The power of Emmanuel!

  

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSSUVgUXp1w

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 141:1-10; Micah 5:1-7:20; Revelation 7:1-17; Proverbs 30:5-6

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

Key passages:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.”

                                                          Micah 5:2

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”

                                                     Matthew 2:1-6

He will stand and shepherd his flock
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be our peace.

                                                      Micah 5:4-5a

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

2

                                                       Micah 6:8

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

    

The topic I received today from Jesus is:  The power of Emmanuel!

Matthew 2: 1 -6 is actually a prophecy from Micah 5:2, recording the answer of the chief priests and teachers to King Herod about the place the Messiah would be born. Micah prophesied that a godly ruler would come out of Bethlehem who would fulfill God's promises to his people.

Then from Micah 5 and 6, God would abandon Israel, allowing the nation to go its way and endure the consequences of its actions.  God's people would have to survive without many of God's intended benefits until the promised One, the Messiah is born. 

Like Isaiah, Micah did not distinguish between the first and second comings of Jesus Christ to earth.  When Christ returns to destroy all evil, Israel will live securely and Christ will reign over all the world. 

That is the promise from Micah 5:4: 

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,

 in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be our peace.

There are so many people on earth living insecurely each day. More and more people are in depression, wanting to quit all the time, not enjoying life, destroying friendship and all kinds of relationships, killing other people and sometimes kill themselves. Why?

Very simple, turn Micah 5:4 to the opposite: 

You stand and take control of your own life to be the lord,

 in the weakness of your own name to be the lord.

And you will live insecurely, for then your limitation will surface and 

you will experience less and less peace!'

So, how can we claim the promise of Micah 5:4-5 and not the reverse?

Micah 6:8 is the answer and the way. This passage is being called one of the most important passages in the Bible:

He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humble with your God.

You need Jesus as Lord of your life each day so that you can act justly and to love mercy and to walk humble with Jesus. 

That is the power of God with us, the power of Emmanuel! 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Lead us to follow you as our Lord that we can live out Micah 6:8 to experience the power of Emmanuel. 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 - 

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