Wednesday, February 1, 2023

第一天 - 新信息: 回家 (請按此處收聼廣東話 )



安靜
1.  停下來. 靜一靜
2.  等候主. 深呼吸經歷主之平安. 呼出你的憂慮

讚美及感恩
1.  思想你上星期使你開心歡笑的時刻
2.  為那些時刻及有關的人感恩
3.  敞開心懷讚美主

             凡 投 靠 你 的 , 願 他 們 喜 樂 , 時 常 歡 呼 , 因 為 你 護 庇 他 們 ; 又 願 那 愛 你    名 的 人 都 靠 你 歡 欣 。                                                    詩篇 5:11 

認罪悔改  
1.  求聖靈在你生命中工作
      "親愛的聖靈, 求你光照我心靈的深處, 使我看見我的罪, 我和主耶穌的阻隔,
        求主幫助, 奉主耶穌基督名求。阿們。

2. 透過聖靈的工作, 安靜一刻, 省察自己, 之後祈禱:
     「親愛的主耶穌,感謝你為我的罪釘死在十字架上,我願意在你面前承認我的罪(凡聖靈光照到的,請逐一說出),求你用你的寶血赦免我的罪,我願意打開心門讓你作我的救主,求你救贖我,我願意一生跟隨你讓你作我生命的主,求你帶領我。聖靈,求你充滿我,使我得著恩賜及力量去事奉主、見證主。奉主耶穌基督名求,阿們。」

聆聽主話

那 時 , 有 施 洗 的 約 翰 出 來 , 在 猶 太 的 曠 野 傳 道 , 說 :
 天 國 近 了 , 你 們 應 當 悔 改 !                  馬太福音 3: 1-2

從 那 時 候 , 耶 穌 就 傳 起 道 來 , 說 : 天 國 近 了 , 你 們 應 當 悔 改 !
                                                                               馬太福音 4: 17
讓你現在有一段安靜的時間, 給聖靈一個空間, 讓主耶穌可能以藉着你剛才讀過的經文, 對你說話:



我的聆聽
我們思想這二節經文開始我們這40天的旅程, 相同的話語, 不同的人物, 施洗約翰與耶穌。為何馬太記載他們第一句說話是相同的? 因為馬太想我們知道這就是神差遣他們到世上的目的。神差遣他們帶領我們悔改以致我們能進入神的國- 回家。

就是指引我們從走錯的方向中可以掉頭 U-turn, 使我們可以回家。施洗約翰及主耶穌為此信息犧牲了他們的生命

神的國, 天國, 他的家是在我們每天的生活中, 不祇是我們死後才會到的地方。你今天在神的國中嗎?

數年前我幾乎成為一個耗盡 burnt-out 的牧師! 我不斷為更好的果効而工作: 更大的教會使我成為一個更好的牧師, 更好的事工使我成為一個更好的領袖, 更大的房子使我成為一個更好的丈夫及父親。我錯了!

忘着做這些做那些拖走我離開每天靈修與主親蜜的關係。我成為一個很少靈修的牧師, 每天就是做, 做, 做。真是差點賠上了生命!

2009年7月我重新開始停止了多年的每天靈修, 每天在神的國中享受與主耶穌親蜜的關係, 一切都因此改變了! 我的悔改就是求主饒恕我離開他, 走錯了方向還以為走對了方向。

讓我們用向主耶穌悔改開始我們這40天的旅程, 使我們能回家每天與主一起!

親愛的主耶穌,
幫助我能勝過所有那些將會來到拖走我離開這40天下能與你一起的試探。使我無論如何不會停下來, 奉主耶穌基督名求。阿們。

省察問題
 你生命中有任何與今日信息相關的問題需要悔改嗎? (例如: 與神關係, 家庭衝突, 學校生活, 教會人與人的關係)

感恩讚美
讓我們為神同在感恩讚美主:
10,000 Reasons


DAY 1 - New Message: Coming Home (Please click here for English podcast)


Silence

1.   Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence
2.   Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace. Exhale your worries.


Praise and Thanksgiving

1.   Think through your week, all the times that made you smile
2.   Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people
3.   Open your heart to praise the Lord

           But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
               let them ever sing for joy,
           and spread your protection over them,
               that those who love your name may exult in you.
                                                 Psalm 5:11

Confession and repentance

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in you:

     “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. 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 sin 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 gift to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

Word

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”      
                                                          Matthew 3:1-2

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”                              Matthew 4: 17



Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through these two verses of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, (while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

My Listening 
     We start this 40 day journey of "being" with Jesus by pondering on these two verses. Exact same words, from two different people, John the Baptist and Jesus.

     Why did they say the same thing as their first message ever as recorded in the gospel of Matthew?  Because Matthew wants us to know that this is why God sent John and Jesus to this world.  God sent them to lead us to repent so that we can enter into God's kingdom, coming home

     It is to direct people to take a U-turn from going in the wrong direction to going back home. Both John and Jesus died for us to deliver this new message.

     God's Kingdom, His home, is at present, not just talking about after we die. And, His Kingdom, His Home is in our every day living. Are you in His Kingdom, His Home today?

      A few years ago, I nearly became a burnt-out pastor. I kept on working for better results: I thought that having a bigger church made me a better pastor, having more ministries made me a better leader, having a larger home made me a better husband and father. I was wrong! 

       Trying to do all those things, however, pulled me off track and away from the daily presence of God in my life. I was a pastor without a daily intimate relationship with Jesus. Everyday was just doing, doing and doing. That nearly killed me! 

       In July 2009, I regained my daily devotions, a true daily intimate relationship with Jesus, two months before I became a bishop, and everything changed. My act of repentance was to ask Jesus to forgive me for turning away from Him, heading in the wrong direction while thinking that I was on the right track. 

    Let's start our journey beginning with our repentance so that we can be at home with God daily!

Dear Lord Jesus,
Help me to be able to win over all those distractions that are going to come pulling me away from you. Lead me to stay on course with you non-stop for 40 days. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Reflect on this question: 

Is there anything wrong in your life related to today's message that you need to turn away from? 
(Be specific: relationship with God, family conflicts, at school, with friends, or workplace?)


Praise and Thanksgiving
Let's give thanks for God with us. Let us praise Him:
10,000 Reasons




The best way to keep you being with Jesus for these 40 days is to find two more friends coming together weekly using this blog/podcast and encouraging each others to use it daily. This is what I call "Discipler123" - One discipler having two friends being with Jesus daily for 40 days first then hopefully can continue for a period of three months.