Don't worry, it's all in my plan!

   

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSN2fVtfu_Y

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 133:1-3; Daniel 8:1-27; 1 John 2:1-17; Proverbs 28:25-26

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

Key passage:

15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”

17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,”[b] he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”

18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.

19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.[c]20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.

23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.

26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”

27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.

                                                                  Daniel 8:15-27

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 worry, it's all in my plan!

Again, Daniel 8 is another difficult chapter to understand. 

Daniel's vision happened in the third year of King Belshazzar and that was 551 B.C. The rest of this book from here on is written in Hebrew. God revealed the future disaster that was to come to Daniel.

The ram represents the Medo-Persian Empire. The goat from the West is the Greek Empire and its horn represents Alexander the Great who died prematurely at the height of his power. After that, his empire was divided among his four generals. Out of the horns came another horn referring to the Greek ruler Antiochus IV Ephphanes, who in 168 B.C. set up an image of the Greek god Zeus in the Jerusalem temple and sacrificed a pig on the altar. Judas Maccabeus later recaptured Jerusalem, purifying and reddedicating the temple and altar to God in 165 B.C., three years and two months (2,300 evenings and mornings or 1,150 days). 

Gabriel, one of God's Archangel explained to Daniel in advance of all those things that would happen in the span of 400 years! He is referring to the latter period of the four kingdoms that came out of Alexander's kingdom. The stern-faced king is Antiochus Epiphanes. 

Put yourself in the position of those Jews. When those things happened and all were already prophesied, would they be more hopeful that they were in the whole plan of God? Or, it had nothing to do with them, nothing could help them?

What I received from Jesus today is that those prophecies from Daniel could or could not help those people. They will definitely help us to know how great God is. "Great" is one of the key message here in this chapter. When those kings thought that they were 'great", they did whatever they wanted and they were being destroyed, no matter the powerful Alexander or any king(vv. 4, 8, 12, 25).

Yes, no matter what happen to this world tomorrow, ten years time later or one hundred years time, it's all in God's plan.

The message today for you is that if you have a daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus then you will receive messages from Him whatever you are facing. And, Jesus is telling you , "Don't worry, it's all in my plan!" 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for your word of assurance that everyday we are in your plans and that we should not be worry but to be more and more closer to you each day. 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. 

     

     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

Passcode: 12345

     

Please click this link to worship with us - 

Change My Heart, O God

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEtsHWFE6-w&feature=related

    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