God with us distinguish us from other people

    

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.   Sing a song to praise God (you are welcome to use "Father, I adore you" which I have been singing every morning for the past 20 years or your own choice to praise God)

          Father, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

          Jesus, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

          Spirit, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

      

Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/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 and having Jesus as my Lord. 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 sins 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 gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

3.  John Stott's daily prayer of Christlikeness (Christopher J.H. Wright, Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017, 13)

(Please click this link to see how God used John Stott to change my life:https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/

           "Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.

             Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.

             Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

    

    The link to today's Time with Abba passages:   http://api.pastoralcareschool.org/twa/

    Time with Abba passages: (Psalm 24:1-6, Exodus 32:1-33:23; Matthew 26:69-27:14; Proverbs 8:33-36)

    Today's key passage:

     14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

Exodus 33:14-16

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 to Jesus as you listen to him. 

   

     My Listening

    The topic I received from Jesus is: God with us distinguish us from other people

     Moses told God a simple but very powerful saying in today's Exodus 33:15-16:
     14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

     Why I said this is a simple but powerful saying?

     Because even a church has big buildings, lots of money, lots of members, but without "God's presence", may be they would do these two things so that they can have God's presence just as what Aaron and the leaders of the Israelites did:

    1. A huge offering: Those two millions Israelites gave up their gold rings to make an offering to God. They made a physical image for them to worship God. As according to the meaning of that calf is not just what other people worshipped but also they thought God was sitting above that calf for them to worship. They thought that God would accept their big offering!

    2. They kept the feast to worship God and to offer burnt offering and peace offering: It's somewhat like people ignore political crisis during the time of WWI and WWII that lots of people still lived in a luxury life.

    But, what we can see is that they were not worshipping God. Then "they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry." In Hebrew, it means they were drunk and having all kinds of "dirty" party!

     
    I got three "dis-" words from today's passages(NIV)
    1. Distinguish

        What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?    Exodus 33:16

 2. Disown

          Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before  the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”   Matthew 26:75

 3. Disregard

        Listen to my instruction and be wise;

                            do not disregard it.                  Proverbs 8:33

If God is not with us, even we have lots of money to offer and our church building is big and beautiful, everything in the church is gold-plated, miracles and signs won't happen. Life won't change and there is not much difference to distinguish from other people. Church life is social life! People would disown Jesus just as what Peter did. And, Christians would disregard Jesus teaching and the warning of the Holy Spirit!

If God is with us, the opposite of everything above will happen. Even those Israelites did not have a place to settle, but signs and wonders always happened. All people feared God and be willing to listen to God's servants and God's glory will be shone forth!

God with us distinguish us from other people!

Do you agree?

Dear Lord Jesus, 
Help us to be willing to meet you each day and in Your glory so that we can be distinguished from other people. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.  

      Reflect on these questions:

     1. What inspiration have you received from today's catch and what have you heard from Jesus now?

      

      2.  What is your next step to be more closer to Jesus?

    

      Family Corner:

     Find an opportunity to share with your family the importance of today's message. 

     

Please click this link for the video version of this blog: 

    

     To know, learn and practice the method of Time with Abba, please click this link: https://www.pastoralcareschool.org