DAY 651 - A Big, Big Miracle Happened just Two Hours Ago at REC! (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: Ephesians 2:11-16

** 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 Ephesians 2:11-16

English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians 2&version=NIV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=以 弗 所 書 2&version=CUV

Bible Study

     What Paul describes of how the Jew and Gentile comes into one family in Christ happened in our church, Richmond Emmanuel today. Because of the discussion of buying the first time a land and build a church, brothers and sisters in our church have been in quite a number of disagreements. Just as any church dealing with church building project, it just happen.

     We finished our Annual Vestry two hours ago. There was a 94% pass of the first motion to make an offer to buy the land we proposed and 97% pass of our second motion to buy the land with finance if needed.

     We taste the sweetness of unity at last after so many months of arguments and challenges. Why this miracle? I think it is just as Paul says in today's passage: willing to die of the cross with Christ! 

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      The hostility that had existed between the two groups, Jew and Gentile has been killed on the cross (verse 16)…
      If our churches are still divided in any way along racial or cultural lines, he would say that our gospel, our very grasp of the meaning of Jesus' death, is called into question.  How long will it be before those who claim to follow Jesus, not least those who claim also to love Paul's thinking, come to terms with the demands he actually makes? 
      

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Te Prison Letters. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.28-29.

     What have you got from this message? Would you come to terms with the demand Paul makes to be willing to die on those things you disagree?  Because of your love to Christ, would you sacrifice what you think and want and let unity to happen in your church? That's what we just experienced!

     

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: A big, big miracle happened just two hours ago at REC!

    What I got from Jesus today is another wonderful coincidence. What Paul says in today's passage happen just two hours ago. I am deeply moved to see severe differences disappeared and true love, forgiveness and unity appears in our church! So many brothers and sisters have been trying their best to do all kinds of things to pull our church together. We completed our one year fasting today. And our 100 days fasting started Jan. 1 will be completed in April 11. We have lots of brothers and sisters kneeling down to pray for at least 3 minutes a day since June 27 last year. We completed a seven days 7a.m. Eucharist and Prayer Walk this morning. We completed a silent one hour vigil yesterday from 7 to 8p.m…Oh, I can't put all those things we have done and been doing. The fruit is, we are in unity on the buying of a land for our church's big, big decision!  

    
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be willing to die of the cross following your example that you name will be glorified. 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

Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czxd5oa-gi0

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/