Friday, August 31, 2012

Daily Devotion

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

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

 

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

 

Paul says the coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sort of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie. In the spiritual realm, the work of evil spirits can be very effective too. In the past, when I was preaching in villages in Taiwan, the villagers will tell me how effective it is to pray in certain temples. There are thieves who would go to that temple to pray because when they pray to that particular god, they will not be caught stealing. I thought to myself, is your faith only based on whether something comes true?

 

True faith is about whether something is consistent with the truth or not. 1 John 4:1 says, "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. In this generation, there are a lot of false prophets. Hence, we can see that the work of the evil spirits can be effective too. We need to be able to discern whether something is from God or from the devil. A true religion needs to be balanced between truth and reality, and cannot be separated. Many traditional churches only focus on preaching the Word, turning God's Word into legalism, hence causing their faith to be without power. If there is no power to heal or to set free, the law becomes something that keeps people in bondage. I once read a book titled "Walking out of Christianity". The author did not want people to walk out of Christianity, but wanted Christians to walk out of the legalism. In the past, he was held in bondage by all kinds of church regulations and he thought that he had walked out of Christianity. The truth is he has merely walked out of the legalism.

 

The church today faces a big crisis, which is the focus on the truth more than the focus on God. Of course, we cannot emphasize on signs and wonders because experiences can be misleading and we often see many incidents which do not line up with the truth, which brings about the wrong results. True faith needs to worship the true God. This true God is a God who has the truth as well as the ability to change the reality. May the Lord change our hearts so that we will return to Him, to read His Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit, experience the reality of the power of God's Word so that people may surrender to Christ Jesus.

      

Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     

   

Lord, you are not only the God of truth, but the God over reality. Your Word brings power and will not return void. May the Lord help us to experience the reality and truth of your Word each day. Help us to walk out of legalism and a faith that is based solely on experience. Let our faith be active and full of life. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen! 

 

 

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River of Life Christian Church | 1177 Laurelwood Rd. | Santa Clara | CA | 95054

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Daily Devotion

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

2 Thessalonians 2: 5-8

 

Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

 

Paul specifically mentioned here the barriers caused by the "man of lawlessness" or the anti-Christ, in particular the barriers to the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can change the hearts of men and turn them towards Jesus Christ as well as lift up the victorious power of Christ. On the other hand, when the power of Christ is lifted up, the work of the enemy cannot move forward. Hence the work of the Holy Spirit is to stop the work of the anti-Christ. The Holy Spirit will continuously work in the hearts of men to bring them to repentance. Once the work of the Holy Spirit stops, men will not have the opportunity to be forgiven, and are prone to the attacks from the spirit of the anti-Christ. Hence, Jesus once said, "Every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." When a person blasphemy against God, he can repent for it when the Holy Spirit touches him; However, when a person blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will no longer touch him and he will not have the opportunity to be saved.

 

Before Paul was saved, his name was Saul. On his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians there, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. Paul blasphemed against God and persecuted Christians before he came to know the Lord. However, on the road to Damascus, the light of the Holy Spirit shone upon him and led him to repentance, turning him towards Jesus Christ. Later on, he became a Christian and became one of the apostles of the kingdom of God. When the light of the Holy Spirit shone, Paul was touched and he repented and his sins were forgiven. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is at work in this generation and throughout the world. We see a huge harvest of God around the world. The work of the devil was being blocked and limited by the Holy Spirit. However, when the work of the Holy Spirit ceases, the power and the spirit of the anti-Christ will start to manifest and lure the hearts of men away. But praise be to God, He promises that when He returns, the work of the devil will be destroyed. The light of glory on His second coming will eliminate all darkness. Hallelujah! This is the hope that we have in Christ. May God help us to hold fast to this hope in our daily lives and depend on the work of Holy Spirit in order to preach the gospel.

      

Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     

   

Lord, thank you that you allow us to depend on you and believe in you. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who gives us the opportunity to share the gospel and reap the harvest. Help us Lord to seize the opportunity and work hard to preach the gospel so that others may come to know you. Because when the time comes and the work of the Holy Spirit ceases, the spirit of the anti-Christ will be at work. But one day, you will return and destroy the work of the devil. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen! 

 

 

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River of Life Christian Church | 1177 Laurelwood Rd. | Santa Clara | CA | 95054

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Daily Devotion

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

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

 

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Paul once again prayed and blessed for the church of Thessalonica. First, he asked God to fulfill their "every good purpose." It's the good purpose that they were lacking and also longing for. It's a necessity in life to seek for good purpose, so that we may bear fruit of the Spirit from our life. By our own body we absolutely won't be able to live out the form of Christ; however, there's a desire inside us to be more like Christ, so that we may completely belong to God. We cannot achieve it by our own might, but rather by the power of the Spirit. All that we can do is to come before God and acknowledge that we are inadequate. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to come and work inside us, and welcome Him to come and help us bear fruit of the Spirit. Also, we need to allow God's hand to shape our life, to remove the impurities from us so that we can become cleaner. In addition, we need to life our voice to praise God daily, for the Bible says that "your strength will equal your days." When you start your day with praising God, your day will be filled with strength, and it'd be easier for you bear the fruit of the Sprit. When we depend on the power of the Holy Spirit, we may accomplish all of our good purpose.

 

Second, the power of God will accomplish all the acts prompted by our faith, which refer to our ministry. When we are willing to expand God's Kingdom, we need to act by faith, and faith requires paying a price. Book of James says that "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." We can't just sit around and talk; if we have faith, we must step out and act courageously. When we step out and take action by faith, we must believe that the Holy Spirit will work and bring out the effectiveness of the gospel, and more people will turn back to God. May God help us to experience His power in our daily life!

      

Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     

   

Lord, I thank and praise you, because you are the God who can accomplish all things with your mighty power. You can accomplish every good purpose and every act by faith of ours with your might. So we ask that you help us to experience you might in our daily life. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

 

 

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River of Life Christian Church | 1177 Laurelwood Rd. | Santa Clara | CA | 95054

Monday, August 27, 2012

Daily Devotion

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

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10

 

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

 

Verse six says: "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled." This verse revealed to us that God will seek retribution against the evil one, for He is a God of vengeance. God is the same God in Old and New Testaments, for He has never changed. He is loving, just and His nature never changes. It's like the story of three blind men and an elephant, where each of the blind men's understanding for God was based on their own feeling for it. In the same way, God in the Old Testament gives people the impression of harshness, while God in the New Testament feels more loving and kind. God, however, will revenge against the evil one, and revenge against those who impose hardship on us. We need to, therefore, pray for American, for America is a country that fears God. May God reveal His righteousness, justice and presence in this country and May God also reveal the ploys and attacks from the evil one, so that the world would know God stands with America. The nation must obey Jehovah God, for He is a true and living God and the everlasting king.

 

Brothers and sisters, let us pray that God's righteousness and justice will be revealed. In this world of darkness, may all people become fearful of the true God. Let us witness how the kingdom of light eternally overcomes the kingdom of darkness, and how the authority of light overcomes the authority of darkness. May God's justice prevail!

      

Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     

   

Lord, I once again give you praise and thanks, because not only are you a loving God, you are also a righteous God, for you will revenge against those who give us hardship. May you reveal your righteousness and justice, so that the world would know that you the only true and living God. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

 

 

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

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Daily Devotion

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

 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5


...We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

 

Paul praised the church of Thessalonica here, saying that they were "worthy of the kingdom of God." Paul gave thanks to God for three things. First, in order to be worthy of the kingdom, our faith must keep on growing. When we come before God, not only should we believe in God, but we must believe that God rewards those who seek Him. Faith is not a feeling, but an action, the action to follow God's word. When you receive God's word and follow it by faith, you will see how God fulfills His promises according to His faithfulness, and your faith will start to grow. For example, in the case of tithing, it is a lesson of faith. When you offer one tenth of your income, you will find that God will provide for all your needs according to His promise, and your faith will grow accordingly.

 

Next, we must have testimony of love. Those who follow the Lord must have testimony of love. We can't just claim that we love the Lord, because the Bible says that "...For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." Many people say they'll follow the Lord and love the Lord, but they are unwilling to forgive and accept one another at the church. We need to come before God, ask Him to help us not to just love God and follow Him by faith, but also to love brothers and sisters abundantly. When others witness the love among us, they will be convinced to follow Jesus Christ and give Him all the glory.

 

Third, we must persevere in suffering. God does tests us; in the Old Testament, God asked Abraham to bring Isaac to Mount Moriah because He wanted to test Abraham; Israelites were in the wilderness for forty years because God wanted to test them; in the New Testament, in the miracle of five loaves and two fish, the Lord wanted to test Philip. God does allow us to go through suffering in various circumstances in order to test our faith in Him. May god let us keep our perseverance and faith, continue to depend on God, and believe that He will ultimately lead us to overcome all the hardship. May God help you and me to be "worthy of the kingdom of God" in our daily life.

   

Finally, He is a faithful God. Because of His faithfulness, He can surely protect us, help us to accomplish holiness, grant us peace, and make us holy. God can lead us according to His promises, so we ought to let Him accomplish His work in us.

      

Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     

   

Lord, I thank you for putting the church of Thessalonica before us as an example. May the Lord help us to grow our faith, have abundant love and persevere through suffering in our daily life, so that you may be greatly satisfied with our lives. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

 

 

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

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Daily Devotion

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

1 Thessalonians 5:23-28

 

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss....

 

The key of effective prayer is to pray based on knowledge of God and through following God's nature. When you learn to pray to God through understanding His nature, He has no choice but to listen. Thus, this is the key for answered prayer - If you understand God's nature and hold on to it while you pray, He will answer your prayer.

 

Paul mentioned about three aspects of knowledge of God. First, He's the God who delivers peace. God always plans to prosper us, not harm us. When you understand this, you will bravely entrust your life to His hands and let God guide you, and you'd be glad to let Him work in your life. The greatest doubt we can have in our life toward God is to question whether He will give us the best. Thus, we often plan our own life with our own strength. May God help us to know how to entrust ourselves in His hands, because we know that He's the God who grants us peace.

 

Second, He is the God who can make us holy. Not only in spirit, but He can sanctify our body and soul. The precious blood that Jesus shed on the cross can cleanse us. The blood of Jesus can cleanse us in many ways. First, the precious blood of Christ can cleanse our sins. When we repent for our sins, God is faithful and just, so He will forgive our sins and wash away our trespasses. Second, the blood will wash away our sense of guilt. Even though we know that our sins can be forgiven in heaven, we are still pressured by our sense of guilt and cannot forgive ourselves. Let us bring the sense of guilt before you and let God wash it away with the Lord's precious blood. Third, the blood will wash away the wounds others caused us. In our life there are wounds brought about by others, and they often impact our life tremendously. We need to bring all these things before the Lord and let the precious blood of Christ make us completely sanctified.

 

Finally, He is a faithful God. Because of His faithfulness, He can surely protect us, help us to accomplish holiness, grant us peace, and make us holy. God can lead us according to His promises, so we ought to let Him accomplish His work in us.

    

Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     

   

Lord, I thank you because you are the God of peace, and you know what's best of us. Please help us to become holy because you are a holy God; cleanse our body, soul and spirit, and help us to understand that your precious blood can make us holy. May your faithfulness be with us always. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!


 

 

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