DAY 660 - Find out What Pleases The Lord (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 5:3-10

** 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 Ephesians 5:3-10

English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians 5&version=NIV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=以 弗 所 書 5&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Following Paul's list of old self, here in this passage Paul talks about sexual immorality. Those things pulling us away from living a holy and faithful life in God's present Kingdom on earth so that we have a place in God's future Kingdom in heaven. Verse 5 gives us a clear picture of these two Kingdoms. 

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      Verse 5 seems at first sight puzzling.  What is the difference between the Messiah's kingdom and God's kingdom?  The answer is found, I think, in 1 Corinthians 15.23-28.  The Messiah is already installed as king of the world, Paul believes.  When his work as king is complete, and all enemies, including sin and death, have been defeated, then God himself will be king in the way he always intended.
     What Paul means, then, is that people who behave in these ways not only won't inherit the final kingdom; they have no place in the present one either.  Notice that he labels sexual greed as a form of idolatry, the worship of false gods;  presumably this includes the entire pornography industry. 

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Te Prison Letters. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p60.

     Do you have that kind of greed concerning with sexual immorality? How do you deal with this kind of greed and sin?

     

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: Find out what pleases the Lord

    What I got from Jesus today is a few wonderful and important video images. Images like a child looking at his father's eyes when he wants to do something but not sure if that is right or not. He will be relived when he sees his father's nods his head saying YES to him and at that time he has the courage to do it.

     Another image is like someone who wants to speak or do something in front of a large group of people. She would deliberately look at her leader's eyes trying to catch his eye-sight whether she gets the Green light to go ahead to do it or not.

     Paul says in verse 10, "find out what pleases the Lord." Yes, that's what our Lord Jesus Christ wants to say to you now. Do you think you can have that kind of intimate and childlike relationship with Jesus that you are able to be sure that He is pleased with your action. Can you feel his nodding of His head, or at least his looking at you peacefully giving you the permission to do it.

     And, could you be able to feel his smile when you are doing something He really pleases? 

     We need to have the willingness to find out what please the Lord so that we won't fall into the trap of sexual greediness. 
    
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be willing to find out what pleases you so that we won't fall into the trap of sexual greediness. 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

Change My Heart Oh God

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEtsHWFE6-w&feature=related

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/