DAY 697 - Putting into Practice Those Good Things (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Four years ago today, April 9, 2010, Michelle went to see her family doctor and was told that she got leukaemia. She was admitted to Vancouver General Hospital the next morning (http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2010/04/day-234-my-wife-michelle-has-leukemia.html ). Michelle is not feeling well lately!  Her family doctor is now having a series of check-up for her to see what is happening. On this day, I would like to invite you to join us in a 100 days of prayer (From April 9 to July 17) for Michelle, our family and my ministry. Please click this link to join us to pray:
New 100 Days Prayer Campaign (2014.04.09-2014.07.17)

What you need to do is very simple. Choose one hour slot for the whole week to pray for Michelle, our family and my ministry. You may use the whole hour in prayer or you can still do you work in your office but use as much time as you can to pray and the other time work prayerfully that hour to pray for us. I encourage you to participate. We need you to join us! Trust in the power of prayers!

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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: Philimon 1:1-7

** 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 Philimon 1:1-7

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

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=腓 利 門 書 1&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Paul wrote this "prison letter" as a personal request to Philimon during Paul's first imprisonment at Rome (Acts 28:16-31). Philimon lived in Colosse who was a slave owner and church member at Colosse, perhaps one whom Paul had led to faith in Christ. And, Onesimus was Philemon's slave who had run away to Rome for freedom.  While in Rome, Onesimus came into contact with Paul, who led him to Christ. A strong bond of friendship developed between Paul and Onesimus he sends Onesimus now back to Philemon. The penalty of a runaway slave could be punished by death, but Paul pleads on Onesimus' behalf and asks Philemon to receive Onesimus as a fellow brother in Christ. What is it really about? What kind of effect can this letter brings to us?

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
     The effect will be "in realizing every good thing that is at work in us." (v.6) 'Realizing' means not only recognizing and knowing but also 'putting into practice'.  The gospel itself is at work in Christians by the power of God's spirit. As it does its work, it produces new things, good things, new ways of living for individuals, households and communities.
     These new things that are at work in us lead us into the King. This is perhaps the hardest idea to grasp, but it's central to what Paul intends.  The king, the Messiah, is of course Jesus himself.  But when people believe in Jesus and join his family through baptism, they become 'part' of him; and the sign of that is that they grow together in love, cutting right across all traditional barriers that separate one human being from another.  

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:The Prison Letters. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.193.

     How are those new things working in you leading you into our Lord and King? 
     

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: Putting into practice those good things

    The message I got from Jesus today for us is to look around us and deep down into ourselves whether those good things are happening and whether they are leading us into the King.

     To have an owner to receive his runaway slave without punishment is impossible at all. But to us, To forgive someone and to accept someone who hurt you would also be impossible. But, if you can, then you have put into practice those good things and the action will lead you into our King Jesus. Not only "to" King Jesus, but into King Jesus. Do you know the difference? 

     "To" is a direction but not yet happen. "Into" is a destination as well as a relationship. Are you there yet? Are you in that relationship with Jesus? 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to put into practice those good things you have been teaching us so that we can be in you daily.  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

Lord, Reign in Me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcXnugDRy-U#aid=P5qEg4Jt7qA

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/


Rev. Nicky Gumbel's daily devotion: Bible in One Year
http://www.htb.org.uk/bioy