DAY 237 - No Greater Joy Than This!

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Today’s Reading: 3 John

Welcome! The purpose of this blog is to encourage Christians to have daily devotion - a wonderful and intimate time with Jesus.

There are three reasons for you to use this blog as your daily devotion:

1. A healthy spiritual diet - One chapter of the Bible daily. We really need at least one chapter of Bible daily so that we are well fed.
2. A good example of Spiritual Journaling - What I have committed for 1,189 days(the Bible has 1,189 chapters)to write this daily post is not for teaching purposes but this is my daily spiritual journal - I write down what I hear from Jesus and how I experience His intimate relationship with me each day. I have launched a wide-spectrum research on daily devotion and have found out that there are less than 10% of Christians that are having daily devotion. Out of that 10%, many having daily devotion are doing so because of guilt (they know that they are Christians and need to have daily devotion and feel guilty if they don’t do that), duty (they need to fulfill their duty as a Christian) or study(lots of Christians primarily use their daily devotion as a time to study the Bible). I do pray and hope that you will make up your mind to have a relational daily devotion so that you can have an intimate time with Jesus. I pray that you will write your own spiritual journal as well.
3. An online discipler – One of the reasons that so many Christians do not have daily devotion is because they do not have a disciple. A discipler can help them build up this basic element of discipleship when they first become Christians. The best way for you is to have a discipler to walk with you for a certain period of time so that daily devotion become a good habit. Or, you may have a small group of two to three people to encourage and be accountable to each other so that you won’t stop your daily devotion. I offer myself as your online disciple to walk with you daily to enrich your spiritual journey. So, shall we start this journey with Jesus Christ our Lord now!

Please read 3 John and listen to what the Lord Jesus Christ would like to tell you before reading my Spiritual Journal below. If you would like to learn a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please read my “Count Down 5” from this blog. You may click this link directly for the method:Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf . (You may begin with a song to praise the Lord and complete you devotion by singing another praise song.)

Please click the links below to 3 John:
Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=3%20John%201&version=CUV

NIV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=3 John 1&version=NIV

ESV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=3 John 1&version=ESV

Message:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=3 John 1&version=MSG

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3 John 4

What Jesus told Michelle today was in verse 4 of this chapter. Michelle received a tremendous encouragement from Jesus telling her that there is no greater joy than to see that our two sons are both walking in the truth. Ignatius is going to Regent College for the Master of Divinity program after a three years discernment process and our 13 year old son, Athanasius just told Michelle yesterday that at last he is going to have devotion everyday using my blog and not every few days!

What kind of joy can be greater than a mom in her sick bed to know that her two sons are walking with Jesus daily! What I have heard from Jesus today is similar and on a broader sense for John to encourage Gaius. John was filled with joy when he saw Gaius was walking in truth in the midst of the painful gossiping malicious situation in his church(v.10). He prayed that Gaius would have good health and his soul and everything in him would go well in the midst of those hurting things. And he adviced Gaius not to imitate what was evil with Diotrephes but rather to follow the good example of Demetrius to do good so that he could be well and good in all things. What did you do the last time when you were being gossiped maliciously about and being treating badly ? Did you do the same thing to those who harm you and not walking in truth. Did you let anger control you or did you do what John said today? May we show the love of Christ to all people so that we can be in the love of Christ and be loved and embraced by more people!

Oh, suddenly I am filled with a surpassing joy in my soul now! Thank you Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for your pouring down of joy, as I am thinking of our two sons and all the brothers and sisters surrounding us with prayers, care, support and love. I am smiling now from the bottom of my heart to feel so deeply this heavenly joy!

Michelle is good today, just very tired and sleepy because of the two chemo at the same time. She started the pre-chemo medicine "Atra" twice since Friday night and then starting today "Cytarabine" twice daily for 7 days and "Daunorubicin" once daily for 3 days. Please pray that Michelle will not vomit, that headaches will be controlled, and that she will have a good rest. May she be able to "enjoy good health and that all may go well with her, even as her soul is getting along well"(verse 2).

Dear Lord Jesus,

Pour down your blood on Michelle, protect her, embrace her, love her and heal her. And thank you for giving her a great joy today as she knows that our two sons are walking with you daily through daily devotion and an intimate personal relationship with you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Prayer items today:

For ACiC/AI

Bishop: Rt. Rev. Silas Ng

Network Leader: Rev. Peter Klenner
Network Leadership Team: Rt. Rev. Silas Ng, Rev. Peter Klenner, Rev. Ed Hird, Rev. Simon Neill
Bishop’s Chaplain: Rev. Ed Hird
Clergy Formation Advisor: Rev. Ken Bell

Administrator: Mrs. Zenia Cheng

Pray for one AMiA bishop one day at a time

The Rt. Rev. Philip Hill Jones

Pray for one ACiC/AI church one day at a time

All Saints Community Church

Rector/Senior Pastor: Rev. Peter Klenner

Record for our 2nd phase of 100 days of prayers : this new link to participate in our 2nd phase 100 days/24 hours Prayer Campaign(Nov 29, 2009 to March 8, 2010)
Record for our 1st phase of 100 days of prayers(2nd part 60 days): this link(August 20 to Nov. 28, 2009)
Record for our 1st phase of 100 days of prayers(1st part 40 days):

http://docs.google.com/Docdocid=0AbI_guJWaO4DZGRnYjNqZzRfMTRmZHFndjMzZA&hl=en