OT DAY 9 - A Real Human Being Is God's Good Gardener (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

             Today's Reading: Genesis 2:8-14

** 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 2:8-14

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 2&version=ESV

Chinese: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=創 世 記 2&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Yesterday's passage tells us a real human being serves God and relate to God. Today we have more to know what is God's will for us to be real human beings. 

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

    

     We were made to be gardeners.  It is another aspect of being in God's image.  The first thing God does after shaping the first human being is plant the first orchard and vegetable garden… 
   

John Goldingay. Genesis for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, p.34.

      There are more images in today's passage for us to learn about how to be a real human being other than to be God's good gardener. But, let's focus on this important image first - to be God's good gardener. Are you one of God's good gardeners?  

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: A real human being is God's good gardener

    What I receive from Jesus today is a reminder of our real job on earth. We as human beings are having so many kinds of jobs but the most important job a human being can have and should have is to be God's good gardener.

     What does that mean? It means you need to be a good gardener working for God's garden so that His garden will be fruitful. That includes our gardening God's created nature which we as human beings have been doing so poorly. That includes our gardening God's Kingdom ministries including building up your home church to a better church and beyond. That includes our being a good discipler to help new Christians to be more mature and have a good daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus. Is that enough? Well, if you are God's good gardener, you would know what to do and how to do it better and better.

     Now the Holy Spirit leads me to think about our Vintage Garden ministry in Toronto. God gave a vision to Dr. S.K. Lee more than 15 years ago to build this large size garden. After so many years of hard work of gardening, we have completed the first phase of a seventy million dollars project. We are going to have the move-in date to be April 17, 2015. God has given our brothers and sisters in Toronto Emmanuel Church a big garden to work on. How wonderful! Please click this link to see some pictures of my last visit to this project, the first day that our Directors could go inside the building to pray and bless the building: http://discipler123.blogspot.ca/2014/08/day-823-armageddon-piece-of-cake.html

     Are you one of God's good gardeners? You need to know that a real human being is God's good gardener. What kind of people and things are you gardening each day and for whom are you gardening? Is that for you, for your boss, for other people or truly for God? This is God's challenge to you today! 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Open our eyes to see the garden you want us to work on. Help us to be your good gardeners.  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