If you fear God, you won't fear any storm!

  

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKbRwLIMKP4

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 - My Peace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls01XGV7oA0

      

     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 7:10-17; Genesis 24:52-26:16; Matthew 8:18-34; Proverbs 3:7-8

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  My shield is God Most High,

    who saves the upright in heart.

God is a righteous judge,

    a God who displays his wrath every day. 

I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;

    I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.      Psalm 7:10-11, 17

7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”

8 When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.9 So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”

Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

10 Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”            Genesis 26:7-10

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”                                      Matthew 8:23-27

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.

This will bring health to your body
    and nourishment to your bones.            Proverbs 3:7-8

                                                                                                                                                               

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:  If you fear God, you won't fear any storm! 

   My first catch today is: I am your Shield, why are you so afraid?

     My second catch today is: Fear God! Do not fear the storm!

     My third catch is: If you fear God, you won't fear any storm!

     The main passage I received today is actually from Proverbs 3:7-8

        Do not be wise in your own eyes;

              fear the Lord and shun evil.

  This will bring health to your body

               and nourishment to your bones.

    But, the passages in today's Genesis and Matthew are full of fear, not fear of God, but fear of all things except God! 

    Isaac made the same mistake as his father Abraham made: fear death! So, both of them told other people their wife was not their wife but their sister, if not for God acted, it would be a big mess!

    Jesus disciples in today's Matthew passage made the same mistake!

    

    The interesting thing is that both Abraham and Isaac experienced greatly the power of God and His provision, but when a storm came, Abraham told people his wife was his sister two time, and Isaac one time!

On the other hand, those disciples of Jesus were full of fear but because of that fear they knew that even the storm listened to Jesus' command! 

    

    All those experiences made Abraham, Isaac and Jesus' disciples to know how to really fear God, how to experience today's Psalm 7:10-17 "My shield is God Most High". God is the One who broke every chain and every enemy's weapon.

      If we really live out what today's Proverbs 3:7-8 says " to fear God", you won't fear any storm!

     

Dear Lord Jesus,

May you increase our faith because of our intimate relationship with you each day so that we can learn how to fear you and then we won't fear any storm.  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 7 blog:

       https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/01/day-7-2021-do-not-be-afraid-god-will.html

     

      Please click this link to today's Old Testament Genesis 24:52-26:16 blog and video: 

       https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningenglish.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-power-of-prayers.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