DAY 708 - Is Everything Settled? (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: Hebrews 4:1-10

** 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 Hebrews 4:1-10

English(ESV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews 4&version=ESV

Chinese:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=希 伯 來 書 4&version=CUV 

Bible Study

     The author tells us who God was angry with in yesterday's passage. In today's passage, he tells us who are those who can enter into God's rest. The word "rest" appears ten times in today's ten verses. "Rest" is the key message for us to understand today. Do you have that kind of "rest"?   

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      The idea of God's rest on the seventh day of creation comes into its own in a different way…the writer links this with God's own 'rest' at the end of creation, suggesting that, since God was warning that the people might not enter into 'his rest', that implied that the promise of the land was meant to function for them like the 'rest' which he had enjoyed after his six days of creative work...

     When the people did eventually reach the land, under the leadership of Joshua, they entered into the 'rest' which they had been promised.  They could at last stop wandering - after forty years, not six days! - and enjoy the new period of settled life with all its opportunities to develop culture, agriculture, trades and occupations of all sorts, and build homes and communities. 

N.T. Wright. Hebrews for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.36.

      John Walton, in his book "The Lost World of Genesis One" makes one very important point:
      God's 'rest' is located in his 'resting place' in Psalm 132, which also identifies it as the temple from which he rules.  After creation God takes up his rest and rules from his residence…
      Like the American White House…it is not simply the newly elected president can kick off his shoes and snooze in the Lincoln bedroom.  It is so he can begin the work of running the country.  Thus in ancient terms the president 'takes up his rest' in the White House.This is far from relaxation.  The turmoil and uncertainty of the election is over, and now he can settle down to the important business at hand.
     The role of the temple in the ancient world is not primarily a place for people to gather in worship like modern churches.  It is a place for the deity - sacred space.  It is his home, but more importantly his headquarters - the control room.  When the deity rests in the temple it means that he is taking command, that he is mounting to his throne to assume his rightful place and his proper role.

John Walton. The Lost World of Genesis One. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009, p.73-74.

     Now, do you have a better understanding of why the word "rest" is so important? Have you entered into God's rest? Do you feel restful everyday? How is your sleep, good rest? Is everything in your life settled?
     

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: Is Everything settled?

    The message I got from Jesus today is perhaps one of the most important messages concerning with our lives and souls. Yesterday I had a time of sharing with a brother in our church. He talked about someone having some kind of unnecessary misunderstanding with me. Then he said, "Well, she told me recently that that is just a misunderstanding and everything is settled now."

     Wow! "Everything is settled now." What an important message to all of us. There are lots of things in our lives that make us unsettled. But, the most important unsettled things according to the passage today and according to Bishop Wright and John Walton's explanation is when God is not in His control room taking control of your life, then everything is unsettled, unrest. When you are willing to let Jesus to be your Lord and King, when you invite Him into the control room of your life to take command, then everything is settled. 

     Is everything settled?
     
Dear Lord Jesus,
Please come into our lives to take command and be our Lord and King so that we can enter into your rest.  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

Because He Live: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M-zwE33zHA

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