Amazing Grace! Changing you, changing me!

 

 

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxfMF-bbv9s

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

      Please click this link to worship with us - 10,000 Reasons

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3K3roEF36k

      

     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 18:1-6; Exodus 7:25-9:35; Matthew 19:3-30; Proverbs 6:1-5

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

To know, learn and practice the method of Time with Abba, please click this link:http://twa.pastoralcareschool.org/

Key passages:

       I love you, Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
    my cry came before him, into his ears.

Psalm 18:1-6

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

                                                                      Matthew 19:16-22

                                                

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

The topic I received today from Jesus is: Amazing Grace! Changing you, changing me!

      The Holy Spirit encouraged me today reminding me that God's amazing grace has been changing me and free me from those chains and to give me the method to keep in that freedom, that intimate relationship with Jesus each day:

      1. Lord! I love you!

        Today's Psalm 18: 1-6 tells us why King David said "I love you, Lord!" Because David experienced various names of God:

        My strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my refuge, my shield, my salvation, my horn of my salvation, my stronghold...

     Wow! Have you experienced those names of God in your life?

    2. No more fear

        Today's Psalm 18: 4-6 tells us that if you have experienced God's names like how David experienced, then there should be no fear in you no matter what you will face, enemies attack, death ... Those things would never change the loving relationship with you and God!

3. The difference between Pharaoh and God's servants 

    a. Pharaoh experienced amazing grace, when crisis was over, he sinned again

    Exodus 9:34-35

     34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

    b. God's servants experienced amazing grace, when crisis was over, they learned how to listen and obey and be willing to bring God's people into His Promised Land, that is to be true Evangelists .

4. Only Jesus Christ can do it, not you 

    Those things above, you can't do it! Only Jesus! 

   Today's Matthew 19:22-26 tells us the young ruler heard what Jesus said to invite him to give up all he had and followed Him, he went away sad!

   Yes, it is really beyond our capacity to have a total surrender to Jesus, to give up everything Jesus' wants us to give up, unless you have really experienced Jesus love and His call in a personal way!

  Only Jesus amazing grace can change you and for you to be willing to surrender to Him and to follow Him!

   22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

May the Lord touched your soul, change your heart of stone to be a heart of flesh and that you won't be in the image of Pharaoh but in the image of God! 

 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Lead us to be in your amazing grace that we can be changed by you to be more and more like you each day. 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 to today's Old Testament Psalm 15 blog:

       

        https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/01/day-15-2021-who-will-never-be-shaken.html

     

      Please click this link to today's Old Testament Exodus 2:11-3:22 blog and video: 

  https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningenglish.blogspot.com/2025/01/entering-into-gods-preparation-with.html

  

      

       Please click this link to today's Old Testament Proverbs 4 blog:  

       https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/07/day-154-2021-is-wisdom-key-please-go-to.html

   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

     

     

       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