Time with Abba, Singing Praising 親親爸父，唱詩歌頌 : OT DAY 329 - This Is How to Receive God's Game Plan (Please click here for English podcast)

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

OT DAY 329 - This Is How to Receive God's Game Plan (Please click here for English podcast)

Please click the link below to my new 40 days Break.Build site any time you like to having a 40 days "Break.Build" daily devotion with one to two people as a discipler to help those Jesus prepares for you to disciple. You need to know that the call and purpose of my Break.Build and this Discipler123 blog/podcast is for you to become a discipler to help more people to have a daily intimate relationship with Jesus and then they can become disciplers too:
http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/

Please click these links to the app. Andy Ng wrote if you have an Android cel.:

Discipler123: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ideal.rec.app

Break.Build: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ideal.bb.app

Silence

1. Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

2. Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. Exhale your worries.

Praise and Thanksgiving

1. Think through your day, all the times that made you smile

2. Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people

3. Open your heart to praise the Lord

15 Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!

Psalm 113:1

Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html)

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in you:

“Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2. Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

"Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sin to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gift to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

The Word (Joshua 8:22-35)

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua 8&version=ESV

30 At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings.32 And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 33 And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

Joshua 8:30-35

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture 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

My Listening
Today's passage consists of two parts. The first part is the fruit, blessing and result of willing to listen and obey to God's game plan that the Israelites won the war. The second part is the respond to God's protection and guidance that the Israelites offered their worship and thanksgiving to God, and according to what Moses commanded.

The first part we know what happened. Sometimes when God acted and poured down His judgement as in that situation it is horrifying! This is not the way God usually wants the Israelites to do with other nations.

We focus on the second part today so that we know how to receive God's game plan in a better way.

Let's see how Professor John Goldingay tells us:
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goldingay) :

The ceremony also places a challenge before them. They have been given the country in fulfillment of God's word to them; they have to be committed to living by God's word to them. Making a copy of Moses' teaching symbolizes their commitment to doing so. Because the covenant chest contains the stone tablets inscribed with the basic covenant requirements, to stand on either side of the covenant chest for the reading of the covenant blessings and curses adds to the symbolizing of this commitment.

John Goldingay. Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p.42.

Jesus reminds me today of one situation. How did the general in command receive the order from his king? Very simple.
1. He kneel down to show his loyalty to the king and receive the order.
2. He delivers that order to all his captains and all soldiers.

That's all!

And, here we can find these two things in today's passage:
1. Worship God
Joshua made an altar to worship God and offered sacrifices according to what God commanded through Moses.

2. Read out God's order and follow that order
Joshua ordered all the people according to what God commanded through Moses in Deuteronomy 27 to read God's blessings and curses. Half of the people read blessings facing Mount Gerizim, half of the people read curses facing Mount Ebal.

Wow! We can see how the Israelites experienced the blessings of listening to God's game plans to win the war in Jericho and Ai. Then the losing of battle in Ai as just one man's sin, Achan's greed and rebellious causing curses. They knew it, God is not bluffing!

This is the way to receive God's game plan:
1. Your longing to worship God and your willingness to make as much offering as you can proves whether God is really your Lord and King.

2. Your longing to read out loud God's word, copy the Bible (v. 32) and to believe that blessings and curses really happen. Listen and obey, blessings. Do not listen and obey, curses.

Nowadays, eople spend all kinds of money and energy to get the perfect game plan to get a good living. What they do not know is that life is so simple:

Worship God.
Read out His order, copy His order and follow His order.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to be willing to worship you with our body, mind and soul. Lead us to read out your Word, copy your Word and to follow your Word. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Reflect on these questions:
1. How well are you worshiping God with your body, mind and soul?

2. How much do you offer to God, your tithing and more? How much do you spend for your own enjoyment?

3. What have you got from Jesus today?

Today's Time with Abba daily reading that I recited loudly and copy the Bible is:

Psalm 106:6-12

Isaiah 41:17 - 43:13

Ephesians 2:1-22

Proverbs 23:29-35

Photos of my copying the Bible today using Time with Abba passages

Today's Golden Verse