Wednesday, May 2, 2012

DAY 987 - Don't Fall Together with Babylon!



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Please click this link to my second blog-Discipler123:http://discipler123.blogspot.com/
You can also listen to my daily podcast in English and Cantonese through this new site.

**1000 DAYS of prayers now!!!
Please sign up for the new 10th 100 days 24 hours prayer campaign,
I need your prayers!!! Please click link below.

**NEW link for the 9th 100 days 24 hours prayer campaign (from February 6 to May 16, 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 then prayerfully 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. 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: Isaiah 47

Please read Isaiah 46 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 - Change My Heart O God


Chinese praise song -
祢讓我生命改變 You Transform My Life


Please click the links below to Isaiah 47:
Bible Study

This chapter prophesies the destruction of Babylon. Babylon represented a self-centered and proud pagan culture(vv. 8-10). A Culture that is ungodly, immoral and following many false gods. Its people live for pleasure and trust in their own knowledge and in magic(vv. 10, 12-13).

"Now then, listen, you wanton creature,
lounging in your security and saying to yourself,
'I am, and there is none besides me.
I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.'
both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day:
loss of children and widowhood.
They will come upon you in full measure,
in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells.
You have trusted in your wickedness
and have said, 'No one sees me.'
You wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself,
'I am, and there is none besides me.'
Isaiah 47: 8-10

The fall of Babylon represents two timeline. The first happened 150 years after Isaiah's time. The second one will happen in the last days of the tribulation at the end time and has not come yet. We can see this time coming because more and more people in this world are chasing to live in a Babylonian lifestyle rather than a lifestyle of Christlikeness. Please are living in a very self-centered so called "me, me, me" culture and striving to live an excessive luxurious lifestyle. If you go to yesterday's Discipler123 blog( http://discipler123.blogspot.ca/) shows clearly King Herod was living in a Babylonian's lifestyle and John the Baptist was living in a lifestyle of Christlikeness.

What kind of lifestyle are you pursuing? How can you let Jesus to change your lifestyle by first transforming you into what Paul says:

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12: 2


My Spiritual Journal

What I receive from Jesus is: Don't fall together with Babylon!

The first Babylon was totally destroyed 2,413 years ago. But the second Babylon is now broadening its influence around us on earth. Most people including lots of Christians have been living in a Babylonian lifestyle and yet we do not know.

I have been living in a Babylonian lifestyle for years since 1980 when I got my first American Express card. For so many years lifestyle was connected with famous name brand:
Shoes - Bally
Wallet and ties - Dunhill, Christian Dior, Lavin
Clothes and coat - Burberry, Dunhill
Watch - didn't have money to buy a Rolex and Omega but planned to buy these two
Car - didn't have money to buy a Porsche but planned to buy one

I liked shopping and every time I got into a mall I bought at least something. I have more to say about my "Babylonian" lifestyle!

Jesus has been using all kinds of method to transform me to live a lifestyle of Christlikeness and step by step I have been changing.

Four hours ago a brother in our church called me asking me to help him to discern whether the call is from God. He said for many weeks the Lord has given him quite a number of signs to call him not only give his tithing but to give 20%. I was so moved to know that we have someone having that intimate relationship with Jesus to change his lifestyle of how to use his money. I asked him to discuss with his wife and he said his wife also agreed. Wow! This is such an encouragement to me that such change of lifestyle happen in Richmond Emmanuel Church!

How about you? Are you still living in a "Babylonian" lifestyle?
If you are, then let me tell you, you do not have the strength to change. It is already very good that you are not giving excuses to yourself (like buying best quality goods, buy less but more quality or other excuses)anymore but to face the root of your lifestyle. Either Babylonian or Christlike! There is no middle way!

The only way is to be as close as you can with Jesus each day and you will soon change to be more like Him, naturally. Though there are many sacrifices you need to make in order to be more like Christ. Well, that's the Cross. We really have lots to die of the Cross in order to rise with Jesus to become more like Jesus!

Don't fall together with Babylon!


Dear Lord Jesus,
Open our eyes to see if we are living in a Babylonian lifestyle. Lead us to follow you to be transformed so that we won't fall together with Babylon. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.

Please click this link to worship with us - This Is My Desire


Chinese praise song -
十架的冠冕 The Crown of The Cross
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1tmwkikrxg



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, Rev. Peter Klenner, Rev. Ed Hird (Janice), Rev. Simon Neill (Jo), Rev. Ken Bell (Sonya), Mr. Andy Li (Amy)


Bishop's Chaplain: Rev. Ed Hird (Janice)


Bishop's Assistant: Mrs. Michelle Ng (Silas)


Clergy Formation Advisor: Rev. Ken Bell (Sonya)


Treasurer: Mr. Andy Li(Amy)


Administrator: Mrs. Zenia Cheng (Clarence)



Pray for our AMiA bishops:
The Rt. Rev. Chuck Murphy, III (Margaret)

The Rt. Rev. John Miller (Joyce)


Pray for one ACiC/AI church one day at a time:
Jericho Road Church, Port Alberni

Rector/Senior Pastor: Rev. John Cox (Sheryl)

Assistant Pastor: Rev. Brad Frey (Julia)

Pastoral Assistant: Rev. Dave Dejong (Megan)





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