Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english

Romans 10:17-21

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.  But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: 'Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.'..."

"The message is heard through the word of Christ."  There are two distinct words that describe the word of God, "logos" and "rhema."  Logos means any word spoken by God, including the whole Bible, but the word used in this passage is not logos, but rather rhema, which means specific words spoken by God in specific circumstance.  Logos refers to the word that God has spoken before, and rhema is word that God is speaking right now.  In all the choices in life, how do we have the faith to know that we are choosing God's way?  Not only do we need to understand God's logos - what He has spoken before - but more importantly we need to come before Him to seek His rhema - what He wants to tell us now.  Once we have rhema, we will have peace and assurance inside us, and we naturally will have more faith.

When I was considering whether to enter full-time ministry many years ago, my greatest struggle was that I thought it was also good to remain in lay ministry.  At that time, I just couldn't convince myself to take the step forward into full-time ministry.  Even though a pastor kept on telling me that he thought God was calling me into full-time ministry, but I couldn't see the same thing, so I waited before God and asked Him to give me a confirmation.  God led to read Exodus 8:25-27, where Pharaoh didn't allow Israelites to leave Egypt and told them: ""Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land."  But Moses responded to him, " but Moses told him: "We must take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, as he commands us."  When I read these two passages, suddenly all the hindrance and dilemma in my mind disappeared.  I understood that my job was my Egypt, and God wanted me to leave my work post to go where He wanted me to serve Him.  This scripture passage became the confirmation of my faith, which is my rhema.  When we make decision every day, so we have God's rhema?  If not, you need to wait and seek Him, because true faith is not established on feeling or circumstance, but on the word of God.

    

Pray with Pastor Tong Liu                  

Lord, please use your word to guide us and affirm our faith.  Let our faith be established not on the changing things of the world, but on your word.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

This email was sent to devotion1.withpastortong@blogger.com by edevotion@rolcc.net |  
River of Life Christian Church | 1177 Laurelwood Rd. | Santa Clara | CA | 95054

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