Are you able to detect your sin, then hate your sin?

 

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 36:1-12, Numbers 8:1-9:23; Mark 13:14-37; Proverbs 10:29-30)

    Today's key passage:

    

I have a message from God in my heart

    concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[b]
There is no fear of God
    before their eyes.

2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves
    too much to detect or hate their sin.

Psalm 36:1-2

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 today from Jesus is: Are you able to detect your sin, then hate your sin?

    Today I have been thinking of Psalm 36:2

       In their own eyes they flatter themselves
               too much to detect or hate their sin.

"In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much"!

It means the wicked people always "uplift" themselves, always uplift the "me, me, me" too much! It is a kind of narcissism, and the result is:

1. Unable to detect their sin
    Actually I have been thinking of this word "detect" all day long! I think of the detecting the mine on a mine field, I think of detecting the cancer cell through MRI ....etc. But, usually when we can detect that, most probably it is too late!

Are you able to detect your sin?

    

2. Unable to hate their sin

   The problem of wicked people is that even they are able to detect their sin, know that there is a mine, know that there are cancer cells, but they are not willing to "hate" those things which can take their lives. They are not willing to confess their sin, to repent, to take out that sin, to change their lifestyle, and then sooner of later, they become the wicked people the Bible describes! Sad!

Are you a wicked person according to this definition?

How do you know that you are not a wicked person?
Very simple, just like today's Psalm 36:7-9 that we are in God's protection, His light, His provision and because of that we can enjoy the abundant life that Jesus promised. Also, the passage in the Numbers, Moses and the Israelites were able to receive God's instruction and commands and they just did that!

In Numbers 9:8, Moses did not understand what he should do, then he asked God, he told the Israelites, "Wait a moment, let me ask God first and then I can give you the answer of what you should do!"

Then, God told Moses what he needed to tell the Israelites and then they did that!

It is this kind of close relationship with God that we are not wicked people but righteous people!

Are you a wicked person or a righteous person?

    Dear Lord Jesus, 

   Help us to be willing to allow the Holy Sprit to shine of us each day so that we are able to detect our sins and that we are willing to hate our sins so that we can experience the power of confession, repentance, renewal and that we can be righteous people to be close to you and can execute your commands.  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/5E_g6JC0Pv0

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