DAY 652 - Strangers Becoming Family in Jesus (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

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: Ephesians 2:17-22

** 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 Ephesians 2:17-22

English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians 2&version=NIV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=以 弗 所 書 2&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Paul concludes this chapter telling us that Gentiles Christians were once 'foreigners' and 'strangers'  in relation to Israel, the family of God. Now they are full members, simply because of Jesus. All the Christians, no matter Jews or Gentiles, are living in a new temple. 

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      What it means is that for Christians a church building is not a 'Temple' in the strict sense.  It is the people themselves who are the 'place' where God is now deciding to live…
      The living God was now seeking to make his home in the hearts and lives, and particularly the communities, that had declared their loyalty to Jesus, and were determined to live by the gospel.
      In particular, this meant that the new 'Temple' had to be constructed out of two sorts of material,  that would fuse together into a single building.  The foundation of the building consisted of the apostles and prophets: in other words, the people (such as Paul himself) through whom God had announced, and was announcing, the worldwide message of peace through King Jesus.  Jesus himself was the 'stone' reserved for the place of highest honour, the one which held the rest of the building together. 
      

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Te Prison Letters. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.30.

     If Gentiles Christians can be accepted from totally strangers to family members of Jesus, how can groups of difference views on theology and ways of doing things beome one family in Jesus in your church? Peace, no devision, no war! 

     

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: Strangers becoming family in Jesus

    What I got from Jesus today is a reminder and call to us to accept those strangers to become family members in Jesus. Actually "strangers becoming family in Jesus" is the vision of our English ministry at Richmond Emmanuel Church.

     Rev. Josh Siu, our English Ministry in-charge and Ignatius Ng, our English Ministry intern led eight young leaders to pray for half a year last January to receive this vision. They started to use this new vision last August till now and they successfully grow our English ministry into a lively and vibrant mission focused on Jesus as King. 

      Strangers becoming family in Jesus. Is this really possible? Is this really so difficult? 
    
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to try our best to accept strangers into your family because of you. You are our King and Lord.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us -

從心合一

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

Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czxd5oa-gi0

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- 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)

http://discipler123.blogspot.ca/