DAY 295 - Being Protected in the House of God

Today's Reading: Genesis 35

Please read Genesis 35 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 this link to worship with us - Still

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPtZRnQyzSM&feature=related

Please click the links below to Genesis 35:

Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 35&version=CUV

NIV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 35&version=NIV

ESV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 35&version=ESV

Message: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 35&version=MSG

Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau." Genesis 35: 1

We made mistakes. We sinned. But when we go back to God's place, get rid of the idols we intentionally or unintentionally worship, purify ourselves and have a real, intimate relationship with God, then even when we are under severe attack, disaster, crisis or any bad thing you can describe, we will be under His protection. And, God has His own way to deal with our situation even with our enemies, just like he did to Jacob's enemies.

Once we go back into a real, daily, intimate relationship with God and not just the literal meaning of a building "the house of God" or "church", God will give us a new name, new ministries, new community, new nation (generation after generation, 100 times, 60 times, 30 times), new fruits, new numbers, new everything! Wonderful!

Rev. Ed. Hird forwarded a sharing from Bishop Thad Barnum (One of the ten AMiAs bishop, a Bible scholar and the author of Never Silent) about me, my call to Micro Discipleship, the vision I received in Bishop Thad's June 2 blog. Please read and understand more what does it means by "being protected in the House of God". It's not just about going back to church, to Sunday worship, to.... but is about a real, personal, daily, intimate relationship with God.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

SO HOW'S YOUR QUIET TIME GOING?

The blog entry below was fun to write. It ends a series of reflections on what discipleship looks like. Instead of taking up the next series I’d planned, I thought I’d spend the next couple of weeks with some personal journaling.

So Erilynne and I were in Denver a few weeks ago. At breakfast with Bishop Silas Ng from Canada, we learned his passion for this question about our quiet time with the Lord. He was very clear about it: Most Christians don’t do it.

He had statistics. Compelling research.

Without personal time with Jesus, he told us, everything breaks down. Church. Ministry. Mission to the world. Everything.

He was not talking about church-attenders. He was talking Christians. Born again by the Holy Spirit. Confessing Jesus as their Lord. The percentage who read their Bible, pray and make intentional time with the Lord is simply low. Really low when asked: Do you do it daily? A little higher when asked: What about several times a week? What about weekly. Just a little.

This is it! he said, this declares the poverty of the church!

He wasn’t done. He had no interest in people who raise their hand and say: I do my quiet time! He said there is a great danger in legalistic duty. Or doing it out of guilt. Or a form of good works that earns God’s favor and allows us to wrongfully boast to others.

He’s talking right desire: It’s all about a relationship with Jesus!

I was moved by this. So this past Sunday I preached on a text from Luke 5:16: “But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.” I love this passage because it is clear that our Lord is way-too-busy. The news of Him has gone everywhere. The sick are coming to Him in droves. And yet He knew boundaries. He knew when to close the door. To stop His work to others. To leave the 70 and the 12. And then “slip away” to be with His Father. Because He wanted to. He needed to. After all, He was and is our High Priest. And His first work as High Priest is to minister to the Lord. To be in His presence and fellowship.

The same goes for us who are called a “royal priesthood.”

Hard to argue: “I’m just too busy. I have no time.” Although I know it’s hard.

For parents with young kids. For those working long hours, who need quality family time, who need personal time. Where does it fit?!?

I actually found it hard to talk about. I didn’t want people to do it because we’re supposed to do it. Like a husband who knows he really should bring home flowers to his wife because that’s what husbands do. Catch the sermon and tell me what you think: http://www.apostlesct.org/?q=Podcast

So how’s your quiet time?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for telling me that I am protected and you have you own ways to deal with those things I can not cope with. Help me to be in you, with your and for you daily. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

MIchelle's white cell reading is still the lowest ever yesterday, 0.3. The doctor told us that every APL patient needs at least two to three chemo. So, please start praying today for Michelle that she only needs two chemo and then she is completely healed. If so, she can resume her normal life at the end of July. Yes, we need another miracle to make this happen, but why not pray and believe in the power of prayers!

Our 300 days 24 hours prayer campaign will be successfully completed next Wednesday, June 16, 2010. Please click this new link to join our 400 days 24 hours prayer campaign! Please act now! We need your prayers!

New Link for the 4th 100 days 24 hours prayer campaign(June 17 to September 24, 2010)!!

Please click this new link to watch Athanasius' violin recital two days ago with me playing the piano:

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DBxm_gFosQOY&h=7ba22

Please click this link to worship with us: I Will Run to You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg048CpTAMI&feature=related

Prayer items today:

For ACiC/AI

Bishop: Rt. Rev. Silas Ng (Michelle)

Network Leader: Rev. Peter Klenner (Jenny)

Network Leadership Team: Rt. Rev. Silas Ng, Rev. Peter Klenner, Rev. Ed Hird (Janice),

Rev. Simon Neill (Jo)

Administrator: Mrs. Zenia Cheng (Clarence)

Pray for one AMiA bishop one day at a time

The Rt. Rev. Charles Hurt (Chuck) Murphy, III (Margaret)

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

Christ the Redeemer, Pender Harbout

Rector/Senior Pastor: Rev. Jen Morgan (Ken)

Pastoral Assistant: Rev. Carolyn Spence

Face book version: http://www.facebook.com/silastyng?ref=profile

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

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 discipler. 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 discipler to walk with you daily to enrich your spiritual journey. So, shall we start this journey with Jesus Christ our Lord now!

New Link for the 4th 100 days 24 hours prayer campaign(June 17 to September 24, 2010)!!

Our 3rd phase of 100 days of prayers (March 9 to June 16, 2010).

Our 2nd phase of 100 days of prayers (November 29, 2009 to March 8, 2010)

Our 1st phase of 100 days of prayers

• Part 2: 60 days (September 29 to November 28, 2009)
• Part 1: 40 days (August 20 to September 28, 2009)