Monday, January 23, 2023

Learn from Joseph's wisdom to watch out your mouth

   


   

Please click this link for the video version:

 


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 http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/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 sin 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 Word, Time with Abba (Psalm 15:1-5, Genesis  46:1-47:31; Matthew  15:1-28; Proverbs 4:14-19)


     TWA Bible link: http://api.pastoralcareschool.org/twa/

    
    Today's main passage:
        17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
     Matthew 15:17-20


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 from Jesus isLearn from Joseph's wisdom to watch out your mouth

Yesterday we learn from Joseph to be a catalyst to revive lives and restore relationships. Today we need to learn from Joseph's wisdom.

    I was struck at how Joseph taught his family members a very important lesson, a life or death lesson. Let's take a look at that from Genesis 46: 31-34

      31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock,and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.

    
    Then when I read today's Matthew 15: 17-20a I understand that today Jesus wants us to watch our mouth!

      17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.20 These are what defile a person;  
    

    Yes, watch your mouth!
     Joseph was the second most important person in Egypt and he did not need to tell his brothers and his father's household that. Why?

    Because he had the filling of the Holy Spirit and there came his wisdom! He knew that his position was not really so secure if his family members did not watch out their mouth to cause Pharaoh any kind of suspicious of his family overpower the Egyptians.

    And, you know what happened four hundred years later that God called Moses to take the Israelites out of Egypt. Because we do not know since when, the Israelites said something and did something wrong and they were being enslaved!

    Yes, watch your mouth and be wise!
    Remember, you need the filling of the Holy Spirit each day so that you can be wise!

   
 
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help me to be able to learn from Joseph's wisdom to watch out my mouth.  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. 
     



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

       

        A 40 days of daily devotion during Lent - Break.Build: 破.立 Break.Build: http://breakbuild.blogspot.com/2015/02/day-1-new-message-go-home-please-click.html


       Welcome to use my first blog: Read one chapter of Bible a day 

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好! 良善的僕人!

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