Thursday, November 24, 2022

From losing direction to finding direction!

 



Please click this link for the video version:  

https://youtu.be/LU2_bsLx06Q

   


Nicky Gumbel's Bible in one year today:

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 129:1-8, Ezekiel 47:1-48:35; 1 Peter 2:11-3:7; Proverbs 28:12-13)

    Today's key passage: 

      24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 
    For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 


Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

1 Peter 2:24-3:2, 7


     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 isFrom losing direction to finding direction!

    This pandemic has caused a crisis of losing direction to many people globally. Many people live in fear each day, fearing of their financial status, their health situation and they cannot have good sleep and have lots of nightmares!

    If you had the experience of unable to find your way out in a place, you should know that kind of horrible feeling! This is what today 1 Peter's passage wants to tell us that human beings is like sheep going astray without a direction and this has been a general phenomenon for centuries! But, today's passage also tells us how we can find our direction.
    1. We can never find our direction, only through Jesus Christ who died for us, saved us and leads us!

    2. We need to know that we are like sheep going astray and need to find our Shepherd and our Overseer. The Greek of Overseer is Episcopos which is apostle or bishop.

    3. We need to return to our Shepherd/Overseer so that He can feed us and that we feel safe and secure. We need to be under the leadership of those overseers and pastors appointed by Jesus to guide us in our home church that we can live out a life of true disciples of Jesus.

    4. If we really return to our Shepherd/Overseer that our character will be changed to become more like Christ that we can be able to lead our spouse to believe Jesus and our marriage will be a good example for many people.

     
     Dear Lord Jesus,
    Help us to truly return to you as our Shepherd and Overseer that our family will be richly blessed and be a good example to many people. 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

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是時候回頭轉向神了!

   今日博客的錄影: Nicky Gumbel  牧師今日靈修博客: https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?e=590b90010b&u=607cd553028b55c8cfb706e8a&id=94c5e0eae4 Nicky ...