OT DAY 31 - We Are Sinful, God Is Graceful (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Today's Reading: Genesis 8:21b- 9:4

** 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 8:21b - 9:4

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 9&version=ESV

Chinese: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=創 世 記 9&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Reading of today's passage is a kind of pain. Why? Knowing that we all are sinful is such a pain. But, knowing that God is so graceful because of our sins is such a warning and comfort to us. How can we be Christlike and not sinful anymore is a daily test to each one of us!   

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

    

     God's reason for this guarantee is especially remarkable.  It is "because the inclination of the human heart is evil from its youth." God is wondrously illogical as only God can be.  It would be more logical if God said, "I will not destroy the earth again, although the inclination of the human heart is so evil." And that is what some translations have God saying.  But God uses the ordinary word for "because," which hardly ever, if ever, means "although." Not surprisingly, what God has to say is more profound than one would have expected.  God's grace operates not despite human sin but because of human sin.   

John Goldingay. Genesis for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, p.110.

      Do you feel the pain of our weakness as human beings? Do you feel God's pain of forgiving us one time after another time again for years? 

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: We are sinful, God is graceful

    The message I receive from Jesus today is a time to wake up. Wake up to understand who we are really as a human. 

    May be you are still angry with some people because they did something to hurt you. May be you are in pain because you cannot deal with your sins and that you can not change completely no matter what. 

    It is not an excuse to keep on sinning. But, it is a fact that since we are human beings we have a chance to keep those negative thought in our minds.

    You need to forgive those who have hurt you because they are just victims. Victims of listening to their own pride and sinful nature to hurt people and make a mess on God's plan.

    That's why we need to be with Jesus daily because if not we will soon fail. Only a daily walk with Jesus that we have a better chance to stay Christlike each day!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for your gracious love that we have a second chance to live and to have a new beginning. Help us to be with you each day that we can extend your Kingdom following your lead.   In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

    Please click this link to the app. Andy Ng wrote. You really need to use that if you have an Android cel. Andy said he is going to do the App. for iPhone later:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ideal.rec.app

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

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