DAY 626 - Encourage Them Like A Father (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: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12

** 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 Thessalonians 2:9-12

English(ESV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Thessalonians 2&version=ESV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=帖 撒 羅 尼 迦 前 書 2&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Paul expresses his deep love to the Thessalonians in the last passage to compare his care with a mother. Here in this passage, He compares his encouragements to the Thessalonians with a father. 

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
     Paul should be the principal model for his new converts, and should teach them by example what sort of a life would bring glory to the living God he was telling them about…
     We know from Acts what Paul did for a living: he made tents...He did it because he intended the new Christians to know that he was there for them like a father for his children.  Fathers don't charge their children for bringing them up, for raising them to be the people they ought to be...      
     The central thing he wants them to do is, literally, to 'walk worthy of God'. The word 'walk' is a regular Pauline word for 'behaviour', following the standard use of the equivalent Hebrew word.  Behaviour is seen as a matter of putting one foot in front of another; good behaviour is taking care with the direction and placing of those feet. 
    

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Galatians and Thessalonians. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.97-99.

      Do you know how important a father should be as you learn from Paul's witness of his being like a father to the Thessalonians? How well are you playing a father's role to encourage those people who Jesus entrusted to you? 

      
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage 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: Encourage them like a father

    What I got from Jesus today is a call for us to take the role of a father to encourage those who Jesus entrusted to us and be a good model to them. Women can also do that, just like men can be a mother loving those Jesus' given children. 

     Just as I said yesterday, this passage and the last one is the one John Stott, my spiritual father gave to me in July 2009 when I visited him with my son Ignatius in England. He told me this is the passage given by Jesus to him to give to me so that I can be a good bishop, that is to be a good father and mother. Please click this link to read what happen that day:
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009_07_01_archive.html

     Jesus also guided me to read what my son Ignatius wrote to me in the Father Day's card last year, June 16, 2013:
Dad,
     Thank you for always being supportive, for always believing in me.  You are a role model for me in being a father.
     I really appreciate how you listen and are willing to change for us and for God.  Please continue to become more like our Father in heaven and let's work for his Kingdom together!
                                                         Love,
                                                              Iggy

     Wow! How encouraging this is today as Jesus reminded me that I have done that to my two sons! But, how much have I done to those Jesus entrusted to me?

      How much have you done to be a father being a model for your Jesus' given children? 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Lead us to be able to take the role of a father to encourage those who you entrusted to us and be a good model for them to be more like you.  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/