DAY 618 - Why Biting And Devouring Each Other? (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

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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: Galatians 5:13-21

** 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:

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 Galatians 5:13-21

English(ESV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians 5&version=ESV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=加 拉 太 書 5&version=CUV

Bible Study

      After Paul's very strong language against those agitators he reminds the Galatians that they are free in Christ and led by the Holy Spirit. They should not emphasize the flesh any more but be able to love one another and not biting and devouring each other. 

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      Paul quotes one of the central early Christian commandments, which is itself, of course, taken from the Old Testament: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'  If you want to keep the law, he says, this sums it all up…The way to keep this all-embracing commandment is not by emphasizing who you are 'according to the flesh', that is, by getting circumcised. If you emphasize the flesh, flesh is what you'll get; and look where that will land you!…
     What's the alternative?  The alternative is to allow the power of God's spirit to direct your life.  If you want to fulfil the law, supremely through obeying the central command of love, this can only happen by the spirit.  As so often in Paul, 'flesh' and 'spirit' are in opposition to each other. 
    

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Galatians and Thessalonians. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.70.

      Do you allow the Holy Spirit to direct your life? Do you know the consequence if you do not do so?    

      
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

    The title I heard from Jesus today is: Why biting and devouring each other?

    What I got from Jesus today is a warning to those who like to bite and devour each other in their own church, just like those agitators did as describes in this passage.

    Paul gives us a simple and important message that there are only two sides:
1. If you emphasize the flesh then your acts of your sinful nature would be as Paul describes in verses 19 to 21, the 15 sinful nature. More than that, you'll see and say more and more negative things, like more and more to bite and devour each other and to take part in tearing down your own church.

2. If you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you, you can be able to love each other. You would see and say more and more positive things and to take part in building up your own church.

    Have you made a choice yet? Do you really know where you are now? 

Daddy,

Lead us to be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us so that we can love each other and not to bite and devour each other. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us -

從心合一

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJWZQyLzDRQ

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) Matt Redman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

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)

http://discipler123.blogspot.ca/