I'm alive and back from our 5 days ACNA and AMiA Bishops' Retreat!
This is perhaps the most difficult, painful but the most joyful and fruitful retreat of my life!
Thanks for the powerful prayers and fasting of you guys that everyone in the retreat came back healthy, renewed and united with a David and Jonathan brotherly love! Lots of time in the camp I felt a very strong sense of your prayers supporting me and I can't stop from tears suddenly. I felt that most strongly in the hours from 12p.m. to 2p.m.. Do you guys use your lunch time to pray for me? If so, please tell me so that I know that is true. There are at least three days at that time I felt like floating by your prayers.
I had a kind of feeling on Monday night when I was at the hotel in Denver that I need to buy two pack on Advil and one pack of Cold and Flu pill after I took two Advil on Tuesday night(June 19)when I got cold that night. And so I really got cold on Friday and Monday(two days ago) and cold and flu Sunday night!!! I think it must be your prayers that I was OK all four times, no fever or anything painful feeling after having those pills. But that's four times! God is good! All the time! And thank you for your prayers! Your prayers save my life and do something miraculously to this retreat!
There are three key moments in this retreat:
1. Reconciliation - David and Jonathan's love
Paul says, " if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
The power of the Holy Spirit is so intense all through the past seven days. There was a holy "moment" that Bishop Trevor Walters and me say sorry to each others and asked forgiveness to each others. Since 2004 after we separated from ACiNW when Trevor was then the Chairman and we established ACiC, Trevor and I had some major misunderstanding, hurts, pains and separation. Every curse was broken at that time when we reconciled in the bus to white water rafting. I was so moved that Trevor said to me, "Silas, from now on I am your Defender, I will defend you, your integrity and your everything!" As said by all bishops and helpers in this retreat that this is one of the most important "moment" as a sign of God to give to us as the sign and fruit of this camp as a sign to revive this David and Jonathan's love between ACNA and AMiA!
2. Moment, Momentum and Movement
God has given the Anglican Communion especially AMiA and ACNA a movement in North America. But because we stepped into Satan's cunning plan in several confusing "moments" causing major misunderstanding, pain and separation that the momentum is being dragged and stuck, the Movement is being pulled back. We need from now on to catch that holy "moment" to reconcile, revive and renew so that we can create wave after wave of momentum that this Godly Movement can come at last. This is His Kingdom plan and as said by Mark(the professional counsellor that each of the bishops have two sessions with), "It's not the Brand, it's the Bride!" God planned this retreat more than a year ago, half a year before the Rwanda crisis came out. So, this retreat is beyond ACNA or AMiA business, it is God's Kingdom plan!
3. Emmanuel
Emmanuel means "God with us". Through these past seven days we all feel the strong presence of God that we can throw away all our past misunderstanding and everything dragging us to let this Emmanuel experience to carry on blessing ACNA and AMiA. We all agree that we need ACNA and AMiA for this Godly Movement in North America.
So, let's pray and fast that from now on we can catch God's holy "moments" to let the momentum and the movement happens in His Kingdom plan!!!
God is good! All the time!
**Some one told me I somewhat look like President Obama and Bishop Folly Beach and me were given a lama "Oblama" to take care of for the past five days! See the first fish I caught first time of my life! Wonderful! I caught two, they are trout, very tasty!
Today's Reading: John 5: 30-38
**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.
Please click this link to read John 5: 30-38
"I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me." John 5: 36-37
Bible Study
In this passage Jesus goes around asking people to look at the evidence of their eyes. It is not that the witness of John the Baptist wasn't important but the greatest evidence of all is that which the father himself provides. Is that enough?
Spiritual Journal
What I heard from Jesus today is: Enough evidence that Jesus is with you?
In this passage Jesus wants to tell people that there are enough evidence that He is being sent by the Father and He is His son and the Messiah. What I heard is that if you have enough evidence that Jesus is with you and that you are being sent by Him? Your life, your lifestyle, your everything. Enough evidence?
Dear Lord Jesus,
Transform our lives daily that we have enough evidence that you are with us and that we are being sent by you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Chinese praise song - 祢讓我生命改變 You Transform My Life
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