Be a good shepherd and a mighty warrior for Jesus!

   

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 147:12-20; Zechariah 10:1-11:17; Revelation 18:1-24; Proverbs 30:33

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

Key passage:

                  Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;

    it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.
He gives showers of rain to all people,
    and plants of the field to everyone.
2 The idols speak deceitfully,
    diviners see visions that lie;
they tell dreams that are false,
    they give comfort in vain.
Therefore the people wander like sheep
    oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

3 “My anger burns against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders;
for the Lord Almighty will care
    for his flock, the people of Judah,
    and make them like a proud horse in battle.
4 From Judah will come the cornerstone,
    from him the tent peg,
from him the battle bow,
    from him every ruler.
5 Together they[a] will be like warriors in battle
    trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets.
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
    and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.

6 “I will strengthen Judah
    and save the tribes of Joseph.
I will restore them
    because I have compassion on them.
They will be as though
    I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God
    and I will answer them.

4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.”

7 So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. 8 In one month I got rid of the three shepherds.

The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them 9 and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.”

10 Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.

12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.

14 Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel.

15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.

17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd,
    who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm and his right eye!
    May his arm be completely withered,
    his right eye totally blinded!”

                                                 Zechariah 10:1-6; 11:4-17

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:  Be a good shepherd and a mighty warrior for Jesus!

Zechariah 10 shows the reason for the downfall of Israel and the remedy from God.

The downfall was due to the people had no true shepherd to lead them in the right paths, the paths of trust in God, they turned to false gods and relied on idols, fortune tellers, and other occult practices.

The remedy was that out of the Israelite tribe of Judah came the cornerstone which is Jesus the Messiah. Christ would be like the tent peg, indicating support and security, and the battle bow, indicating how he would bring victory to his people.  He would be the ultimate Warrior-King and Ruler.

Zechariah 11:1-3 shows the destruction which was going to come to Israel. The reason is because of how they would reject their Shepherd-King(the Messiah, Jesus Christ).

Zechariah 11:4-14 tells us that  Zechariah was instructed to represent the good Shepherd of Israel, the Messiah, uses two staffs to guide his flock.  The staffs represent God's favor toward Israel and his plan to reunite the kingdoms of Israel and Judah into a single nation if the people followed the Messiah. Because the flock despised and rejected the Shepherd-Messiah, he would turn from his role as Shepherd and give the people over to their doom. God had made a pledge to restrain other nations from attacking Israel, but his people had broken their covenant relationship with God by rejecting his promises, defying his laws and being unfaithful to him. So God removed his protection and Israel being destroyed when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D., 500 years after Zechariah's prophesy. In verse 12 Zechariah, still representing the Messiah, asked the leaders to pay him what they thought his services were worth. They insulted him by offering him the price of a slave (Ex 21:32).  Thirty pieces of silver was also the price paid to Judas for betraying Jesus. Part of God's judgment was to disrupt and destroy Israel's unity that they would eventually splinter into hostile factions.

Zechariah 11:15 - 17 tells us that Zechariah was to portray Israel's wicked shepherd who attempt to deceive and lead them astray, which may represent the end-time antichrist. Zechariah uses a shepherd's equipment, but this time to impersonate a godless and cruel shepherd, who used his equipment to hurt the sheep rather than help them. The symbol of the foolish shepherd will be fulfilled in the end-time antichrist.

So, who are you following, the good shepherd or the wicked shepherd? What kind of shepherd are you? 

What I received from Jesus today is very, very important reminder and warning to each one of us. Jesus gave me two passages:

 

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.    Matthew 7: 15-20

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  John 15:1-8                                                                                                                                                                       

Jesus calls us today to be a shepherd and warrior for Him and to follow Him to prevail! 

Pastors and leaders who destroy confidence in the Bible by denying that it is fully inspired by God and infallible are guilty of indirectly influencing people to turn to ungodly practices in search of guidance. Pastors and leaders who do not have a daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus would just lead people in their own selfish way and soon turn to burn out and unable to do God's Kingdom ministry.

Jesus is calling you to be a good shepherd and a mighty warrior for him.
What do you say? 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to follow you each day to be a good shepherd and mighty warrior to extend your Kingdom. 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. 

     

     You are welcome to join our Monday to Friday 7am-7:30am(Pacific time (Vancouver)) Worship, Devotion, Prayer

    https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3962567042?pwd=4qqbcGJ2zQl3tlTUvus4Qv6g7byZKy.1&omn=88167363288

Meeting ID: 396 256 7042

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Please click this link to worship with us - 

Open the eyes of heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViBNqNukgzE&list=RDViBNqNukgzE&start_radio=1

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

   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/

       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