Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 24:18-24   One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, 'Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?'  'What things?' he asked.  'About Jesus of Nazareth,' they replied.  'He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.  The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.  In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.  Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.'   These two disciples were sad because they were focusing on the worries inside themselves, and they didn't expect Jesus to reveal to them at that time to speak to them.  When Jesus asked them what they were discussing, they started pouring out to this stranger.  When we face all types of difficulties, pressure and choices in our life, we often focus on our own worries, but we forget that the Lord is always with us.  These two disciples not only had dizzy eyesight, but they also had slow faith; they have heard about the resurrection of Jesus, but didn't really believe it.  They even brought up the opposing testimony that some of them went up to check out the grave but didn't find Jesus there.   The death of Jesus on the cross didn't lessen their love for Jesus, but made them lose hope.  Verse 21 says that they have always hoped that Jesus was the one who would redeem the nation of Israel, but after Jesus died their hope was gone; even when they heard about the resurrection of Jesus, they didn't think it was possible.  Actually, many believers have the same thoughts today; rationally, they believe that Jesus resurrected from death, but in daily life they are bound by reality and don't understand the work of God, and don't sincerely expect God's work.  During an Easter service, a sister presented a hymn beautiful, and she sang "Christ Jesus, He is still alive today, He walks with me and talks with me...."  Everyone was deeply touched by the hymn, and afterwards a senior sister went to talk to this sister, asked her what Jesus actually talked to her about.  The sister who sang answered that she was just singing it and there's no need to take it seriously.  I hope in faith we won't become like the two disciples.  May the Lord have mercy on us, let us know for sure that God is always with us, and we can receive God's grace today.    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I thank you because you are the God who's always with us.  Let us not be confused and slow, so that I can enter your presence and walk with you today.  I thank you and I pray with the victorious name of Jesus, amen.

Forward email This email was sent to devotion1.80jifijfno9858hniods@blogger.com by edevotion@rolcc.net |   Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | About our service provider. River of Life Christian Church | 1177 Laurelwood Rd. | Santa Clara | CA | 95054

Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 13-17   Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.  They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.  As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.  He asked them, 'What are you discussing together as you walk along?'  They stood still, their faces downcast.    There is only one short week from Palm Sunday to Easter, so it's conceivable that if Jerusalem had newspapers back then, then story of Jesus Christ would have been headline news everyday.  Everyone on the street would have been talking about what's happening, but no one would know what was going to happen, not even the disciples.  They knew Jesus and so they followed Him, but things are different now.  Jesus was arrested and put on trial, then nailed on the cross, and even worse was that his corpse was gone.  The two disciples looked sat because they really didn't where Jesus was.   When we hear the testimonies of the spiritual giants, and the wonderful acts by God in the Bible, we typically think those are the things of the past.  God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who are all ancient characters.  We are in a different day and age now, so where is God today?  When we read the Bible or hear the testimonies, we think of God has a God of the past; we know Jesus will come and we'll be with Him forever, which will be wonderful, but that's in the future like a blurry wish.  Where is our God today?   Our Lord is not just the God of the past and the future, but also our God today.  When we are facing all kinds of pressure and difficulties in life, we thirst and seek for God's guidance and presence with us.  The Lord, however, will often speak to us and be with us in the least expected time and way.  Just like these two disciples, when they were walking on the road and talking, they felt sad and didn't notice that someone was approaching them.  Is your heart complaining today?  Do you feel that you can't see where the Lord is?  Do you know that He is approaching you right now?  Let Him come and love you, speak to you, so listen to Him voice and follow His guidance!    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I thank you because you often reveal yourself to us in the least expected time and way.  Please reveal to us today just like how you had mercy and revealed yourself to those two disciples.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Forward email This email was sent to devotion1.80jifijfno9858hniods@blogger.com by edevotion@rolcc.net |   Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | About our service provider. River of Life Christian Church | 1177 Laurelwood Rd. | Santa Clara | CA | 95054

Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 24:1-12   On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again."  Then they remembered his words.  When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.  But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.  Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.   If we study the Bible carefully, we would realize that it is very unlikely for the disciples to have made up the story of resurrection.  Although the Lord said many times that He will come back to life, but the disciples never really believed Him, that the Lord will actually be resurrected.  Therefore, when the women saw the empty tomb, they didn't yell "Thanks the Lord, He is alive!" joyfully.  When Peter heard about what happened, he at first didn't believe it, and he didn't really understand it until he walked up to the tomb.  These men who faithfully followed the Lord faithfully weren't really expecting Lord's resurrections; if Jesus never resurrected, perhaps they would just went on living a simple life, having children and spending the rest of their years peacefully.  The resurrection of Jesus, however, gave them a tremendous turnaround in life, because it was a testimony that they must preach and a message that they must pass on.   The resurrection of Jesus gave tremendous courage to the disciples who were weak before, and they were even willing to be persecuted and die for the Lord with joy.  This testimony of resurrection brought forth great impact to the society at that time, and all the way till today, this Lord who resurrected still reveals Himself to those who loves Him and believes in Him.  Jst like a hymn that we often sing says, "Jesus Christ is still alive today, He talks with me and walks with me, go through life's narrow ways."  We thank the Lord because the Savior we believe in is not a dead Savior, but rather a resurrected Savior.  Hallelujah!      Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I thank you because today we don't need to find salvation in dead people, but we can find salvation in one who is alive.  Because Jesus has already resurrected from death on our behalf, your power of resurrection will come upon our life to bring our strength to overcome any aroma of death, and let our heart and soul once again enjoy freedom and joy.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Forward email This email was sent to devotion1.80jifijfno9858hniods@blogger.com by edevotion@rolcc.net |   Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | About our service provider. River of Life Christian Church | 1177 Laurelwood Rd. | Santa Clara | CA | 95054

Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 23 50-56   Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.  Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body.  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.  It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.  The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.  Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.   The body of Jesus was buried by an Arimathean named Joseph.  First of all, Joseph was a man who was "waiting for the Kingdom of God;" not only was he waiting on Sunday or during prayer meetings, he was constantly waiting.  He was waiting everyday and regularly, which means his heart and mind were expecting the Kingdom of God.  Because He had the Kingdom of God in mind daily, He cared about matters of the Kingdom.  A person is used by God because his heart and mind are on God; when his heart in on God, he will do what God wants him to do; he doesn't have to intentionally do something to please God, but he will naturally walk in God's will, because God's will form the thoughts in his heart.  Ever since I experienced my first spiritual revival, my heart and mind have been attracted by God's work all around the world; I often hear what God has done and I want to go witness what God is doing.  I am naturally drawn to these things and God's will has become part of my thinking.  It is not so hard to seek God's will, and in fact you can't really look for it deliberately, but we can be naturally influenced by God's will.   Next, what Joseph did also confirmed what the Bible says.  Isaiah 53:9 says that "...with the rich in his death."  When the Lord was on earth, He spent most of His time with the poor, and this Joseph has never really followed Jesus.  Everything, however, is in God's hands, and in God nothing is impossible.  Are there things in your life that you can't imagine God would be able to accomplish?   No matter what your thoughts are, God has His own way and His timing.  Just like when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, there was Red Sea ahead of them and army chasing after them, so no one thought there would be any way out, but also no one thought that God's way lied right under the sea.  Way in the deep sea is invisible, but it's right there.  By faith you can look upon the Lord and depend on Him, and you will see God's promise in your life, which will be fulfilled through you.    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I thank you because your way is in the deep sea, and in your nothing is impossible.  We ask that you fulfilled your promises in us like how you fulfill your promises through Joseph.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Forward email This email was sent to devotion1.80jifijfno9858hniods@blogger.com by edevotion@rolcc.net |   Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | About our service provider. River of Life Christian Church | 1177 Laurelwood Rd. | Santa Clara | CA | 95054

Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 23:44-49   It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.'  When he had said this, he breathed his last.   According to the Torah, the curtain in the Temple was made from only one piece of cloth weaved with fine linen threads of three colors, so it's quite sturdy and won't fall apart easily.  This curtain was placed between the sanctuary and the Holy of Holies.  Holy of Holies represents God's presence and only the chief priest could enter into it once a year.  In the Old Testament time, people were fearful of God, because God is holy and righteous, so sinners are afraid of standing before God; when the chief priest enters the Holy of Holies each year, he would also be fearful; he must first bath himself, quiet down for three days, and then he would enter the sanctuary.  When he entered into Holy of Holies, there would be bells hanging around his robe, and others could only tell that he was alive by listening to the sound of the bells.  Not only were there bells, a rope was also tied to him.  If the chief priest died inside because he's unclean, people could use the rope to drag him out.   Therefore, people were fearful to come before God back in the Old Testament time, because God and people were separated by sin.  We thank God, because when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain in the temple broke into two, which represents that the barrier of sin between God and people has been removed, and people can now go directly to Father God through Jesus Christ.  The author of book of Hebrew said: "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body...."  The moment the body of Jesus broke up on the cross was the moment when the curtain was torn to two; God has prepared a new way to life for those who trust in Him, and we no longer need to be afraid and worry.   That is why when we pray, we need to pray in the name of Jesus.  "In the name of Jesus" is not just an expression to wrap up a prayer; "in the name of Jesus" carries tremendous authority.  When we pray in the name of the Lord, we can claim victory against the enemy by the victorious authority of Jesus Christ on the cross.  When we pray in the name of the Lord, not only will your sins be forgiven, your soul will also be delivered, and your body will be healed.  Whenever you pray by faith, you will experience the authority brought forth by the name of the Lord.    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I thank you because on cross you already opened a new way to life, so that we can come before you without any fear.  Please give us more faith, so that we may experience all the grace and authority in you.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Forward email This email was sent to devotion1.80jifijfno9858hniods@blogger.com by edevotion@rolcc.net |   Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | About our service provider. River of Life Christian Church | 1177 Laurelwood Rd. | Santa Clara | CA | 95054