DAY 183 - From Imitators to Becoming A Model

Today’s Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1

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 1 Thessalonians: 1 – 10 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 1 Thessalonians:

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%201&version=CUV

ESV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%201&version=ESV

NIV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%201&version=NIV

Message: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%201&version=MSG

You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 1 Thessalonians 1: 6-7


Jesus showed me some kinds of 'fill-in-the-blanks' like this: Paul became an imitator of Christ, the Christians of the Thessalonian Church became imitators of Paul, then the Christians in Macedonia and Achaia became imitators of Paul. So, the Christians in the Thessalonian Church became a model.

Can we follow the same pattern so that we can become a model of some people? Who are those Christian leaders that you would like to imitate? Do you have any? Or do you have none to imitate? Why might this be? Couldn't you be part of this line of imitation for you to become a model? We desperately need models!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Open my eyes to see all those leaders that you would like me to imitate. Help me to be able to become a model for others to follow. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.


Prayer items today:

For ACiC/AI
Bishop: Rt. Rev. Silas Ng
Network Leader: Rev. Peter Klenner
Network Leadership Team: Rt. Rev. Silas Ng, Rev. Peter Klenner, Rev. Ed Hird, Rev. Simon Neill
Administrator: Mrs. Zenia Cheng

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

Church of Redemption, Calgary

Rector/Senior Pastor: Rev. Ikechukwu Chukuka

We are going to start our 3rd phase of 100 days of prayer in three weeks time. 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 182 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 (March 9, 2010 to June 16):

For our 2nd phase of 100 days of prayers : this new link to participate in our 2nd phase 100 days/24 hours Prayer Campaign (Nov 29, 2009 to March 8, 2010)

For our 1st phase of 100 days of prayers(2nd part 60 days): this link (August 20 to Nov. 28, 2009)

For our 1st phase of 100 days of prayers(1st part 40 days):

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AbI_guJWaO4DZGRnYjNqZzRfMTRmZHFndjMzZA&hl=en