Thursday, June 6, 2013

DAY 383 - We Are Deacons And Apostles (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)


Praise the Lord! My blogs/podcasts reaches a new milestone last week, people from 100 countries have been reading or listening!

Still waiting for you to believe in the urgency to pray for me, my family and the Kingdom ministries the Lord appoints me to do.
It's been 1400 DAYS of prayers that I have been covered and protected, but not now! The list is almost empty!
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Thanks for your prayers to Leslie yesterday. He is getting better and better after the operation Tuesday(June 4) . This is the message from Nevia at 10:47p.m. yesterday(June 5 Wednesday) and then this morning: 
He is so sleepy under medication. Nurse said they don't want him feel painful so they keep him sleepy. i brought Kenny home to sleep. Leslie's reading stable, no fever.

This morning:
Leslie is stable and calm last night. Temp. at borderline. Still looks very tire but Doctors like his status. Thanks God keeping Leslie in His arms. 


Wow! Very good news! Please pray that Leslie can be completely healed soon and his family truly experienced God presence and mighty power of healing and that they all can come back to Jesus in His Kingdom.



Today's Reading: Acts 8:26-40

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Please click this link to read Acts 8:26-40

Bible Study

       This passage shows us the second part of the theme I received yesterday "The power of laying on of hands". We need to traced back to Acts 6: 4-6. Philip was one of the seven who were being prayed and laid hands on by the twelve apostles to become Deacons. 

     We can see the power of that laying on of hands as in Stephen's martyrdom and Philip's gifts of the Holy Spirit. In today's passage Philip actually became an apostle even though he was still a deacon. He was being sent out as an apostle to do the apostolic ministry as in prayers and ministry of the Word. 

     N.T. Wright's described Philip as "the deacon-turned-evangelist" (N.T. Wright. Acts for Everyone, Part 1. Louisville,KY:Westminster John Knox Press, 2008, p.133).

      Let's learn from Philip's example that we also can be deacons, apostles and evangelists. We can see in this passage several steps that can help us to be a better "deacon" and "apostle".
1.  Can be able to listen to the voice of the Lord (v. 26)
2.  Are willing to obey even it does not make sense (v.26)
     That was a desert place, meaning nothing or nobody there.
3.  Receive confirmation of God's calling (v. 27)
     Philip saw the eunuch.
4.  Receive more instruction from the Holy Spirit (v.29)
5.  Exercise the duty of an apostle "ministry of the Word" (v.30-35)
6.  Exercise the duty of being disciples of Jesus - to baptise people (v. 36-39)
7.  Continue to be sent to various places to exercise being an apostle

     This is a wonderful example of a deacon doing the job of an apostle without the title and position of an apostle. Do you know we are all called to be disciples of Jesus and it also means we are doing the jobs of deacons and apostles? Being a deacon is "to serve" and being an apostle is "to give all attention to prayers and ministry of the Word". 

     So, what have you got from this passage? 
                          
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: We are deacons and apostles

    What I got from Jesus is a call to you to be a deacon and apostle. You might not have the title and position of a deacon or an apostle(bishop). But, we should be doing a deacon and an apostle's job anyway.

    Are you willing to be a deacon to serve even to die for Christ like Stephen?

    Are you willing to be an apostle like the 12 or Philip to be sent out by Jesus to bring more people "Home" so that they are being baptized and can later become deacons and apostles? 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be willing to respond to your call as deacons and apostles. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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