DAY 652 - Strangers Becoming Family in Jesus (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Want to know why I have been writing and recording my blogs and podcast daily since August 10, 2009? Click these three links:

Confirmation from John Stott in 2009: 
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
My MicroMacro Discipleship, A missing DNA in Discipleship Development: http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/introduction-micromacro-discipleship.html
Subject Shifting Devotion Method(Inspired by John Stott in 1991: http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

                               Today's Reading: Ephesians 2:17-22

** If you would like to learn a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please read my “Count Down 5” from my Devotion on Fire blog:

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

To use this simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link:

 .Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf

Please click this link to read Ephesians 2:17-22

English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians 2&version=NIV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=以 弗 所 書 2&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Paul concludes this chapter telling us that Gentiles Christians were once 'foreigners' and 'strangers'  in relation to Israel, the family of God. Now they are full members, simply because of Jesus. All the Christians, no matter Jews or Gentiles, are living in a new temple. 

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      What it means is that for Christians a church building is not a 'Temple' in the strict sense.  It is the people themselves who are the 'place' where God is now deciding to live…
      The living God was now seeking to make his home in the hearts and lives, and particularly the communities, that had declared their loyalty to Jesus, and were determined to live by the gospel.
      In particular, this meant that the new 'Temple' had to be constructed out of two sorts of material,  that would fuse together into a single building.  The foundation of the building consisted of the apostles and prophets: in other words, the people (such as Paul himself) through whom God had announced, and was announcing, the worldwide message of peace through King Jesus.  Jesus himself was the 'stone' reserved for the place of highest honour, the one which held the rest of the building together. 
      

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Te Prison Letters. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.30.

     If Gentiles Christians can be accepted from totally strangers to family members of Jesus, how can groups of difference views on theology and ways of doing things beome one family in Jesus in your church? Peace, no devision, no war! 

     

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 up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

Spiritual Journal

    The title I heard from Jesus today is: Strangers becoming family in Jesus

    What I got from Jesus today is a reminder and call to us to accept those strangers to become family members in Jesus. Actually "strangers becoming family in Jesus" is the vision of our English ministry at Richmond Emmanuel Church.

     Rev. Josh Siu, our English Ministry in-charge and Ignatius Ng, our English Ministry intern led eight young leaders to pray for half a year last January to receive this vision. They started to use this new vision last August till now and they successfully grow our English ministry into a lively and vibrant mission focused on Jesus as King. 

      Strangers becoming family in Jesus. Is this really possible? Is this really so difficult? 
    
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to try our best to accept strangers into your family because of you. You are our King and Lord.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us -

從心合一

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJWZQyLzDRQ

Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czxd5oa-gi0

You may choose to follow my other daily blog: 

Daily Devotion on Fire 2(2 years plan -One year New Testament, one year Old Testament): 

http://bishopsilas2.blogspot.ca/

Daily Devotion on Fire (3 years and 3 months plan, one chapter a day to finish reading the whole Bible): 

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/

Break.Build (40 days daily devotion- For Renewal or First Step for new Christians): http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/

Emmanuel330 (40 weeks First Step Bible Study): 

http://emmanuel330.blogspot.ca/

This blog:

Discipler 123 (Daily devotion using N.T. Wright's NT for Everyone as source)

http://discipler123.blogspot.ca/

DAY 651 - (English podcast click here)

DAY 651 - A Big, Big Miracle Happened just Two Hours Ago at REC! (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Want to know why I have been writing and recording my blogs and podcast daily since August 10, 2009? Click these three links:

Confirmation from John Stott in 2009: 
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
My MicroMacro Discipleship, A missing DNA in Discipleship Development: http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/introduction-micromacro-discipleship.html
Subject Shifting Devotion Method(Inspired by John Stott in 1991: http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

                               Today's Reading: Ephesians 2:11-16

** If you would like to learn a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please read my “Count Down 5” from my Devotion on Fire blog:

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

To use this simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link:

 .Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf

Please click this link to read Ephesians 2:11-16

English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians 2&version=NIV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=以 弗 所 書 2&version=CUV

Bible Study

     What Paul describes of how the Jew and Gentile comes into one family in Christ happened in our church, Richmond Emmanuel today. Because of the discussion of buying the first time a land and build a church, brothers and sisters in our church have been in quite a number of disagreements. Just as any church dealing with church building project, it just happen.

     We finished our Annual Vestry two hours ago. There was a 94% pass of the first motion to make an offer to buy the land we proposed and 97% pass of our second motion to buy the land with finance if needed.

     We taste the sweetness of unity at last after so many months of arguments and challenges. Why this miracle? I think it is just as Paul says in today's passage: willing to die of the cross with Christ! 

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      The hostility that had existed between the two groups, Jew and Gentile has been killed on the cross (verse 16)…
      If our churches are still divided in any way along racial or cultural lines, he would say that our gospel, our very grasp of the meaning of Jesus' death, is called into question.  How long will it be before those who claim to follow Jesus, not least those who claim also to love Paul's thinking, come to terms with the demands he actually makes? 
      

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Te Prison Letters. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.28-29.

     What have you got from this message? Would you come to terms with the demand Paul makes to be willing to die on those things you disagree?  Because of your love to Christ, would you sacrifice what you think and want and let unity to happen in your church? That's what we just experienced!

     

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 up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

Spiritual Journal

    The title I heard from Jesus today is: A big, big miracle happened just two hours ago at REC!

    What I got from Jesus today is another wonderful coincidence. What Paul says in today's passage happen just two hours ago. I am deeply moved to see severe differences disappeared and true love, forgiveness and unity appears in our church! So many brothers and sisters have been trying their best to do all kinds of things to pull our church together. We completed our one year fasting today. And our 100 days fasting started Jan. 1 will be completed in April 11. We have lots of brothers and sisters kneeling down to pray for at least 3 minutes a day since June 27 last year. We completed a seven days 7a.m. Eucharist and Prayer Walk this morning. We completed a silent one hour vigil yesterday from 7 to 8p.m…Oh, I can't put all those things we have done and been doing. The fruit is, we are in unity on the buying of a land for our church's big, big decision!  

    
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be willing to die of the cross following your example that you name will be glorified. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us -

從心合一

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJWZQyLzDRQ

Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czxd5oa-gi0

You may choose to follow my other daily blog: 

Daily Devotion on Fire 2(2 years plan -One year New Testament, one year Old Testament): 

http://bishopsilas2.blogspot.ca/

Daily Devotion on Fire (3 years and 3 months plan, one chapter a day to finish reading the whole Bible): 

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/

Break.Build (40 days daily devotion- For Renewal or First Step for new Christians): http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/

Emmanuel330 (40 weeks First Step Bible Study): 

http://emmanuel330.blogspot.ca/

This blog:

Discipler 123 (Daily devotion using N.T. Wright's NT for Everyone as source)

http://discipler123.blogspot.ca/

DAY 650 - (English podcast click here)

DAY 650 - You Are God's Workmanship (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Want to know why I have been writing and recording my blogs and podcast daily since August 10, 2009? Click these three links:

Confirmation from John Stott in 2009: 
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
My MicroMacro Discipleship, A missing DNA in Discipleship Development: http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/introduction-micromacro-discipleship.html
Subject Shifting Devotion Method(Inspired by John Stott in 1991: http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

                               Today's Reading: Ephesians 2:8-10

** If you would like to learn a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please read my “Count Down 5” from my Devotion on Fire blog:

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

To use this simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link:

 .Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf

Please click this link to read Ephesians 2:8-10

English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians 2&version=NIV

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=以 弗 所 書 2&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Paul shows us two very important things here in today's passage:
1. Faith is not something we as human do so that we are being acceptable to God. Nothing we can do to achieve it so that we cannot boast.

2. We are God's workmanship being used to demonstrate God's good works. 

Bishop N.T. Wright says ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :
      The 'good work' which Paul mentions in verse 10 are not, therefore, the same as the 'works of the law' which he rules out as part of justification in Romans, Galatians and Philippians.  They are the way of life which he will describe more fully in chapters 4-6 of the present letter.  They are the road which Christians must now travel in the right direction, after the disastrously wrong journey described earlier.
     Verse 10 is one of Paul's central statements of how Christians are the centre of God's new creation.  We are, he says, God's workmanship.
      

N.T. Wright. Paul for Everyone:Te Prison Letters. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.23-24.

     So, you should be a piece of God's workmanship, right? Can your life, your lifestyle demonstrates that kind of workmanship? 

     

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 up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

Spiritual Journal

    The title I heard from Jesus today is: You Are God's Workmanship

    What I got from Jesus today is an encouragement to us that we are God's workmanship. What does that mean to you?

    I just received some update photos of our Vintage Garden project in Toronto. If you do not know how God miraculously leads us in this God-size 150 million dollars project, please click this link: http://english.vintagegarden.ca/

    When I looked at the pictures yesterday, I see God's workmanship through a small group of faithful disciples of Christ.  I received an email from Archbishop Yong today sharing his thanksgiving of seeing this workmanship:

Dear Silas, Edmund and Dr. Lee,

What a joy it is to see the loving and firm hand of God upon this God size project in Toronto and nearing its completion - all to the glory of God! We want to join you in praising and thanking God for His mighty work from the beginning, to now and to the future. This is the fruit of prayer and faith.This will continue to be the glorious testimony of you all to the faithfulness of God. God size project needs the firm faith of the people of God to begin and to continue. What an encouragement it is to witness your unwavering trust in, and obedience to, God to marked this miracle project.  God is good, all the time - blessed be the name of The Lord!  May His name be lifted up and glorified.

     How willing are you to be used by God so that you will one day become His workmanship? 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be willing to listen and obey to your commands so that we can become your workmanship. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us -

從心合一

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJWZQyLzDRQ

Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czxd5oa-gi0

You may choose to follow my other daily blog: 

Daily Devotion on Fire 2(2 years plan -One year New Testament, one year Old Testament): 

http://bishopsilas2.blogspot.ca/

Daily Devotion on Fire (3 years and 3 months plan, one chapter a day to finish reading the whole Bible): 

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/

Break.Build (40 days daily devotion- For Renewal or First Step for new Christians): http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/

Emmanuel330 (40 weeks First Step Bible Study): 

http://emmanuel330.blogspot.ca/

This blog:

Discipler 123 (Daily devotion using N.T. Wright's NT for Everyone as source)

http://discipler123.blogspot.ca/

DAY 649 - (English podcast click here)