Sunday, July 7, 2013

DAY 414 - Turn to The Living God (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  for Leslie two days ago at 6:14p.m.(Friday July5, 2013):
Thx God! Sent another dog to cheer him up to walk over 12 steps this afternoon.







Today's Reading: Acts 17:32-34

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Please click this link to read Acts 17:32-34

Bible Study

      After yesterday's passage of how Paul received a tailor-made message to say to the Athenians that he wanted to 'take every thought captive to obey the Messiah' (2 Corinthians 10:5), Paul successfully preached this historical sermon to those who believed in idols and philosophy. So, what had Paul really achieved?

Bishop N.T. Wright's says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright):
     The double challenge, then, is: first, repent.  Turn back from your ways, particularly from your idolatry, your supposing that the gods can be made of gold or silver, or that they live in man-made houses, or that they want or need animal sacrifices!  Turn away from these things, give them up, shake yourself free of them. And, second, turn to the living God(1 Thessalonians 1:9), grope for him and find him (Acts 17:27)...And it can be done because the living God is at work, changing the times and seasons so that now the day of ignorance is over and the time of revealing the truth has arrived.  Recognize where you are in God's timetable, with the landmark of Jesus' resurrection to guide you.  Think hard about the unknown God, and let new light from the true God flood through this open windows and transform you. Leave behind the distant signposts of philosophies, poets and the religious rubbish that humans manufacture.  There is a living God, and he is now calling everyone, everywhere. 

N.T. Wright. Acts for Everyone, Part 2. Louisville,KY:Westminster John Knox Press, 2008, p.93-94.
     
     Well, there were only a few who believed after Paul's preaching. But, Paul's sermon led a totally new paradigm shift to the direction of the Early Church. And we can see that in later time the whole Europe is being fired up. So,how about you? Have you abandoned every kind of idols, meaningless philosophy and return to the true and living God? How can you help more people following Paul's good example to Jesus in this way? 
                                    
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: Turn to the living God

    It is not easy for the Athenians to turn to the living God because of their wrong focus on idols and philosophy. It is also not easy for us in the modern age to turn to the living God, to believe that resurrection is real and that we can be transformed by Jesus.

    Yesterday Michelle, Athan and I went to English Bay to witness a friend of us being baptized in the beach. If you were there seeing the smile of all those 21 new Christians, you will surely know how powerful it is when people turn to the living God and to let Jesus to be their Lord. I was full of tears to witness how George turns to Jesus and being baptized yesterday. He said, "That is really a big decision. Oh, the water is so cold!"

    Jesus is Lord! Let's follow Paul's example to lead more people to turn away from all kinds of wrong focus and to turn to the living God! 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be able to follow Paul's example to help more people to turn to you as their Savior and Lord.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.








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