Don't be afraid! We are God's children!

 

Please click this link for the video version:   https://youtu.be/y7Q7PO4kLSA   

Bible in one year by Nicky Gumbel:

https://bibleinoneyear.org/en/

Nicky Gumbel's Bible in one year today:

https://preview.mailerlite.com/y0n4n2y1b5/2000503427976666037/t1y3/

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 78:1-16,2 Chronicles 7:11-10:19; Romans 8:9-21; Proverbs 19:26)

    Today's key passage: 

     

 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[a] because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[b] his Spirit who lives in you.

 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba,[d] Father.”  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 

Romans 8:9-16

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 is: Don't be afraid! We are God's children!

    There are numerous negative news and changes in the midst of this pandemic causing people to live in fear everyday. Paul gives us assurance today that we won't live in fear anymore:
    1. The Holy Spirit lives in us and we belong to Him. We are true Christians and not religious people.

    2. The Holy Spirit leads us to put to death our misdeeds, our old-self that we can experience dying with Christ and rising with Christ and that we live in eternal life.

    3. The Holy Spirit leads us that we can be close to Abba Father each day to experience God with us and won't live in fear anymore.

     The word "Holy Spirit" appears in the eight verses of Romans 8:9-16. Paul wants to tell us that if we have the Holy Spirit living with us each day, that we are being filled with the Holy Spirit each day and be willing to be under His lordship, all those assurance will happen and we won't have fear anymore!

     Are you willing to invite the Holy Spirit to live in you and lead you each day?
   

     Dear Holy Spirit,  

     Come and live in us each day that we can enter into the loving arms of our Abba Father experiencing God's presence. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.

      

     Reflect on these questions:

     1. What inspiration have you received from today's catch?

      

      2.  What is your next step?

      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