Please join our new Mentor 123 campaign starting this coming Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013!
What you need to do is to find two more people meeting once a week for three months, encouraging each others to have daily devotion - a daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus!
To create a momentum to this new yearly campaign I am going to start a new blog and podcast on that day. I will direct my two blogs and podcasts to that new site to have a 40 days BREAK.BUILD daily devotion. For a preliminary format please go to this site: http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/ .
You can see the layout and titles of all 40 days. Come on , let's get two more people to start a daily tasting of Jesus wonderful banquet specially prepared for us!
Today's Reading: Luke 18: 31-43
**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link:
Please click this link to read Luke 18: 31-43
Bible Study
This is a passage about the understanding of our blindness and being willing to ask Jesus to open our eyes so that we can see. Do you think that you can see? Are you sure?
N.T. Wright says:
We find a beggar who trusts Jesus so completely that, when offered the chance to scale down his great request (how easy it would have been to ask for money or food instead), he goes for the chance of a lifetime and asks for his sight back again. Once more Jesus can tell someone that their faith has been the means of their rescue, their salvation.The man joins the crowd, following and praising God. The disciples can't see; the beggar now can. The journey is at once puzzling and dark, and joyful and bright.
So, how is your journey lately? Is it puzzle and dark or joyful and bright? It all depends on whether you know the significance of asking Jesus that you want to see or not.
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"
Spiritual Journal
What I heard from Jesus today is: Lord, I want to see!
What I received from Jesus today is a question He would like us to ask Him regularly. Why? Because most of the time we are blind and unable to see!
Michelle and I experienced two totally contrast situation in the past 24 hours. Last night we went to a Turkish restaurant which bought the building of a church. When we went there our hearts sank. I heard so many times that restaurants bought churches but yesterday was the first time we went into one. The stained-glass was being covered by some kind of painting in Turkish style and the holy of holies is now the kitchen. The reason we went there is that we want to see it really happened. How sad!
Then this morning we went to another restaurant, in fact it is a bar and night club but rent to Hillsong Church Amsterdam during Sunday morning to afternoon with three services: 10a.m., 12noon and 4:30p.m. Powerful service!
It is a new church plant of Hillsong in Australia which has now more than 20,000 people worshiping every Sunday with many church planting in Australia and at least five countries. When we stepped in we felt welcomed, joy and a strong presence of God! It was another church building but bought by a club, bar and restaurant called Panama and now rent to Hillsong Church, Amsterdam(http://www.hillsong.nl/). From we stepped in the church to we left, three leaders welcomed us and shared quite a lot of things with us. When we stepped out of the service into the lobby, one of the three leaders jumped in front of me asking me what did I feel. Wow! I see the power of God to change so many things! A church died, sold to a club, bar and restaurant and now another church rent it and turns it into a lively, joyful and spirit-filled church! How wonderful!
It's not easy to see the opportunity to transform a club, bar and restaurant into a church. It's so easy to see the difference of that two similar buildings now. One busy but lifeless and the other full of life and joy!
Lord, I want to see so that you can work through my willingness to turn darkness into light, sadness into joy!
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be able to see. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Pictures of the Turkish restaurant, Bazar and Hillsong Church, Amsterdam(Panama club, bar and restaurant):
Please click this link to worship with us -
Here I Am Lord, Send Me
Chinese praise song -
这一生最美的祝福 The Most Wonderful Blessing of My Life