From losing direction to finding direction!

  

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

https://youtu.be/9RhbGgFzMXQ?si=14YD2i4tJc2f2IR5

 

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://us17.campaign-archive.com/?e=590b90010b&u=607cd553028b55c8cfb706e8a&id=4ebffc408f

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 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, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 

7 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 is: From losing direction to finding direction!

    The pandemic and all kinds of disaster the past few years have 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. So, from what it says in 1 Peter 2:25, Jesus is the first Episcopos, Bishop, Pope, Overseer and not St. Peter, Peter was the second Episcopos.

    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 then 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 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 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

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 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

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

  Video Recording of Archbishop Melter: MISSION 113 - Bringing (Part 1) 

 https://youtu.be/unqGA_PrNRI

 MISSION 113 - Bringing (Part 2)

https://youtu.be/Nb1xQQqoNQs?si=_VLw_mV0X9NqVmcO

Archbishop Yong's born again testimony

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

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