How to become rich?

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de4-rS0JOw4

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 118:22-29, Jeremiah 37:1-38:28; 1 Timothy 6:1-21; Proverbs 25:28

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:

“ Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

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: How to become rich?

You can easily find a book with this "How to become rich" title and similar title in any bookstore. If there is a book really can teach people to become rich, I think no matter how pricy it is, it would be the best seller!

But, today's 1 Timothy 6:17-19 tells us that rich is useless and meaningless, because:

1. Wealth is so uncertain, one financial storm or the coming of a war might cause billionaires lose everything!

2. Wealth cannot give people true satisfaction because 1 Timothy 6:9-10 tells us:

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Today's 1 Timothy 6:17-19 gives us the secret of becoming rich:

1. To be rich but not satisfy and good is useless and meaningless. The only way to be rich, satisfied and good is not to put our hope in our wealth but to put our hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

2. How do we know we really put all our trust in God? The answer is from 1 Timothy 6:18 "to be rich in good deeds, and to generous and willing to share ".

It is about whether we can trust God that He is the only one to provide us with everything so that we can truly enjoy LIFE! It is about whether we can use our wealth to give to those places in need so that we can enjoy the wealth God gives us!

In this pandemic, quite a number of Christians cut down their weekly offerings because they worry about not having enough money and do not understand that God is our Provider and Protector!

Hope you can understand that God is your Provider and Protector and be willing to make sacrificial offerings in this financial crisis of most churches so that you can receive the promise of God that He will give you enjoyment and satisfaction and you will not lack anything!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to understand that you are the only one who can provide us with everything so that we can truly enjoy LIFE and that we are willing to make sacrificial offerings to glorify your mighty name. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.