Monday, December 2, 2013

DAY 562 - Stay Alert as A Soldier for Christ And Do Everything in Love (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

**NEW link for the  15th: 13th 100 days 24 hours prayer campaign (We are going to use this 13th list leads up to the 15th. 13th from March 15 to June 22, 2013. 14th from June 22 to August 31, 2013, 15th from Sept. 1, 2013 to Dec. 9. 2013)

Want to know why I have been writing and recording my blogs and podcast daily since August 10, 2009? Click these three links:

Confirmation from John Stott in 2009: 
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
My MicroMacro Discipleship, A missing DNA in Discipleship Development: http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/introduction-micromacro-discipleship.html
Subject Shifting Devotion Method(Inspired by John Stott in 1991: http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

                               Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 16:10-14
** 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:
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html
To use this simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link:
 .Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf

Please click this link to read 1 Corinthians 16:10-14

Bible Study

     Paul concludes this book with two commands:
1. A command to soldiers to stay alert.
2. A command to Christians to do everything in love. 

 How can we stay alert as a soldier ready to fight any possible warfare happen any time and at the same time to do everything in love? Not easy!
Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
     The four commands correspond to what an army commander might say to someone on guard, and they form an ascending scale: keep awake, stand firm, be brave, be strong! The guard must stay awake and alert in case of any danger.  Not only so; he must know his ground and not give way.  When actual danger threatens, bravery is required to face up to it.  When he has to deal with it he needs to act with all his strength…
     But, in the process, they must never imagine that the gospel can be helped forwards by brute force, bullying or arrogance. 'Everything you do must be done in love'; that has been the keynote of the whole letter, and Paul wants to remind them of it as he moves towards the close.  

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:1 Corinthians. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.234-235.

     How can you stay alert as a soldier of Christ but still can fight your warfare with love?

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":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

Spiritual Journal

    What I heard from Jesus today is: Stay alert as a soldier for Christ and do everything in love

    What I got from Jesus today is a warning to all of us that we do not know how to stay alert. The four commands may help us if we really understand what it means. Do you know what it really means? Can you visualize the four commands with actions?
1. Keep awake: don't fall asleep. 
2. Stand firm: don't give way.
3. Be Brave: No fear, be ready to face any danger
4. Be strong: don't let anyone or anything to scare you, use every strength to fight for Jesus

     And, doing all those four actions like a soldier and with love. It's hard to imagine, how can a soldier holding a machine gun fighting for his country and shooting with love? I think what Paul means is to be filled with the Holy Spirit in all times so that you are being anointed by the greatest gift and that is love. Sometimes it is "tough" love, sometimes it is a love to forgive and in all times, just love.  

 Dear Lord Jesus, 
Lead us to be able to stay alert as a soldier to fight a good spiritual warfare for you and can be filled with love in all times. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) Matt Redman
You may choose to follow my other daily blog: 
Daily Devotion on Fire 2(2 years plan -One year New Testament, one year Old Testament): 
http://bishopsilas2.blogspot.ca/
Daily Devotion on Fire (3 years and 3 months plan, one chapter a day to finish reading the whole Bible): 
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/
Break.Build (40 days daily devotion- For Renewal or First Step for new Christians): http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/

Emmanuel330 (40 weeks First Step Bible Study): 
http://emmanuel330.blogspot.ca/

This blog:

Discipler 123 (Daily devotion using N.T. Wright's NT for Everyone as source)
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我呼求的日子，所有強敵都要轉身退後!

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