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
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 shine on you that you are able to discover your sins and be willing to repent:
“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 93:1-5, Job 20:1-22:30; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11, Proverbs 22:2-4)
Bible link:http://api.pastoralcareschool.org/twa/
Today's main passages:
Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;
the full force of misery will come upon him.
23 When he has filled his belly,
God will vent his burning anger against him
and rain down his blows on him. Job 20:22-23
Then Job replied:
“I know full well what you are thinking,
the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,
the tents where the wicked lived?’
“So how can you console me with your nonsense?
Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!” Job 21:27-28, 34
Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;
the full force of misery will come upon him.
23 When he has filled his belly,
God will vent his burning anger against him
and rain down his blows on him. Job 20:22-23
Then Job replied:
“I know full well what you are thinking,
the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,
the tents where the wicked lived?’
“So how can you console me with your nonsense?
Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!” Job 21:27-28, 34
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God,who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril,and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:3-11
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passages we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him.
My Listening
What? Are you kidding! You say that this is the best opportunity for people of Hong Kong to believe in Jesus? In this most dangerous and critical time of Hong Kong?
Today's passages in Job and 2 Corinthians give us the way of how to grasp this opportunity:
1. Don't be an Accuser
We can see that in the readings of the past several days on Job, his three best friends acted as accusers unintentionally or intentionally! They judged that Job should have done something very wrong to cause God to punish him like that!
Accuser is one of the names of Satan! Satan's job is to turn people to be accusers!
2. To be a Comforter
Today's 2 Corinthians tells us directly that the reason that God allowed those sufferings to happen to His children is for us to experience His comfort so that we can be able to comfort other people. God is the Comforter, and He raises up to be comforters!
When we experience great sufferings as Job had and being comforted by God, then we are being prepared by God to be a comforter to comfort those whom God prepares for us to comfort, to bring them back to God and be saved!
3. God is the Deliverer,we are not
2 Corinthians 1:10 tells us very clearly that God is the Deliverer in the past, the present and the future!
Lots of time we do not understand that we can only be comforters but not deliverer. Just like this sister, if she did not lead Damon to repent and receive Jesus as the Deliverer, Saviour and Lord of life, to begin reading the Bible and to join a church, in a short while the comfort will just fade away!
Reflect on these questions:
1. What kind of inspiration and invitation have you received from today's message ?
2. What is your next step to grasp this golden opportunity to lead people to believe in Jesus and receive His deliverance and salvation?
Family Corner:
Find an opportunity to share with your family the importance of today's message.
Praise and Thanksgiving
Let's give thanks for God with us. Let us praise Him:
10,000 Reasons
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Since January 1, 2016 Richmond Emmanuel Church has non stop Morning Prayer Monday through Friday 6:00am to 7:30am, Saturday 8am to 9:45am, Sunday 7:00am to 8:25am
The offering of our First Fruit every morning have changed lots of things: unity, lifestyle, character …and many more!
Please find wonderful pictures of our TWA at Richmond Emmanuel Church:
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