Saturday, January 25, 2014

DAY 368 - Obey or Unyielding Is Your Choice

Want to know why I have been writing and recording my blogs and podcast daily since August 10, 2009? Click these three links:

Confirmation from John Stott in 2009:
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
My MicroMacro Discipleship, A missing DNA in Discipleship Development: http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/introduction-micromacro-discipleship.html
Subject Shifting Devotion Method(Inspired by John Stott in 1991: http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

Today's Reading: Exodus 8-9

Please read Exodus 8-9 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 my Devotion on Fire blog:

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html .

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.

摩西、亞倫就照耶和華所吩咐的行。
法老的心卻是固執，不容百姓去。
出埃及記 7 :20; 9:7

Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded.

Yet Pharoah's heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.

Exodus 7:20: 9:7

Please click the links to Exodus 8-9

Chinese 中文: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=出埃及記 9&version=CUV

English (ESV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus 9&version=ESV

What I got today from Jesus is: Obey or unyielding is your choice

What I got from Jesus is a live or die situation. Obey, we live. Unyielding, we die. Really? Yes, really. Why? Well, you can find a classical example in these two chapters.

Start from chapter 7 to chapter 9, we can see the first seven plagues out of the ten plagues. Each plagues starts with the total obedience of Moses or Moses and Aaron, then follows by the unyielding and hardened of heart of Pharaoh. Every time it is the same. What can you get from this pattern?

Do you think you can learn from Moses and Aaron of their total obedience? Or, might it be that you are actually like Pharaoh, God gives you many chances to repent but your heart is always hardened. Would it be possible?

Or, Jesus is calling you to help a Pharaoh or a number of Pharaohs, changing their hardened hearts to hearts of obedience?

Do not think that you can stand in the middle. No, no way! Either you obey, or you disobey. No middle way! Sorry!

The worse case is that you do not even know what to obey because you are not able to listen to Jesus' voice. That's the worst case!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Lead us each day and help us to be able to listen to your voice and to obey your command. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us -

從心合一 Unity starts from Your Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSISYSWRp80

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) Matt Redman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

You may choose to follow my other daily blog:

Discipler 123 (Daily devotion using N.T. Wright's NT for Everyone as source)

http://discipler123.blogspot.ca/

Daily Devotion on Fire 2

(2 years plan -One year New Testament, one year Old Testament)

http://bishopsilas2.blogspot.ca/

Daily Devotion on Fire

(3 years and 3 months plan, one chapter a day to finish reading the whole Bible):

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/

Break.Build

(40 days daily devotion- First Baby Step for new Christians)

http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/

Emmanuel330

(40 weeks First Step Bible Study)

http://emmanuel330.blogspot.ca/

Friday, January 24, 2014

DAY 367 - Yes, You Can Do It!

Today's Reading: Exodus 6-7

Please read Exodus 6-7 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 my Devotion on Fire blog:

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html .

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.

摩西在耶和華面前說：看哪，我是拙口笨舌的人，法老怎肯聽我呢？
出埃及記 6 :30

But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”

Exodus 6:30

Please click the links to Exodus 6-7

Chinese 中文: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus+6&version=CUV

English (ESV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus+6&version=ESV

What I got today from Jesus is: Yes, you can do it!

What I got from Jesus is an encouragement that I have been waiting for the past 40 days. I have made a pause on this blog since December 22, exactly 40 days. Well, maybe I needed that 40 days to have a little bit of 'rest' before I start again. It is good that I have not stopped writing my Discipler123 blog.

Moses' excuse of not doing God's call was that he spoke with faltering lips. He made this excuse three times: Exodus 4:10; 6:12 and 6:30.

My first excuse of not being able to answer Jesus' calling to go to a seminary to prepare myself to become an Anglican priest in 1981 is just the same because I was having the same problem of faltering lips since I was very young. "How can I preach if I become a priest? Are you kidding me?" This had been my excuses, many times. But Jesus told me very clearly, many times just like in Exodus 4: 12: "Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." I clearly heard that 32 years ago. Wow! I really can do it!

Is Jesus calling you to do something and your respond is "No, I can't do it"?Maybe this is the time Jesus wants to tell you, "Yes, you can do it!"

What do you say?

Dear Holy Spirit,

Pour down on us your fresh anointing and your gift of faith so that we know that anything you call us to do, we can do it. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.