DAY 227 - Not Lording But Caring

Please click this NEW LINK to pray for us(March 9, 2010 to June 16)!!!

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

Today’s Reading: 1 Peter 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 1 Peter 5 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 Peter 5:

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%205&version=CUV
NIV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%205&version=NIV
ESV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%205&version=ESV
Message: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%205&version=MSG

Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers - not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 1 Peter 5: 2-3

1 Peter 5: 1- 4 is speaking to Christian leaders, elders and overseers(bishops). Is it easy for this group of leaders not to be lording but caring? Jesus is Lord. It is not the elder that is Lord, or the Bishop that is Lord. I have seen so many painful examples of lording in families, organizations and churches. Our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour and lording over others is one of his cunning strategy.

Jesus is our Lord and it is not lording but caring, loving, serving, encouraging and testifying that our Lord Jesus Christ entrusted us to do. Let's do that faithfully and not lording over others!

Dear Lord Jesus,

You are my Lord and my King. Teach me to be a good bishop to love, serve and encourage those you entrusted under my care. 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
Bishop’s Chaplain: Rev. Ed Hird
Clergy Formation Advisor: Rev. Ken Bell
Administrator: Mrs. Zenia Cheng

Pray for one AMiAs bishop one day at a time

The Rt. Rev. Terrell Lyles Glenn, Jr.

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

Church of Our Lord, Comox

Rector/Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. David Bowler

Priest: Rev. David Hollebone

Record 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)

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

Record for our 1st phase of 100 days of prayers(1st part 40 days): http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AbI_guJWaO4DZGRnYjNqZzRfMTRmZHFndjMzZA&hl=en