David left God, he could do nothing!

     

                 

Please click this link for the video version of this blog:  https://youtu.be/oVaCAeGKMEc 

Bible in one year by Nicky Gumbel:

https://bibleinoneyear.org/en/

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 120:1-7, 2 Samuel 9:1-11:27; John  15:1-27; Proverbs 16:1-3)

    Today's key passage: 

     “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:1-8

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: David left God, he could do nothing!

    Today's John tells us the last seven "I am" of how Jesus declares who he is. And, I think this should be the most important one. Because Jesus says if anyone leaving Him as the true vine, he can do nothing. All those six "I am" won't happen!

    But, if we are in Him, then we will be like branches in the true vine to receive everything a gardener does and we can bear much fruit!

    This is the glory that we can show ourselves to be Jesus disciples!

     But, today's 2 Samual 11 shows us how King David could become a murderer starting from peeping a beautiful lady taking a bath, then wickedly got her and had a baby, then killed her husband! David's sin gives us an example of what Jesus means by "apart from me you can do nothing."

     I sincerely hope and pray that you can be in this true vine daily and be willing to be prune by the Gardener and can bear much fruit, to become a disciple of Christ glorifying His name!

     Dear Lord Jesus,  

     Help us to be in you each day and be willing to be pruned that we can bear much fruit to glorify your name. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.

    

     Reflect on these questions:

     1. Why David made that serious mistake?
     

     

      2.  What is your next step not to make that happen to you?

    

      Family Corner:

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

    

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