2 --

²so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.

[O] Especially during this time of economic downturn in US, all of us are concerned about what may happen to our future as a nation, and as an individual.  What if I get layed off?  What if my investments all flushes down the drain?  Times like these, God's message of settling down is not about better financial management but to sustain the fear of LORD your God to keep his commandments at all time.  As a result my days will be prolonged with prosperity.  One of the high priority items on my list of inheritance to my children is so they may continue to have this exact fear of the LORD our God such that it will only be magnified into subsequent generations.  This natioin is in great need of fearing God because we're so distracted by many things this country has offered we have veared off away from the core of pursuing after God's guidance in our lives.  We are trying to prolong our days with our own might instead of following God's paths He outlined for us to follow.

[A] I want to pray for our children so they would 1) grasp this fear of God; 2) retain that fear for the rest of their lives; 3) pass it down to their children.

[P] Dear God, I lift up my beautiful children you had given to our family.  Even though I am still struggling to raise them by learning every day how to build the right relationship with them (and failing many times), please instill deep in their hearts the passion for the knowledge of Your word and to reatin the fear in their lives as they traverse through their lives.  Protect them with Your angels.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Preparation for Conquering Jericho

[S] Deuteronomy 3:21-22 --  ²¹ At that time I commanded Joshua: "You have seen with your own eyes all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. The LORD will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. ²² Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you."

[O] From today's reading I realized that God allowed the Israelites to have some victories over Amorites and Bashanites before entering into Canaan (thus Jericho).  As God says in verse 21, these two victories were to be a reminder and examples of what God will do through the Israelites once they enter the Promisde Land.  It was almost like the warm-up drill for them and it must have helped the Israelites to obey God's leadership when He told them to circle around Jericho for 7 days instead of breaking through the walls of Jericho.  I'm very comforted to know that God prepares for our battles mainly because of our forgetful hearts of what He can do in our lives.  We forget because we rely too much on what we only see with our human eyes rather than seeing with our spiritual eyes.

[A] Treasure the war victories in my heart such that when I'm about to fight the spiritual battles I will be gold and faithful to His calling.  Whatever the "Jericho" is standing in front of me, I should take the steps of faith while trusting His victory.

[P] Dear God, thank You so much for always preparing my weak heart before calling me to take on the battle in front me which always seems so much larger and powerful than what I can bear.  May I take my steps knowing that even though my strength may seem insufficient, Your power is more than sufficient.  Additionally, may I be encouraging to those at Pathway to take on the similar mindset especially when we're just beginning to take steps to move forward into the areas of the "Promised Land" for our spiritual community in this Bay Area.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Leadership Structure for the Masses

[S] Deuteronomy 1:13-15 --

¹³'Choose wise and discerning and experienced men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.'  ¹⁴"You answered me and said, 'The thing which you have said to do is good.'  ¹⁵"So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and appointed them heads over you, leaders of thousands and of hundreds, of fifties and of tens, and officers for your tribes.

[O] God led Moses to put in a leadership structure to lead the approximately 2.5 million people through the desert for 40 years.  The hierarchy he used is nothing more than what we would use today to have a matrix/network/structure of leaders to eventually break down the masses into manageable chunks.  Two things I see from these verses are: 1) these leaders' qualifications were wise, discerning and experienced -- not the most rich, intelligent, or powerful; 2) these leaders were in a layered support structure vs. a flat structure -- constant nurturing and mentoring took place such that no leader is an island by himself.

[A] Pray for Pathway's leadership structure to reflect this model such that these leaders will be effective in caring for the congregation.

[P] Dear Lord, even though the Israelites kept messing up during their 40 years of wandering the wilderness You cared for them still and wanted to provide a firm foundation of leaders to lead them into the Promised Land.  In the same sense, regardless how helpless we may be at Pathway, showing off our own meager efforts while disappointing You repeatedly, please show Your grace upon Pathway leadership to embrace this concept of nurturing the people who congregate at Pathway.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Too Late or Too Gracious?

[S] Mark 11:11, 13, 14 --
¹¹Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

¹³Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

¹⁴He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening.

[O] This verse perplexes me because does this mean the almighty Son of God came too late behind schedule and so had to leave the city until the morning?  That sounds too much like what I would do.  I am trying to picture what was going on at the temple at this time.  Were there lots of people still wrapping up their "market stores"?  Were they all gone?  I don't know the answers to these questions but I'm hoping God will reveal to me the insights of this verse.  What I can pick out is the fact that Jesus went to the temple first (it seems from this verse) and that shows how important this place was to Him.  I also picked up that He cared for this place -- looking around carefully at everything (NLT) -- and took time to examine all aspects of the temple.  Perhaps that process took longer than expected because the temple had transformed into a totally new place (again, woulnd't He have known that already?).  The following fig tree incident shed some light for me.  As He went to the tree looking for the fig fruits and found none, perhaps His grace, long-suffering, and mercy sought to find some "good fruits" in the temple but just like the fig tree, He found none there and returned to Bethany.  I wonder if He's come by my life looking for some good fruits lately....  Even though I mess up so many times in following God, Jesus nevertheless cares for me to come along graciously seeking for the fruit of the Spirit.

[A] I really need to bear the good fruits in my life in or out of season.  Regardless of my shortcomings, Jesus still seeks in my life the fruits that He labored for at the cross.  I need to push onward in ministry at workplace, home, and church to care for others and passing on His goodness to others especially those who do not have the personal relationship with God yet.

[P] Dear Jesus, when You come by next time looking for good fruits out of my life, I want to present to You the lovely fruits not because I got my life in perfect order but because I rely totally on You to work through my life every day.  I ask that You would continue to pour into my family Your goodness such that it will overflow out of our lives.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Marched Out Boldly In Full View Of Egyptians

[S] Numbers 33:3,4 --
 ³ The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians, ⁴who were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them; for the LORD had brought judgment on their gods.

[O] This chapter summarizes the history of when Israelites came out of Egypt up to the time just prior to their entering into Canaan (Jericho).  The Israelites were under the slavery of Egyptians regardless of their outnumbering population.  They had no rights or freedom under their rule, but when God sent Moses and dealt with the Egyptians until they came to the point of burying all of their firstborns because they refused to submit to God, the situation has reversed such that the Israelites "marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians."  During this Lent period the message of boldness or victory seems to be highlighted more to me.  Perhaps as I'm studying the Life of Moses (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) in BSF may have influenced me to see in light of how the Israelites wandered the wilderness for 40 years and finally they go into Canaan boldly to claim the Promised Land -- no matter how discouraged or tired I may get due to the circumstances I face, ultimately I must stand up and march out of there boldly in full view of the situations.

[A] Do not dwell on the past hang-ups/failures/frustrations, but pick myself up and march onward in boldness!

[P] Dear God, I would like to reflect Your boldness through how I deal with my life's situations.  May I not hide Your power with my lack of confidence in Your presence in my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

How To: Anything But Prayer

[S] Mark 9:29 --
And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer."

Mark 9:25b --  "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again."

[O] Every time I read this passage, I am challenged because I am searching to find out what it means to "pray" in this context.  Without knowing what to pray how can just praying allow me to cast out the spirit?  Today, I see one aspect of the prayer Jesus mentions.  Through prayer ask for discernment to know what spirit I am dealing with.  It is as if when demons are called out by their names in the name of Jesus they have no choice but to obey, but if I don't call them by their correct names, then they don't seem to have the binding.  In verse 25b I am reading how Jesus specifically called out these spirits (deaf and mute) and commanded them to come out and never to return.  We have to deal with many evil spirits around us because we're in a constant spiritual warfare so I will surely be remembering to ask for the discerning heart in the circumstances I face daily.

[A] Next time I sense a spiritual battle, I will ask for His discernment and I will cast out the evil spirits by calling their exact names.

[P] Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for opening my eyes a little bit more as I read this passage again.  I am thankful for Your empowerment through Jesus' name and blood.  May I apply what You've shown me in my life in appropriate situations to bring out Your wonderful glory.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Direct Communication

[S] Leviticus 29:40 --
Moses spoke to the sons of Israel in accordance with all that the LORD had commanded Moses.

Mark 8:12, 18 --
¹²Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, "Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." ¹⁸"HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember,

[O] Jesus makes a comment in Mark 8:12 about why we seek for a sign. To me, He's saying why can't we just find out the real thing directly from the source rather than seeking for a sign which indirectly attempts to point to the source. He goes on in verse 18 to say how we have eyes and ears that do not seem to function properly. My thoughts on this point is that our eyes and ears must be trained to pick up the the right things because there are so much going around us. It's much like a detective trained to look for the right evidences; a musician's ears trained to listen for the right notes, sounds, rhythms, etc. Jesus' comments imply what are we doing to train our eyes and ears to be spiritually sensitive. Rewinding back to the days of Moses, we see from Leviticus that Moses didn't seem to have any problems picking up the commands directly from God. Now, remember that Moses had a lot of training -- 40 years in the desert -- so don't expect this to happen overnight.

[A] Seeking signs and messages as I read the Bible is good but I don't want to be content there but dig deeper into the Word until His heart touches mine directly and clearly with His commands for my life.

[P] Dear God, I totally desire to hear your commands/instructions directly from You clearly like Moses did.  Please train me to have the right ears and eyes to hear and see what You desire from me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.