DAY 834 - Bring More People to The New Eden, The New Jerusalem (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

                 Today's Reading: Revelation 21:22-22:7

** If you would like to learn a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please read my “Count Down 5” from my Devotion on Fire blog:

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

To use this simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link:

 .Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf

Please click this link to read Revelation 21:22-22:7

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation 21&version=ESV

Chinese: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=启 示 录 21&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Here in today's passage John gives us a deeper understand of the New Jerusalem and our relationship to this Holy City. 

Let's take a look at what Bishop N.T. Wright says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :

    

     It thus appears that the new Jerusalem, in John's vision, is not the whole of the new creation.  It is the centrepiece and glory of it, the fountain from which there flows freely all that the world could need.  It is the holy of holies, but actually the whole earth is to be full of God's glory, is to be the ultimate temple.  This is what is meant when John describes the servants of God and the lamb not only worshipping (verse 3), not only seeing his face (verse 4), but also reigning 'for ever and ever' (verse 5).  From the start of the book we were told that the lamb's followers were to be a royal priesthood, and now we see what this means.  It is from the city, the city which is the bride, the bride which is the lamb's followers, that healing, restorative stewardship is to follow.   This is how the creator God will show, once and for all, that his creation was good, and that he himself is full of mercy.
     John's vision, then, is of a new Eden; but it is a city, not simply a garden.  All the elements of the garden are still there, but enshrined and enhanced within and around the city. 

N.T. Wright. Revelation for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p.200-201.

      Are you able to see that New Jerusalem, that New Eden with your imagination? Are you going to be willing to try all your best to bring more people to this New Jerusalem, this New Eden? 

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage 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 title I heard from Jesus today is: Bring more people to the New Eden, the New Jerusalem

    What I receive from Jesus today is such a timely message that we have brought one more soul to the coming New Eden, New Jerusalem.

    Thanks for your prayers all around the world that we have enough prayer support to enter into a house full of idols, all kinds of Chinese idols that you can think of.

    It is the home of one of our parishioners, Tracy Wong parents' home. Mr. Chi Sing Wong got a very rare brain cancer a few months ago. This terrible cancer makes his whole face deformed. With your prayers, Michelle and I brought Mr. Wong with three messages from our Lord Jesus Christ in a truly miraculous way and he received Jesus as His Saviour and Lord of Life after listening to what we told him. I baptized him, he received his first communion. Then, we put the idols in two plastic bags and threw them away!

     You may want to know what the three messages were:
1. Three minutes before we arrived at Mr. Wong's home while Michelle was driving, Michelle told me, "I sense this time with a song of Sam Hui "Song of a Prodigal son" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-DmSJQWI-E
in my ear." I said, "What is it?" She sang, "命裏有時終需有, 命裏無時勿強求. If you are going to have something in your life you will have it, if your fate does not have those things you don't have to force to have those." I said, "Wow! That might be Mr. Wong's favourite song and that must be the line he was thinking about his poor fate lately."

     This is the first thing we delivered to Mr. Wong and surely that is his most favourite song and that's the line he has been thinking lately, even his wife too. Can you believe that? Three minutes before we arrived in Mr. Wong's home and Jesus gave that message to Michelle!

2. Last week when I asked Tracy whether I could go to pray for Mr. Wong. Mr. Wong told Tracy, "What is the use of a pastor coming to pray for me. Can he gives me a piece of land for my burial?" After I heard from Tracy about his father's words, I received a message from Jesus that He is surely giving Mr. Wong a piece of land and tell me to read and explain the first three beatitudes to him:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
   For they will inherit the earth.

I told Mr. Wong that Jesus is going to give him a piece of land, not the land for his burial but of the inheritance as a son of our Father.

3. Jesus told me on Monday to read Revelation 21: 1 - 8 to Mr. Wong and explain to him about this passage. How Mr. Wong can be with Jesus, die the first death in a short while but not the second death.

These are the three messages from Jesus to Mr. Wong, the second and third messages received by me a few days before our visit. The first message received by Michelle, three minutes before our visit!


This is not a single event, my brothers and sisters. This miracle is to encourage you to bring more people to the coming New Eden, the New Jerusalem. 

I am going to have a beautiful boy's voice singing the hymn "Jerusalem" composed by one of the most famous English composer H. Parry at the end of my prayer for you to have a moment of silent to receive encouragement and words from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, personally.
    

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to be faithfully, willingly and courageously leading more people into the New Eden, the New Jerusalem. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

To me, Mr. Wong's favorite song "Song of the Prodigal Son" is somewhat like these two painting hanged in the lobby of our church, Richmond Emmanuel Church, "The Return of the Prodigal Son".

Please click this link to worship with us -

從心合一

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

Jerusalem (Parry)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh-UjFcfZJE

You may choose to follow my other daily blog: 

Daily Devotion on Fire 2(2 years plan -One year New Testament, one year Old Testament): 

http://bishopsilas2.blogspot.ca/

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

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/

Break.Build (40 days daily devotion- For Renewal or First Step for new Christians): http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/

Emmanuel330 (40 weeks First Step Bible Study): 

http://emmanuel330.blogspot.ca/

This blog:

Discipler 123 (Daily devotion using N.T. Wright's NT for Everyone as source)

http://discipler123.blogspot.ca/

Rev. Nicky Gumbel's daily devotion: Bible in One Year

http://www.htb.org.uk/bioy