Friday, October 4, 2013

DAY 503 - Paul Talks about Money (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)


**NEW link for the  15th: 13th 100 days 24 hours prayer campaign (We are going to use this 13th list leads up to the 15th. 13th from March 15 to June 22, 2013. 14th from June 22 to August 31, 2013, 15th from Sept. 1, 2013 to Dec. 9. 2013)

                               Today's Reading: Romans 15:25-33
** 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
To use this simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link:
 .Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf

Please click this link to read Romans 15:25-33

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=羅 馬 書 15&version=CUV 

Bible Study
      Paul talks about money. In a very special way Paul talks about money here in this passage giving us a clear teaching about why we need to give and how we give. This is a very complicated but important passage in the New Testament about money issue. 

Bishop N.T. Wright's says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
     One of the reasons why the church in Judea was poor seems to be that in their first flush of enthusiasm for the gospel they had done what some other renewal movements of their day had done.  They had pooled their property, selling farms and fields and putting the money into common possession.  But now, following a famine, and no doubt facing hostility from their own fellow Judaeans who rejected the gospel and resented their allegiance to it, they were in dire need.  Meanwhile Paul, as part of his regular Christian teaching, had been instructing Gentile communities, not to sell up and have a common purse, but to look after one another's physical and financial need from within communities where, it was assumed, some would continue to own houses and businesses and be in a position to help others.  The same end was in view, namely that none should be in want.  The same theology underlay both patterns, namely the self-giving of God in Jesus as the pattern and model.  But the practice was different.  Now Paul, with his way of doing things, was in a position to help the churches in Judea, whose early experiment seems to have ended in failure, perhaps through no fault of their own.

      But, Paul expects opposition. First, there will be Jewish non-Christians, who will bitterly resent his coming to Jerusalem.  They will see him as a traitor, a blasphemer, someone who has led Jewish people astray and destroyed the grip of the law of Moses on their lives. Second, there will be many of the Jewish Christians themselves, who for the reasons mentioned a moment ago may well find it difficult to accept money raised from non-Jewish sources. It is, they may think, 'tainted'.  Who knows by what means those Gentiles acquired it?  Were they involved in idolatry?  Were they doing business with others who were? 

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Romans: Part 2. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.127-130.

    Is this too complicated for you to understand? Does Paul's teaching and Bishop Wright's explanation has anything to do with you? Would it help you to understand how you use your money? 




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":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

Spiritual Journal

    What I heard from Jesus today is: Paul talks about money

   What I got from Jesus today is a very important message to you. Why? Because Jesus wants you to know how to use money in a Biblical and renew way starting today. I don't think this is a coincidence that our new church planting, Emmanuel 330, had a teaching on how Jesus talks about money yesterday and then today we have how Paul talks about money. 

     Please click this link to listen to the podcast yesterday and read the blog also the Bible study questions. I have been using my new book "Break.Build" that is going to publish next year as the source to have a tailor-made weekly material for Emmanuel 330. Yesterday was WEEK 16 and it is DAY 16 in the "Break.Build" blog/podcast.
WEEK 16 Emmanuel 330: http://emmanuel330.blogspot.ca/
DAY 16 Break.Build: http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/2013/04/day-16-new-giving-your-motive-to-give.html

      Hope you can get something from the two teachings of Jesus and Paul and that you have a renewed lifestyle on how to "give" your money for Kingdom purpose. 

      According to Jesus' teaching on the Sermon on the Mount, true Christians will be able to experience and live out a lifestyle of Christlikeness as reflected in the Beatitudes, they will have Jesus Christ as their Lord, Saviour and King and will give more, pray more and fast more.

Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be able to use our money according to your will. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us -

一首愛歌

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) Matt Redman

You may choose to follow my other daily blog: 
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): 
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