Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Colossians 1:24-25   Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.  I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness.   What was "still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions" according to Paul?  It's not that the work of Christ was not complete; when Jesus was on the cross, He didn't say "I am not completely done, I need to do more," but the Lord said on the cross "it is finished."  God's work of salvation has been completed in the body of Jesus Christ, and all we need to do is to believe and accept.  The "lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions" actually refers to the church.  Church is the body of Christ, so the afflictions that the church encounters on earth are the afflictions of Christ.  Because God's will in His church has not been completed, from this perspective God is still lacking, and that's why He called us to collaborate with Him to build the body of Christ, which is the church.   Church is God's will on earth.  Many have the wrong impression that being a Christian is a personal thing.  Church is a lot of trouble because of all the people there.  Bring the family to church on Sunday is so much trouble because of many things like bad weather, so we might as well just sit at home and enjoy a worship service on TV.  God, however, did not call us to be Christians alone, for the family of God doesn't have orphans or lone children.  God's will is for us to testify for Him and grow together.  You might think the church has problems and imperfections here and there, but that's exactly why Paul said he would like to "fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions."  If Jesus was willing to suffer for us, in the same way we should be willing to suffer for the Lord so that the body of Christ becomes a glorious body.  So how do we fill up for the lacking in Christ's affliction?    First, pray for the church and become a loyal intercessor for the church, just like what Paul said in Ephesians 6:18: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."    Second, love one another at the church.  Most of the issues at church are caused by brothers and sisters unable to work together and forgive each other.  Disharmony between people blocks the flow of the Holy Spirit, and using it the enemy attacks the church and makes it fall apart.  Only if you and I begin to sincerely love one another would the breaks in the wall caused by disharmony be repaired.  Are you willing to begin with yourself?   Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, I thank you because you suffered on the cross for me and accomplished salvation.  I am willing to be part of your afflictions, so I ask you to open my eyes to see what's lacking in the church.  Also, I ask you to give me a willing heart to fill up the areas of lacking through prayer and loving one another.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Philippians 3:4-8   ...But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.   A line in a hymn says: "The greatest thing that happened to me in my life is knowing you."  When I sang this hymn before, I always wondered that isn't getting married or starting a company the greatest thing that may happen to us in life?  How could it be knowing God?  Years later, I finally understand why the Bible says everything in the world and of the world will pass away.  The world is changing, society is changing, and even relationships are changing.  If we establish our values on short-lived things and relationships, we will ultimately be disappointed.  When we really know the love of Jesus, understand His will in our live, and establish our value in Him, then we can find true value of life.  After Paul knew Christ, he constantly compared Christ with what he had pursued before.  It's like comparing a rag with an emperor's robe - there's no comparison!  No wonder Paul talked about "the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."   Do you know the God you believe in?  For many people, faith is merely a set of theological concepts or principles for living.  For some of us, our faith is only a routine, just go to church on Sunday and we're all set!  The reason why many Christians are weak spiritually and in life is because they don't truly understand Lord Jesus, and even TV becomes more attractive than Lord Jesus.  The God you believe in is a loving heavenly father.  He will provide you with all your needs; He's your Savior and He's the same yesterday, today and till eternity!  He can save you today and become your comforter, and He wants to be with you forever.  He's your best friend and He can understand your loneliness, so He will accompany you on your journey of life.  No one can take care of us like the Lord can, and you must come and love Him, spend time to seek Him, and you will understand what Paul meant by "the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."         Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, I thank you because you first know me, and you're even willing to call me a friend, what great love it is!  I ask that you open my eyes and help me to understand how real and precious you are.  Let me come near you today and get to know you more.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Philippians 3:1-3   Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh...   Paul said that those who have received circumcision should put no confidence in the flesh.  It is indeed easy for people to depend on the flesh.  When we have some achievement, we become proud of ourselves, and we feel that God is on our side.  WE also easily boast on spiritual matters.  Some in the church boast that they read the scripture a lot, some boast that they are diligent in helping others, and some boast about their spiritual experience.   So why did Paul teach us not to boast by our flesh?  It's because even though these things might looks "spiritual", if we value them more than we value the will of God, they might actually hinder us from getting closer to God and pleasing Him.  In John 5:39-40, Jesus severely rebuked the Pharisees: "You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."  Pharisees value the scripture, but they boast by their spiritual knowledge; they feel that they are the authority on the scripture, which made them reject the teaching of Jesus.   Paul said that those we have truly circumcised worship God by His spirit, not by their own interest or traditions that never change.  They are willing let the Holy Spirit guide them freely.  "Boast in Christ Jesus" means a person cannot do anything apart from Christ; he needs to constantly depend on Christ but he's afraid of depending on himself.  Are you someone who depends on Christ?  May the Lord help us to lay down the baggage of our body, tradition and experience; let us have a renewed expectation to experience the abundance in Christ.        Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, we thank you because you are the Lord who will do new things.  I am willing to lay down all my baggage, my concepts, traditions and interests.  May the Spirit of the Lord raise me up, let me once again experience how real and abundant you are.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Philippians 2:27-30   Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.   Epaphroditus got really sick in the prison and he almost died.  Through prayer of people and mercy of God, however, he was healed.  Our God is a merciful God.  Isaiah 54:10 says that "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shake, nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you."  One time Jesus was near Jericho; a blind man heard Jesus passing by and cried out: "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  The Bible said that Jesus stopped.  When you cry out for God's mercy by faith, the Lord will surely stop.  Lord asked the blind man: "What do you want me to do for you?"  He said, "I want to see!"  Jesus said, "you can see now, for your faith has saved you!"  The blind man's vision was immediately restored.   Effective prayer doesn't come from eagerly begging God.  Praying to God with eagerness comes out from the helplessness of the body, but not from true faith.  Effective prayer comes from knowledge of God's nature, believing that He is a merciful God, and praying to God by holding on to God's mercy by faith.  Epaphroditus was healed from his sickness, not only because God had mercy on him, but also because God had mercy on Paul.  In other word, God's healing will come to someone not just because the faith of the sick, but also faith in God of the intercessor.  I believe God wants to release the faith for healing through this message.  If you have any illness right now, I invite you to hold on to God's mercy by faith, lay hand on wherever the illness is, and let's pray for it together!       Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, may your mercy come upon all the brothers and sisters.  May you rescue those who are dying from the hands of the enemy.  Turn the weak ones to strong ones, and let them no longer be bound by illness.  May you receive all the glory!  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Philippians 2: 25-26   But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.   Epaphroditus was sent by the Philippian church to serve Paul who was imprisoned, but he got sick as soon as he reached Rome and almost died.  Paul, however, didn't look down on him.  From how Paul addressed Epaphroditus we could tell how much Paul loved him.  First, Paul called him "my brother."  Paul was not proud because he was greatly used by God, and he knew that before God the most important relationship between brothers and sisters is not as coworkers, but brothers and sisters.  Coworkers are distinguished by position and role, brothers and sisters, however, have equal and intimate relationship before God.  As long as we understand this truth, we will not look down on any brother and sister, and we won't allow anything to come between us.   Second, Paul called him a coworker.  From our perspective, the work of Epaphroditus seemed to be quite trivial compared to the mission trips taken by Paul, but Paul didn't look down on him at all.  Paul knew that the work of Epaphroditus was not only for him, but it was done for Jesus Christ.  No matter how trivial a person's work for Jesus is to us, in the eyes of the Lord they are not trivial, and they will be rewarded in heaven.  Lord never look down on any minor work that we do for Him, so how could we look down on them?   Third, Paul called him a fellow soldier, someone Paul fought with.  Anyone who's served in military would know that fellow soldiers are to live and die together; not only do they persevere hardship together, they are also rewarded together.  The biblical principle was rewarding those who fight together it that those who guard the weapons will be rewarded equally as those who fought on the frontline.  In spiritual warfare, every ministry needs to be supplemented and supported by other ministries, and no ministry can claim to be the most important one.  We all belong to the same army with the same commander; we are fighting the same war and we'll receive the same glory from our victory.  How do you regard the brothers and sisters around you?  Are you willing to once again accept them as your brothers, coworkers and fellow soldiers?      Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, I ask for your forgiveness if I've ever looked down on other brothers and sisters.  May the Lord once again open my heart, so that we may accept my brothers and sisters as my brothers, coworkers and fellow soldiers.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Philippians 2:22-24   But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.   Timothy is someone who could labor with Paul.  What did he labor with Paul?  In the work of gospel.  Preaching the gospel cannot depend on famous evangelists, and it must be someone everyone involves in to labor with the Lord.  You might think you are not familiar with the Bible or you don't know what to say, so how could you labor on the work of evangelism?  Actually, preaching the gospel is not just verbal, but more importantly by prayer and by action.   What does it mean to preach the gospel by prayer?  In order for preaching the gospel to be effective, prayer is an essential element.  When the U.S. was fighting the Persian Gulf War, they fought a war in the air before they sent in the army.  Once they had control of the air, battles on the ground becomes easier.  Many believers do not understand the importance of prayer; they directly enter into field of gospel, which is like fighting a close-distance ground battle before having control of the air.  It will surely result in many casualties and lead to defeat!  Through prayer, we can first bind work of the deception and accusations of the enemies in the hearts of the believers.  In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Paul said that "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."  Therefore, never use your inability to speak eloquently as an excuse; when you pray, you are serving in the work of gospel.   What does it mean to preach the gospel by action?  Action speaks louder than words, it is the testimony of action that is the key which convinces people.  Years ago I knew a brother back in Philadelphia.  He accepted the Lord in the U.S., and later he ran into a college friend who was a foe of his back in the college days, when they attacked and slandered each other.  When that happened he really had great struggle inside; on the one hand he felt that since he's a Christian, he should apologize to the person and reconcile with him; on the other hand, he thought that those things happened so long ago it'd be embarrassing and also pointless to apologize.  After much struggles, he gathered courage to go in front of his classmate, held his hand and told him: "I'm sorry, I was wrong before, please forgive me."  The person was so touched that he held the brother and cried.  What a beautiful picture it was!  This picture, however, involves the price of sacrifice!  Are you will to labor with the Lord in prayer and action?     Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, I thank you, for you have shown how important I am in the work of gospel.  May your spirit guide me to open my mouth and pray and open my heart to testify for you.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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