Friday, December 27, 2013

DAY 587 - Show The Proof of Your Love (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

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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: 2 Corinthians 8:16-24
** 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 2 Corinthians 8:16-24

Bible Study

     Paul continues to talk about sending the giving to the church in Jerusalem. He names three leaders who carry the offering, one was Titus and the other two had no names. Actually no one knows the names of that two leaders. Why? Their names are not important, but their act of faith and the proof of their love is important. 
Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      The central point of this passage, though, comes in verses 20 and 21.  It isn't just that Paul is anxious for his own reputation - though, like many evangelists, he was surely aware that if anyone could ever say that he was silly doing it all to make money, that could be the kiss of death for his vocation and ministry.  It is, rather, that he is desperately concerned that the world will look at the young and small Christian movement and see it, not as a variation on a well-known theme (people travelling around teaching odd doctrines as a way of earning a living), but as the radical and challenging new thing it really is.  The gospel isn't about self-seeking, but self-giving. 

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:2 Corinthians. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.95.
     
     Are you on a path of self-seeking or self-giving? 

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: Show the proof of your love

    What I got from Jesus today is a request for each one of us to show the proof of our love to Jesus. Here in this whole chapter, Paul's way of telling people the proof of our love to Jesus is only one thing, and that is your giving. This is what Paul has been talking about since the beginning of chapter 8.

     Well, if you tell your wife you love her but you do not share your wealth with her, do you really love her? What's your fear that you hold up your money?

     If you tell Jesus and everyone that you love Him but you give only "that much", do you really love Jesus?

     The change from self-seeking to self-giving is the first sign of the proof of your love. And, such proof is the pride for Paul to the Corinthians, and the pride of your church, and a good example and witness to other churches. Paul says:

      "Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it."       2 Corinthians 8:24
Dear Lord Jesus, 
Lead us to be able to become a self-giving disciple of you and not self-seeking so that your Name will be glorified. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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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): 
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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- For Renewal or First Step for new Christians): http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/

Emmanuel330 (40 weeks First Step Bible Study): 
http://emmanuel330.blogspot.ca/

This blog:

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