Tuesday, August 27, 2013

WEEK 11 - New Fulfillment : Fulfill Not to Destroy (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)



Today's Reading: Matthew 5:17-20

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


Please click this link to Matthew 5:17-20


Bible Study
     
     Jesus started a movement which brings people back to the Kingdom of God. In doing so he was doing two things together. He had to show the Jews that this new movement was the fulfilment of what the Israelites had believed and longed for. And, he had to show to those who followed Him that they needed to live in the new way He was about to teach them and not lived in the old rotten way.

     It is not what the Pharisees and the teachers of the law taught was wrong. It is just what they were teaching they could not live it out. It is not what the tradition they brought to the Jews is wrong.  It is just the tradition has become a "dead" tradition and not a life giving tradition.

     It is so easy for a Christian to live in a traditional church keeping everything the same and never change. It is also very easy for a Christian to totally destroy the tradition to build up new things.  How can we get the balance to keep those tradition that God commands and change those things in the tradition that God wants us to change is what Jesus wants to teach us today.

     I know quite a number of Christians only read New Testament or familiar with New Testament but never read Old Testament. Why? Same reason. A misunderstanding of we as Christians have no need to learn the old things but the new things started with Jesus. 

     Have you read the whole Bible, New and Old Testament at least once?
        
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 Fullfilment: Fulfil not to destroy
     
     What I received from Jesus today is a call to fulfil God's standard, righteousness follow Jesus example and not to destroy. Jesus reminds me of what people have their oaths when they bear witness in the court:

'I swear by Almighty God that the evidence I shall give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.'

     What does the whole truth and not part of the truth means? That's what Jesus is talking about in today's passage.

     In a simple way, let me give two examples of what is the whole truth and not part of the truth means:
1. You need to read the whole Bible repeatedly so that you know the whole truth. That's why my call to write all my blogs and had my podcasts is to teach people to have a daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus through the whole Bible and not just the New Testament.

2. You need to guard the tradition of the church and not to destroy it. On the other hand, you need to bring renewal to the tradition according to the guidance of Jesus. You need to break in order to build. That's how I received the title of this 40 days of our spiritual journey with Jesus. Do you know what to break and how to build? Or you just come to break, destroy and not being able to build anything for Jesus?

     This is what I received from Jesus as New Fulfillment. Jesus comes to fulfill not to destroy. You come to fulfill not to destroy! 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be able to fulfil not to destroy and to know what do we have to break and how to build.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen. 

Questions for group leaders

Topic:  New Fulfillment: Fulfill not to destroy
新完成: 成全非摧毀


Passage: Matthew 5: 17-20

Questions for group leaders
1. Read Matthew 5: 17-20 again now. What is the danger for some heretical religious organizations to add or take away words from the Bible? What is the problem according to Jesus? 

2. What were the problems of those Pharisees? Is it what they taught was wrong? Is it their tradition was wrong? What's really wrong? How can a church or a Christian catch the same "virus"?  Have you seen such examples of those who can talk but cannot live out what they talk about? How much destruction would that bring to others?

3. Have you read the whole Bible, New Testament and Old Testament once? What's wrong with reading just part of the Bible? What is you new plan to read the whole Bible now? 

4.  What is the highlight for you today? 



Please click this link to worship with us:
English praise song-
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) Matt Redman


Chinese praise song - 
我要向山舉目(詩篇121篇) I Will Lift Up My Eyes to The Hills



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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