OT DAY 18 - Does God Accept Or Reject Your Offerings? (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

    Today's Reading: Genesis 4:1-5a

** 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 Genesis 4:1-5a

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

Chinese: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=創 世 記 4&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Today's passage talks about four important moments in the beginning of mankind: The first family, the first worship, the first accepted offering, the first rejected offering. How is that related to you? 

Let's take a look at what Professor John Goldingay says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goldingay) :

    

     In the Old Testament, sacrifice can have all sorts of meanings as a way of giving something to God.  It can express penitence, but it more often expresses worship, commitment, or gratitude.  In all these connections sacrifice makes worship concrete and outward, not just something in our hearts, and it ensures that worship is not something that costs nothing (2 Samuel 24:24).  So Cain and Able bring gifts to God.  Perhaps these would especially express their gratitude for God's granting fruitfulness to their work…
     God looks with favour on Abel's offering but not on Cain's…We don't know how they knew that.  Maybe God subsequently blessed Abel's flocks and they grew, whereas Cain's crops did not grow so well…Genesis does not say Cain gave his actual first fruits,  but it does imply that Abel's offering was more impressive than Cain's. Why was that so? Was Abel more committed to God?  Or was he trying to outdo his big brother?  Hebrews 11 will declare that Abel made his offering by faith because it is concerned to give people examples of faith.  

John Goldingay. Genesis for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, p.65-66.

      How often do you make your offering? How good do you think you have been making your offerings? Does God accept or reject your offerings? How do you know He accepts or rejects? 

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: Does God accept or reject your offerings?

    The message I receive from Jesus today is a check-point. The key word I got today is "faith". God accepts those offerings by faith. Well, this is not a difficult question to answer. How much you offer that God will consider your offering is by faith? Do you have your answer?

    For me, it has to be far more beyond your tithing. Because tithing is the bottom line, less than tithing we are stealing God's money. So, tithing is not by faith. Making an offering beyond you can afford is by faith.

    When God accepts your offering, you will know it. I know it. Many people know it. Do you know it?

    How often do you make your offerings by faith? This is your challenge today.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to be willing to make our offerings by faith so that you will accept our offerings and we will be blessed by you in a special way. 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