Time with Abba, Singing Praising 親親爸父，唱詩歌頌 : DAY 828 - Grace Bestowed (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Thursday, August 28, 2014

DAY 828 - Grace Bestowed (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Today's Reading: Revelation 19:1-10

** 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 Revelation 19:1-10

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation 19&version=ESV

Chinese: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=启示录 19&version=CUV

Bible Study

This passage gives us a most glorious scene in heaven of how God's people worshipping with the heavenly hosts in a victory banquet like a wedding after the fall of the whore, Babylon.

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

The whore has been judged; the bride steps forward…The marriage of the lamb and his bride is to be the focal point of the marriage of heaven and earth themselves, and Babylon, the symbolic equivalent of the ancient Babel which thought to climb up to heaven by its own energy, is shown up as a futile parody of the real thing, a human attempt to get, by sheer greed, what God proposed to give by sheer grace.

N.T. Wright. Revelation for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p.168.

Do you understand what God prepares for us is sheer grace? Do you know what you have experienced so far to become a disciple of Jesus is sheer grace?

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: Grace bestowed

What I receive today cannot express in words. When I was reading verse 8 a word in Chinese translation came up to my mind "蒙恩" in English should be "Grace bestowed", NIV translated as "was given her", ESV "it was granted her".

The wonderful thing is that the Holy Spirit led me to look at the bookshelf on my left hand side, took out a briefcase I have not used since I went to Nashotah House Episcopal seminary in 1984, took some old bulletins from my home church, Holy Trinity Church(is now called Holy Trinity Cathedral)and there I saw a few of my own writing, using the name "Grace bestowed 蒙恩".

It is such a wonderful reminder of how our Lord Jesus Christ has been leading me through the past 32 years. It is such a big, big assurance to me that he is going to lead me through until I am able to worship Him in heaven with the heavenly hosts on that day as described in today's passage.

The only thing I need to do 32 years ago and till then is to prepare myself to be holy so that I am worthy to be His bride. Oh, God is so real! I am so joyful with His presence now and I need to kneel down now to worship Him!

Please take a look at the bookshelf, the opened door, the black briefcase and my write-up using the name "Grace bestowed". Although it is in Chinese and you may not be able to read if you are not Chinese. Still, the words in those bulletins are not so important as the symbolic meaning of today's experience.

Grace bestowed! That is me! That is you!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for giving me this wonderful experience today. Help each one of us to know that you are going to give us the fine linen, bright and clean to wear because of your grace. Lead us to become holy. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us -

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

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

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