Wednesday, June 19, 2013

WEEK 2 - (English podcast click here)

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WEEK 2 - New Guidance: Does Jesus Approves of Your Lifestyle? (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)




Today's Reading: Matthew 3:3-6

**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.

This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

     "A voice of one calling in the desert,
     'Prepare the way for the Lord,
       make straight paths for him.'"

     John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.  His food was locusts and wild honey.  People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.  Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
                                                   
                                                                 Matthew 3: 3-6

Please click this link to Matthew 3

Bible Study
     
     Last week we talked about how John the Baptist and Jesus preached their first message.  Today we look at the preacher's lifestyle.  How he dressed, what he ate, where he served and what did he do. Matthew wants to give us a classic example of the lifestyle of God's servant.

     Clothes of camel's hair, leather belt and locust and wild honey was a lifestyle of poor people that they could not have money to buy normal clothes and food. He worked in the desert, the place where no one would go and his only work was to preach the message of repentance and to baptize people.  His main job is like any servant of God, to lead people to confess their sins and be willing to be baptized.  His baptism is different from ours. What we are now doing is that after repenting, we ask people to invite Jesus into their lives to be their Saviour and Lord of life and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

    That's how John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus, the King, to come in. That's how we are called to follow John's example to prepare the way for Jesus. Matthew wants us to know that to be able to do that job we need a simple and basic life. That's the life Jesus approves and that's the life Jesus lived.

     Here we are in a very important moment to receive Jesus' new guidance. A guide to our new lifestyle.  It would be difficult for us to be a pioneer for Jesus but live in an opposite lifestyle.  Does Jesus approve of your lifestyle? 

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"



Spiritual Journal

     The topic I received from Jesus today is : 
     New Guidance: Does Jesus approve of your lifestyle?
     
     What I received from Jesus today is: it's easy to listen but difficult to follow. I think most people in this modern world have been pursuing a more than normal lifestyle or even luxurious lifestyle. I have been brain-washed by the worldly value system since I got my first job in 1978 to buy the best of everything, even what I couldn't afford. I thought at that time the best invention was VISA because I could buy as much as I wanted even though I could not afford it. Jesus changed me slowly through the past 35 years, very slowly.  Why? Because I did not want to obey. That's why.

    There are two things I got from Jesus to encourage us to follow John's examples to live a simple lifestyle:
1. To be a servant and pioneer for Jesus we have to live a simple life.
2. One day God will bring His judgment for our extravagance lifestyle.

    Are you going to receive Jesus' new guidance today to live a more simple lifestyle. It would be impossible to change right away. You may start to change one step at a time. Ask Jesus today and He will tell you what you need to change first. Yes, you need to ask Him.

Dear Lord Jesus,
Tell us now what is the first step you need us to change for our lifestyle. Give us strength to change so that we can be able to be your faithful servant and pioneer.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen. 










Questions for group leaders
1. Do you think Christians should have a lifestyle different to other people? Why?

2. What's wrong if we have the same lifestyle as those worldly oriented people?

3. How much have you changed in your lifestyle since you became a Christian?
   Can you describe that life changing journey? What about recently?

4. What's your next goal to have a more simple lifestyle?

5. How can your simple lifestyle affects your spiritual life?

 6. How can non-Christians love to be with you when you have a different lifestyle than they are? How can you do a better job to attract non-Christians with this new lifestyle of Christlikeness? 


Please click this link to worship with us - 
Create in Me A Clean heart

Chinese praise song-我的心你要稱頌耶和華 Praise the Lord, O My Soul 




You may choose to follow my other daily blog: 
Discipler123(Daily Devotion, with English and Cantonese podcast)

Daily Devotion on Fire 2(One year New Testament): 

Daily Devotion on Fire(3 years and 3 months plan, one chapter a day to finish reading the whole Bible): 

Break.Build(40 days daily devotion- First Baby Step for new Christians, with English and Cantonese podcast): http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/

Emmanuel330 (40 weeks First Step Bible Study, with English and Cantonese podcast): 
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