SCRIPTURE:
“Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!  (Philippians 4:1, NIV)

OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself what stuck out to me right away?
The word “Therefore” stuck out to me!

I asked myself what is 'Therefore' referring to?
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21, NIV)

By being citizens of Heaven, Paul wants them to stand firm in the Lord.

I asked myself what 4 things does Paul let the Philippians know before telling them to stand firm in the Lord?
1. You whom I love
2. You whom I long for
3. You whom are my joy
4. You whom are my crown

INTERPRETATION:
I asked myself the significance of Paul's statement?
The apostle Paul is not just focusing on citizenship but also love and longing. Paul is in love and longing for the Philippians. I found that very significant because it was not a sexual or romantic kind of love or longing, but a family kind of love and longing for the Philippians. They have become his joy and crown to him.

For Paul to be able to describe them as his joy and crown, they must be acting as true citizens of heaven. His love and longing for them shows that love can be in different languages and does not always have to be the sexual or romantic language. It is through love and longing for others that Paul wants them to take a stand.

IMPLICATIONS:
 I saw important implications for my own life. As a believer in Christ, I should not back down to write to others that I love them and long for them. I should not fear people getting the wrong message. Sadly in society many times the whole concept of love is twisted.
 
“I love you” usually signifies that “person is interested in a person romantically”. That is not always the case. This passage also shed light on King David’s relationship with Jonathan. People who are for homosexuality love to use David and Jonathan's relationship to insinuate a sexual kind of love. That is so far from the truth!

Loving one another and longing for them is so biblical and does not have to be sexual or romantic. I also realize when love is verbalized between sexes, there should be clarity in how that love is being expressed so mixed signals are not sent.

It is Paul’s love and longing for the Philippians that prompts him to write a letter to them and exhort them to stand firm in the Lord as citizens of Heaven.

HOW GOSPEL GIVES ME TESTIMONY REGARDING S.T.A.N.D:
There are a lot of you I do not know really well personally but I share these devotionals with you because of Christ’s love for me and my love for each of you. I long for each of you to know Jesus Christ more and more and allow Him to get you through your college years, career, and life itself.  For me it started because of how Jesus Christ showed His love for me on the cross! Jesus has used my mom to help me come to know Him! Jesus has continued to use my mom to show His love for me in wonderful ways even through the years. My beloved dad who is with Jesus right now showed his love for us in so many ways.  You can read his memoriam to the left side bar. The Lord has blessed me with wonderful brothers who care for me in their unique distinctive ways.

Jesus also has used Elizabeth Leibach & Kevin Leibach (former IVCF staff workers), Kathleen Sweeney (Former IVCF President), Sean King (Former IVCF Vice-President), and Jim Ranking (Former IVCF leader) to show His love for me in my difficult times. Because of all them I joined InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) as a member, then went on student leadership, and later I went on staff with IVCF as a volunteer, etc becoming a campus minister.

As a IVCF staff I was blessed to be under the leadership and mentoring of Kent Walley, my former staff worker who is now a pastor in South Carolina. To this day I am so fond of  IVCF because of how the Lord Jesus has used it in my life and allowed me to serve so many students through IVCF. I was loved unconditionally by all of them w/o being judged even though I was told when I was messing up. I never felt they had a judgmental attitude towards me but so much love.

Now my Senior Pastor Hugo Cheng from Pittsburgh Chinese Church-Oakland & Edwin & Marie of Oakland International Fellowship minister to me a lot without being judgmental towards me but help me see my shortcomings through expressing the love of Christ.

When I meet with them and talk to them, I am so reminded of Jesus' statement to the woman accused of adultery: "Has no one condemned you, neither do I! Go and sin no more!" (John 8)

In love, they want me to take a stand on what is right. It is Pastor Hugo, Edwin, & Marie expressing unconditional love, without condemning many of my actions that helped me be plugged in a church community and be involved in a small group. They did not condemn me but made me feel convicted of some of the things I was doing and did.

They did not do it on their own. All their talk and persuasion would not have transformed my thinking if it were not for the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ who chose to use all three of them in my life outside of the home. It is Christ's Spirit working in them to impact me that made a difference and still does.

But, that too is contingent on my own relationship with the Lord and where I stand in love. Without the Lord's intervention by His abundant grace in my times of extreme difficulty, I would not be where I am right now. Thank you Jesus.

Jesus loves me so much that Jesus paid the ultimate price to purchase me with His blood so that I can be justified by His grace and the sanctification by His grace can continue daily in my life. It is all about Christ and His love that has not condemned me but has convicted me by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I have also been so blessed to go to Pastor Paul Bucknell, a missionary at our church with any concerns or issues I have. Just recently, he showed his love for me by taking the  time to read a long hard-essay of mine as he called it and critiqued it for me to help make it better to reach the masses. In his busy schedule, he made no excuses but helped me out right away showing his love to me.

How true the expression, 'No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care'. For me that describes my mommy, Pastor Hugo, Pastor Bucknell, Edwin, and Marie not to mention those that have impacted my life directly from the former Potter's Clay and the current Living Acts cell group.

None of them are Paul, the Apostle but the same Spirit that worked in Paul also works in them to show love.

I am reminded how much Kamella, Amigo, Luke, and Jeremy took a stand in love by helping out when I needed people at the activities fair for Pittsburgh Standard.

I am reminded how much Ryan Li was there for our family each and every day when my dad was in the ICU. I am reminded of the care Steve showed to our family during this difficult time too.

I have been blessed by Elias, Christy, Liz, David, Elizabeth, Cathy, Antonia, Kristen, Josh, Bryan, Lyd, Rachel, Keng when I first joined the cell group.  Susannah showed care by making me my favorite desserts always. Pastor Ed wanted me to always give a Gospel centered message and screened by devotionals in the beginning and gave me feedback. The list can go on and on.

Of course, my favorite of all time is what Becky, Brad, Sara, Jonathan, Josh, and David from IVCF did for me when they cancelled Bible study just so they could surprise me to help me move even though I had refused help earlier. They knew when I missed Bible study something was wrong because I never missed it and took decisive action. It was finals week and all of them contributed in enormous ways staying 3+ hours behind to clean my apartment and pack everything. I am so overwhelmed with joy that I can still get teary when I think about all they did for me. Sam Brunsvold, who was the campus minister for Christian Student Fellowship, who is not with the Lord impacted my life, Sara's life, and Becky's life showing how much he cared for students and non-students. I know that rubbed of on all of us.

I have experienced the love of Christ through others in my life and it is that love that gives me a longing for others because Jesus loved me enough to place people in my life to make a difference after He paid the ultimate price for me on the cross, shedding His precious cleansing blood for my redemption. Thank you so much Jesus.

I want to show love and longing for others. I long for each and every friend of mine on facebook and outside of facebook to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Personal Savior experiencing His abundant love, joy, and peace through His grace.

It is my love for Jesus longing to love you all that began the process of writing devotionals to express the love of Christ and that is one of the reasons                     http://www.pittsburghstandard.com continues to exist.

In Christ, you too can be loved so much especially by the Lord and others he places in your life.

I ask you now dear friends, where do you stand on love in your life?
Dear friends, love in any language reaches the heart and it goes on and on. It is exciting to know that we are capable of loving because God loved us first. I don’t know where you stand on love but I want you to know this passage gives us an example that there is nothing wrong writing to people that they are loved and longed for. As it is done in the right context without mixed signals, it can be powerful.

Also, a person’s love can change someone else. I have seen that happen. Because they are loved they want to make the other person happy and it serves as an external motivation to change their lifestyle. You can be that one that can help someone as you let them know they are loved by you and most of all loved by the Lord. It is others love that has changed me in different areas because that love was the love of Christ exhibited through them I feel.

Love is really strong and can make people stand firm for their beliefs. Because of Paul’s love for Jesus Christ which flowed out of him to the people, he is able to stand firm in his belief in Jesus w/o renouncing Christ though he is shackled in chains. Paul knows he is loved by Jesus and is able to stand firm.

No matter what happens to the Philippians, Paul wants them to stand firm in the Lord Jesus Christ which is what we should do too. We can love others and long for them as we stand firm in Jesus Christ.

Friend, won't you take a stand for Christ in love by giving Him your heart?

You can do it right now! Now is the time of Salvation! There is no need to wait. You may not have all the answers. No one does but Christ will reveal all the answers to you in His timing and now offers Himself to you to give you a new beginning and hope! It is an everlasting hope!

For only Christ can save others through His pardon, purpose, power, and promises giving others peace. We need to be faithful, available, compatible, and teachable for Jesus to use us to remind others everything Jesus did for them which will be explained in the poem below which was written as if the Lord were talking to you:

Treat of the Savior
By Ramesh C. Reddy

Love to see you in my presence, I am the Holy One
Love you so much, for you I gave my only begotten Son
Believing in Him you will have Eternal Life.
Being delivered from the deadly power of sin’s strife
No matter what the sin virus has done
With my antidote, in life, you can victoriously run
My Son went to the cross to produce it
As His hands and feet, with 3 nails, were pierced with
And his body, for you, was bruised & broken by every hit 
Now for humanity His cleansing blood flowed bit by bit
He died and came back to life to save you from Hell’s pit
Heaven and Hell are real and it is no myth
In Heaven, at my Right Hand, my Son does sit
Jesus is His Name!
For your redemption, He came.
To save you from Hell’s flame
And to give your life a new aim
His antidote of blood can rescue you from sin’s deadly game
But you gotta make a choice whether Satan or Jesus, you pick
Remember all of Satan’s ways are a trick
Jesus wants to deliver you from the sin that makes you so sick
Won’t you accept His free gift of Grace?
Letting His Spirit help you overcome the virus you face?
His grace is what sets you free to win life’s race
His precious cleansing blood will  deliver you from sin’s ways
It is by grace you are saved through faith
Not of any works that you should boast, Jesus saith
You coming to me, Satan does hate
Because Satan is all evil to this date
Upon me He does not want you to wait
For He knows I can deliver you from Hell’s place
And set you on Heaven’s base
Come to me my child
No matter how your life has been wild
For I am gentle and mild
You, with love, joy, & peace I want to treat
And One day in Heaven personally greet
I want to receive you with the power of my love
Giving you Holy Spirit that came upon me like a dove
Sin separated you from me
But my blood was shed to set you free
So together we can once again be
Life with me you gotta experience and see
Though trials and tribulations come, I will be your Key
Whether you are a child, adult, or teen
No matter how your life has been
I want to take you by my side
In my presence, you can abide
For you I came back to life after I died
My love for you is so deep, high, and wide
You are special and precious in my sight
I want to help you in life with all my might
Helping you do what is right
To escape sin’s destructive bite
Now Satan’s ways you can fight
And come into the beautiful Light!
Amen!

May you know you are loved by the Lord Jesus Christ more than anyone else loves you! May you also come to stand on the promises of the Lord Jesus Christ knowing His love for you! Amen!

"Savior Teaches All New Deliverance! (S.T.A.N.D)/"Where do you stand on love in your life?"

PRAYER:
Dear Jesus, thank you so much for loving us first before we loved you. You love us and acted on our behalf. You long for us to come to you Lord as you have prepared the Way for us to come. Thank you for being our Truth and Life. Thank you that I am able to love Jesus because you loved me and poured out your love in my life in so many different ways. I want to thank you for all those that you put in our lives to show us love. Help us Oh Lord to reciprocate your love to those around us. Thank you Lord when we know we are loved, it gives unbelievable motivation to stand up in support of those who do love us. You love us more than anyone and can help us stand firm in you Lord Jesus as citizens of heaven without giving up. Thank you Jesus you have heard our prayers and you answer us. Come Lord Jesus and help us see the answer. Thank you that we can stand firm. Thank you so much Jesus for your deliverance in our lives.  In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace, Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a life of righteousness, holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN! (Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)

You don't have to be locked away anymore for Christ is here to free you and give you peace to LIVE out your actions.

How do you look at GODISNOWHERE?

One of my pastors, Pastor Hugo SHARED this example one Sunday at the RESURRECTION DAY SERVICE in the combined worship service of Pittsburgh Chinese Church-Oakland & Oakland International Fellowship:

If you look at it as GOD IS NO WHERE, you will still be lost in your sin and be in bondage locked away in your sins and problems finding no peace.

But  as my pastor spoke to the congregation and spoke to me, I am here to tell you that GOD IS NOW HERE.

Yes, friend God is aLIVE and wants to bring a transformation in your life through the GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ for He paid the penalty on the cross to rescue you and me and came back to life to save us and LIVE with us.

Yes, friend that is exciting to know that we can experience HIS SAVING GRACE & LIVING GRACE.

When we mess up, we can go to Jesus with our shortcomings and He will forgive us and RESTORE us to Him and we will find peace in Him.

^"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, NIV)

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:7-9, NIV)

Friend, we need Jesus because we have been separated from God due to our sin. Because of our sin, Jesus had to pay the price to become our bridge so we can reach God now not of our own good works but because of the finished work of Christ, the Lord on the cross.

"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." (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)

Come to Jesus as you are and pray this prayer to accept Jesus as your Lord and Personal Savior. He will transform your life around! Praise the Lord! You don't have to have all the answers! You can come as you are!