Some choose to kill, I choose to bless!

  

 

Please click this link for the video version of today's blog :

https://youtu.be/f1RdNEodI_I?si=c_AZXQ6DJ4Z4zekq

Silence

1.   Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

      2.   Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. Exhale your worries.

     Praise and Thanksgiving

1.   Think through your day, all the times that made you smile. 

2.   Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people

3.          **Sing a song to praise the Lord

      

     Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method) 

      https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to shine on you that you are able to discover your sins and be willing to repent:

     “Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God and having Jesus as my Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2.  Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

     "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sins to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

3.  John Stott's daily prayer of Christlikeness (Christopher J.H. Wright, Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017, 13)

**Please click this link to read how God used John Stott to change my life:https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/

           "Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.

             Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.

             Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

Today's Time with Abba:  Psalm 71:1-8; 1 Samuel 24:1-25:44; John 10:22-42; Proverbs 15:20-21

Please click this link for today's Time with Abba one year Bible: http://twa.pastoralcareschool.org/

Key passage: 

      See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. 

                           1 Samuel 24: 11

       Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage we have just read. Offer this time to Jesus as you listen to Him.    

     The topic I received today from Jesus is: Some choose to kill, I choose to bless!

!     Jesus showed me in a deep way what the title He gave me today means!

      It is beyond this chapter of how David had two opportunities to kill King Saul but David chose not to kill Saul.

      The first time I went to Rwanda was in January 2011, being invited to attend the Installation Ceremony of Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje as the new Primate and Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda. The President of Rwanda, His Excellency Paul Gagame was also a guest because he is a good friend of Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini, the previous Primate and Archbishop of Rwanda and the Chairman of our Society, Anglican Mission.

     The next day I went to the Memorial Centre that they buried 250,000 people who were among the one million Tutsi the Hutus killed within 100 days from April 7 to July 19, 1994! 

       There were Hutus who did not want to kill and I saw a lot of skulls that sadden my heart! 

       The moving story is that the Rwandans chose to forgive and gave those murderers opportunities, only less than 10 leaders were executed!

      I saw lots of love the Rwandans showed! 

      A newly ordained deacon and his wife, Maurice and Hope, came to the airport to pick me up to the hotel  and when they went home it was 1 a.m.! 

      Then I got a call at 1 p.m. on the phone and a man's voice, "Silas, this is the Archbishop. I am in the lobby, are you too sleepy to come down?" It was Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini with two of his priests(Rev. Francis, the Provincial General Secretary at that time and he was being consecrated in 2019 as a bishop. He invited me to attend his consecration. I saw him a month ago in Rwanda) who came over to have lunch with me 12 hours after I landed in Rwanda. I told Archbishop Kolini that I do not need anyone to take me to the airport because the check in time was 4:45a.m.. You know what he said, "No, Silas. We'll take you there for it is Rwandan hospitality!" 

Rev. Maurice drove me to the airport and he showed me his grandfather's picture in clergy shirt. He told me his grandfather was among many Anglican priests and bishops killed on that 100 days!

We have seen so many killing everywhere in the world through TV news. 

For me, the most hurting moment is to see how Christians killing Christians in a kind of non-Christian way through black-mouth, power struggle, writing letters of accusation, mobilizing "riot", separation, smiling in front of you and shake your hand but shooting arrows at your back...that is so sad! 

You can't tell those people to stop for they are being misled by Satan whose name is Deceiver, Accuser, Separator, Destroyer... 

What you can do is to be led by the Holy Spirit so that even they choose to kill you, you choose to bless them!

You can never do that in your own strength. But if you have a true daily intimate relationship with Jesus, then Jesus can help you to forgive those who hurt you.

Remember: Some choose to kill, you choose to bless!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help me to be a channel of peace to forgive and to be able to bless. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Reflect on these questions:     

1. What inspiration have you received from today's catch and what have you heard from Jesus now?

    2.  What is your next step to be more closer to Jesus, to be holy - that is to do what Jesus wants you to do and not to do what Jesus wants you not to do?

    

    Family Corner:

   Find an opportunity to share with your family the importance of today's message. 

    Please click this link for today's Time with Abba one year Bible four passages: http://twa.pastoralcareschool.org/

     Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage we have just read. Offer this time to Jesus as you listen to Him.    

   For the Chinese version of this daily blog and video, please click this link (中文版請按此連結):

    https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningchinese.blogspot.com

     

     To know, learn and practice the method of Time with Abba, please click this link:http://twa.pastoralcareschool.org/

     If you would like to follow my "Subject shifting Devotion Method" from the "Time with Abba, Praising Singing", you are welcome to follow the direction below and then go back to the top of this blog to read today's key passage and my listening and sharing:

        Silence

1.   Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

      2.   Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. Exhale your worries.

     Praise and Thanksgiving

1.   Think through your day, all the times that made you smile

2.   Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people

3.   Sing a song to praise the Lord

      

Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method) 

https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to shine on you that you are able to discover your sins and be willing to repent:

     “Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God and having Jesus as my Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2.  Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

     "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sins to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

3.  John Stott's daily prayer of Christlikeness (Christopher J.H. Wright, Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017, 13)

(Please click this link to see how God used John Stott to change my life:https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/

           "Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.

             Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.

             Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

 My first blog "Devotion on Fire"  was written in English only  (July 17, 2009年7月17日至November 22, 2012年11月22日). Each day one chapter of Bible, from New Testament and then Old Testament. Completed in four months and three years:

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/blessings-from-rev-dr-john-stott.html

My second blog "Discipler 123"  was written in both Chinese and English (March 6,2011to December 31, 2016 ):

https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2011/02/day-1-choose-light-away-from-darkness.html

and "Time with Abba" blog and video (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2024): 

https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2017/01/1-2017.html