DAY 748 - Control Your Tongue (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: James 3:1-12

** 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 James 3: 1-12

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

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=雅 各 書 3&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Today we come to another example of what does it means by faith without deeds is dead. It is about how well can we control our tongue. 

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

      
      Why is the tongue like this?  Jesus had pointed out that what comes out of the mouth is a sign of what is really there, deep in the heart (Matthew 12.34; Luke 6.43).  James echoes this passage when he speaks of the fig tree bearing olives or the vine bearing figs.  Things just aren't like that!  If someone turns out to be pouring out curses - cursing other humans who are made in God's likeness - then one must at least question whether their heart has been properly cleansed, rinsed by God's powerful spirit.  And if that isn't the case, it turns out that the tongue isn't simply a private world of injustice.  It is getting its real inspiration from hell itself (verse 6). 

N.T. Wright. The Early Christian Letters for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p.22.

      Do you have a problem with that? Do you feel bad about all those gossiping and accusing in your own church if there is any there?

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: Control your tongue

    The message I got from Jesus today is the wisdom for us to overcome spiritual attacks. It is so easy for us to have an counterattack when we hear someone gossiping and accusing us something we did not do. Sometime it might drive us crazy and stir up a big fight and war destroying lots of relationship.

    The author tells us that first we need to do is to control our tongue. That's what it means by "faith without deeds is dead". If someone can't control their tongues then there is a possibility that he or she might get the "inspiration from hell". Wow! From hell! Can you imagine that!

    If you get inspiration from heaven, then you need to stop returning fire or  defending yourself. God has His own special way to protect His own servants and to punish those who attacks His servants.

    The way Jesus has been teaching me when I am under accusation or attack is always more fasting and praying and then never return fire or to defend myself. I have experienced too many times of God's saving hand to take me out from some kind of 'killing field" and put me into a safe place that I can sleep and feel peace. But, what I need to do is first to control my tongue, if not, I would get into big trouble. So, can you do that? 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to be able to control our tongue so that we won't be used by Satan as a killing weapon. 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