Righteous by faith!

Over the weekend was very productive, I actually mow the lawn, worked overtime... saw the movie Apocalyto, it was interesting, but not sure what Mel Gibson was trying to say there... probably just about the insatiable appitite of the human race in general. On Sunday we also celebrate uncle's 61st birthday..., gotta thank God for giving my wife sufficient patience to actually sit thru another family dinner thing successfully! ;) Weekend seem to just fly by so quickly...

Today I went out to lunch with Daniel..., I actually haven't seen him for 3 weeks... because I took 2 weeks off and then he took a week off after I came back to work... Anyway, yeah, he talked about how beautiful the areas around Mammoth was like... also encourtered a bear! It's totally different compared to winter times where we usually go to ski. Yosemite was quite gorgeous too! It's too bad the stupid immigrations office forced us to take a detour during our 'family vacation'. Otherwise we could've visited those areas ourselves!

Anyway, more devotional type things later, now, I have to get back to work! ;)
===================================================================
Part II

Okay, back home for now... read about Abraham, father of faith...

Romans 4
3 經 上 說 甚 麼 呢 ？ 說 ： 亞 伯 拉 罕 信 神 ， 這 就 算 為 他 的 義 。
4 做 工 的 得 工 價 ， 不 算 恩 典 ， 乃 是 該 得 的 ；
5 惟 有 不 做 工 的 ， 只 信 稱 罪 人 為 義 的 神 ， 他 的 信 就 算 為 義 。

We had faith in the Acura dealer, so we bought a car without actually first seeing it! ;) Of course if the Acura dealer screws us over by saying they're out of the car we want or if they jack up the price, our faith definitely would be in vain and wasted a long drive to Van Nuys. Just as if God is fake, then Abraham's faith would've been in vain! Anyway, it's kind interesting why God would see us as righteous by simply believing in Him. But of course real faith would follow by action too, such as Abraham actually did everything God told him to do.

Sure would be nice to be able to hear God, but I suppose I can start by just doing what He said in the Bible for now! ;) I think often we fail God is because our memory just sucks! I'm having the hardest time trying to remember what Pastor Jim said on Sunday... and my notes were left in the car and I'm too lazy to go get it now... Oh may the Lord have mercy on our soul! How can one reach some sort of balance in between? Surely we dont' want God nagging at us all the time, but if not, we might end up being forgetful? Abraham was sorta like that. As long as if God told him to do somethin, he'd do it. But if not, he'd often end up doing stupid things such as pretending his wife to be his sister... Oh God, help us do Your will better please! We want to be righteous like You, not just by faith!

(Genesis 15, 17, 22; Romans 4:1-5, 9-25)
PS- okay, finally got my notes, here are the points of Pastor Jim's sermon which I forgot!
1) your problems are not real problems, but how you see your problems can be a real problem!!!
2) focus your attention on what's important, focus your attention on God!!!
3) stay plugged in with the true vine, with the church!!!
4) to live if Christ, to die is gain(Phil 1:21) Live for God!!!