Time with Abba, Singing Praising 親親爸父，唱詩歌頌 : OT DAY 55 - God Gives You A New Name (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Saturday, November 1, 2014

OT DAY 55 - God Gives You A New Name (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Today's Reading: Genesis 17:1-6

** 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 Genesis 17:1-6

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 17&version=ESV

Chinese: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=創世記 17&version=CUV

Bible Study

Do you remember how many times God gave His promises to Abram? I count that starting from Genesis 12 to 17, five times. Today's passage is the fifth time God gave His promise to Abram, not only that, God gave Abram a new name "Abraham". Why did God do that?

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

So far, Genesis has been talking about "Abram." In Genesis 17 the name changes to the familiar form "Abraham." God brings about this change in connection with another reaffirmation of the promise to make Abraham into a numerous people, which God now expresses in a different way by declaring that Abraham will be the "ancestor" of a "horde" of nations. The first part of the name (ab) is the word for an ancestor or a father (in the New Testament, abba is the Aramaic equivalent).

John Goldingay. Genesis for Everyone - Part Two. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, p.1.

Why did Abram need so many times of promises? He is being called the Father of Faith, how can that be? How does today's message reveal your faith?

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: God gives you a new name

What I got from Jesus today is an important reminder that how weak we are. If the Father of Faith needed so many times of promises, confirmation, reconfirmation and then a new name as a new way of reconfirmation, who are we. Do you know in one instance you can be attacked by the Deceiver bringing to you just one discouragement and then your faith would be gone. Would that happen to you? Are you sure you will have faith to overcome all kinds of spiritual attack not losing faith? Are you better than Abraham?

Today I receive a wonderful confirmation from our Lord Jesus Christ of the ministry He gives me. Today's passage God gave a new name to Abram as Abraham. Yesterday I received a new title, changing my title from "missionary bishop" to "Episcopal Vicar for Canada".

The Rt. Rev. Philip Jones, Apostolic Vicar of AMiA with the Rt. Rev. Chuck Murphy(Previous Apostolic Vicar of AMiA) announced yesterday (October 30, 2014) during the closing ceremony of AMiA Annual Clergy Conference of my new appointment as "Episcopal Vicar for Canada". Bishop Philip prayed for me after clergy received communion and before Bishop Sandy gave the blessings.

Is that a coincidence, I don't know. To me, no matter it is a coincidence or not, I am very much encouraged. Abraham's name is to be a father to all nations. That's another coincidence because the title of the sermon I will be preaching tomorrow morning both services is "A Father's Heart" according to 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13.

God gave Abraham a new name so that he could be the father of all nations. God gives me a new title so that I can be a better spiritual father to more people. You won't know how difficult it is to become a good spiritual father. It is really very, very difficult! Jesus died because of that!

May be today God gives you a new name so that you can be a better spiritual father. If you have not started to become a spiritual father for someone, you need to start soon.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to receive the new name you are going to give us so that we can be a good spiritual father raising up more sons and daughters to become your disciples. 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 -