Great peace in a city under siege!

 

 

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAXqQ37H9Aw

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 - 10,000 Reasons

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3K3roEF36k

      

     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 31:19-24, Leviticus 16:29-18:30; Mark  7:24-8:10; Proverbs 10:15-16

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:

                          How abundant are the good things

                          that you have stored up for those who fear you,
                          that you bestow in the sight of all,
                          on those who take refuge in you.

20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
    from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the Lord,
    for he showed me the wonders of his love
    when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said,
    “I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
    but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
    all you who hope in the Lord.

                   Psalm 31:19-24

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”

4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied.

6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away,10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

                                              Mark 8:1-10

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,

    but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

                                                            Proverbs 10:15

                      

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

The topic I received today from Jesus is: Great peace in a city under siege!

    We may not have that painful experience being in a city under siege waiting to be slaughtered. But, to those people in war zone or in terminal illness, they are!

       We must have many occasions that we are stuck and not able to do anything or unwilling to do anything to get out of darkness and our inability. Actually, the whole world had been under siege by Covid-19 for three years from 2020 to 2023! 

How can we have great peace in those situations under siege?

      That's the situation of how the Psalmist describes his situation being in a city under siege. 

      That's how Jesus disciples were stuck and said to Jesus that what they got was only seven loaves of bread and no more. They rather secured their seven loaves of bread rather than to let Jesus to take that away.

That's how it says in today's Proverbs that those wealthy people think that their wealth is their fortified city. 

      Yet, what is really our fortified city?

Our fortified city is for us to be willing to listen and obey to the command of the Lord. It is not easy for Jesus' disciples to let go of their seven loaves of bread. But, if they did not do so, that miracle could not happen. It is not easy for that king in the city under siege to look upon the Lord for protection and provision. But, if he does, then he would experience God will protect his city to be a fortified city. 

      So, if you are in fear and your city, your future or your body seems sooner or later under siege, don't worry. Just listen, wait, listen, wait, until you are able to receive a personal voice from the Lord and do what He says. You will know what He has stored up for you are far more greater than what you think you have stored up!

     Dear Lord Jesus,

     Lead us to live a life close to you each day that we can experience your daily protection and provision . 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 Old Testament Psalm 31 blog: 

       https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/01/day-31-2021-dont-panic-jesus-is-your.html

       

     

       Please click this link to today's Old Testament Leviticus 16:29-18:30 blog and video: 

   https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningenglish.blogspot.com/2025/02/do-you-want-to-live.html

       

  

       Please click this link to today's Old Testament Proverbs 10 blog:  

       https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/07/day-160-2021-hatred-stirs-up-dissension.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