DAY 636 - This Is Christlikeness (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 5:12-22

** 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 5:12-22

English(ESV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Thessalonians 5&version=ESV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=帖 撒 羅 尼 迦 前 書 5&version=CUV

Bible Study

     I still remember the last time I met John Stott, my spiritual father in July 2009, he said, "Silas, if I want to conclude my whole life with one word, that is Christlikeness."

     Paul tells us what Christlikeness is in this passage. Bishop N.T. Wright describes this passage as the learning of a new language, the language of Christian behaviour. 

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
     God spirit brings us to fluency in the new language of behaviour in three ways.
     The first is through careful Christian teaching and leadership (verses 12-13).  In several places Paul urges his converts to give attention, affection and appropriate financial reward to those who lead and teach in the church.
     The second is through the mutual influence of the whole community (verses 14-15). Each Christian, and each Christian group or family, has the responsibility to look out for the needs of the others, to give comfort, warning, strengthening and example wherever necessary.
     Third, there are the equivalents of the little rules of grammar, the rhymes and memory-aids which nudge the mind in the right direction.  Verses 16-22 may well be a list of these, designed for easy memorization, which Paul has put together so that his young churches will quickly learn the language of Christian behaviour. 

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Galatians and Thessalonians. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.132.

      I am going to read this passage again to help you to have a reflection on whether you are living a lifestyle of Christlikeness. 

      
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: This is Christlikeness

    What I got from Jesus today is a practical guideline for us to examine our lives. We need this kind of examination often because we always cannot live out what Jesus wants us to live out - a lifestyle of Christlikeness.

    I have seen too many Christians living a lifestyle just the opposite of this list. 1. Unteachable and unwilling to follow their leaders.
2. Unwilling to take responsibility to build up their Christian families and some even intentionally or unintentionally destroy their Christian families.
3. Cannot live out that joyful lifestyle of Christlikeness. Have no joy, not believing in prayers is the key, no thanksgiving, disregards the guide of the Holy Spirit, disregards those who have gift of prophecies, not doing good but evil thoughts and actions.

     Which list and lifestyle do you really belongs to? 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Lead us not to lie to ourselves but to have a true examination today whether we are living a lifestyle of Christlikeness. 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/