DAY 736 - Hardship = Discipline (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

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 12:4-11

** 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 12:4-11

English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12&version=NIV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=希 伯 來 書 12&version=CUV

Bible Study

     It's all about telling us that hardship is equal to discipline. But, there are two different situations. The situation in yesterday's passage is about how can we have the endurance as an athlete to run the race for Jesus. And, all those hardships are just part of the training process that we can run better and better. Today's passage is different. The situation is about we are in the wrong track and we are being disciplined by God in order that we can repent and back to God's way. The word "discipline" happened ten times from verse 5 to verse 11. Are you being disciplined now? 

Let's take a look at what Bishop N.T. Wright says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :

      
      It may come as a shock to many Christians to discover that there lies ahead of them a life in which God, precisely because he is treating us as sons and daughters, will refuse to spoil us or ignore us, will refuse to let us get away for ever with rebellion or folly, with sin or stupidity.  He has his ways of alerting his children to the fact that they should either pause and think again, or turn round and go in the opposite direction, or get down on their knees and repent.  I had a friend once who had firmly and finally decided not to join the ordained ministry but to become a chartered accountant.  Almost at once he was struck down by a strange disease which forced him to stay in bed for a week, but the end of which not only his mind, but also his heart, and the direction of his life to this day, had been changed. 

N.T. Wright. Hebrews for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.153.

      Do you think God really discipline people like what Bishop Wright says? Have you experienced that painful discipline? Are you in this kind of painful experience? 

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: Hardship = Discipline

    The message I got from Jesus today is a warning as well as encouragement. I have experienced similar disciplines like what Bishop Wright says many times since I was very young, may be since 12. 

     What I can say is that the time when I kept on to be rebellious against God I was severely disciplined because Jesus Loves me. Gradually I understand that difference and God starts to use other method because I have repent. Those disciplines have become solid training for me to be equipped for His Kingdom ministries.

      So, you need to know what kind of discipline you are now in. The positive one, that you are running a better race for Jesus. Or, the negative one, that you have to repent in order that you would not have more severe discipline. You need to ask our Lord Jesus Christ to tell you personally, may be now, today. 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to be able to discern which kind of discipline we are now in so that we are on the right track following you each day as our Lord and King. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.

     Please click this link to watch Rev. Dr. Paul Chun Chi Ng's encouragement to Richmond Emmanuel Church, Richmond, BC, Canada:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_h9VFwnVcU&feature=youtu.be 

     Please click this link to watch Dr. Kuhn's encouragement to Richmond Emmanuel Church, Richmond, BC, Canada:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ4tk08Gsz8&feature=youtu.be

Rev. Nicky Gumbel and Mrs. Pippa Gumbel's greetings to the Anglican Mission Canada's National Conference May 15-16, 2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHpAEv_kl3c&feature=youtu.be

Please click this link to worship with us -

從心合一

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJWZQyLzDRQ

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbe7OruLk8I&noredirect=1

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