Emmanuel330: WEEK 17 - New Relationship: Giving to Jesus And Being with Jesus (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Today's Reading: Matthew 6:5-13

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

Please click this link to Matthew 6:5-13

English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew 6&version=NIV
Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew 6&version=CUV

Bible Study

How important are the three standard obligations for Jews, namely giving money, praying and fasting to us? Are they also the basic standard obligations for Christians? I think so. But be careful, because Jesus says, even if you fulfill those standard obligations and if your motive is not pure, it is useless.

Bishop N.T. Wright says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright):

Jesus wants us to be so eager to love and please God that we will do everything we should do for his eyes alone.

N.T. Wright. Matthew for Everyone, Part 1. Louisville,KY:Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.55.

If your giving money, praying and fasting are for other people to know so that they praise how good you are, or for yourself to prove how faithful you are, it would be useless.

Offering money to God, your tithing, giving money to the poor, praying and fasting are all concern with true and faithful relationship with Jesus. If you have that intimate personal relationship with Jesus then you will have a new way of giving to Jesus and being with Jesus. So simple.

Jesus famous Lord's prayer is to point us to this intimate personal relationship. Not getting what you want but to give your heart to be with God trusting that He is going to provide you with what you need and not what you want.

The Lord's prayer is for us to have the Kingdom of God to become a reality. To have the beauty of heaven to come down on earth so that we can experience the real presence of God and the glory of heaven. It is not a format. It is far beyond how we can memorize it so that we know how to pray. It is a classical model for us to follow so that we can pray with our own simple and intimate words. It is your intimate personal relationship with the Heavenly Father, nothing more and nothing less.

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"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

Spiritual Journal

The topic I received from Jesus today is :

New relationship: Giving to Jesus and being with Jesus

Yesterday afternoon Michelle and I had lunch with a friend's uncle. He told us that he went to church some years ago but not any more. Because he thinks that the Bible, Jesus and everything in Christianity is a big lie. He cannot see Jesus in Christians' life.

Yesterday evening I received a telephone call from someone I do not know. She told me that she is trying her best to call as many pastors in Vancouver as she can. She told me that Christians are not doing the right things because most Christians she knows put too much time to stay at church doing church business but neglecting relationship with parents, spouse, children and home. She complained that Christians are making their own churches a hiding place so that they don't have to build true relationship with their family members.

Are these two conversations yesterday a coincidence? I don't think so. I think Jesus wants us to know the reality is that many Christians are not having a true lifestyle of Christlikeness so that their family members and friends cannot see Jesus in them. Are you one of those people?

How can you enter into a true new relationship with Jesus that people can see Jesus in you?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Lead us to be able to establish a true intimate personal relationship with you so that we can have a true intimate personal relationship with our family members and friends that they can see you in us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Questions for group discussion

Topic: New Relationship: Giving to Jesus And Being with Jesus

新的關係: 祈禱的動機

Passage: Matthew 6:5-13

Questions for group leaders

1. Read Matthew 6:5-13 again now. Have you ever thought of Christians are big lier because they do not live out what Christians should be? Do you have family members and friends thinking like that?

2. What is the real problem of this phenomenon? How can you as a Christian to do something about it?

3. How can you enter into a true new relationship with Jesus that people can see Jesus in you?

4. How is everything we talk today related to prayers? What is prayer to you? How do you pray? How do you experience the power of prayer?

5. What is the highlight for you today?

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