Time with Abba, Singing Praising 親親爸父，唱詩歌頌 : OT DAY 82 - Accept God's Discipline (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Friday, November 28, 2014

OT DAY 82 - Accept God's Discipline (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:

the God who gave me vengeance
    and subdued peoples under me,
48 who delivered me from my enemies;
    yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you rescued me from the man of violence.

49 For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing to your name.
50 Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,

to David and his offspring forever. Psalm 18: 47-50

Today's Reading: Genesis 29:14b-31

** 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 29:14b-31

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 29&version=ESV

Chinese: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=創世記 29&version=CUV

Bible Study

Sometimes we wonder why God choose Jacob and name him Israel. And, Israel is just a great deceiver! He deceived his brother Esau, he deceived his father Isaac. When we come to this passage, I do hope you learn something. How God patiently teaches us and to remove our weaknesses in a very severe way! And, it works!

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

The great deceiver has become the one deceived. The younger cannot have priority over the elder: that was just the principle Jacob had defied, in his deceit of Isaac. Poor Jacob has lived by the principle that "true love waits," and he wants to be able to give expression to all the libido he has been storing up for seven years. But in Laban, Jacob has met his match.

John Goldingay. Genesis for Everyone - Part Two. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, p.92.

What have you got from today's message? How are you being disciplined by God so that you are being transformed into a true disciple of Christ?

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: Accept God's discipline

What Jesus tells me today is so powerful! It is somewhat like opening my diary reading all those important and painful moments of how God disciplined me to make me a true disciple of Christ.

I was with quite a number of my high school classmates(Pui Ching Middle School 培正中學) the past seven days celebrating our forty years of graduation. We were back to our school for basketball match and quite a number of celebration events and then to Taiwan for four days. When I shared with some of them how bad I had been disciplined in my high school years, all of them were amazed that I could survive that kind of pain and torture. Well, it was all caused by my own laziness, nothing more and nothing less. But, God used all those moments to discipline me in a most wonderful way, a painful way just like what Jacob experienced.

Today, Jesus helps me to look back all those painful moments and I understand. I understand! Thank you Lord for all those painful moments!

God removed my weaknesses through those pains and torture. Then God teaches me to listen and obey. And, by more listening, obeying and worshipping, God transforms me to be a new person, a disciple of Christ.

I still have lots of weaknesses inside me and God is still discipling me. From discipline to discipling is a true spiritual journey. It is a painful and long journey. But, it is a glorious journey!

Have you started this glorious journey?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for all those painful discipline that you have on me through the past so many years. Lead me to follow you as my Lord and King that I can have a better chance to be your faithful disciple. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Some pictures of our basketball match:

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 -