Sunday, June 19, 2016

OT DAY 499 - Have You Been Truly Worshipping God? (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

      Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
        I will fear no evil,
          for you are with me;
          your rod and your staff,
          they comfort me.
                                     Psalm 23:4

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 Kings 13:33-14:20)


33 After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places. 34 And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth.
At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people. 3 Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child.”
4 Jeroboam's wife did so. She arose and went to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. 5 And the Lord said toAhijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her.”
When she came, she pretended to be another woman. 6 But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with unbearable news for you. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel 8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, 9 but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back, 10 therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. 11 Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the Lord has spoken it.”’ 12 Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13 And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.14 Moreover, the Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam today. And henceforth, 15 the Lord will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water, and root up Israel out of this good land that he gave to their fathers and scatter thembeyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger. 16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and made Israel to sin.”

17 Then Jeroboam's wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. And as she came to the threshold of the house, the child died. 18 And all Israel buried him and mourned for him,according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the prophet.
19 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 20 And the time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. And he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place.
                                         1 Kings 13:33-14:20

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

          Another terrible happening after the Bible says Jeroboam did not repent or change his way leading the Israelites to worship other gods. What would God do when people cross His bottom line?  

    Let's see how Professor John Goldingay tells us: 
     (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goldingay) : 
           It may seem astonishing that jeroboam should be seen as a worse sinner than anyone before him, but he has institutionalized alien worship in Ephraim, and neither God nor prophet can see him as someone who actually worships Yahweh. People can think they are worshiping God but be offering worship that is so alien to who God is that they aren't worshiping God at all. In addition, he has erected Asherah columns, that is, objects that were used in connection with the worship of the Canaanite goddess of that name. His leadership is ultimately going to mean disaster for his people.  
         
John Goldingay. 1 and 2 Kings for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p.67.

          Can you imagine that? You think that you have been worshipping God for a long time but in fact, in God's eyes you have been worshipping other gods, idols like money, power, sex, superstitious things in your home and office, why of following superstitious way of worldly lifestyle, famous name brands and so many other things that you have been spending lots of your time, money and health on, but you have spent just a little time with God each day. And, you still think that you have been worshipping God! You still think that Jesus is your Lord and King! How so!

           You may be feeling uncomfortable now and decide to stop reading or listening to my blog/podcast today. But, is that how the Holy Spirit is doing now to give you a warning as well as an inspiration? 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Open our eyes to see who and what we have been worshipping, whether we have been worshipping you or other gods. If we have been worshipping other gods, lead us to repent and ask for Jesus' forgiveness and His blood to cleanse us so that we can truly worship you each day as our Saviour, Lord and King. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.


Reflect on these questions:
    1. Have you received any inspiration or warning today? What is your respond the the lead of the Holy Spirit now? 

2. What have you got from today's message? What are the things that your eyes got opened and see differently? 

    3. What have you got from Jesus today?

10,000 Reasons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E
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是時候回頭轉向神了!

   今日博客的錄影: Nicky Gumbel  牧師今日靈修博客: https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?e=590b90010b&u=607cd553028b55c8cfb706e8a&id=94c5e0eae4 Nicky ...