Observations:
I asked myself in what context do we see God and Jesus Christ used in this verse?
1. God can testify how I long for all of you.
2. I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Interpretation:
I asked myself what is the significance of Paul mentioning God and Jesus Christ?
Paul is so confident in his longing for the Philippians with the affection of Jesus Christ that he is able to say that GOD CAN TESTIFY on his behalf. Wow! Paul is assured to bank on the testimony of God on his relationship with the Philippians, that it is genuine with the affection of Jesus Christ!

Implications:
I saw a profound implication for my own life. In any relationship that the Lord Jesus places in my life whether it is a romantic relationship (with my sweetheart wife Chandra), friendship relationships, family relationship, etc, can I be able to say, 'God can testify that my longing for others is with the affection of Jesus Christ' or can Satan testify that my longing for others is with the selfishness of Satan. There is no middle ground. It is one or the other in relationships. I want God to be able to testify on my behalf to others that it is with the affection of Jesus Christ. Anything mentioned in Scriptures has implications for our lives somehow and somewhere because God's entire Word is our instruction manual.

HOW GOSPEL GIVES ME A TESTIMONY REGARDING R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P:
There are and have been relationships in my life that I can confidently say with the apostle Paul, "God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus." And then there are also relationships in my life that I cannot bank on God to testify on my behalf because that affection of Christ Jesus is not exhibited on my part towards others.

I realized how much the Philippians meant to Paul that he was not shy to use the word affection in the context of Christ Jesus. It showed me that affection should not be limited to a romantic relationship alone but affection of Christ Jesus should be shown to those relationships Jesus has placed in my life. I want affection of Christ Jesus to be a phrase that people can use about my relationship with them.

There was a time, I was having doubts about doing full-time ministry but instead wanted to go to law school so much. The Lord Jesus interceded on my behalf and had Kent Walley, my staff worker at the time have me speak on 'Being a Witnessing Community'. As I prepared my talk and gave it from 1 Thessalonians 1 & 2, I knew the Lord Jesus wanted me to stay in student ministry and still have that calling even though the means of student ministry is different at this stage in my life.

What stuck out to me were certain passages even though the exposition I was asked to give to the students was based on both chapters regarding 'Witnessing Community'

"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake." (1 Thessalonians 1:2-5, NIV)

When I read that to prepare for the lesson, I knew God was speaking to me and telling me to know that HE HAS CHOSEN ME to do ministry. A burden was relieved and I confidently continued in ministry and it is those same chapters that propelled me to continue in different areas of ministry to this day. Right now it is mainly through the Pittsburgh Standard.

"As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory." (1 Thessalonians 2:6b-12)

It made me realize that is how I loved Brad, Becky, Sara, Jonathan, Alison, Amy, Josh, and David of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship-Pitt when I gave that talk for them. I had such a longing for them sharing the love of Christ through God's Word and my actions that I could confidently say, "God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:8, NIV) Even to this day all of them have such a special place in my heart that I think about them often even though years have gone by. They were such a blessing to my own life and helped me experience a community with them unlike any other community.

My relationship with Missionary Paul Bucknell & Pastor Hugo through the years is what the Lord Jesus supplemented as I had joined Potters Clay small group in 2007 to help me be part of a Bible-believing church: Pittsburgh-Chinese Church Oakland's English congregation: Oakland International Fellowship.

Speaking of relationships, I long for my lovely wife Chandra so much as we are apart due to visa complications but I can be confident of this that He who began a good work in us will finish it to completion. Having such a prayerful, understanding, and supportive wife is such a blessing in my life. I know our Lord and Savior will bring us together soon so we can serve the Lord Jesus together in the relationships He has placed in our lives, loving the Lord first, each other second, and all others :) Everything starts with Jesus Christ!

As Paul longed with the affection of Jesus Christ towards the Philippians, my affection for certain brothers and sisters of Transformers, the small group of Oakland International Fellowship that I am part of, grows based on the time spent with them as it was led by our fearless leader Optimus Prime (I mean Calvin Chiang :)

Our purpose is to be transformed by and for Christ without being conformed to this world. I realized the more time I spent with my brothers and sisters in Christ, the degree of affection became greater. This affection has nothing to do with romantic as our culture associates affection with. I have that too towards my darling wife Chandra :) 

From Transformers, I miss doing things together with David, Brian, Calvin & Elise, Amy  & Daniel S, Daniel O, Cecilia, Anne, Matt, Melissa, Joel, Olivia, Milton, Rebecca, Sherry, Liz, Vicki, as a small group. I want that same affection to grow in me for others who the Lord placed in the group. I know those relationships too can flourish as the Lord gives that time.

I also miss dearly hanging out with  Elizabeth &  Kevin, Sean & Amy, Tom,  Paul H, Whis & Rock the World, Shady, Justin, Abdou, Adrian, Mark Black, Kamella & Amigo, Ralston, Ben, Linnea, Annette, Ryan, Luke, Jeremy, Ian, Kristen & Josh L, Edwin & Marie, Andrea & Jason H, Pastor Hugo and Heather, Bryan & Lyd, Rodney & Suzanne, David & Elizabeth, Christy & Elias, Steve & Zela with their kids, Keng & Ling, Steve & Zela.

The point is that the Lord Jesus can place people in our life that our affection grows based on our own relationship experiences with them. 

I praise the Lord especially for multiple opportunities that I can hang out with my own family at different times even now including my in-laws :) I miss Chandra's family a lot too and am so excited to see them soon in the Lord's timing. Thank you Jesus!

My longing in relationships is based on my own experiences and does not always mean others may feel the same about me. This is not the point of my testimony but to state that there can be a special longing for certain people due to different reasons. This is the same longing I want to have for every brother and sister in Christ but it starts with building deeper relationships! 

I could love these relationships without any conjure of romanticism involved. Of course that's not to say that God cannot use relationships between opposite sexes to bring them together as His children if He chooses to as He brought Chandra and I together in marriage having lots and lots of love for each other :) *hugs to my wife*

Sadly, I have not always loved with the affection of Jesus Christ those the Lord Jesus placed in my path. This is something Jesus is convicting me even right now. God has convicted me that there are relationships in my life that I need to love proactively and that I cannot do it on my own. I need the help of Christ to love, for then one day I can be confident to say 'God can testify on my behalf of the longing and affection of Jesus Christ' even with those relationships.

The purpose of today's devotional for me was to have relationships in such a way that God can testify on my behalf that it is with the affection of Christ Jesus.

I ask you now dear friend, why cannot you be in a loving R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P in life?
Dear friend, you cannot answer that question with a 'Yes, that's true' because all of us are in a loving relationship in life. A relationship does not have to be romantic even though our culture equates 'being in a relationship' with being with a member of the opposite sex but that's not how Paul defined a relationship and neither should we box a relationship in those terms alone. The day you and I were born, we were in a relationship with those who loved us. Through the years, the Lord Jesus has placed people in our lives to love us, train us, challenge us, etc for our own growth. Even if you feel there is no one who loves you, as we live in a sinful world, we have come across relationships that have scarred us sometimes to the point of thinking 'Will there be a recovery?'

I want you to know if you think you are never in a loving relationship, that's hogwash. You can be in the best relationship possible with the best person who is perfect and will never disappoint you. Yes, friend you can be! He loves you so much and if you were the only one living, He would have still come to have a relationship with you because you are special and precious in His sight. He has called you by Name and will never leave you nor forsake you.

I have found that person who is always loving me and caring for me, even interceding on my behalf. I am talking about the love of Jesus Christ who went to the cross just for my sake and your sake. He paid the ultimate price by shedding His precious blood for you and me to cover over all our sins and came back to life on the third day to save us.

Wow! Jesus wants to have a relationship with us to take all our scars and heal them by His love. And when He heals us, He does not want us to live our life alone but be part of a community of believers where we can reciprocate His love for us and His affection for us. That is exciting to know. In relationships, the Lord Jesus has used my mommy mightily to help me even to this day  especially when it came to Jesus Christ, it is my mommy that introduced me to Jesus Christ and His love for me many years ago on Valentine's Day, how appropriate :)

You and I can be in a relationship with Jesus and wait upon Him for that special person in our lives that we long for too. He has provided that special person for me in Chandra, my sweet wife. If His best will for you is to get married, He will provide you too with a special person for He has the best for you and me.

But, our happiness should not just be limited to having a husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, etc because all around us creation shows us the loving people He has placed in our lives. For me it started with my mommy, daddy (who is with the Lord now), and all my brothers and continued through the years and so on.

When you experience a relationship with Christ, He will introduce you to a 'Witnessing Community' that can help you live a life with fulfilled relationships which I found in IVCF, Potters Clay, Living Acts, Oakland International Fellowship, Pittsburgh Chinese Church-Oakland, and currently our small group Transformers. You too can be part of relationships.

I would love to see you at Oakland International Fellowship and we all can grow together in the love of Christ sharing, praying, and caring for one another. I hope you would join me and if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Personal Savior, He waits for you and is calling you. Yes, He is! May you rest in Him and Him alone!

You may have a lot of questions than answers right now but please don't wait till you have all the answers to come to Christ because then again you are depending on yourself to save you. No, friend come as you are right now just as you are. Receive His free gift of GRACE. Yes, friend this GRACE is for you. Yeah,  don't think some other time. Now is the time of Salvation! He loves you so much!

It is appointed to man to die once and then the judgment. There is no second chance if you don't receive God's free gift of GRACE here on earth. God is calling you to be His very own. God says, "I have called you by Name. You are precious and special in my sight. You are mine"

Wow! No matter where we have been or what we have done, God wants us to be His in a relationship with Him first and foremost! I am speechless.........! Wow! You and I are never out of His love and never out of His reach! Thank you Jesus.

"Redeemer Everyday Loves All Treating Inevitably, Offering Now Souls His Inspirational Peace!" (R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P.)/"Why cannot you be in a loving  R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P in life?"

Make this your prayer to receive Christ the Lord into your life who offers His gift of grace to you:

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching me about relationships and showing affection that can be attributed to you. I want to do that Lord and I want you to testify on my behalf so please Lord Jesus help me. Thanks so much for your help. I heard you want to be in a relationship with me. Thanks so much Jesus and I want that to. It means a lot how much you love me and care for me that you interceded on my behalf before Father God and still do. I love you Jesus. Help me Lord to show affection towards others without worrying if people take it the wrong way. Thank you Jesus so much. You emphasized relationships without romanticism and also remind us in a romantic relationship, you need to be in the center so help us in all kinds of relationships. Thanks so much Jesus.  Thanks Father God so much by providing Christ to become the bridge for me to save me. Now I can come to you and have that personal relationship with you because Jesus died on the cross shedding His precious blood washing away all my uncleanness and making me pure in your sight. OH  thank you for amazing GRACE, how sweet the sound that can save a wretch like me. So, Lord I once was lost without receiving your GRACE but now I want it in my life and open the gift of GRACE you have given me through faith and ask you to be part of my life. Thank you for loving me so much. Everything you did for me and do for me is because of your love for me. I now confess all my sins to you and repent of them and want to follow you Jesus receiving your GRACE for this relationship. Please help me by coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life as you help me in this personal relationship. Thank you so much Jesus for coming into my heart right now and making my heart your home. You live in me Jesus by your GRACE. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior. Thanks for being my Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you for hearing my prayer and answering me. I belong to you now Jesus. Thanks for saving me and you will work in me and through me by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!