Wednesday, December 24, 2014

OT DAY 108 - Am I in The Place of God? (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Let us praise the Lord:

You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
                                                            Psalm 32:7
Today's Reading: Genesis 49:29-50:26

** 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:

Bible Study

      Genesis comes to an end today. It comes to an end with two wonderful messages. Two beautiful and powerful examples of finishing well and dying well. And, a key message from Joseph helping us to understand why he has that kind of success and prosperity. 


Let's take a look at what Professor John Goldingay says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goldingay) :
    
     Joseph restates the point he made in chapter 45.  He does not imply God planned for the brothers to do what they did.  Maybe God did, but he does not say that, and it would be an odd thing for God to do.  What the story more likely illustrates is that God can take a negative human intention and turn it into something that can have a positive effect.  When people talk about God's doing that in their lives, they often refer to God's bringing good in a person's life out of a wrong done to one person or out of something regrettable that happens.  Joseph's point is a bolder one.  Through something wrong done to him God did something good for other people.  The supreme example is the story of the wrong done to Jesus.  In Joseph's story and Jesus' story, at least, it is on the large scale, in events that have universal implications, that God coolly takes the most wicked of human acts and turns them into acts that can achieve something. It does not happen all the time, but God can make it happen. 

John Goldingay. Genesis for Everyone - Part Two. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, p.179-180.



      In order for God to turn a wicked act into a blessing, is there anything you have to do so that God can make that blessing happens?     

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: Am I in the place of God?

    What Jesus tells me today is the key to experience God's gracious act turning bad and wicked happenings into blessings. And, the key is in the realization of Joseph's life and what he told his brothers: Am I in the place of God?

     Yes, many powerful tyrannies will surely sit in the place of God judging people and killing people, but not Joseph. Joseph knew it too well that without God he would have died long time ago. He is the true and unique person in world history having the power like God but let God be God. That's the key of his success.

     What does Joseph's saying "Am I in the place of God" reminds you of who you really are and how you are treating your family members and people around you. Are you in the place of God? 

      Genesis begins with "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis ends with "Am I in the place of God?"

      Let God be God, don't try to take God's place to lord people and things. 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us not to take your place to lord other people and things. Lead us to follow and obey you as our Lord and King.  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


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This blog:
Discipler 123 (Daily devotion using N.T. Wright's NT for Everyone as source)


Rev. Nicky Gumbel's daily devotion: Bible in One Year

誰能使我們與基督的愛隔絕呢?

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