Monday, July 29, 2013

DAY 436 - How to Avoid Depression? (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)


**NEW link for the  14th: 13th 100 days 24 hours prayer campaign (We are going to use this 13th list leads up to the 14th. 13th from March 15 to June 22, 2013. 14th from June 22 to August 31, 2013)

Update  for Leslie:
Leslie went home last Wednesday. Please pray that the tube will be pulled out and he can eat again. There will be a thanksgiving gathering at Richmond Emmanuel Church on his birthday, August 23, 6p.m. to 7p.m. All are welcome!



Today's Reading: Acts 25:13-27

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Bible Study

      This is a passage to give us a picture of how difficult and complicated Paul had to face each day. The King Agrippa II here in this passage was the son of Herod Agrippa I in chapter 12 who severely attacked the Christians and was punished by God that it recorded in Acts 12: 23,

     Immediately and angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
     
     So, Paul had to face this evil Herod's son and this one was no better than his father. More complicated is that Bernice is actually Agrippa's sister who was like a mistress to him going everywhere and this couple was the centre of gossips. Why did this new governor had to invite Agrippa to be involved with Paul's case? 

Bishop N.T. Wright's says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright):

     What is being set up is simply an informal interview in the hope of enabling Festus to write his official letter. 

N.T. Wright. Acts for Everyone, Part 2. Louisville,KY:Westminster John Knox Press, 2008, p.203.

     If you were Paul, what would you feel? To be in this complicated trial process with a powerful Roman governor and a dirty couple who were to highest authority for the Jews? How could Jesus lift him off from this kind of darkness? 
               
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"



Spiritual Journal

    What I heard from Jesus today is: How to avoid depression?
   
    What I received from Jesus is a good way to avoid depression. I rarely write my blog so late. Last night when I was about to start writing this blog I had a call from a member of our church and I had to go with Michelle to see her late night. We had a two hours chatting, sharing and praying. After I went back home, I just could not write my blog because I had to digest the sadness and darkness of what is in her life. It was quite a depressed feeling!

    Then this morning I came to this passage with a new light. Just like Paul, we as Christians are so easy to be pulled to all kinds of darkness and discouragement from other people causing us to go into depression. There is no way to avoid that just like Paul who could do nothing to the situation. 

    The secret that I got from Jesus today is that we need to know that we can't avoid the darkness to surround us but we can be protected by the light of Christ if we really are with Jesus everyday. The Jesus' light inside you can save you from being swallowed by all kinds of darkness and evil and that you can help other people to be in the light. We had a miraculous victory last night that we have brought a depressed disciple of Jesus back into the Light! But, I had been swallowed by the darkness for nearly half a day until now!

    How to avoid depression? It's Jesus and Jesus only!


Dear Lord Jesus,

Lead us to be in you each day so that we are in the Light and we won't be swallowed by darkness.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.


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Be strong and take courage (Don Moen)

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

Chinese praise song - 

請差遣我 Here I Am Lord, Send Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muJD3NYxZKc

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Emmanuel330 (40 weeks First Step Bible Study): 

Bible in One Year blog by Rev. Nicky Gumbel

誰能使我們與基督的愛隔絕呢?

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