Wednesday, June 21, 2023

As close as to your mentor as possible!

     

   

Please click this link for the video version:

https://youtu.be/-ugoMuKwBJM


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) 

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 Word, Time with Abba ( Psalm 136:10-22, 2 Kings 1:1-2:25; Acts 13:42-14:7; Proverbs 17:19-21)

    Today's key passage: 

    Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.
And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”
Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”
And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.
Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.
15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 
2 Kings 2:4-15


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 isAs close as to your mentor as possible!

    Today's 2 Kings passage helps us to understand how important it is of the relationship with a mentor and his disciple. And, the immense blessing of having an anointed mentor!

    As Elisha asked his mentor Elijah:

    “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

    It was Father's Day three days ago, I give thanks to the Lord for giving me very good spiritual fathers: Archdeacon K. W. Tsang, Bishop Thomas Soo, Rev. Dr. Joseph Ignatius Hunt, Rev. Dr. John Stott, Dr. Philemon Choi, Dr. S. K. Lee, Archbishop Ping Chung Yong, Professor Rev. Dr. Eddie Gibbs, Professor Rev. Dr. Gil Stieglitz, Professor Rev. Dr. Terry Walling. 

     Without the close relationship with them many years ago to learn what "Christlikeness" is, I would be another person! Praise the Lord!

     I hope that you can give thanks to the Lord for your spiritual fathers today. If possible, send them a message to express your gratitude to them. And, I hope and pray that you can be a Elisha as a good mentor and spiritual father to nurture more Christlike disciples for Jesus!


     Dear Lord Jesus,  
     Thank you for giving us good mentors and spiritual fathers. Help us to be close to them to learn from them to be a good mentor and spiritual father. 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 and to do what Jesus wants you to do and not to do what Jesus wants you not to do?
    
      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:http://twa.pastoralcareschool.org/

    

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  今日博客的錄影: https://youtu.be/U2jVoKcsCYA?si=IxUmVR0zbUGfOMVw Nicky Gumbel  牧師今日靈修博客: https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?e=590b90010b&u=60...