You made my royal mountain stand firm!

      

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 30:6-12, Leviticus 13:1-59; Mark  6:1-29; Proverbs 10:10)

    Today's key passage:

     When I felt secure, I said,

    “I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you favored me,
    you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
    I was dismayed.

8 To you, Lord, I called;
    to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 “What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
    Lord, be my help.”

11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Psalm 30:6-12

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: You made my royal mountain stand firm! 

     Today's four passages give us a lot of challenges, Psalm teaches us we need to praise non-stop to the one who makes our royal mountain stand firm, who turns our wailing into dancing, Leviticus teaches us the absolute power of a priest to decide what is clean and unclean, Proverbs gives us warning that the wicked will come to ruin.

     But, Mark seems telling us the reverse situation, the anointed and powerful John the Baptist was being beheaded, his royal mountain did not stand firm, his wailing did not turn into dancing, his God given authority was gone and the wicked prevailed!

     Do you think when John the Baptist was being led by the executioner he would cry out: O God, save me!

     Or, he would joyfully say: Praise the Lord! Mission accomplished!

     Well, the Bible does not mention about the attitude of John the Baptist at that very critical moment. But, I think that the prayer Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane should be the same as John the Baptist prayed at that time: My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

    The promise of God today is that He will give our royal mountain stand firm, wailing turns to become dancing!

    But if our royal mountain does not stand firm, our wailing does not turn into dancing, our God given authority vanish and the wicked prevail, would you pray like Jesus did?

     When this examination paper comes, do you think you can pass this examination paper?

    Dear Lord Jesus, 

   Help us to be able to feel your presence and to obey your command even our wailing does not turn into dancing, our God given authority vanish and the wicked prevailed.  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: 

 https://youtu.be/dnUO8TEZIN0

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