DAY 621 - How to Sow More to The Spirit? (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 6:6-10

** 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 6:6-10

English(ESV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians 6&version=ESV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=加 拉 太 書 6&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Paul gives a good teaching and warning to the Galatians and all Christians about financial support to their own church.  Money is always so difficult to talk about and the right way of using our money is even more difficult to teach in local church. Here, Paul talks about money without even mentioning of the word 'money'.   

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      Paul begins with a clear command, which most churches in the modern world studiously ignore: those who are taught the word should share 'in all good things' with their teacher.  The natural meaning of this is financial…It is perhaps because churches have often neglected proper payment of the ministry that the ministry itself, the teaching which could and should be building up the church, has sometimes been thin and unsatisfying…
     If church members 'sow' to the spirit, by giving solid practical support to the church's ministry, especially in teaching and preaching, they themselves will in due course bring in a harvest.  If, however, they 'sow to the flesh', spending their resources on the numerous pleasures of ordinary life, then all they will have to show for it will be the corruption and decay to which everything in the world is ultimately subject. Fine houses fall down.  Splendid clothes wear out.The ministry of the word builds up people and communities and the life they then have will gloriously outlast death itself.
    

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Galatians and Thessalonians. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.78.

      So, how well are you in your tithing and other financial support to your own church and beyond? 

      
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: How to sow more to the Spirit?

    What I got from Jesus today is an invitation for us to sow more to the Spirit. What does that mean? Very simple. Pray and ask Jesus how much does He wants you to give to your church and beyond. I am very sure He will tell you.

    This morning I had my monthly 'prayer partners' meeting. I have been praying with seven pastors, mostly from other churches for the past 17 years. One pastor told me that her church is in the process of buying a church of 3.6 million dollars. What they need four weeks ago was $600,000. She was in-charge of designing a plan to make that happen just a month ago. She prayed and she got what I got two months ago, asking their people to give $10,000 per family because they have 60 families. And she gave the first $10,000 and now in a month's time they are very close to that amount. She told us that she could not believe that they really have quite a number of families willing to give $10,000.

    We have now 19 families in our church willing to give $10,000, one family gives one million dollars, three Christians friends $10,000 and one Christian couple friends $20,000 and some $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000 with an approximate total of $1,365,500 in two months time. Most of those offerings are already in our account and a few may need three to four months time.

    I do pray and hope that those offerings will create a momentum for our people to join in this Godly Wave so that we have enough money to do what our Lord Jesus Christ has prepared us to do, to buy a land and to build a church, our first self-own church.

    What I got from Jesus today is a very special message. If we plan to buy a new house, we would have no hesitation to pay $100,000 or more. If our church wants to buy a land and build a church, we would have much hesitation to pay even $10,000. We say that Jesus is our Lord and King and our church is our home and family. What kind of home and family is that? Please admit that this is the reality. Jesus is trying to open your eyes to see the reality. Are you able to see that, are you able to hear that?

    Could you pray for us? Could you help us by joining us in this Godly Wave to make God's work be done?

     Let's sow more to the Spirit but not to the flesh! 

Daddy,

Lead us to be willing to sow more to the Spirit. 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/