God's city, God's holy mountain, God's glory!

 

 

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19OIAbRHITQ

Bishop Silas conducting Vancouver Oratorio Society, VOS Chamber and Schola Cantorum singing Parry's I was Glad:

https://youtu.be/Qr4RThsdEjY?si=wh3sT_i3QE8kTgX6

Bishop Silas conducting Schola Cantorum Emmanuel and Vancouver Oratorio Chamber Choir singing Palestrina's O Beata Trinitas:

https://youtu.be/O4wiyr8oa_Y?si=l_cp4aRfVMRzaL6b

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 - 

      

       Be with You: City Harvest Church, Singapore

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epkh71WTUFs&list=RDEpkh71WTUFs&start_radio=1

      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 87:1-7, Nehemiah 5:14-7:60; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Proverbs 21:8-10

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:  

     He has founded his city on the holy mountain.

       The Lord loves the gates of Zion

    more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.

       Glorious things are said of you,

    city of God:

 “I will record Rahab and Babylon
    among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—
    and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”

 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,

    “This one and that one were born in her,
    and the Most High himself will establish her.”

The Lord will write in the register of the peoples:
    “This one was born in Zion.”

As they make music they will sing,
    “All my fountains are in you.”

                                              Psalm 87:1-7

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:  God's city, God's holy mountain, God's glory!

      

    Today's Psalm helps us to understand the importance to come to God's mountain and God's city:

    1. God's city, God's holy mountain, God's glory (Psalm 87:1-3): These three verses shows us the glorious Holy City of Jerusalem, also pointing to our own church.

    2. God's family, God's presence (Psalm 87:4-5): Rahab is Egypt, Cush is Ethiopia. It prophesy that the Gentiles will be God's family, no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people (Ephesians 2:19), with God's presence and His protection.

     3. God's springs (Psalm 87:7): The worship in God's temple brings living water from God's springs and that we will be quenched, satisfied! 

     But, after COVID, there are still quite a number of Christians do not want to go back to church to worship now but to choose Zoom or YouTube recording. We do not know the limitation of worshiping online is that we can't experience what Psalm 87 describes. What a waste!

     May we try all our best to pray that more and more Christians are willing to go back to their churches to worship God in-person. To experience God's presence, God's abiding love and to receive living water from God's springs to show forth God's glory!

     

     Dear Lord Jesus,  

     Lead more of your children to worship you that they can experience your presence and can be able to receive the living water from Your springs. 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 87 blog: 

       https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/05/day-87-2021-pray-for-jerusalem-please.html

       

     

       Please click this link to today's Old Testament Nehemiah 5:14-7:60 blog and video:

https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningenglish.blogspot.com/2025/08/do-you-realize-our-help-is-from-god.html

       Please click this link to today's Old Testament Proverbs 21  blog:  

       https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningenglish.blogspot.com/2025/08/are-you-unfaithful.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