DAY 163 - What Was Your Previous Way of Life?

Today’s Reading: Galatians 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 Galatians 1: 1 – 24 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 1:
Chinese: http://www.o-bible.com/cgibin/ob.cgi?version=hb5&book=gal&chapter=1
ESV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%201&version=ESV
NIV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%201&version=NIV
Message: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%201&version=MSG


For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. Galatians 1: 13


Right in the beginning of this first chapter, Paul used strong and heavy words to rebuke the people of the churches in Galatia that they deserted Jesus. Then he told them that his previous way of life before knowing Jesus was even worse. Jesus highlights his mission of his previous way of life: advancing and extremely zealous in Judaism, persecuting and trying to destroy the church of God.

What is your previous life before knowing Jesus? What is your new way of life?

For Paul after he received Jesus as Lord, his mission changed, advancing and being extremely zealous to further Jesus Kingdom, to protect and build up the church. Paul came to know and see that he was being set apart from birth and being called by Jesus to serve the Lord. People praised God because of Paul’s new way of life.

How do people praise God because of your new way of life? What is your new way of life?


Dear Lord Jesus,
I praise you, Lord, for your giving me a new way of life. Help me to live out my new way of life so that I can spend my time in advancing and being zealous of no other things but in you. Help me to protect and build up your church. 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
Jericho Road Church, Port Alberni
Rector/Senior Pastor: Rev. John Cox
Assistant Pastor: Rev. Brad Frey
Pastoral Assistant: Rev. Dave Dejong

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)