God always acts before you do anything!

   

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

https://youtu.be/GR2LZzfFEJ0?si=ba1r4mSo8z_aONxc

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 89:38-45; Esther 1:1-3:15; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Proverbs 21:19-20

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

Key passage:

"Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she."   

Esther 1: 19

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: God always acts before you do anything!

Chapter 1 of the book of Esther shows a funny and seemingly foolish reaction of king Xerxes who took the queen's royal position away forever just because she did not want to come out to entertain the kings guests. 

But, without the king's act, Esther could not be queen and the Jews could be forever eliminated in the history of mankind!

What I got from Jesus today is a very encouraging message. 

Long time before we even think of doing something, God already prepared for you. 

Do you believe that? 

Do you know how important this could be? 

Lots of time we are being discouraged, depressed, want to quit but if at that time you remember this message than you know it is just a challenge for you because God already acts and prepares the best for you! What you need is faith in Jesus!

Well, you have a choice. 

Yes, a choice to stay in your discouragement, depression or decision to quit or to relax and trust in the Lord that only He can lift you through those hard time and He always acts before you even think of doing anything!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us to trust in you that you always acts long before we even think of doing anything because you love us . In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.

For those who would like to have some background of the Book of Esther:

After the Babylonian Empire was captured, defeated and replaced by the Persians in 539 B.C., the center of government for the Jewish exiles transferred to Persia. The Babylonians previously had conquered and exiled the Jews throughout their empire. Under the leadership of Cyrus - who issued the initial decree permitting the Jews to return to their homeland - the Persians took control of the empire. The setting for the story of Esther is the Persian capital city of Susa during the reign of King Xerxes I who ruled from 486 - 465 B.C. The book covers the years 483 - 473 B.C. of his reign(1:3; 3:7), with most events occurring in 473 B.C. Esther became queen of persia in 478 B.C. (2:16)

Chronologically, the account of Esther in Persia falls between chapters 6 and 7 in the book of Ezra. That places the events between the first return of Jewish exiles to Jerusalem in 538 B.C. under Zerubbabel (Ezra 1-6) and the second return led by Ezra in 457 B.C. (Ezra 7-10). Though Esther is placed after Nehemiah in our Old Testament, its events actually occurred 30 years before Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem (444 B.C.) to rebuild the wall. While the books of Ezra and Nehemiah address issues involving the Jews who returned to Jerusalem, Esther records a crucial development among the Jews who remained in Persia.

The significance of Queen Esther is seen not only in how she helped save her people from destruction but also in the fact that she brought them security and respect in a foreign land(8: 17; 10:3). Through her actions, God made it possible for Nehemiah to serve as an official in the king's court several decades later and eventually return to Judah as governor to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. If Esther and the Jews (including Nehemiah) had been destroyed in Persia, the troubled Jews back in Jerusalem may never have rebuilt their city and the outcome of Jewish history would have been drastically different.

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

 

 

Connecting Workshop 2025(Session 2)

Bishop Silas Ng on Three Streams

 https://youtu.be/xiSOSFF9Iw0?si=puDWFD9Cx01ADm-o