Thursday, June 27, 2013

DAY 404 - I Will Return! Kneel 3 Minutes A Day to Pray Movement Starts Today! (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)



**NEW link for the  14th: 13th 100 days 24 hours prayer campaign (We are going to use this 13th list leads up to the 14th. 13th from March 15 to June 22, 2013. 14th from June 22 to August 31, 2013)


 Update from Kenny for Leslie yesterday 9:48p.m.:
Doctor changed their mind, want to delay his solid food. He did great today. Sat on chair three times and mask off more than three hours.


Today's Reading: Acts 15:12-21

** 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:


To use this simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link:

Please click this link to read Acts 15:12-21

Bible Study

      Today's passage is about how James, Jesus' brother, as the main leader of the Early Church in Jerusalem who made a conclusion in the hearing of the Council of Jerusalem.

     James and Jesus' other brothers had not believed in Him during Jesus' time(John 7:5). But Jesus appeared to him in a special way after His resurrection(1 Corinthians 15:7) and James became a believer, then an important leader. After Peter's disaster in Acts 12, even James was not one of the twelve, he became the main leader in Jerusalem.

     James used Amos 9:11-12 as the main message to let those apostles(bishops) and elders(priests) knew that the prophecy that the gentiles will come flocking in to share the blessings of the Israelites is being fulfilled when Jesus came as the Messiah. He had the conclusion that the Gentiles were welcomed into God's family.

     James and the conference as a whole were clear on two things. First, the law should not be imposed on Gentile converts.  Second, they should be told that they had better keep some significant bits of it just in case...
     No needful circumcision.  The Gentiles who have believed in Jesus do not have to be circumcised; that is, they do not have to become Jewish in order to become Christians. They are not second-class citizens.
     No needless offence. It would be a great help if they would observe the most obvious point: to keep well away from pagan temples and from everything that went on in them.
    
N.T. Wright. Acts for Everyone, Part 2. Louisville,KY:Westminster John Knox Press, 2008, p.43,46.

     God says through Amos that He will return. He returns indeed when Jesus came as the Messiah to save everyone who believes in Him. How do you feel and experience about what He says "I will return"? Has Jesus returned to you and that you welcome Him as your Lord and King? Has everything settled because of His return into your life to take control again as your Lord and King? 
    
                                 
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: I will return! Kneel 3 minutes a day to pray movement starts today!

    What I got today is like the effect of an atomic bomb to me! It blew off all the obstacles surrounding me and led me focus on Jesus in a very special way from now on: Kneel 3 minutes a day to pray.

    When I was reading Bishop N.T. Wright's comments on this passage, Jesus opened my eyes to one passage in Bishop Wright's book:
    One later legend says that James spent so much time on his knees, praying for his people, that his knees became hardened, like camel's knees.

     My whole body was shaking even until now, half an hour after I read that. I said to Jesus, "Lord Jesus, from now on I will kneel to pray at least 3 minutes a day to focus on you! Help me Lord!" Then I went to kneel for 3 minutes after that prayer and came back to write this blog. Wow! It was a powerful 3 minutes. Then, what I got from Jesus is that to invite you to join in this never before campaign to kneel for 3 minutes a day to pray. If you join with me starting today, then you will experience more about how God says "I will return".

     You may ask, "Why three minutes? Why not three hours?" Well, you may, like James kneeling to pray not knowing how many hours. I will kneel to pray more than 3 minutes a day. What I got from Jesus today is to start small, "fast win" as my coach Dr. Terry Walling told me. You will know that power of this three minutes if you keep on for a month, just 3 minutes. You can do it, right? But, half an hour, may be not, right?

     Kneel 3 minutes a day starts today! Praise the Lord! 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to know that it is from you to invite us into this "kneel 3 minutes a day to pray movement". Help us to focus in you through that 3 minutes that you will surely return to our life as our Lord and King and that everything in us will be settled.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.



**NEW link for the  14th: 13th 100 days 24 hours prayer campaign (We are going to use this 13th list leads up to the 14th. 13th from March 15 to June 22, 2013. 14th from June 22 to August 31, 2013)


 Leslie is in good progress. Let's pray on until Leslie is completely recovered.

My email address: bishopsilasng@gmail.com

Please click this link to worship with us - 
Amazing Grace – My Chains Are Gone (Chris Tomlin)

Chinese praise song - 
这一生最美的祝福 The Most Wonderful Blessing of My Life



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Daily Devotion on Fire 2(One year New Testament): 

Daily Devotion on Fire (3 years and 3 months plan, one chapter a day to finish reading the whole Bible): 

Break.Build (40 days daily devotion- First Baby Step for new Christians): http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/

Emmanuel330 (40 weeks First Step Bible Study): 
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