Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english 1 Corinthians 6:1-8   If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother goes to law against another-and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.   Paul mentioned here the principle of settling despites among Christians. Firstly in verse 7 he says that Christians should not sue one another because it is totally inconsistent with the principle of spiritual life. Human beings often emphasize the right and wrong due to the self-centered and self-righteous nature. However, the spiritual principle is different.   In the spiritual life, the emphasis is not about right and wrong, the emphasis in the church is love and denying oneself. Only in love and self-denial can we love one another and support one another. Let me say it again. It is not that right and wrong is not important. I have discovered that arguing about who is right and who is wrong is only to prove one's self-righteousness. When this happens, the church suffers because the church is divided. Pray that God will help us see that this is not the heart of Christ Jesus. The Lord gave Himself for us. He suffered much wrong for us so that the great work of redemption may be accomplished in our lives. Today you and I have to follow the example of Christ's love, and love one another.   It says here why not rather be wronged for the Lord. This does not mean blindly suffering wrong. Paul was referring to disputes among believers in this passage. If the dispute is not between believers or is between believers and non-believers, you can definitely take them to court. However, when it comes to dispute among the Christians, we should come to church pastor and seek God's guidance for a fair and just way to resolve the dispute. I believe that the Spirit of God will guide us in the path to take. If the dispute still cannot be resolved, and needs to go back to legal system, that is fine too. The real principle behind this is, as Christians, we should not defraud others, and especially, not defraud our brothers and sisters in Christ.    Pray with Pastor Tong Liu          Lord, we pray you will remind us once again that you have given yourself for us to accomplish the great salvation in our lives. Pray Lord that you will help us follow your example of suffering. Let us be willing to seek your guidance and wisdom in resolving any conflicts we have with other believers within the church. We thank you and 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 1 Corinthians 5:9-13   I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."   Paul specifically mentioned here that the church has the responsibility to deal with the problem of morality within the church. But we also know that in this entire chapter, while Paul mentioned that we need to confront the sinner, he also mentioned that in the process, there is a key principle, which is not to condemn. When we do so, on the one hand, we destroy his sinful nature, on the other hand, his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.   In other words, we need to ask God to help us help us to restore the sinner to Himself. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He rebuked sin, but He loved the sinners. No matter where He went, when He went into the city, he was together with sinners, and was looking for sinners. Even the Pharisees thought that it was ridiculous that Jesus was always among the sinners. Jesus hated sin, but loved sinners.   But the church today often rushes to convict others, without the mercy or love of Christ. When the Lord was on earth, he saw many who were lost, like sheep without a shepherd, and He had compassion on them. This is because it is easy to pass judgment, but it is hard to restore. When I see how the church deals with the weak, or preachers who have stumbled, I am sad to say there is sometimes no love in the church. It seems that the church is also a place where only the fittest survive and the weak ones are purged. I have a deep prayer in my heart: Lord have mercy on us, so that the church is never a place of condemnation, but a place of healing and restoration for the weak, because this is the heart of God. Ask the Lord to help each one of us, so that we do not rebuke others, but learn to show the love of God in our daily lives so that we may cause those in sin to repent, and restore the weak.    Pray with Pastor Tong Liu          Lord, we thank you again because your will is not to condemn us, but it is to restore us. May your mercy and love once again fill our hearts, so that in the body of Christ, we may learn to love and support each other, and grow spiritually in Christ. We thank you and 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 1 Corinthians 5:6-8   Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast-as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.   A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough. Do not think that there is nothing wrong with a bit of boasting. In fact, boasting is a sign of pride. The Bible mentions that pride is the root of all evil. It causes our heart to stray from God and we become dependent on ourselves instead of being dependent on God. Pride causes us to lift ourselves up above others and disregard others. All of this comes as a result of the fall. When Eve sinned, by eating of the fruit of the tree, it was because she wanted to be equal with God. When men built the Tower of Babel, it was for them make a name for themselves. Such is the result of sin.   As such, Paul said that boasting is not good. The old leaven represents self-centered and self-exaltation. No matter how much we disguise it on the outside, the old leaven would ultimately cause our hearts to stray away from God and separate us from God as well as cut off our relationship with others. But thanks be to God, Jesus Christ is the Passover Lamb. He died on the cross for us, to save us from our sins and rescue us from our sinful nature. The Passover brought two benefits for the Israelites: first, to bring the salvation of the people of Israel, to rescue them from the judgment of God; and second after the Passover, the Israelites were released from their Egyptian slave masters, the true freedom. During the Passover, the Israelites had blood painted on their doorframes. When the destroyer saw the blood on the doorframes, they could not crossover to kill the Israelites' firstborn.   Therefore, this blood has rescued Israel from the judgment of God, so that they may have freedom. In the same way today, Jesus Christ is the Passover lamb who will rescue us from the judgment of God, and set our spirit free. As such, Paul said those of us who believe should get rid of the old yeast, and no longer live in a self-centered and sinful way. The life of Christ is new bread without yeast, which is to live for Christ and have a Christ-centered life. May the Lord help us to rise up and live a life that manifest Jesus Christ daily.    Pray with Pastor Tong Liu          Lord, thank you that we no longer live among the old yeast, but we live in the new yeast. Pray that this yeast will rise so that the life of Jesus Christ may be manifested in our lives. We thank you and 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 1 Corinthians 5:1-5   It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.      When a man commits a crime, his first reaction is typically to run away. We do not want to face the problem we should face, and we do not want to face the consequences of the evil we have committed. As such, Adam's first reaction after he sinned was to go into hiding. When God asked, "Adam, where are you?", God obviously knew where to find Adam. Adam thought that by hiding, the evil will leave him. However, hiding for a period of time would not really solve the problem. This is true in our lives as well. Sometimes we know that we have to find courage to face something, or change someone, but often times, we end up running away. When we take communion, we cannot think of any sins to confess because we are running away from it in our hearts as well. We do not want to change ourselves. As such, we do not come before God to seriously consider what it is that we need to change.   Similarly, the church often runs away from the problem it should face. There was someone in the Corinthian church who had relationship with his stepmother. However, the church did not deal with. Why? Perhaps they were afraid of the consequences of dealing with this matter. They were afraid that some people may get upset, and in the process of dealing with this matter, there may be changes in the status or the authority for some people in the church. However, the truth is, we have neglected one thing in all of this: we should not fear man, but God   Pray that the Lord will help us, to have the courage to face up to our sins and to be willing to confess and change. Let us have the courage to face up to the consequences of sin, to repent and to be restored. Therefore, in verse 5, Paul teaches us, when rebuking sin, the purpose is not to ruin the person, but to bring the spirit of the man back to God so that he may be saved. Pray that God will give us such a mentality, so that we can please God within the church.    Pray with Pastor Tong Liu          Lord, once again we thank you because you are a God of compassion. When you rebuke us of our sins and deal with our sins, your purpose is to have us turn back to you. Pray that you will help us respond to your grace and walk in purity. We thank you and 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 1 Corinthians 4:17-21   For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. ...I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?   In this passage, Paul stressed on one thing: Words don't matter as much as power in the Kingdom of God. It doesn't mean that words are not important; we need to preach the way of the Kingdom of God, but we also need to have power. When power of the Holy Spirit is manifested, people will have to submit to it. What kind of power was Paul talking about?   First, the power to overcome sin and make sinners repent. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes, "He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment." Each time I lead evangelistic meetings, I am always amazed how hearts of people submit to God and repent when God's word is preached. Those who were walking in the darkness or trapped in sin are now turning back to the Lord because of the power of the Gospel. One time when I preached in Africa, I went to a Muslim tribe that was dangerous for us to go and no one has preached there yet. Coworkers nervously told me that the policemen responsible for security didn't show up either, but I told them that I'll preach anyways. While I was preaching, I could feel that the hearts of people were closed and all my words were bounced back. I preached and prayed by faith at the same time, and so did my coworkers. After preaching, I made an altar call by faith, and amazingly more than 50 villagers came forward to accept Jesus as their savior! Hallelujah! God's word and His Kingdom indeed has power to make sinner repent.   Second, the power to overcome death. Jesus came to the world and was nailed to the cross for you and me. He resurrected from death and completely destroyed all the authority of death. Those of us living in the world and fearing death can now overcome it because of Jesus. We also no longer have fear in our daily life because God's Kingdom can deliver us from all fears. When people see God's power manifested, their hearts will turn back to Him!    Pray with Pastor Tong Liu          Lord, I thank you and praise you. You Kingdom is not only words, but also power. We ask that you make us humble so that we may become channels for your Kingdom through which you will release your power. 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 1 Corinthians 4:14-16   I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.                                          Paul has reminded us here that it is easy to be guardians, or teachers, on our spiritual journey to serve God, and that's why he said that "even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers."   Teachers like to pass on their knowledge. Chinese people in particularly value the transfer of knowledge and concept of being scholarly. We believe the knowledge is extremely important, so members of Chinese churches like to attend training sessions and Sunday school, thinking that as long as we are trained we are all set to go. The reality, however, is never that straight forward. It's easy to pass on knowledge, but it takes time and effort to pass on life. We often overlook the passing on of life, but the Bible clearly tells us that knowledge will only make us proud and arrogant. The more knowledge we have, the more we think we are capable; the more knowledge we have, the less we think of others. When we have a ton of knowledge inside, we think we are more spiritual, and it leads us to not only become more proud, but also make us judge and criticize others.   When a church is filled with teachers, it is may also be filled with criticism and judgment, because teachers like to stress on right and wrong. It's certainly important to differentiate between right and wrong, but it will not truly build up a life. Paul said that "even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers;" fathers treat others like their children; it involved sharing of life and acceptance. It's not just about right and wrong, but it's a connection that builds a relationship.   Fathers are entirely different from teachers. Teachers value what's right and wrong, but fathers value the relationship and understands that building up of life is a long-term process. May God help us, let us becomes fathers, not just teachers, in the church. Let us value the importance of building lives and relationships, so that the church may be filled with the love of Christ. We will only have no fear if we are in love, and we can only grow to maturity if we are in love. May God help us to become fathers in Him!    Pray with Pastor Tong Liu          Lord, I ask that you once again have mercy on us. We often like to be teachers and we judge others on what's right or wrong, thinking that it makes us spiritual. Lord, we want to be the fathers who can pass on life and build up relationships, so that your will may be done. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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