Friday, January 8, 2016

OT DAY 417 - How Many Time Has God Called You? Have You Replied Yet? (Please click here for English podcast)

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

    My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
    and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
                    Psalm 145:21

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 (1 Samuel 3:1-10)

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Samuel 3&version=ESV

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy.9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak,Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”        
                                 1   Samuel 3: 1-10


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"

My Listening

        Do you know how to listen to God? Is it difficult to listen to God's voice? If you have not yet heard God's voice, do you know how many times God called you already? 

Let's see how Professor John Goldingay tells us: 
    
      God had not yet spoken a prophetic word to Samuel, and thus Samuel did not "recognize" Yahweh. Admittedly that is rather a chilling phrase, given the way it has been used of Eli's sons in 2:12, but Samuel has been growing up in God's presence (2:21), which implies that he has been growing up with a knowledge of God and in commitment to God, but God has not yet spoken to him in the audible way that now happens. 
          
John Goldingay. 1 and 2 Samuel for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p.32.

       
          
       Lots of people told me they have not yet heard God's voice. Lots of people told me how wonderful God told them this and that and they responded with faith. Which group you belong to?

      A month ago I was going to plan to teach another course on Prayer at our church, REC.Because this year's theme is on Prayer. You know what, a week ago God told me this, "You do not need to have a Prayer course because you are teaching one since January 1, 2016 and this course last for 366 days." Wow! I was shock and with tears! Yes, God is using me to teach a Prayer course daily for 366 days. May be one of the longest courses! Each morning people come to REC at 6:30a.m. to copy the Bible using Time with Abba method and which is a nearly 1,700 years old method "Lectio Divina". And at 7a.m. we are having a Prayer Meeting also using Lectio Divina to teach people to pray and be able to listen to God's voice. All of those who attend our morning copying the Bible and our prayer meeting know how to listen to God's voice and be able to respond and act accordingly.

       It is not too hard to listen to God's voice actually. The hard thing is do you believe God always want to speak to you and are you willing to try your best to learn under God's servants who can be able to listen to God's voice!

       Come any time this year to Richmond Emmanuel Church, Monday to Friday 6:30a.m., Saturday 8a.m. and Sunday 8a.m. Let me teach you to be able to listen to God's voice. And, actually, this blog/podcast is also tailor-made to teach you and be with you each day to listen to God's Word and God's voice. 

Dear Lord Jesus, 
    Help us to understand that to listen to your voice is not difficult but we have to be willing to learn under your servants who are able to listen to your voice. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Reflect on these questions:
1. Do you think we can listen to God's voice in this age? Do you know how to listen to God's voice?

2. What was the last time you heard God's voice? How did you respond to His voice? How can you improve your ability to listen to God's voice?

3. What have you got from Jesus today?


Today's Time with Abba daily reading:


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







Today's photo of our daily 6:30a.m. to 7a.m. Copying Bible session




Today's photos of our daily 7a.m. to 7:30a.m. Prayer Meeting




Praise and Thanksgiving

Let's give thanks for God with us. Let us praise Him:
10,000 Reasons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

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:

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



You may choose to follow my other daily blog:
Daily Devotion on Fire: http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/
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不要被困難及災難拆散夫婦的關係!

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