Saturday, January 31, 2015

OT DAY 146 - (please click the link for English podcast)

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OT DAY 146 - Your Sins Will Last to The Third And Fourth Generations (請按此處收聼廣東話 )

Let us praise the Lord:

So I will bless you as long as I live;
    in your name I will lift up my hands.
                                             Psalm 63:4
Today's Reading: Exodus 20:4-6

** 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:

Bible Study

      The Second Commandment shows us two critical things. The first one is that it is so easy to worship idols. The second one is the serious consequence of the sin of worshiping idols that will last to the third and fourth generations, which means your great-grandson. Is that so serious? 
Let's take a look at what Professor John Goldingay says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goldingay) :
    
       They are not to make statues to help them worship.  This is another countercultural requirement; people like something visible to help them worship.  The trouble is that a statue can never truly represent the active and talking nature of the real God.  In effect, worshiping with the help of a statue means worshiping a different god.  It thus makes the real God passionately angry.  God rescued them from the service of Pharaoh so they could serve God; they have no business bowing down to other gods as if they were free to serve them.  The consequences within the family will be horrific   They will affect not just the parents but the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. 

John Goldingay. Exodus & Leviticus for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, p.80.



       Is it easy to identify the idols Christians are worshiping? Do you think you are worshiping some idols? Do you know how serious it can be? 

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 Felix Mendelssohn's On Wings of Song played by one of the greatest violinist Isaac Stern:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yj3RSxZmBQ

Spiritual Journal

    The title I heard from Jesus today is: Your sins will last to the third and fourth generations

    What I receive from Jesus today is a big warning. Our sins do not just affect us personally but to the third and fourth generations. 

     I always tell people about this, "If you are worshiping money, fame, lust or other things as your idols, your father should be like that, your grandfather should be like that and your great-grandfather should be like that."

     I once challenged one of my parishioners who owned a restaurant more than ten years ago. I said, "Why your restaurant have three "money come-in cats". Do you know as Christians we can't worship idols and that are clearly idols." She told me she had a partner who wanted to put those cats there. She will pray about that for God to open a new door to her. Her prayer is being answered by God. Her husband becomes a Christian in a short while and they opened a restaurant without any idol many years ago till now. They have led at least twelve staff from that restaurant to receive Jesus including the main chef. It all starts because she believes in this Second Commandment and her willingness to have her commitment to that. 
    
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to know that we can not worship any form of idols because our sins will last to the third and fourth generations. 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 -
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): 

Daily Devotion on Fire (3 years and 3 months plan, one chapter a day to finish reading the whole Bible): 

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): 

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
on

Friday, January 30, 2015

OT DAY 145 - (please click the link for English podcast)

on

OT DAY 145 - If You Want to Be in Relationship with Me, Show Me Your Commitment (請按此處收聼廣東話 )

Let us praise the Lord:

Because your steadfast love is better than life,
    my lips will praise you.
                                             Psalm 63:3
Today's Reading: Exodus 20:1-3

** 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

      The Israelites had not been in relationship with God for more than 400 years and they lived everyday as slaves under the rule of Egypt. Exodus 19 is the turning point that after how God led them to have the miraculous Exodus experience.  God declared to them, "You have seen and experienced my love and power. If you want to have relationship with me now, show me your commitment." Here comes the famous Ten Commandments as commitment of those people belonging to God.
Let's take a look at what Professor John Goldingay says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goldingay) :
    
       The Ten Commandments begin from the point God made at the beginning of Exodus 19.  God brought Israel out of their serfdom in Egypt.  That gave God the right to lay down expectations of Israel if they want to be in relationship with God.  It is to be an exclusive relationship.  The first command is not concerned to deny the existence of other gods but to deny Israel the right to treat them as gods.  There are at least two contexts in which they will be tempted to do that.  They will live cheek by jowl with local peoples in Canaan who seek the help of other gods to make their crops grow and their animals and families fertile, and to enable them to stay in contact with their family members after they die in order to get their wisdom and help.  The heads of Israelite families are to rely on God for all these needs.    

John Goldingay. Exodus & Leviticus for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, p.80.



       In another word, it is to cut all kinds of possible relationship with those local gods, no contact, no commitment and no everything from then on. And then, be willing to have a total commitment with God from then on. Are they willing? Are you willing? 


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 Felix Mendelssohn's On Wings of Song played by one of the greatest violinist Isaac Stern:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yj3RSxZmBQ

Spiritual Journal

    The title I heard from Jesus today is: If you want to be in relationship with me, show me your commitment 

    What I receive from Jesus today is something nobody want to hear and that is one word: commitment.

     People nowadays do not want to have any commitment in any kind of relationships. Many young people want to be in relationship with someone, but no commitment, no marriage. Many people want to be a member in a church, but no commitment, no daily devotion, no tithing, no service. Don't bother me and I'm OK!

      I pray that you can have that kind of Exodus experience so that you come to a point as in today's passage, the point of God giving you to see what is true relationship. True relationship needs true commitment!

      The first Commandment is to challenge us whether we truly have God as God, denying other gods. Who are those other gods? Anything or any one giving command to you more important than God, overriding God's commandment.

      We are now living in a similar society as those Israelites lived who were surrounded by people worshiping so many gods. We have Christians still going to see fortune tellers, doing some kind of weird actions like worshiping something hoping to have luck or even to receive some blessing or wisdom from their loved one who already die. We call that superstition. God calls it worshiping other gods. Is that clear? 

      You need to believe and experience God is the only God and Provider! 

      If you really want God to be your only God and Provider, you need to be in a true relationship with Him and you need to show Him your commitment. Without commitment, no relationship. 
    
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to know that without commitment, we cannot have a true relationship with God. 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 -
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): 

Daily Devotion on Fire (3 years and 3 months plan, one chapter a day to finish reading the whole Bible): 

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): 

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
on
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