Today I renew my covenant with you!
Please click this link for the video version of today's blog :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bP4Ycr-wXU
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
Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method)
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 52:1-9, Joshua 5:1-7:15; Luke 15:1-32; Proverbs 13:1
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:
2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.4 Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt. 5 All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. 6 The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Joshua 5:2-15
2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.
4 Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt. 5 All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. 6 The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.
9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.
10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.
13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Joshua 5:2-15
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: Today I renew my covenant with you!
Today Jesus says to you now: Today I renew my covenant with you!
Are you willing?
Those Israelites led by Joshua, they were willing. All those men who did not have circumcision for the past 40 years had circumcision. Then, they did not have manna anymore because they started to eat the produce of the Promised Land!
They did not observed Passover for more than 38 years, the last time they had Passover was in the first month of the second year of their Exodus, recorded in Numbers 9:1-5.
38 years did not observed the major feast day as commanded by God and they did it that day, after 38 years!
40 years of not having circumcision and they did it that day, after 40 years!
Wow! The result was that God sent the commander of His army to help them to defeat the city of Jericho. Those Israelites did not need to fight but the city was being destroyed by God's army!
So, may be you want to ask me, "Well, what is the circumcision we need to have now?"
My answer is, "Paul tells us in Romans 2:28-29, our circumcision is circumcision of our hearts!"
We need to renew our covenant with God, the circumcision of our hearts. We need to die on the Cross what Jesus wants us to die, trusting that the Commander of God's army will come to help us to defeat the city of Jericho and to be able to enter into God's blessings and protection!
Are you willing to renew your covenant with Jesus Christ our Lord today?
Dear Lord Jesus,
I am willing to renew my covenant with you, the circumcision of my heart so that I can be able to enter into your blessings and protection. 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.
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 52 blog: Please click this link to today's Old Testament Joshua 5:1-7:15; blog and video: Please click this link to today's Old Testament Proverbs 13 blog:
For the Chinese version of this daily blog and video, please click this link (中文版請按此連結):
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):
Please click this link to Old Testament Psalm 52 blog:
Please click this link to today's Old Testament Joshua 5:1-7:15; blog and video:
Please click this link to today's Old Testament Proverbs 13 blog:
For the Chinese version of this daily blog and video, please click this link (中文版請按此連結):
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):
Connecting Workshop 2025(Session 2)
Bishop Silas Ng on Three Streams
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