Don't discourage others and don't be discouraged!

  My mother came home today (September 22,)! Praise the Lord and thanks for your prayers! 

           A photo and a video my sister Ada took today at home: 

   I took these two photos last Sunday (September 14) when I arrived in Hong Kong and went to the hospital to visit my mother. She was taken to hospital on September 11 and was in extremely critical condition. The doctor said she should have 24 to 48 hours of life! Many people prayed for her and I was moved by the Holy Spirit to start reading the whole book of the Gospel of Luke to her soul while she was unconscious, and then the Gospel of John to chapter 11 last Friday before I flew back to Vancouver last Friday. My sister Ada continued to complete the Gospel of John and she finished reading Acts 3 tonight. 

    

 

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

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 106:6-12; Isaiah 41:17-43:13; Ephesians 2:1-22; Proverbs 23:29-35

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

Key passage:

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will bring justice to the nations.

He will not shout or cry out,
    or raise his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
    In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

Isaiah 42: 1-4

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:  Don't discourage others and don't be discouraged!

Chapter 40 to 66 starts a new section in the book of Isaiah. These chapters were written during the later years of Isaiah's life and applied to a more distant time. They offer hope and comfort to God's people during their captivity in Babylon 150 years after Isaiah's time. Also, they are filled with prophetic revelation about the coming Messiah.

Chapter 41 starts the first servant song in the Book of Isaiah(42: 1-4). There are three more servant songs in the following chapters(49:1-6, 50:4-9 and 52:13-53:12).

This is a chapter to declare the new things from God(vv. 8-9). The coming of the Messiah as God's servant(vv. 1-7). A new time that Gentiles and Jews will all praise the one true God because of the salvation from the Messiah and their relationship with him(vv. 10-17). But finally, because of the spiritual blindness and deafness of God's people who refused to see these new things from God, they were being attacked and looted by their enemy and there was no one to rescue and restore them(vv. 18-25).

How well are we prepared to walk with our Savior and Lord each day that we join in the flow of this new thing and that we are under His protection and blessings.

How well can we take the Servant Song as our job description to follow Jesus' example to be a good and faithful servant of the Lord to extend His new and mighty Kingdom.

Jesus leads me to see the Servant Songs as our job description. 

He draws my attention to the word "he will not falter or be discouraged". And yet, we are so easily falter and be discouraged. I have seen numerous cases including what I personally experience, when the tipping point came, people just faltered and discouraged, discouraged greatly! The worst case is we become those who discouraged others no matter intentionally or unintentionally! 

Let's not be discouraged and always be an encourager, like Barnabas!

Dear Lord Jesus,

In the midst of darkness and troubles, lead us to get through those traps and mine fields that we will not be captured by the dark spirit and be discouraged. Help us to be able to encourage others with all we've got. In Jesus Name we 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

 

 

Connecting Workshop 2025(Session 2)

Bishop Silas Ng on Three Streams

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