Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Matthew 8:1-4   When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosycame and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."   Back then, leprosy was considered a disease of uncleanness. In fact, all the leprosy patients must live outside of town and cannot enter in town center. In the Old Testament law, even those who are touched by lepers are also unclean. Therefore, when the leper went to Jesus, he was truly desperate. He might be thinking it was impossible for him to be healed, but he still wanted to give it a try. So, he might have been surprised when Jesus said "be clean!" From this story, it is evident that the Lord is willing to heal our disease!   I used to think that God only heals in exceptional cases. If God doesn't say He's going to heal, how could I pray for the patient? Therefore, in my early days as a pastor, I didn't pray for patients often, because I didn't know that it's God's will to heal. In the recent years, God showed me that healing is a fundamental part of God's will. When a sinner comes before God to confess his sins and repent to turn back to God, not only will his sins be forgiven, God is also willing to heal all his diseases. Psalm 103:3 says that God is "who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases." God didn't say that He will forgive all our sings and some of our diseases, but ALL of our diseases. God is willing to forgive our sins, and also heal our diseases.   Therefore obviously cases where we are not healed. First, there are exceptions when God wants to train you with diseases in your life. Paul prayed three times for the thorn in his body, but God didn't remove it, because God wanted to use this thorn to train him. We must praise God for these cases because His grace will always be sufficient for us. Second, your days on earth are about to end. The Lord may want to take us back to our heavenly home; our body will change to be like the glorious resurrected body of Christ. It is our ultimate healing - We'll get rid of our death-bound body and enter the glory of God. Therefore, I am more than willing to pray for patients; as long as the Lord doesn't say He won't heal, I will pray for all kinds of patients until we see the Spirit of God move in the patients to perform wonderful work of healing. May God place such faith insides us because He is both willing and ready          Pray with Pastor Tong     Brothers and sisters, if you are in any kind of disease, I ask that you lay hand on wherever the disease is right now. The Lord's blood will cover everyone - Not only forgive all sings, but also heal all diseases. In the victorious name of Jesus Christ I rebuke all diseases and ask them to leave now, so that we will be complete. 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 Matthew 7:24-29   "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.     We are always seeking to feel secured in the world, aren't we? We want to have job security and financial security; we want to be secured after retirement, and we keep on thinking what would happen if our future is not secured. Chinese people like to think and plan for the worst scenario; we like to save money, invest or buy insurance, but few people actually think about whether their spiritual future is secured. When people read this scripture passage, they only read about the wise man versus foolish man, rock versus sand, but they overlook the basic truth here: No matter whether a person is wise or foolish, they'll encounter rain, stream and wind in their lives. No matter how wise or foolish, or how godly or ignorant one is, they'll always encounter many storms in their lives that are allowed to happen by God.   We like to ask "why" when we encounter them, but God seldom answer the question of why. Instead, God is using this question to ask us: During the storms in your life, how is the foundation of your spiritual life? As soon as people hear this question, they will pick up a Bible and say, "the foundation of spiritual life is the Bible!" But the Lord said that only those who heard His word and put them into practice are the ones who built their house on a foundation of rock. A preacher once said: "it's not enough to own a Bible - you must read it. It's not enough to read a Bible - you must let is speak to you. It's not enough to let the Bible speak to you - you must trust God's word. It's not enough to trust God's word - you must live it out." At which stage if your devotional life - Are you a the first phase, where you just own a Bible, or are you already living out of God's word? May God help us, not just own a Bible, but actually read it. May the Holy Spirit shine upon us and let us understand God's will, and may God give us courage to live out His word in our daily life.         Pray with Pastor Tong     Lord, we ask you to help us to see that we must have a solid spiritual foundation in our life. Give us a heart that is eager for your word, willing to follow your word, and to live it out. 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 Matthew 7:21-23   "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"   May God help us not just to see the outside of those who serve the Lord. God values the servants much more than the work assigned to the servants. He values how the life of a servant is shaped. People often only see the outcome on the outside and determine whether the servant is godly, but when God looks at the servant He looks at the inside.   This is evident from comparing David and Saul. From human perspective, David committed adultery and indirectly murdered someone. How could someone like that ever enter the kingdom of God? Saul was actually not a bad king and he rules the country well, but the Bible praised David because he was a man after God's heart. God saw David's inside; David repented for his sins and turned back to God and cried out to God. Saul, however, committed sin but never dared to accept his own failures, and used all kinds of excuses to blame on others. God values how a life is shaped; even though some people can perform miracles, it's wrong to just focus on the miracles because enemy can also perform miracles. Verse 21 clearly says that the condition for entering God's kingdom is that you become "one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." In other word, it's not critical whether miracles are performed, but whether one understands and follows the will of God.   Some people quote this passage when they oppose signs and wonders, which is wrong. The passage is often used to criticize the validity of miracles by those who don't understand the complete truth of God. They use partial truth based on self-righteousness to criticize the signs and wonders performed by others. Actually, this passage means that if one wants to enter the kingdom of God, he must understand the will of God and be willing to follow it. No matter whether one performs miracles or not, if he doesn't follow God's will, he will not enter the kingdom of God. May God help us, let us be reminded through this passage that God values the most how our life is built up and shaped when we are serving Him. May God receive the greatest glory through our lives!         Pray with Pastor Tong     Lord, we thank you because you value and also shape our lives. Help us to fix our eyes on you and what you what to do. In our daily life, let us not just value the outside, but instead our life inside you, and help us to follow your will. 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 Matthews 7:13-14     "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.      Lord said that the door to eternal life is narrow.  Why is it narrow?  Because if it by our flesh, we will not prefer it.  Jesus says, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.' The road of cross is a road that denies oneself. It feels narrow because if by our own will, none of us is willing to follow. Why does it feel so narrow?  Because people are self-centered, which is the origin of sins.  Had we not followed the Lord, and still lived in the past with ourselves as the center, no matter how wide our road is, it eventually will lead to destruction.  So the Lord says in verse 13, 'wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction'. A man can live according to his flesh, walking down a wide path, a path that look as if everyone can walk down.  However, down this path, the conflicts brought upon by our self-centered behavior will lead us to the road of destruction.        On the contrary, when one walks down on a narrow path, at first he feels that the road is too narrow, because it is painful to abandon his own will.  As he keeps walking, he will find a road that gets wider and wider.  He starts to understand God's will on all things. His inner path gets wider and wider. The road of denying ourselves starts out a road of sacrifice.  But it ends at the road towards glory.   As Lord said, "unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."  Our Lord has walked on the path that denied Himself, and died for us on the cross.  By His sacrifice, a new and living way opened for us.  He's leading His sons and daughters to enter God's glory.    The road of the cross is the road to victory, narrow at first. But it gets wider and wider, brighter and brighter. The road of self-centeredness starts wide but gets narrower and narrower, darker and darker.  We face this choice daily - should I follow the path in my heart, or should I follow the path that denies myself?  We pray that Lord helps us to make the right selection, choose to deny ourselves and walk towards the path to glory.           Pray with Pastor Tong     Lord, thank you for sacrificing yourself for us, leading us to a path of glory.  We pray that you help us understand how to deny ourselves in our daily lives, so that we can experience your victory in us.  This road starts out narrow, but you will lead us into a wider and wider path.  May you give us confidence and strength to follow you. Prayer in the victorious name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

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Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Matthew 7:15-20 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.    The Lord taught us how to discern false prophets by the fruits they bear.  Fruit means a few things: First, what truth they teach, whether their teaching complies with the complete truth.  Some teaches partial truth.  For example, some keep emphasizing the time the Lord will turn.  But Bible clearly teaches that no one knows the time that the Lord will come. So anyone who prophets the time the Lord will come is not conforming to the complete truth.  We must judge whether the truth they are teaching conforms to the whole truth of the Bible.   Second, their life testimony.  Are they living according to their own teachings?  Not only that, do they live according to the complete teaching of God?  Some people may live according to what's been taught.  However, their behaviors are full of judgment of others, conviction of others. Their lives do not reflect the whole truth of God.  When you see these people, you must observe whether they try to help others selflessly, or whether they convict others' sins day and night to boast their righteousness. Do they try to glorify themselves? Or do they try to empathize with others? To discern what they are, we need to see their testimony in life.      Third, the people they lead.  Although students are not above their teacher, when you look at the people they lead, it reflects the teachings of their teacher.  Look at how their disciples live, you can see whether their teacher's teaching is coming from God or not.  May God help us by giving us the wisdom of discernment. At time that is, which is full of heresies and false teachings, many people use the words in Bible to confuse others.  May God give us sufficient wisdom to discern the truth, so that we can stand upright in this wicked time and be a glorious witness.          Pray with Pastor Tong     Oh Lord, may you give us sufficient wisdom to discern what is from you and what is from our enemies among all the teachings. Let us know your words well and help us to stand firmly on the foundation of truth, so that we may resist accusations and attacks from evil doers, and live a victorious life daily.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

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Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Matthew 7:9-12     "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.     It should be very comforting and reassuring for you to know that there is a loving Father in heaven who is glad to give good gifts to you!  You shall not worry about your daily needs. It is like my children when they go shopping with me, they don't need to bring much money with them.  Every time when they see something they want to buy, they say, "Dad, I want this!"  As a father, although I am not very wealthy, I always try my best to buy what they want.  When we ask God, won't He give us even better?       We are far from perfectly.  And yet we know to give good gifts to our children.  Won't our heavenly Father give us even better gifts?  When you have such faith, you can surely come to God and ask with freedom and confidence.  Although sometimes the way God works is different than what we thought, His ways are always higher than our ways, and His thoughts are always higher than our thoughts. When we come to God to lean on Him, we should surely know that at this moment, He will personally give us the good gifts according to His wonderful will.        Do you live in worries?  Do you have many burdens in life that are difficult to put down?  Just ask for God's help!  Bring your heavy burdens and worries to God.  Believe that He is the Heavenly Father, and He will provide you with everything you need         Pray with Pastor Tong     Lord, I thank you because you are my loving Heavenly Father.  All things are in your hands and in Christ.  Let us once again look upon you and put down all our heavy burdens.  May your Spirit bring peace and joy to our lives.  May you listen to our prayer and provide for us according to your wonderful will.  Thank you and prayer in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

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