Friday, January 27, 2023

So close that you can see yourself in the eye of God!

 


   

Please click this link for the video version:

https://youtu.be/iCHdaDd90Jw


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 17:6-9, Exodus 4:1-5:21; Matthew 18:1-22; Proverbs 5:15-21)


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

    
    Today's main passages:
    Keep me as the apple of your eye;
    hide me in the shadow of your wings
              Psalm 17:8

    At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
    Matthew 18:1-5


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 from Jesus is: So close that you can see yourself in the eye of God!

     The topic I received  from Jesus yesterday was" God with you, nothing is impossible for you!" And, the conclusion of yesterday's message was:
     Oh, man of little faith,
     Do you understand,
     God with you, nothing is impossible for you! 

     Now, what I received today from Exodus is that the distance and relationship of Moses and Aaron with God is very close, so that they had that kind of big faith to tell the Israelites those impossible things. Because they had the promise and signs God gave them (Exodus 3:12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.

Yes, what God sent Moses and Aaron to do are the things no human can do. We have the answer of why they could do that in today's Psalm and Matthew:
1. You need to have a distance with God so close that you can see yourself in God's eye
    Psalm 17:8
    Keep me as the apple of your eye;
                  hide me in the shadow of your wings

2. This is a distance and relationship of children with their parents
    Matthew 18:1-4
    At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The reason for Moses and Aaron to have this close distance with God is because they had a first-hand experience with God. They are just like what Jesus says "whoever takes the lowly position of this child". But, when those Israelites faced "trouble" and they were just like the opposite of what Jesus says "whoever welcome one such child in my name welcomes me"!

May be they are just like us, when we face with some kind of new challenges, ministries opportunities and we do not have faith we might say, "Is this a joke? Impossible! I'll never believe you! Go away!"

Lots of time, when we do not have that "Very close that you can see yourself in the eye of God!" relationship, we miss so many opportunities to experience God's signs and wonders! And, we might wrong against God's servants just as those Israelites overseers did to Moses and Aaron!
   
 
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help me not to be little faith and that I can follow you each day to have a very close relationship with you so that I can experience in you everything is possible. 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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