Time with Abba, Singing Praising 親親爸父，唱詩歌頌 : OT DAY 81 - Don't Use "if" to Me (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Thursday, November 27, 2014

OT DAY 81 - Don't Use "if" to Me (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Starting last week we add one important thing to our daily devotion. We start our devotion with one to two verses from the Psalms to praise God. We always have so limited vocabulary when we want to praise God. Let's learn from the Psalms so that we can be able to praise God in a better way:

You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand supported me,
    and your gentleness made me great.
36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,   and my feet did not slip.   Psalm 18: 35-36

Today's Reading: Genesis 28:16-29:14a

** 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 28:16-29:14a

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 28&version=ESV

Chinese: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=創世記 28&version=CUV

Bible Study

This is a strange passage with a lot of "if" clauses from Jacob to God. Have you ever done that? What kind of relationship is that if we use the "if" clause to pray to God?

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

It is Jocob's subsequent reflections that raise the question about how he understood his relationship with God. First, there is the series of "if" clauses. There are no "if" clauses in God's words to Jacob…While God can go in for "if" clauses, God is not usually so lucky as to have people fulfill them. God's words to Cain in Genesis 4:7 are the nearest God comes to one in Genesis. If God waited for there to be people who would fulfill "if" clauses before working through them, God would wait forever. In contrast, Jacob turns God's simple promises into a whole sequence of "if" clauses, then adds, "Okay, if Yahweh will do all that, Yahweh can be my God." The irony is underlined by the undertaking that follows: "You give me all that, and I'll give a tenth back to you." That's fair, isn't it?...

John Goldingay. Genesis for Everyone - Part Two. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, p.90-91.

What really is your relationship with God? Do you know that His promise to you never fail? Why are you still in doubts and fear? Why?

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: Don't use "if" to me

What Jesus tells me today is wonderful. Because when I typed "Don't use 'if' to God", Jesus told me to change it to "Don't use 'if' to me". Wow! This is personal! This is relationship!

You need to know that Jesus wants to have that kind of relationship with you, without any "if" clauses. In a true loving relationship, there is no "if".

What is Jesus telling you now? Listen! Pray!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to have totally faith in you that we won't use "if" again to you. 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 -