Blessed are the pure in heart!

   

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

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

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 - Open The Eyes of My Heart 

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wutmEjdbedE&feature=related     

      

     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 4:1-8; Genesis 11:1-13:5; Matthew 5:1-26; Proverbs 1:24-28

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:

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 

                                                                        Matthew 5:1-16

                                                            

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:  Blessed are the pure in heart!

    John Stott says in his The Message of the Sermon on the Mount about the Beatitudes(Matthew 5:3-12):

       The beatitudes paint a comprehensive portrait of a Christian disciple.We see him first alone on his knees before God, acknowledging his spiritual poverty (POOR IN SPIRIT) and MOURNING over it...

      Today Jesus leads me to focus on "Blessed are the pure in heart". John Stott says that “pure in heart” means to be transparent before God and His people. 

       The Greek word of "see" in this verse is "Optano" and it means "to allow one's self to be seen". 

What does it mean?

Lots of time we put on masks preventing people to see us. Or, more critical we even put on masks thinking that people can’t see us and even God can’t see us. That is not how a transparent person is called to be.

Jesus told me today that to be transparent is a “relational” term. It happens in a family, between the trustful relationship of a father and a son. Only in that relationship or similar close relationship can we be really transparent.

If you are able to be transparent before God, you would enjoy worshiping the Lord. And you can easily be in great joy, joy with tears, joy that you even want to dance, to shout out loudly to praise Jesus. You would love to have your daily devotion and to be closer and closer to Him day after day.

If you are able to be transparent before His people, then you would put down your masks and start showing your true self to others. By this transparency, His Kingdom will be extended as we experience the power of a Church family under the Lordship of Jesus.

      That's how it says in today's Psalm 4:1-8, David opened up himself to be transparent  and cry out to God  for His help in his deep distress so that he can sleep well.

     That's how it says in today's Genesis 11:1-13:5 of how the people in Shinar built the Tower of Babel to challenge God and how God confused their language and destroyed their work. Then, how Abram was willing to be transparent to God and started a listen and obey journey following God's command to become the Father of Faith, Abraham.

     That's how today's Proverbs 1:24-28 give us warning that living a life not blessed by God will suffer severe consequences.

So, what is your choice? To ask the Holy Spirit helping you to become more and more transparent or to hide yourself in your own world, thinking that you can hide from Jesus?

Dear Lord Jesus,
Help me to be more and more transparent before you and other people to build up a transparent relationship in your Kingdom work. 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. 

      

       

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

       https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/01/day-4-2021-prayers-answered-out-of.html

     

      Please click this link to today's Old Testament Genesis 11-13 blog and video: 

       https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningenglish.blogspot.com/2025/01/come-into-my-blessings.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