Sunday, November 4, 2012

DAY 1173 - Return to God before Building God's Temple!


Please click this link for the official announcement from AMiAs of the recent transition:




You can also listen to my daily podcast in English and Cantonese through this new site.

**1100 DAYS of prayers now!!!
Please sign up for the new 11th 100 days 24 hours prayer campaign,
I need your prayers!!!
Please click link below.

**NEW link for the 11th 100 days 24 hours prayer campaign(from August 25 to December 03, 2012).

The easiest way is to take one hour slot for the whole week. What you need to do is very simple. Choose one dayThe easiest way is to take one hour slot for the whole week to pray for me, my family and my ministry, remembering the ministry of ACiC(ACiC has two Networks: ACiC, Anglican Coalition in Canada and AI, Asian Initiative). You may use the whole hour in prayer or you can still do you work in your office but use as much time as you can to pray and the other time work prayerfully that hour to pray for our ministry. This campaign is also to teach you that you need somebody to pray for you daily. I have been prayed for hourly the past 1,100 days and I have never experienced this kind of peace and protection before. It's just beyond words can express. If I did not listen and obey to Jesus call 1,100 days ago to start this prayer movement, I think I would be pulled into darkness and discouragement already! I deeply believe that this is a way to draw as many participation as we can in prayers. I encourage you to participate. We need you to join us! Trust in the power of prayers!


Today's Reading: Zechariah 1

Please read Zechariah 1 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 -
Jesus We Enthrone You

Chinese praise song -
渴慕你 Longing for you

Please click the links below to Zechariah 1:




Bible Study


The book of Nehemiah states that Zechariah was the head of the priestly family of Iddo (Ne 12:16), indicating he was from the tribe of Levi and that he served in Jerusalem after the exile as both a priest and a prophet.

Zechariah was much younger than the prophet Haggai, who ministered during the same period and primarily to the same people.  Ezra 5:1 indicates that both prophets stirred up the Jews throughout Judah and in Jerusalem to resume building the temple during the time when Zerubbabel was governor and Joshua was the high priest.

Chapters 1-8 (dated 520-518 B.C.) is identical to that of Haggai.  As a result of Zechariah's and Haggai's ministries, the temple was completed and dedicated in 516/515 B.C.  While Zechariah was a young man when he prophesied alongside Haggai, he apparently was an old man by the time he wrote chapters 9 - 14(480 - 470 B.C.).

The book of Haggai has two major parts:
1. Chapters 1-8: the visions were given to encourage the Jews who had returned to Judah to resume building the temple and to inspire them to stick with it until the task was completed.

2. Chapter 9-14: these chapters were to encourage the same people after the temple was finished because many of them became disheartened when the Messiah did not come as they expected once the temple was completed. 

This whole book starts with a call to return to God, to give up their own rebellious ways, live by God's standards and follow his purposes. God reminds them of how he had given their ancestors the same call but they did not listen.  As a result, they suffered the consequences of their sin.

In February of 519 B.C., God gave Zechariah a vision of a man on a red horse in a grove of myrtle trees, with various other horses behind him. Some believe this was an appearance of Christ as "the angel of the Lord".  A different angel interpreted the vision by explaining that these horses had patrolled the whole world and found it at rest and in peace. This angel was interceding on behalf of Israel and Jerusalem to bring an end to the 70 years of God's judgment on Jerusalem and the temple, which were destroyed in 586 B.C., exactly 70 years later.

God used wicked nations to bring his judgment on Jerusalem.  In their greed for wealth and power, these nations went too far and God would judge these evil nations for their selfish pride and disregard for God.

The four horns in verses 18-19 represent Assyria, Egypt, Babylon and Medo-Persia. The came the four craftsmen represent four empires that brought God's judgment on the four horns and overthrew each of them in succession as world powers. The last craftsman would represent Greece, which followed Persia as the predominant power. The prophesy shows that all enemies and oppressors of God's people eventually will be defeated and ultimately experience his judgment.

How are you going to respond to the same call as in Haggai to build God's temple and to restore the standard of God to his people?  How are you going to start first?

My Spiritual Journal


What I got from Jesus today is: Return to God before building God's temple! 
What I received from Jesus today is the call Zechariah had to the people - to return to God first before doing anything.

We like to do so many things for God but without returning to God first we are not able to do anything! Without returning to God, God's standard cannot be established in the nation and in people's life and there is no way to rebuild God's temple. (v.16)

Let's return to God, restore God's standard in our lives, a lifestyle of Chrislikeness and that we can build God's temple or other jobs the Lord commands us to do!


Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to return to you first before we do anything for you.  In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.


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

Chinese praise song -
陶造我生命 Mold My Life



Pray for our AMiA bishops: 
The Rt. Rev. TJ Johnston, Jr. (Rees)
The Rt. Rev. Philip Hill Jones (Claudia)

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 (Rosemary)
  


Prayer items today:

For ACiC/AI


Bishop: Rt. Rev. Dr. Silas Ng (Michelle)
  
Network Leader: Rev. Peter Klenner (Jenny)

Network Leadership Team: Rt. Rev. Dr. Silas Ng(Michelle), Rev. Peter Klenner(Jenny),
Rev. Ed Hird (Janice), Rev. John Cox (Sheryl)
  
Administrator: Rev. Dave DeJong(Megan)
Bishop's Chaplain: Rev. Ed Hird (Janice) 
Bishop's Assistant: Mrs. Michelle Ng (Silas) 
Treasurer: Mr. Andy Li(Amy)

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.