DAY 654 - Your Sufferings Are The Others Glory (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

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Confirmation from John Stott in 2009: 
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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 3:8-13

** 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 3:8-13

English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians 3&version=NIV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=以 弗 所 書 3&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Paul in this passage reveals the reason for the church's existence and why he has to suffer so much as God's appointed and anointed apostle and prophet. 

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      The heart of the present passage is verse 10, which is one of the New Testament's most powerful statements of the reason for the church's existence: the rulers and authorities must be confronted with God's wisdom, in all its rich variety, and this is to happen through the church!  Not, we should quickly add, through what the church says, though that is vital as well.  Rather, through what the church is, namely, the community in which men, women and children of every race, colour, social and cultural background come together in glad worship of the one true God…
      All these rich benefits should mean that the church can look at Paul's imprisonment without worrying (verse 13).  But why does Paul describe his sufferings as their 'glory'?  The answer is surely that he is suffering precisely because he is pioneering a way of life that challenges the sovereignty of the rulers and authorities.  The fact that he is in prison is a sign that the Christian way is indeed posing a decisive threat to the rule of evil in the world. 
      

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Te Prison Letters. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.36, 37.

     How is your home church fulfilling this reason to exist? How do you accept your sufferings because of Jesus that our sufferings are the others glory? 

     

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: Your sufferings are the others glory

    What I got from Jesus today is such a big encouragement to me personally and those servants of Christ who have been suffering because we just want to listen and obey to God's command.

    Lots of time we are discouraged and then other people are being discouraged seeing why we have to suffer so much. Yes, when we as God's servants do new things for Christ it will surely create a threat to the rule of evil in the world, no matter to the rulers or to those leaders who do not understand and cannot accept.  That's why there are always disagreements, division and war in local churches and commanding centres of denominations. How sad and how unnecessary!

     If you are suffering for Christ recently, you need to relax and have peace, knowing that your sufferings are the others glory!  
    
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be able to accept sufferings as a norm to God's servants and our sufferings are the others glory. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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從心合一

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Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus 

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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/