DAY 796 - Conquering Spiritual Laziness(請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

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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: Revelation 3:1-6

** 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 Revelation 3:1-6

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

Chinese: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=启 示 录 3&version=CUV

Bible Study

     What's the charge to the church of Sardis that the names of Christians there could be removed from the book of life? Wow! Eternal death! So, they should commit something really bad, right? 

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

     First, their works have not been found to be 'complete'. That may be a tactful way of saying that their performance of the gospel, their Christian way of life, 'leaves a lot to be disired'.  But that's not the sort of thing Christian faith is.  It's all or nothing: either Jesus really is the Lord, rightly asking for our absolute allegiance, or he is a sham and should be rejected outright…
     The second charge emerges in verses 4 and 5, where Jesus acknowledges that some of the Christians in Sardis 'haven't allowed their clothes to become dirty and polluted'.  This is hardly a comment on actual dirty linen, but it's not clear what in fact this image is being used for.  It may just be a way of commenting on their spiritual laziness.  Like people who can't be bothered to wash their clothes regularly, they are falling into slack habits.  Or it may be a more specific reference to the toleration, within the community, of some sort of immoral behaviour. 

N.T. Wright. Revelation for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p.30.

      Do you think you have the white rob or your rob is dirty due to your spiritual laziness? How is spiritual laziness related to your life not being found to be complete?   

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: Conquering spiritual laziness

    What I got from Jesus today is a reminder for us to have a check on our daily life whether we have that kind of spiritual laziness causing us not being able to wear the white rob, to be faithful disciples of Christ.

     What I receive from Jesus now is that our spiritual laziness may cause a domino effect, from not being to have an intimate personal relationship with Jesus as in our daily devotion, to a point not being able to do the things Jesus commands us to do but to do the things Jesus commands us not to do, then some sort of immoral behaviour, then the name being removed from the book of life. Wow! That is a difference between eternal life or eternal death!

     So, one step at a time. Conquering spiritual laziness is our immediate goal! 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to be able to conquer our spiritual laziness so that we can do those things you command us to do.  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

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) Matt Redman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

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