Ways of God's appearance to you

    

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4fYbKSPim4

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

      

     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 1:1-6; Genesis 1:1-2:25; Matthew 1:1-2:12; Proverbs 1:1-6

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

Key passages:

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."                                                      Matthew 1: 21

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”           Matthew 2: 10-13

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

The topic I received today from Jesus is:  Ways of God's appearance to you

May you have a blessed and anointed New Year!

Time with Abba is a one year reading the whole Bible plan. If you are willing to follow TWA daily reading list, then on December 31, 2026, you will read the whole Bible, not a verse more, not a verse less.

Today's Matthew 1 tells us that there are times we are being stuck with our sins and unable to change. There are times we know that we need a lifestyle of Christlikeness but we cannot do it. Why? 

What I received today is that lots of time we forget only Jesus can save us from our sins; we forget to ask Him to save us from those sins that we are not able to get rid of. Instead we use our own effort to fight and try to change. Hopeless!

Jesus is your only hope! No one can save you but Jesus!

Then, Matthew 2 tells us the importance of the ways in which God appears to you.  And, God's appearance is a "live or die" issue as in how God sent His angel to warn the wise men and also Joseph, Jesus' father. If they did not listen and obey, they will die!

There are various ways of God's appearance like using a star to lead, gave out a warning in a dream and actual appearance in a dream, many ways.

What about you? How many ways have you experienced God? 

Have you missed some of those warnings and appearances? 

How much do you cherish His presence? 

This theme of God's presence leads us to link up the other three passages of today's TWA readings. With God's presence, we have a better opportunity to be the righteous and not the wicked in Psalm 1, and to be those who gain wisdom, instruction and more, to be wise as in Proverbs 1, and to have the image of God, to be able to listen and obey to God so that we can be fruitful in today's Genesis 1 and 2. All these will happen in our lives if we have the presence of God each day. 

Are you willing to receive the ways of God's appearance to you?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Lead us each day to enjoy your presence that we can be among those righteous and wise to be fruitful. 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 Genesis 1-2 blog and video: 

  https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningenglish.blogspot.com/2025/01/god-gives-you-new-beginning-in-2025.html

     

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

       https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/01/day-1-2021-do-you-want-whatever-you-do.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

     You are welcome to join our Monday to Friday 7am-7:30am(Pacific time (Vancouver)) Worship, Devotion, Prayer

    https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3962567042?pwd=4qqbcGJ2zQl3tlTUvus4Qv6g7byZKy.1&omn=88167363288

Meeting ID: 396 256 7042

Passcode: 12345

     

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

   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

     

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

       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