OT DAY 104 - When Was The Last Time You Heard from Jesus (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Let us praise the Lord:

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me!
2 Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!

3 For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;

                                                            Psalm 31:1-3

Today's Reading: Genesis 46:1-34

** 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 46:1-34

Chinese(CUV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=創 世 記 46&version=CUV
English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 46&version=ESV

Bible Study

      Jacob heard from God personally to give him assurance to go down to Egypt. When was the last time the Bible records Jacob's hearing from God?Wow! Long time ago! I carefully checked and find out the last time Jacob heard from God is in chapter 35, when God changed his name from Jacob to Israel.

      Then, it seems that after Joseph disappeared and everybody was thinking that he was being torn into pieces by some beasts, Israel did not hear from God since that time until today's passage. Why? 

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

    

     When Jacob was on his way out of Canaan on the run from Esau, God appeared to him at Bethel (Genesis 28).  Now he is on his way out in the opposite direction. The country can be described as extending from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, for practical purposes Beersheba marks its southern boundary, since between Beersheba and Egypt there is only desert.  At the beginning of this chapter it is as if Jacob hesitates for a moment at Beersheba.  So there God appears to him again, once more telling him that things will be OK. God will be with him in going and with him in coming back (for his burial in the land of promise). 

John Goldingay. Genesis for Everyone - Part Two. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, p.165.

      Is there a certain kind of points in our lives that we stop being able to listen to God? What could be those times? When are we able to listen to God again? 

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: When was the last time you heard from Jesus

    What Jesus tells me today is a very important question of where is God now. Is God so real that you can be with Him each day and can be able to listen to Him each day? Or, is God far away that you have not heard from Him for a long, long time? If so, what really happen in you life to make that disaster happen?

     For Jacob, it is Joseph's disappearance and mystical death. Jacob shut himself off to have a relationship with God.

     I still remember many years ago I helped a ninety years old priest to recommitted to Jesus again. He told me he lost his faith and his relationship with Jesus for more than fifty years since his son had a motorcycle accident and died on the scene. He told me he was still doing a priestly job for more than thirty years before he retired but he was not even a Christian and he did not think Jesus is real. If Jesus is real, his son won't die like that. I helped him to recommitted his life back to Jesus three time within two year and he died peacefully within a year's time. His story is just like Jacob's story and like the stories of many Christians.

     If that is talking about you then you need to read yesterday's blog of the title "God will turn bad time into good time". If some of your friends have that isolated relationship with Jesus you need to pray for them starting today until they can hear from Jesus again. 

     Don't let any tragedy to pull you away from Jesus. When Jesus allows tragedy to happen in your life, there is a reason, though you might never understand. You don't need to understand, what you need is to receive His presence and love, and trust Him fully. He will surely carry you through all kinds of dark valley. 
   
      Don't leave Jesus! He is your Lord and King! He loves you very much!

Dear Lord Jesus,
Open our ears that we can hear from you and open our souls that we can enjoy your daily presence so that we can go through all kinds of dark valley, even valley of the shadow of death. 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

10,000 Reasons

https://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/bio