Tuesday, February 2, 2010

DAY 167 - Christlikeness? You Can't Do It!


Today’s Reading: Galatians 5

Welcome! The purpose of this blog is to encourage Christians to have daily devotion - a wonderful and intimate time with Jesus. There are three reasons for you to use this blog as your daily devotion:

1. A healthy spiritual diet - One chapter of the Bible daily. We really need at least one chapter of Bible daily so that we are well fed.

2. A good example of Spiritual Journaling - What I have committed for 1,189 days(the Bible has 1,189 chapters)to write this daily post is not for teaching purposes but this is my daily spiritual journal - I write down what I hear from Jesus and how I experience His intimate relationship with me each day.

I have launched a wide-spectrum research on daily devotion and have found out that there are less than 10% of Christians that are having daily devotion. Out of that 10%, many having daily devotion are doing so because of guilt (they know that they are Christians and need to have daily devotion and feel guilty if they don’t do that), duty (they need to fulfill their duty as a Christian) or study(lots of Christians primarily use their daily devotion as a time to study the Bible). I do pray and hope that you will make up your mind to have a relational daily devotion so that you can have an intimate time with Jesus. I pray that you will write your own spiritual journal as well.

3. An online discipler – One of the reasons that so many Christians do not have daily devotion is because they do not have a disciple. A discipler can help them build up this basic element of discipleship when they first become Christians. The best way for you is to have a discipler to walk with you for a certain period of time so that daily devotion become a good habit. Or, you may have a small group of two to three people to encourage and be accountable to each other so that you won’t stop your daily devotion. I offer myself as your online disciple to walk with you daily to enrich your spiritual journey. So, shall we start this journey with Jesus Christ our Lord now!

Please read Galatians 5: 1 – 26 and listen to what the Lord Jesus Christ would like to tell you before reading my Spiritual Journal below. If you would like to learn a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please read my “Count Down 5” from this blog. You may click this link directly for the method: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf . (You may begin with a song to praise the Lord and complete you devotion by singing another praise song.)

Please click the links below to Galatians 5:

Chinese:
http://www.o-bible.com/cgibin/ob.cgi?version=hb5&book=act&chapter=10
ESV:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2010&version=ESV
NIV:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2010&version=NIV
Message:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2010&version=MSG

For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. Galatians 5:17

“You can do it!” This is such a widely used encouragement used by many famous people and movies. But this is not the way to become like Christ. Paul states very clearly: “You can’t do it!” And Jesus told me today that the most important thing we need to remember is that we really can’t do it, for we often live by the desires of our sinful nature. It is so easy to think that we have the fruit of the Spirit but in fact we are often like the other 15 characters as described in 5: 19-21. Here are the three steps that we can become like Christ:

1. Live by the Spirit

2. Led by the Spirit

3. Keep in step with the Spirit

If we can be willing to ask for the Holy Spirit to help us daily to live out these three steps, then the fruit of the Spirit will be our lifestyle to the glory of God.


Dear Holy Spirit,

Thank you for your presence. Help me to live by you, led by you and be able to keep in step with you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Prayer items today:

For ACiC/AI

Bishop: Rt. Rev. Silas Ng

Network Leader: Rev. Peter Klenner

Administrator: Mrs. Zenia Cheng

Pray for one ACiC/AI church one day at a time

St. Jude Apostolic Anglican Church, Indian Head, SK

Rector/Senior Pastor: Rev. Tom Needham

We have started our 2nd phase of 100 days of prayer. I am calling you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ to fill in your names in the new list below. Many wonderful things have happened in the past 100 days. Can we follow our King, our Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ to use an hour’s time to pray for His protection and blessings to my new ministry as the Bishop of ACiC/AI, all our ACiC/AI clergy, leaders and people? Pray that in the Holy and Mighty Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, we can win over Satan's tricks, in order to strengthen our brothers and sisters so that His Kingdom will be extended. Please click this new link to participate in our 2nd phase 100 days/24 hours Prayer Campaign (Nov 29, 2009 to March 8,2010)

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