Tuesday, January 7, 2014

DAY 598 - Do You Have The Courage to Discipline? (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

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: 2 Corinthians 12:19-13:4
** 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 2 Corinthians 12:19-13:4

Bible Study

     Paul has been trying his best to show his weakness since the beginning of this book. Here, he suddenly changes his tone into a very stern one saying that if they do not change when he comes, then he won't spare them. What is he trying to do? 
Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      What does Paul mean when he says he won't spare those who persist in sins, whether of the jealousy-and-gossip variety or the sexual sort?  We can only guess, but my guess is that, as in 1 Corinthians 5, he would cause such people to be excluded from the church and its fellowship, not least from the Lord's supper.  This would require, of course, the consent and co-operation of most of the church, but Paul believes he can count on that; hence his quotation (in 13.1) of the rule in Deuteronomy about accusations needing to be supported by at least two witnesses.  He envisages the possibility that he will have to sit as a judge, hearing accusations against church members and deciding, under God, what couse of action is best to take against those who are found guilty.  And, since there is never a suggestion in the early church that discipline took any other form, the main option seems to be expulsion, whether temporary or permanent.
     Paul will come to them, then, in a strange mixture of weakness and power. 

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:2 Corinthians. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.140.
     
     Do you understand why Paul is a strange mixture of weakness and power? Why is this mixture so important? Do you have that kind of mixture? 

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: Do you have the courage to discipline?

    What I got from Jesus today is a question we need to ask ourselves whether we have that kind of mixture of weakness and power. I have seen many Christian leaders always showing their weakness and let other people to control and abuse them. I have seen almost same number of Christian leaders always so strong that they are controlling their people in pride and selfishness.

     Do you have the courage to discipline those who are out of order? Do you allow yourself to be vulnerable and be so opened to show your weakness? Do you have that kind of strange mixture that Paul has? Do you know Jesus has that kind of mixture too? 

Dear Lord Jesus, 
Help us to be able to show forth that kind of strange mixture of weakness and power following the good model of you and Paul. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Happy New Year!

Please click this link to worship with us -


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)
-

不是倚靠勢力，不是倚靠才能，乃是倚靠我的靈方能成事!

  今日博客的錄影: https://youtu.be/KtMnpnhe0hY?si=c-hueWvgf2i2umfa Nicky Gumbel  牧師今日靈修博客: https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?e=590b90010b&u=60...