Well done, my good and faithful servant!

 

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 56:1-8, Joshua 16:1-18:28; Luke 19:1-27; Proverbs 13:11)

    Today's key passage: 

    

     12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’

17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’

18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

Luke 19:12-19

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:  Well done, my good and faithful servant!

    According to some statistics, the first word that most Christians would like to hear from Jesus when they die is what Jesus says in today's passage:
       "Well done, my good servant!"

     But, quite a number of Christians felt sorry during their last stage in life that they did not put the money God gave to work more for God!

     Before the crisis of COVID-19, I thought this passage is to warn us not to go to see the Lord empty handed but to lead more people to be saved by Jesus!

     But, this pandemic gives me a new insight, because I see how Satan make use of COVID-19 to destroy the economic system of this world. Many churches and Christian organizations and other charitable organizations lost a lot of their usual donations. Many of those can hold up not for long and have to close down their ministry.

     To be Jesus' good and faithful servant, now is the time to test whether you can take part to help our church to survive. To make this crisis into opportunity and to witness money is not your lord but Jesus is our Lord!

      When that day comes, Jesus will welcome you into heaven with a smiling face, saying, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!"

    

     Dear Lord Jesus,  

     Help us to be willing to take part to help our church to turn this deadly crisis into opportunities, so as to witness that money is not our lord but Jesus, you are our Lord. 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/G97CzOhbUp8

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