Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Romans 7:12-17   "So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.  Did that which is good, then, become death to me?  By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.  We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.  I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me."   We might have different views towards sin, but we must all acknowledge that there are problems with our inner self.  Verse 15 says that we don't do what we wish, but we do what we hate.  Hasn't our lives been filled with such struggles?  When we were young, we knew that lying was bad, but when we got a bad report card we wanted to lie to cover it up.  When we were taking exams, we knew that we shouldn't cheat, but when we had nothing to write on the exam but everyone else was busy writing, we naturally wanted to see what others were writing.  The aftermath of these behaviors, however, often made us feel uneasy.  After we grew up, we know we should love one another, but we just don't have the life of love to share with others; we know we shouldn't always remember how others have wronged us, but we just can't forget all that hatred piled up inside us.   Husbands know that we should love and treasure our wives, but we find it hard to express; wives know that they should respect and obey the husbands, but they can't forget their expectations.  Most parents know that they need to love their children and teach them patiently, but when they start talking they become harsh and cruel.  Children know that they should respect their parents and honor them in the Lord, but when we live our busy lives we are incapable of doing anything about it.  Are these depictions of different aspects of our lives?  We can't do what we are willing, but we do what we hate.  Sometimes we even like to do evil more than do good.   Do you often fall victim to these battles?  You need the Holy Spirit to shine upon you and let His power come upon you.  Only in the light of the Holy Spirit will we recognize our real selves, otherwise it is impossible for us to humble down and ask for healing and forgiveness.  Only the in power of Holy Spirit will people see their true evil nature and become delivered into freedom.  May the Holy Spirit of the Lord enter our lives today, to deliver us and to manifest His power!        Pray with Pastor Tong Liu               Dear Holy Spirit, we welcome you to move freely in our life.  May you shine into our darkness and may you deliver us with your power, so that we can have a life that pleases God.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Romans 7:7-11       "What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.' But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death."      The Spirit actually didn't come to abolish the Law. Just like the Lord says: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Law is to be fulfilled by the Spirit. Therefore, the Spirit is the truly one that fulfills the promise of the Lord. Why does Romans 7:6 say: "But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code"? It is not because the Law is not good. Rather, it is because of the rebellious nature inside us, which was planted deeply inside us after Adam and Eve committed sin. We always want to be our own Lord, to be rebellious against any authority and law. So as good as the law is, when our rebellious nature meets the law, it wants to violate the law.        For example, the more you tell a little kid No, the more he wants to do it. You'd better not tell him not to do this or that, otherwise he is more tempted to try. Therefore, the Law can let us know sin, but it can't make us overcome sin. On the contrary, it may cause people to violate the Law. That is why we need the work of the Spirit, for only He can prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness in our heart. When we welcome the Spirit to do His work, He will start to cleanse us from within.            A close friend of mine used to be zealous in serving the Lord in high school. But when he went to college he told everyone he was going to forget about God and live for himself during the four years of college. Needless to say he never came back to God again. Several years ago I was delivering a sermon in Taipei. After the sermon a man came to me. It was him! He told me that he was never happy after he backslid. He got divorced shortly after he got married. He didn't enjoy his teaching job in university, either. Later on he was seeing someone. Since he thought a Christian sister might be a better wife, he took his girlfriend to church. To his surprise, the first time he went back to church, during worship he started to cry. It occurred to him that over the year he was rebellious to God, and the only reason he came back to church was for his own benefit. He realized how filthy he was and started to repent in tears. Praise the Lord for bringing him back. Brothers and sisters, do you need the work of renewal by the Spirit in your life? Let's welcome the Spirit together.        Pray with Pastor Tong Liu               Lord, may your spirit shine on us and cleanse us, so that we may be delivered again from the power of sin. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Romans 7:6               "But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."       A believer should live and serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. The difficulty many believers face is that they used to live by the value system of the world before they became Christians. Even though they were not happy with that, they didn't know the way out. So when someone told them the gospel, they were so excited that they immediately accepted Jesus as their Savior. But after they became believers, nobody taught them how to live by the Spirit every day. So they went back to their old lifestyle. Just like after Jesus was resurrected from death, he revealed twice to his disciples. From anyone's perspective, they should have been so happy that they would have started to live for the Lord right away. However, according to the Bible, Peter resumed his old job and became a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. Didn't he know that Jesus is the Lord? Even though he knew Jesus was resurrected, to him the Lord could no longer be with them all the time as he used to be. Even though Jesus was resurrected, Peter did not know where to go. The great commission sounds good, but where to start? Nothing is like going back to the fisherman's old life, which is more practical than all the theories.            Brothers and sisters, do you share the same feeling? Belief just seems to be some theories to you. You still didn't know how to live. You'd rather go back to your old lifestyle, which feels more practical and less risky. In fact you are not alone. Peter was like you. But when the Spirit came down on Pentecost, his life was turned upside down. He was no longer at loss or in fear, for the Spirit was living inside him and would never leave him.  The anointing of the Spirit led him in each step of his life. 1 John says that this anointing is true and not fake. Then he started to be fruitful in his ministry, because the power of the Spirit manifested on him.         Do you understand that the Spirit living inside you is not weak, but powerful? The anointing inside you is true and not fake. You need to cry out to the Spirit: "Holy Spirit, how are you going to lead me today?" Then you need to listen. The Spirit will start to lead you with his wonders into such a lifestyle that is different from your old one. Brothers and sisters, never go back to the days without belief. May God help you to rely on the Spirit every day to enter into the flow of that river.           Pray with Pastor Tong Liu               Lord, I pray for those brothers and sisters who are still living a lifestyle of this world, and those who are tired of the life of a believer. May the Spirit of the Lord flow in their heart to revive their lives. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Romans 7:1-6                "Do you not know, brothers and sisters-for I am speaking to those who know the law-that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."       Christian should behave in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. In the original text the new way of the Spirit refers to "rely on the Holy Spirit", which means as Christians, we no longer just follow certain written codes. Rather, we live by the leading of the Spirit every day. A book authored by Lauren Cunningham, founder of YWAM, mentioned how they trusted in the leading of the Spirit and lived by faith when they just started. Before the YWAM university started each year, all the teachers and students would gather together and pray for the fiscal need of that semester. The way they prayed was not to bring up the needs in turn, but to believe that the Spirit would inform each person of others' needs, then it was up to that person to offer support to other brothers and sisters.             A sister came with only $70, still $30 short of the $100 goal she wanted to reach. Therefore, she prayed that God might send someone over to give her the $30. Nevertheless, she heard that the Spirit told her to give the $70 to another sister. She responded: "Lord, I still need $30. How come you ask me to give $70, which is all I have, to another person?" Eventually she yielded to God. Then a professor was led by the Spirit to give her $100, which was all he had. He was wondering what he was going to do afterwards. To his surprise another professor came to him and said: " As a professor, I never gave any money to a fellow professor. But the Spirit led me to give you $100. I wonder whether I heard Him wrong." So the former professor shouted out his thanksgiving to the Lord, and gave $100 to the first sister. How wondrous is the leading of the Spirit, isn't it? In fact, this is not something unique, but something that happens in the everyday life of a Christian. Have you experienced the leading of the Spirit? May God help us not to live every day by the written code, but by the Spirit.                Pray with Pastor Tong Liu               Lord, I thank you, for you are the true and living God. Once again I commit each brother and sister to you. May you deliver us from the written codes so we can live every day by the leading of the Spirit. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Romans 6:20-23          "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."          Sin and grace are so different in terms of what they reap and what they result in. Sin reaps shame, while grace reaps sanctification. When grace comes, God will never make us stay the same. It is his desire that we keep growing and getting mature. We used to be the slaves to sin, free from the control of righteousness, following our own heart. It seems to be cool this way, but it actually brings harm to others. Many people who "follow their own heart" would get upset when others also "follow their own heart". Obviously "following one's heart" cannot make people better and let them enjoy more freedom. On the other hand, when we are willing to offer our bodies to the Lord to be the instrument of righteousness, we can be delivered from sin. The Holy Spirit works freely to mold us so that we can become holy and pleasing to the Lord.          Secondly, sin results in death, while grace results in eternal life. Verse 23 says: "for the wages of sin is death". The death here doesn't refer to the physical death, but the spiritual one, which stands for the state where we are completely separated spiritually from God. Nevertheless, God's grace can pour down the resurrecting power of Jesus onto us to awaken our spirit and restore our relationship with God. How different the two results are!  Each result comes from a choice. We need to be responsible for our choice. Many people overlook the process of making choices, so they cannot experience God's victory in their lives.              We need to face different options in our daily life, to be slaves to sin, or to be slaves to righteousness. When troubles come to you one after another, do you choose to be upset and anxious, or to tell your heart to praise God? I remember once Pastor Belinda was sick, so I took the kids from school. When I turned on the tap, only cold water came out. I started to complain in my heart right away. Not only did I complain about the water company, I also complained to God by saying: "Lord, don't I have enough trouble. Now I have to wash dishes with cold water!" The Holy Spirit then reminded me: "Don't you always tell others that the first thing to do every day is to praise God?" I suddenly came back to my senses. After I started to praise instead of complaining, I experienced great deliverance in my heart. Are you willing to choose Jesus and choose life from now on?                Pray with Pastor Tong Liu               Lord, your grace brings power to deliver the captured, blind and oppressed. May you help us to choose obedience every day to follow you instead of the trend in the world. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Romans 6:15-19              "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness."           Our relationship with God is not only under the law, but also under grace. Many people like to wonder whether people would simply commit sin again and again if we put too much emphasis on grace. Actually while you're wondering about the same thing, your relationship with the Lord might still be in the stage under the law. Law asks for action after each command. We have to follow what the law says. But we don't do so out of willingness. The relationship between many believers and God seems to be still at this level. No wonder it is very hard for many people to have spiritual growth, because their relationship with the Lord is merely the cold law. In fact, as someone blessed by God's grace, we have a relationship with the Lord under grace. We are not worthy of God's grace in the first place. But now we are still blessed. How precious and worth thanksgiving it is.          Just like a person deep in debt. Suddenly someone is willing to pay off all his debts. Wouldn't he remember this person's benefaction for the whole life? This kind of commemoration doesn't need either the provision of the law, or requirement from someone. Rather, it is a response out of spontaneity and willingness. Likewise is our relationship with God. After we receive such great grace from God, we want to repay naturally. Therefore, verse 17 says: "you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance."That is the response from the bottom of our heart affecting our daily life, so that we will do our best not to let our benefactor get ashamed, isn't it?               Brothers and sisters, how is your relationship with God? Some of you may be obedient for the law's sake, while others may do so for their reputation and fame in the church. Some may even do so for more benefits. Surely some people are obedient just out of their love for the Lord and their intention to repay God's grace. Which category do you fall into? May the Lord help us offer ourselves willingly after receiving the grace so as to be God's instrument of righteousness until we are sanctified.         Pray with Pastor Tong Liu               Lord,thank you for blessing us with the grace first. We really want to say:"by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect."  May the Lord help us to be able to live for you every day, and become a person that knows to repay the debt of gratitude. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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