Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english John 3:19-21   This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.                  People in sin are unwilling to come into the light because light will expose the sins and darkness in their hearts. The light here is neither the sun nor the lamp lights; it is the light of truth. It's like seeing many insects flee when turning over a large piece of rock in the open country; they felt very comfortable in their own dark damp place and there was no place to hide once they came into the light. When a person is in sin, he does not like to hear the message of judgment, because he was bondage to sin, he always felt he was way better than many, why God should judge him? Are there different shades of sin before God? Light, once here will expose our inner filth.                  Brothers and sisters, do we feel a slight disturbance when we face the truth? If there is a slight disturbance, we may have offences against God that we dare not face. If we walk in truth, we have to get into the light, love the truth, because truth will set us free, no bondage to fear, bringing a full deliverance to our hearts! What types of deliverances? First, it is the deliverance from God's judgment. In the past when we lived in sins, the thought of God's judgment would arouse rejection and fear.  But once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior, and ask Him to wash away our sins, Jesus would bear for us on the cross God's judgment against sins. Our hearts receive full freedom and deliverance before God because Jesus has taken our places.                  On the other hand, it allows us to live among people without fearing rejection. When we are in Jesus Christ, His love has fully accepted us of what we are. No matter how we fear about our life situations, the perfect love in Christ will take away all these fears. Thirdly, we can face the uncertain future. When we think of the road ahead, we hesitate because of the fears in our hearts. But Jesus Christ is our great shepherd, He will lead us and our lives are in His hands. In Him we have no fear! Hallelujah, let us come before the light of truth, let it shine and cleanse us, set our hearts free!                 Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, you are the light of truth, may your light shine upon us, expose the darkness in our hearts.  And set us free from fear, enjoy the joy in Christ. We thank and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english John 3:17-18   For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.                  Many people often misunderstand this bible passage, thinking God is so autocratic. In fact, God has good desires, He sent Jesus Christ to this world to redeem the sinners instead of condemning them. We need to come back before God, to understand His wish that "all may be saved, and none shall perish." We perish not because God is lacking in love or fairness; we stay outside the gate of salvation because of our own choice. We often choose to blame others or the circumstances; we also often choose to treat ourselves as victims, such that bitterness and complaints fill us; besides complaining about others, we also complain about God. But if we often treat ourselves as victims, we indeed would become the true victims; in other words, we are our biggest obstacles.                  God loves us; He will always show mercy on us, He is also waiting to show mercy on us. We fail to come back before Him because of our past misconceptions and life experiences. However, this did not hinder God because His heart has never changed, still looking forward to people's turning before Him. Yesterday, today, and forever, He never changes. Because God has already seen, there is only one way, leaving Him, it's impossible for people to have life and joy. Brothers and sisters, are you walking the ways of God? Many times although we have become believers, we may not necessarily walk in the ways of God, our hearts often blame, complain about God. May God open our eyes, seeing that He is full of love and mercy, always willing to rescue us. Let us go back today! Trust in God again, get close to Him!               Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, we thank you because you love to get close to us; you also call us to turn towards you. Help us turn today, enjoying again the freedom and joy in your salvation. We thank and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english John 3:16   For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.   "God loved the world" actually means "God loved the world so much" in its original text. Here the "world" refers not those people who have received Jesus Christ as their personal savior, it represents all the people in the world that God has already loved even when we were sinners. God has mercy on us even we betrayed and resisted Him. God's love is so great not because we choose Him, but because He first choose us; not because of our good deeds that He favors us, but because the Lord chooses to love us. Human love is finite, conditional, and we only love the lovable ones and those that favor us, but God's love is universal, God loves everyone in this world.   God not only loved the world, He also took actions: He sent His one and only son into this world. Thus Jesus Christ was borne to this world to undergo our weaknesses, and died on the cross to bear God's punishments against our sins. Who so loved us like our God? Who would die for us? But Jesus has died for us; He has died for us even when we were still sinners. Hallelujah!                  How can you reject Him when you think about the love of the Lord? The Lord says here: "that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." God only wants us to believe and receive Him with simple faith; His grace will come upon us regardless of background, expertise or knowledge. May the Lord help us through this short bible verse to think again about His love, that we rededicate our lives to Him, and live for Him!              Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, thank you, because you so loved us. Let us come before you, receive your love, while willingly offering ourselves, to live for you and live out the lives that you love. We thank and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english John 3:9-15   "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."   The Gospel of John especially used the story of Moses lifting up the snake in the desert to foreshadow Jesus Christ being crucified for us, so that whoever believes in him will receive eternal life. At that time, the Israelites were complaining against God in the desert. God sent fiery snakes to bite them. When the Israelites pleaded with God, God commanded Moses to make a bronze snake and lift it up, so that whoever lift up their eyes to gaze at the bronze snake can be healed and restored. This bronze snake symbolizes Jesus Christ because the bronze snake looks like a snake on the outside, but there is no poison on the inside. In the same way, Jesus Christ came into the world to become a man, he has the image of man, but inside he has no sin. Thus, he can become our Savior.    There are a couple of conditions for the Israelite to be healed from the fiery snake bite. First, the person needs to know he got bit. If the person doesn't know he got bit, he doesn't need to lift up his eyes to gaze at the bronze snake. In the same way, when we come before God, if we don't recognize our sins, then there is no way we can come before Jesus Christ. And we won't feel we need to come before Jesus Christ. We need to see the condition of sin that we live in so that we can turn around to come to Jesus Christ. Second, the person needs to know that he can't depend on himself to be saved. The one who was bitten by the fiery snake knows that the only way to be healed is to lift up his eyes to gaze at the bronze snake, as God says. In the same way, for you and me in the midst of sin, we can't depend on our own power to overcome the sin, or depend on any of our good deeds to save ourselves.   Third and finally, the person bitten by the fiery snake needs to gaze by faith. He needs to take the obedient action to look up and gaze to be saved. When we hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, we need to also take such action. We need to turn to Jesus Christ, look up and gaze on him, open up our hearts to receive him to enter into our life. Only when we have this kind of obedient action, can we be saved from the control of sin. Hallelujah! May the Spirit of the Lord help us. May our faith be strengthened by God's word!              Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, you are not only my Savior, but is the Lord of my life. I welcome you to move and work in my life. May your life in me flow out to glorify your holy name. 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 John 3:5-8      Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."   What is born again? It is not to be born again from the mother's womb, but to be born of the water and Holy Spirit. Water refers to God's word. God's word is the foundation of our faith. When we read God's word, it will naturally produce in us the faith from God. The Lord says: "Yet to all who did receive me, to those who believed in my name, I gave the right to become children of God". When we in Christ have this kind of faith, it means we receive the Lord into our life, and the Lord gives us the right to be children of God; In other words, when we by faith receive God's word, it will produce inside of us the life from God.   On the other hand, to be born again is to be born from the Holy Spirit. To be born of the Holy Spirit means to be guided by the Holy Spirit. The reason why we don't feel God's presence is because too often we do things by our flesh and by the will of man, and not depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The "will of man" means human power, influence, and abilities. When a person has human power, influence, and abilities, he may become successful. However, God says: "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit". To live a life depending on the will of man, human power, influence, and abilities means whenever you evaluate a situation, the questions you ask are: "Is it even possible for me to do it? Is my circle of friendships good enough? How much resources and money do I have?" But when you live by depending on the Holy Spirit, the questions you ask are: "Lord! What do you want me to do? What role do you want me to play?"   The question is not "am I able?" The question is "Lord! What do you want me to do?"   Brothers and sisters, in every situation you face, what questions do you ask? Service that is done by the human will always be limited by our self-centeredness. Service that is done by the Holy Spirit will always be able to exceed the limitations of man and fulfill the work of God that is so big and so difficult. May God's Spirit help us. Today we are in God's kingdom. We should do things according to the principles of God's kingdom and depend on God's word and the Holy Spirit. Then we will see God doing great and wonderful things through us!           Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I thank you because you put the new life and the Holy Spirit in me and guide me daily. May you help me to have a sensitive heart to be obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit to live out your likeness. 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 John 3:2-4   He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him."  Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."   "How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!"   When Nicodemus came to look for Jesus, Jesus clearly knew the dilemma deep inside his heart.  That's why Jesus started by answering Nicodemus: "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."  Nicodemus then wondered, does this mean being born again from mother's womb?  Actually, Nicodemus was really hoping that he could re-live his life all over again, differently from this time.   Have you ever thought about what would happen to your life if you could turn back time and start all over again?  We can avoid all the mistakes that we've made before; in other word, living a more perfect life.  But if you think again, even if we could turn back time and start over, how can guarantee that we won't make the same mistakes?  Even if we don't make the same mistakes, who can guarantee that we don't make other mistakes?   Someone once asked me, "Why is it so hard for people to change their habits?"  There's a Chinese saying that "it's easier to shift the landscape than changing someone's nature."  If we honestly face ourselves, we'd agree with what Paul said in the book of Romans, that "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out."  One time I went to the library to check out books, where the rule was that each book can only be checked out for two weeks, after which an extension was needed.  I saw a lady checking out books and took a glance at the book she was extending.  I had great sympathy for the lady, because the name of the book was "quit smoking in five days."  The book's title suggested that one can quit smoking in five days, but apparently even two weeks weren't enough for that lady!   We always have great New Year resolutions, but by the year-end we often find that we accomplished none of the resolutions, yet we did all those things that we didn't want to do!  People are caught in sorrow and worries because we are under the bondage of sin.  What we need is not to turn back the clock, but to have a new life in Jesus Christ!  That's why Jesus Christ said that unless we are born again, we won't be able to enter God's Kingdom.  May God help us to receive the new life in Christ, not to live by depending on our own might any more, but to depend on the Spirit of God!         Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, only you can give us new life and give us new hope!  May the Lord give us a new life, and we ask that the Holy Spirit become our strength so that we may live out the new life.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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