Thursday, May 8, 2014

DAY 716 - Tithing, Tithing, Tithing, Tithing, Tithing, Tithing, Tithing, Tithing, Tithing (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

I would like to invite you to join us in a 100 days of prayer (From April 9 to July 17) for Michelle, our family and my ministry. Please click this link to join us to pray:
New 100 Days Prayer Campaign (2014.04.09-2014.07.17)


What you need to do is very simple. Choose one hour slot for the whole week to pray for Michelle, our family and my ministry. You may use the whole hour in prayer or you can still do you work in your office but use as much time as you can to pray and the other time work prayerfully that hour to pray for us. I encourage you to participate. We need you to join us! Trust in the power of prayers!


This blog/podcast has people from 111 countries visiting and more than 1/2 million visits.

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: Hebrews 7:1-10


** 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 Hebrews 7:1-10

Bible Study

     This is a very difficult passage to understand and a very practical passage to test whether we are truly worshipping Jesus as our High Priest and King. 


Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      This passage takes us into what seems at first sight a technical, almost bizarre discussion of the short reference to Melchizedek in the book of Genesis.   It does so because according to Psalm 110.4, the Messiah, the one to whom all things are put into subjection, is appointed by God as 'a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek'…
      Verses 4-10 then set out the contrast between the Levitical priesthood (which in the writer's day was still at work in the Temple in Jerusalem) and the priesthood which Psalm 110, explained in the light of Genesis 14, ascribes to Jesus.  The priesthood 'after the order of Melchizedek', he says, is obviously superior, because even Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, and Melchizedek blessed him.  He is thus superior not only to Abraham, but also to Levi, one of Abraham's great-grandchildren…
     We are thus prepared for the conclusion: Jesus himself, the Melchizedek-type high priest, is far superior to the present Levitical priesthood.  This has a double result.  On the one hand, Jesus has made the present Temple and all that goes with it redundant.  On the other hand, we can put complete confidence and trust in him, as the true and lasting high priest. 

N.T. Wright. Hebrews for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.70,72.

      Quite a number of Christians put their trust to their home church, to their Senior Pastor, other pastors or leaders, and not to Jesus only. But, when there is a crisis, a misunderstand or any bad things happen to those they trust, every single bit of trust may collapse. Then, they might leave their home church to find another church, then, a few years later same thing happens and they need to find another church, and the cycle goes on and on. Or, some even leave their faith, finding no hope there in whom they trust. Have you been there? How can this passage helps you to get away from that poisonous cycle? 
     
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: Tithing, tithing, tithing, tithing, tithing, tithing, tithing, tithing, tithing 

    The message I got from Jesus today is a very essential and practical message. The importance of tithing!

    What? You are talking about money? I don't want to hear. Wait! I am not talking about money. I am talking about what the author is talking about here in today's passage. Do you know he repeats the word "tithing" nine times? That's why I am moved to put the word "tithing" as the topic today nine times.

    When you read what Bishop Wright says in the passage above, you should know what is happening here in today's passage. It is all about the role of Jesus is superior to anyone or anything on earth. He is not on the line of Levi, so he can't be a priest. But, his priestly role is beyond the line of Levi, it is from the line of Melchizedek, from God Himself.

     The important message I got from Jesus today is the essential of tithing once we acknowledge the priestly role of Jesus, just as Abraham acknowledged that and had his tithing to Melchizedek. You know, that is the first Biblical base of why we need to tithe in the Bible. Far more earlier than those in Moses law. 

     When we acknowledge Jesus' role as our high priest and king in our life, there is no way we do not tithe, no way. Sadly, there are still a large number of Christians not willing to tithe which is to have one tenth of what they have to make an offering to their home church. Yes, to our home church for the tithing so that your home church can have enough financial resource to do God's Kingdom ministry.

     Today, Michelle and I had an honour to be invited by Rev. Nicky Gumbel and his wife Pippa to their home for a time of sharing and prayer. Nicky told us that he started to write his Bible in one year, daily devotion blog 5 1/2 years ago. Six months before I started to write my blog. At first he spent 2 1/2 hours to write and now shortening the words and still need one hour each day. And, he has been doing that 16 days ahead!

      For me, a similar experience, 2 1/2 hours in the first three years and now about 1 1/2 hour each day. That means we use more than 1/10 of our time each day for the past five years to be with Jesus and to encourage other people to be with Jesus and have a daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus each day. It is our tithing of our time, and that is beyond tithing, 1/10. And, Michelle and I started beyond tithing many years ago and we find much joy in making our offering to our home church beyond tithing.

     What about you? How much do you offer your time and money to our Lord Jesus Christ? What is your action and testimony when you acknowledge Jesus as your high priest and King? 
     
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be willing to offer our time and money according to your mandate, tithing, and beyond tithing. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.






Please click this link to worship with us -

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/


Rev. Nicky Gumbel's daily devotion: Bible in One Year
http://www.htb.org.uk/bioy

主一出手,風浪止住,平靜了!

  大齋期四十日 "破。立"每日靈修,請按下面連結: http://breakbuild.blogspot.com/   楊平忠大主教領受 "使命113"異象之見證 Archbishop Yong’s MISSION 113 videos,...