DAY 50- (English podcast click here)

DAY 50 - Right Or Wrong Expectation? (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Today's Reading: Mark 12: 35-44

**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.

Please click this link to read Mark 12: 35-44

• English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark 12&version=NIV1984
• Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark 12&version=CUV

Bible Study

The last three days we had the three part of Jesus' examination from the Pharisees and Herodians, then the Sadducees, then the Scribe. All of them have one common goal, to prove Jesus is not the Messiah, not the king to come and to undermine Jesus.

Jesus uses an example from Psalm 110: 1 talking about his Kingship. The Messiah will be a descendent of David whom David will rightly call Lord. Not like the Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees and Scribes lording others and always after money, positions and authorities, the Messiah will give up his life for all. Just like the poor widow's sacrifice, though small, was total.

As N. T. Wright says, "One might have thought the poor widow was merely putting in two copper coins, but in fact she was putting in everything she had. One might have thought the Messiah was merely David's son - a human king among other human kings. But in fact, in the Messiah, Israel's God has given himself totally, given all that he had and was. At the end of this chapter, we are left on tiptoe with expectation."

What kind of expectation did the Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees and Scribes on Jesus? What kind of expectation do you have on Jesus?

Have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to God as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

Spiritual Journal

What I heard from Jesus today is: Right or wrong expectation?

A big contrast these past four days!

The first three days with three groups of leaders, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes. Then today the poor widow. Can you believe what I heard from Jesus today? It is really very inspiring, wonderful and challenging:

What do you expect me to do for you, or what do you think I expect you to do for my Kingdom?

Wow, what is your answer?

Dear Lord Jesus,

I am sorry that we as human beings always expect so much to get from you. Help us to change from now on following the widow's good example to give you all and to fulfill your expectation on us to extend for your mighty Kingdom. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us - You Are My All in All
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC617kE1maU&feature=related

Chinese praise song - 你是我的一切 You Are My All In All

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xIV2-JyQLo&feature=fvwrel

You can subscribe to my podcast feed here:http://feeds.feedburner.com/discipler123

You may choose to follow my first blog which I started in July 2009:http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/

Twitter version:http://twitter.com/bishopsilasng

DAY 49- (English podcast click here)

DAY 49 - Examination Part 3 for Jesus! (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Today's Reading: Mark 12: 28-34

**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.

Please click this link to read Mark 12: 28-34

• English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark 11&version=NIV1984
• Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark 11&version=CUV

Bible Study

The last two days we had the first and second part of Jesus' examination from the Pharisees and Herodians, then the Sadducees, and now a Scribe, one of the teachers of the law. Somewhat like three separate examinations by three groups of external examiners.

Today's passage is about whether Jesus understand the top No. 1 priority in God's law. Somewhat like a non-beliver asks you, "What do you think is the most important thing as a Christian?" What's your answer?

Jesus' answer of the Greatest Commandment gives at least four aspects:

1. Love God 100% and love our neighbours just as we care about ourselves.

2. Jesus' 'first commandment' is a version of the daily central Jewish prayer. It's being called the 'Shema' ('Shema' means 'listen'). Jesus' point is that he is not bringing a 'new religion' but a true fulfilment of the law and the prophets.

3. Loving God and loving our neighbours are more important than 'sacrifices'. Those Jews pay all their lives in dealing with 'sacrifices', but what Jesus wants to bring out is that when a crisis comes, loving God and one's neighbour matters; sacrifices don't.

4. A challenge to everybody: Just as N.T. Wright says, "When the crisis comes, what remains solid in your life and the life of your community? Wholehearted love of God and neighbour? Or the mad scramble of everyone trying to save their own skins?

Today you have the same examination paper on your table? What's your answer? How do you live out your answer?

Have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to God as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

Spiritual Journal

What I heard from Jesus today is: Examination Part 3 for Jesus!

Who dare to give an examination to Jesus? Well, you know it, those Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes! Who dare to make all kinds of detail challenges to the pastors and leaders, picking up small things, mistakes and misunderstanding? Those Christians who want to follow the footsteps of Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes? Don't do that! Look at the Kingdom view, bigger picture but starts with micro relationship, small loving steps each day. And, just as Jesus says, "Your are not far from the kingdom of God."

The key word for Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes is JUDGE! They like to find faults, to accuse, to attack, to bad mouth, to judge.

The key word for Jesus' Greatest Commandment is LOVE. That's why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13,

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal..."

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us not to follow the footsteps of those Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes but to follow you to love God and love our neighbours with everything we've got. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us - You Are My All in All
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC617kE1maU&feature=related

Chinese praise song - 你是我的一切 You Are My All In All

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xIV2-JyQLo&feature=fvwrel

You can subscribe to my podcast feed here:http://feeds.feedburner.com/discipler123

You may choose to follow my first blog which I started in July 2009:http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/

Twitter version:http://twitter.com/bishopsilasng

DAY 48- (English podcast click here)

DAY 48 - You Can Do It! (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Today's Reading: Mark 12: 18-27

**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.

Please click this link to read Mark 12: 18-27

• English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark 11&version=NIV1984
• Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark 11&version=CUV

Bible Study

After Jesus' answered those Pharisees and Herodians difficult question about tax, some Sadducess gave Jesus the second flow of challenge.

N.T. Wright gives us a good understanding to this passage:

The Sadducees, the Jewish priestly aristocracy, didn't believe in the resurrection. They challenged Jesus using a story which depends on an ancient Jewish law(Deuteronomy 25: 5-10, Genesis 38:8). If a man dies married but childless, his younger brother is commanded to marry his widow, and count the children as his brother's, thus keeping up the family line and inheritance. But, this happens seven times to one woman. So, the Sadducees took this as evidence that resurrection is ridiculous because if all come back to life, whose wife will the woman be?

Jesus rebukes them by saying that they don't now their Bibles, nor how powerful God is. He gave them a double argument against their objection.

1. Resurrection does not mean mere resuscitation, coming back into exactly the same sort of physical life as before, but transformation, with a different sort of bodily life that we do not understand now.

2. Jesus finds a passage at the heart of the Pentateuch demonstrates that the dead will be raised. It's about when God meets Moses at the burning bush, he introduces himself as Abraham's God, Isaac's God and Jacob's God. They are dead at present, but that since god desires to be known as their God he must be intending to raise them from death in the future.

Jesus had a total victory on this second flow of challenge by proving there is resurrection and that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Do you know that our God is the God of the living? Do you know that Jesus can meet with any kind of challenge and He can help you to meet with any kind of challenge?

Have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to God as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

Spiritual Journal

What I heard from Jesus today is: You Can Do It!

What I got from Jesus is a wonderful confirmation to take away all our insecurities. We have all kind of insecure past experiences that keep giving us wrong signals that we are helpless, hopeless and no way out!

See how Jesus met all those challenges and Jesus is telling you today if you are willing to follow Him then He can help you to meet with all your challenges and that you can prevail, prevail in Him only!

You can do it! Have you got that?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for giving us an encouragement that we can do it. Help us to remove all our insecurities that we can trust you totally to lead a joyful and victorious life. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us - You Are My All in All
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC617kE1maU&feature=related

Chinese praise song - 你是我的一切 You Are My All In All

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xIV2-JyQLo&feature=fvwrel

You can subscribe to my podcast feed here:http://feeds.feedburner.com/discipler123

You may choose to follow my first blog which I started in July 2009:http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/

Twitter version:http://twitter.com/bishopsilasng

DAY 47- (English podcast click here)