Diamond opportunity! Sow with tears will reap with songs of joy!

  

  

Anglican Mission in Canada and Richmond Emmanuel Church have launched MISSION 113 Campaign starting January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026. We have received the baton from Archbishop Yong to continuous the call His Grace received in 1993 to bring more souls to God's eternal Kingdom! Please watch the two videos below to know from Archbishop Yong how Jesus used him to bring MISSION 113 to the Anglican Diocese of Sabah and beyond:

Archbishop Yong’s MISSION 113 videos, October 16, 2022:

https://youtu.be/Mp0-JPx4Vac

https://youtu.be/MyO6hMcOMOI

Please click this link for the videos of May 7 and 14 Workshop by Bishop Page:

     May 7: https://youtu.be/RgVc5KnPpe0?si=6Ot2WoGqqmsR2e0z

        May 14: https://youtu.be/v1BmK2yiveQ?si=uHJObsDdIdTNhr5N

Please click this link for the video version of today's blog :

https://youtu.be/zhobd-b5Qnw?si=0u6ly8kZ0BY-Jn4c

Please click this link for today's Time with Abba one year Bible four passages:

http://twa.pastoralcareschool.org/

Nicky Gumbel's Bible in one year today:

https://evoturi-zcmp.campaign-view.eu/ua/viewinbrowser?od=3zd157131b6d471dd26510cd1848ef8722&rd=119344be6073090d&sd=119344be6072b406&n=124296e01b7396&mrd=119344be6072b3f2&m=1

Bible in one year by Nicky Gumbel:

https://bibleinoneyear.org/en/

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 Word, Time with Abba (Psalm 126:4-6, 2 Samuel 22:21-23:23; Acts 2:1-47; Proverbs 16:19-20)

    Today's key passage: 

   Restore our fortunes, Lord,

    like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow with tears
    will reap with songs of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.

Psalm 126:4-6

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 is: Diamond opportunity! Sow with tears will reap with songs of joy! 

Yesterday's topic was "Diamond opportunity ! Captives return HOME, the Lord has done great things for us! " and today is the second part. The great things the Lord has done for us is because of our obedience to grasp this diamond opportunity to bring people to Christ. Even though we sow with tears with all kinds of hardship we have been experiencing, we will surely reap with songs of joy, harvest! Yes, this is God's promise!

"Sow with tears, reap for joy" means a lot to me! Because Archbishop Yong gave each Anglican Mission bishop a white stole with the Chinese words of "Sow with tears, harvest for joy" during our consecration. For the past fourteen years of being a bishop, every time when I wear this white stole I think of the prophecy Archbishop Yong gave through this stole:

What we need to do is to sow with tears and we will surely harvest with songs of joy and to experience the joy of harvest!

When I had my diamond opportunity to witness my elder son, Ignatius being ordained as a deacon by the Primate and Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Congo, Archbishop Masimango on February 4, 2016 and then ordained as a priest by the retired Primate and Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Rwanda, Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini on September 26, 2016. 

Both Archbishop Yong and me wearing that "Sow with tears, harvest for joy" stole, that is surely a time of harvest!

It is so sad that my spiritual father, Archbishop Yong passed away December 2022. His prophetic vision of "Sow with tears, harvest for joy" to the Anglican Mission is what we have been experiencing all through the past 24 years! Thank you, Your Grace! We love you!

 Three days ago, Julia, wife of late Archbishop Yong invited our 14 leaders Sabah Mission Team to her home for dinner. The place Julia invited me to sit was the place Archbishop Yong sat the last time I was with him after dinner. I had a very sad and yet thankful heart when I sat there having a wonderful sharing time with our team, Julia and her guests. Yes, because of Archbishop Yong's faithfulness, he raised up generation and generation of faithful leaders who love Jesus! Thanks you, Your Grace! 

 

     Dear Lord Jesus,  

     Help us to be willing to sow with tears trusting that we will receive your promise of harvesting with songs of joy. 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, to be holy - that is 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/

        My first blog started in July 2009, one chapter a day to read through

     the whole Bible link:

https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/day-1-i-am-blind.html

        Anglican Mission Global Society:

Archbishop Melter’s 1st Connecting Workshop video, September 5, 2023: https://youtu.be/0lL8xNrgJb8

Archbishop Melter’s 2nd Connecting Workshop video, September 12 2023:  https://youtu.be/SM39qX0Q5XM

Please click this link to go to my "Break.Build" 40 days of Lenten daily devotion:

http://breakbuild.blogspot.com/2024/03/silence-1_29.html

Please click this link for the video recording of the 1st Connecting Workshop of MISSION 113 on Knowing, February 27, 2024. We had bishops, pastors and leaders from Africa, India, Sabah, Thailand, USA and  Canada. Thanks to Canon Philip Tse giving us a wonderful, warm and useful talk and Bishop Page Brooks as facilitator.

https://youtu.be/eepDh1Lqqxw?si=CB5KzyWKBL0SQvW1

Please click this link for the video recording of the 2nd Connecting Workshop of MISSION 113 on Knowing. We had Archbishop Melter from Sabah, Bishop Sospeter from Tanzania, Bishop William from Congo, Bishop Ivan from India, Bishop Page from USA, pastors and leaders from Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Thailand, USA and  Canada. Thanks to Canon Philip Tse giving us another wonderful, warm and useful talk and Bishop Page Brooks as facilitator.

https://youtu.be/GFyFWiZEY0U?si=K-ONwQ79jmdcgs81

Archbishop Yong’s MISSION 113 videos, October 16, 2022:

https://youtu.be/Mp0-JPx4Vac

https://youtu.be/MyO6hMcOMOI

Archbishop Yong's born again testimony

1st part: https://youtu.be/eogu1rMpvTQ

2nd part: https://youtu.be/BhyUU1ov1RM