The good gives a gentle answer, the wicked gives a harsh word, now is the time for you to take this Exam.!

   

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 68:19-27, 1 Samuel 10:1-11:15;John 6:43-71; Proverbs 15:1-3)

    Today's key passages: 

    

         A gentle answer turns away wrath,

    but a harsh word stirs up anger.

2 The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,
    but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

3 The eyes of the Lord are everywhere,
    keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

Proverbs 15:1-3

6 The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

8 “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”

9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.

1 Samuel 10:6-9

70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

John 6:70-71

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passages we have just read. Offer this time to Jesus as you listen to Him. 

   

     My Listening

    The topic I received today from Jesus is: The good gives a gentle answer, the wicked gives a harsh word, now is the time for you to take this Exam.!

    This is the time for all people on earth to take an Exam. of whether we can give a gentle answer or a harsh word to people in the midst of the pandemic of our trapped situation and unknown future.

    The most important thing we need to know is that from today's Proverbs that to give a gentle answer is the good and a harsh word is the wicked!

    The good does not only mean "good person". As Proverbs 15:3 says, 

"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good."

So "the good" are those people close to God's heart and have the presence of God because God is good and Satan is bad. So simple!

Today's 1 Samuel tells us of how Saul was being moved by the Holy Spirit and God gave him a new spirit and he became a different person, and soon he even became the first King of Israel!

The horrible thing is that in today's John, Jesus tells us that Judah was good that He chose him to be one of His twelve disciples but then Judah became a devil! And, similar situation in King Saul that he also became a devil with harsh word and evil action to David and others!

Now is the time for you to take this Exam.! If you really have Jesus as Lord and King each day then you will be gentle and humble as Jesus was. Once you leave Jesus to be the lord and king, then may be you would have harsh words to your loved ones!

     Dear Lord Jesus,  

     Help us to understand that this is the time for us to take this Examination. Help us to have more time to read the Bible and to pour out our souls to you. We need you to be our Lord and King so that we can be humble as gentle as you are to pass this Exam. 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