Be perfect! Are you kidding?

  

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPxw1FoXKb0

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 - Here I am to worship

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CKCThJB5w0&list=RD6CKCThJB5w0&start_radio=1    

      

     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 5:1-3; Genesis 13:6-15:21; Matthew 5:27-48; Proverbs 1:29-33

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 passage:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[e] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

                                                                        Matthew 5:43-48

                                                            

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

The topic I received today from Jesus is:  Be perfect! Are you kidding?

    Be perfect, are you kidding? 

       How can we be perfect? We are far from perfect!

Yes , of course, we can't be perfect because we are human beings. 

 But, if you link up the beatitudes( Matthew 5: 3-12) to the last verse, you'll get a clue. 

 Jesus is inviting us to enter into a life transformation journey of Christlikeness. To be more like Jesus is to be more like our heavenly Father. Our heavenly Father is perfect so we have a model to imitate that we can love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

      That's how it says in today's Psalm 5:1-3 that we need to be close to our Heavenly Father from morning on waiting for Him expectantly to be more like Him .

     That's how it says in today's Genesis 13:6-15:21 of how Abram experienced God as his shield, Protector and Provider. That's how we see the first offering of tithing in human history of Abram giving a tenth of what he got to Melchizedek king of Salem(Jerusalem) who represented God.

     That's how today's Proverbs 1:29-33 tells us the difference of listening to God and not listening to Him is safety or death.

There are so many perfectionists who work so hard but living a bitter and unsatisfied lives. 

Remember, do not be a perfectionist because you can never be perfect!

Be perfect, Jesus is not kidding because he is inviting you to follow Him through the beatitudes so 

that you can be more and more perfect like Him.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help me to enter into the journey of the beatitudes that I can be more like you. 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 5 blog:

       https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/01/day-5-2021-wait-for-god-and-pour-out.html

     

      Please click this link to today's Old Testament Genesis 13-15 blog and video: 

      https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningenglish.blogspot.com/2025/01/god-gave-credit-card-to-abram.html

  

      

       Please click this link to today's Old Testament Proverbs 1 blog:  

       https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/07/day-151-2021-listen-and-obey-to-god.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