*If this is your first time to have daily devotion or you have not had daily devotion for a long time, I suggest you to use this link for a 40 days of daily devotion through Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, my Break.Build blog/podcast:
**If you would like to have me to walk with you for three years and three months to read through the whole Bible with one chapter a day, please click my fist blog "Devotion on Fire":
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/day-1-i-am-blind.html
If you would like to purchase my new book "MicroMacro Discipline" please click these links below:
Amazon.com
Click here for paperback
Click here for Kindle
Amazon.ca
Silence
40 Days Break.Build daily devotion:
**If you would like to have me to walk with you for three years and three months to read through the whole Bible with one chapter a day, please click my fist blog "Devotion on Fire":
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/day-1-i-am-blind.html
If you would like to purchase my new book "MicroMacro Discipline" please click these links below:
Amazon.com
Click here for paperback
Click here for Kindle
Barnes and Noble
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
"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."
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.”
“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, Time with Abba (Psalm 107:33-43; Isaiah 66:1-24; Philippians 3:4b-21; Proverbs 24:15-16
Bible link:
English(ESV):https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=列+王+紀+下+13&version=ESV
Bible link:
English(ESV):https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=列+王+紀+下+13&version=ESV
PAUSE HERE!!!
Please read all four passages first before reading my sharing.
To know, learn and practice this method of Time with Abba, please click this link:
Please see below the passages I copied today:
Reflect on these questions:
My Listening
The topic I received from Jesus is: "Heavenward or Moneyward? "
This morning I had a big catch, one word that I have never noticed because most of the time I read the Chinese version of the Bible. The word is "heavenward"!
The Chinese translation is a calling from heaven that Paul will get his prize. But, NIV shows a vivid picture of how Paul as an athlete running "heavenward" to the red line, the goal! So, "heavenward" is your call and challenge today because people on earth are mostly not 'heavenward" but "moneyward" or "someoneward" or "somethingward".
I've got four points for you to think and pray today:
2. What is running your race "heavenward"?
Paul's famous golden verse in today's Philippians 3:7-9a
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him,
3. How do you know you are running your race "heavenward"?
Well, if you are running your race "heavenward" then the result of your race will be somewhat like in today's Isaiah 66:20-21
20 And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels. 21 And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
4. We need to set an example to other people by our own examples
That's how Paul is trying all his best to set himself as an example to everyone and call all Christians to become a good model to run the race "heavenward" as in today's Phillipians 3:13-14, 17-21:
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
May the Holy Spirit fills you and pours down His fresh anointing upon you to run this God given "heavenward" race and be Abel to finish well.
Dear Lord Jesus,
The Chinese translation is a calling from heaven that Paul will get his prize. But, NIV shows a vivid picture of how Paul as an athlete running "heavenward" to the red line, the goal! So, "heavenward" is your call and challenge today because people on earth are mostly not 'heavenward" but "moneyward" or "someoneward" or "somethingward".
I've got four points for you to think and pray today:
1. Why we need to run the race of our lives "heavenward"?
Because God can turn rivers into desert, and desert into pools of water, and even though we are in 'desert" because of oppression, He can lift us up to prosperity. That's from today's Psalm 107: 33, 35, 39-41.
He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,
Because God can turn rivers into desert, and desert into pools of water, and even though we are in 'desert" because of oppression, He can lift us up to prosperity. That's from today's Psalm 107: 33, 35, 39-41.
He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,
He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;
Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
he who pours contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.
But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.2. What is running your race "heavenward"?
Paul's famous golden verse in today's Philippians 3:7-9a
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him,
3. How do you know you are running your race "heavenward"?
Well, if you are running your race "heavenward" then the result of your race will be somewhat like in today's Isaiah 66:20-21
20 And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels. 21 And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
4. We need to set an example to other people by our own examples
That's how Paul is trying all his best to set himself as an example to everyone and call all Christians to become a good model to run the race "heavenward" as in today's Phillipians 3:13-14, 17-21:
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
May the Holy Spirit fills you and pours down His fresh anointing upon you to run this God given "heavenward" race and be Abel to finish well.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to run a true heavenward race for you so that we can become a good example and model to glorify your Mighty Name. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Reflect on these questions:
1. What kind of inspiration have your received concerning with today's message about "heavenward"?
2. What kind of race have you been running recently? Heavenward? Moneyward? Powerward...?
3. What have you received from Jesus today?
2. What kind of race have you been running recently? Heavenward? Moneyward? Powerward...?
3. What have you received from Jesus today?
Praise and Thanksgiving