DAY 627 - How Well Are You under Persecution? (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

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Confirmation from John Stott in 2009: 
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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: 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

** 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:

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Please click this link to read 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

English(ESV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Thessalonians 2&version=ESV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=帖 撒 羅 尼 迦 前 書 2&version=CUV

Bible Study

     After Paul encourages the Thessalonians reminding them that he loves them as a mother and a father's love to their children, suddenly he changes the whole atmosphere. Paul talks about how they are being persecuted and how they can be able to meet those darkness and challenges. 

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
     At the wider level this means that pagan rulers and authorities, and supremely Caesar himself, will strongly object to the gospel of 'another king' being announced within their domains.  At the more focused level, it meant that those Judaeans who had rejected the message of Jesus, which challenged their whole view of God, the world and themselves, had continued to reject the deeply subversive claims of the early Jewish Christians in their midst, and had indeed done their best to stamp out the little movement.  Paul should know; he had been one of the persecutors himself. 
    

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Galatians and Thessalonians. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.102.

      So, can you imagine the devastating situation of those Thessalonians? Do you know how important it is that they received Paul's encouragement telling them that he loves them as a mother and a father? 

      
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage 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

    The title I heard from Jesus today is: How well are you under persecution?

    What I got from Jesus today are a few reflections:
1. We as Christians cannot avoid persecution.
2. We have to watch out whether we have become one of the persecutors just like what Paul did.
3. How can we establish that kind of loving relationship like Paul so that those being persecuted are being encouraged?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Lead us to be able to do well under persecution and be able to encourage those who are in deep persecution. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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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): 

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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): 

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This blog:

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

http://discipler123.blogspot.ca/