Believe! Believe! Believe!

   

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCszto5Tf0o

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 - Nada te tube (Never be Troubled - Taize Chant, sang in Portugal)

     nada te turbe nada te espante  

      

     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 9:1-6; Genesis 28:1-29:35; Matthew 9:18-38; Proverbs 3:11-12

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:

37  I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; 

     I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

     I will be glad and rejoice in you;

    I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.              Psalm 9:1-2

20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household,then the Lord[f] will be my God 22 and[g] this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”                                                                                         Genesis 28:20-22

20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

34 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”                                             

                                                                  Matthew 9:20-22, 27-38

  My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not resent his rebuke,

  because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    as a father the son he delights in.                         Proverbs 3:11-12

 

                                                                                                                                                               

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:  Believe! Believe! Believe!

    The topic I received yesterday from Jesus is:  Money! Money! Money!

     The topic I received today from Jesus is: Believe! Believe! Believe!

Today's Genesis 28:20-22 shows us a conditional prayer of Jacob after his big experience to see God in Bethel. If you read it carefully you might find that funny, and sad! How can we as creature tell our Creator that if you watch over me on my journey and everything good and I can come home, then, I will give a tenth of all that you give me!

Wow! This is a conditional prayer, very small faith!

       Then, if you know how God disciplined Jacob later and you know what today's Proverbs 3:11-12 reminds and warns us of those God loves, he will discipline!

On the contrary, in today's Matthew 9:20-22 and 28-38 the woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, the two blind men's simple faith, the demon-possessed man and many healing after that is totally different! When Jesus was with those who needed healing and believed in Jesus, they were all being healed.

What kind of faith do you have with Jesus?

      Are you willing to be sent out by Jesus to bring healing and blessings to many people?

      Let us use today's Psalm 9:1-6 to praise Him for His protection, healing and provision!

 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to have a simple and total faith in you. And, lead us to have the willingness to be sent by you into your harvest field to good shepherds.  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 9 blog:

       

        https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/01/day-9-2021-we-praise-gods-name-he-will.html

     

      Please click this link to today's Old Testament Genesis 28:1-29:35 blog and video: 

       https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningenglish.blogspot.com/2025/01/be-giver-not-deceiver.html

  

      

       Please click this link to today's Old Testament Proverbs 3 blog:  

       https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/07/day-153-2021-do-you-want-to-live-longer.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