We love because he first loved us!

 

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

https://youtu.be/rLWphTKtJzc?si=JbLBXzbleSEo2k_k 

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=2636931336

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 135:8-14, Daniel 11:36-12:13; 1 John 4:1-21; Proverbs 29:2-4)

    Today's key passage:

   

    16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us.  20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

      1 John 4:16-21

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 is:  We love because he first loved us!

    This key verse today from 1 John 4:19 is one of a few golden verses in the Bible, also one of the most favourable verse being chosen in weddings.

    Many people love this verse is that we want to remember that the reason for us to love is because God loved us first. But, we always miss the verse before and after this verse. Losing the three verses as a whole part miss a lot of deeper meaning:

    1. Verse 18: God loved us first so there is no fear in God's love.

    2. Verse 20: If we really live in God's love, then we will try all our best to love God and other people, we won't allow hatred and disunity to happen in our families and churches.

    3. If our lives have lots of fear and the relationship in family and church is full of discord, then we are not in God's love and that it would be difficult for us to love, to give and to experience love!

    May we live in God's love each day that we have no fear and we are able to love, to give and to experience love, God's love!

 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to examine ourselves whether we have hatred and fear. Lead us to know our sins, confess, repent and to return to your love and that we can love. 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