Saturday, April 30, 2016

Today's Passage - 1 Corinthians 12:22-27

1 Corinthians 12:22-27
 
...And the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
 
Paul stressed here again that we are all the body of Christ and we are different parts of the body.  There are always stronger and weaker parts of the body, and in the same manner there are different types of people in the church.  Some are born to be disciplined, but others are not; some have lived a very smooth life, but some have always been troubled by issues; some are spiritual strong, others are weak.  The church always teaches people to practice spiritual discipline and life; some are willing but too weak to follow, and they slowly fall behind.  Eventually, the ones who are spiritual strong cannot identify with those who are weak, and the weak ones don't feel that they belong and end up leaving.
 
Whenever I see such situation, I feel sad.  The church should be the first place for people to seek and find help, but now it's the last resort.  When those who are suffering inside or single parents come to church, they are instantly condemned and criticized by the likes of Pharisees, and thus cannot receive the help they need.  The church must turn back in this regard, because it means that the church has not restored the gifts of the full gospel from God.  When the Holy Spirit is moving, there should be deliverance, healing, faith, power, charity and providence.  Just like what Paul said, we ought to give "greater honor to the parts that lacked it."  It is only possible when the Holy Spirit is moving.
 
Indeed, we must learn to care for other parts of the body, so that all those in need but be provided for.  Why do we need to care for each other?  Because you never know when you will be the fallen one, and you will need someone's help and prayer.  May God help us to humble ourselves and care for one another, and let the grace Jesus come upon us.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, please remember those of us who are weak.  Give us a heart that supports those who are weak, so that we may give greater honor to the parts that lacked it.  Let us be humble and care for each others; let our virtue cover the shortcomings of others, and let our shortcomings be covered by the virtues of others.  We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
   
        
See Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - on Facebook!

River of Life Christian Church, 1177 Laurelwood Rd., Santa Clara, CA 95054
Sent by edevotion@rolcc.net in collaboration with
Constant Contact

Friday, April 29, 2016

Today's Passage - 1 Corinthians 12:14-21

1 Corinthians 12:14-21
 
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.  If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body.  The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"
 
Paul said here that even though we are one body in Christ, we are still different, as a body has many different parts.  Such variety is a good thing, but also carries potential for crisis.  First, there's the crisis of sense of belonging.  When we see that others are different, the first reaction is to feel that we don't belong.  People like to find the sense of belonging wherever they go by looking for similarities with others.  If we are similar to them, then we feel that we belong; if we are not, then we find an excuse to leave.  It's the same way in the church - We wish that everyone's same as we are.  Never forget, however, that while we are different, we all belong to the same body of Christ.
 
In the early church, it was a miracle that prophets and teachers could serve together.  Prophets and teachers have drastically different temperaments, but because they belonged to the same body, they could collaborate and function.  Paul said that we cannot avoid each other just because we are different, because once we are all in heaven we will have to meet each other.  May God give us an open heart to face any difference between us and others.
 
Second, there's the crisis of sense of superiority.  In the church, we often value one type of spiritual gift over others.  Traditional churches usually value preaching and teaching, but not encouragement and charity, and they seldom mention the gift of prophecy or healing.  Actually, every God-given gift has its purpose, and they work together to help the body to grow healthily.  May God help us to recognize that all gifts are important, just like what Paul said in verse 19, "If they were all one part, where would the body be?"  Eyes are important as the window to our soul, but if our body is filled with eyes, then we're a monster.  May God help us to see that all gifts are important, and when working together we can manifest the glorious beauty of Jesus Christ.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, we thank you once again for making us different, so that in the body of Christ we may supplement for each other's needs with our differences.  May you open our hearts to understand such truth, and help us to live it out in our life.  We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
   
        
See Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - on Facebook!

River of Life Christian Church, 1177 Laurelwood Rd., Santa Clara, CA 95054
Sent by edevotion@rolcc.net in collaboration with
Constant Contact

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Today's Passage - 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

1 Corinthians 12:12-13
 
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
 
In this passage, Paul specifically talked about unity in Christ.  Even though we're all different body parts, we all belong to the same body.  The word "one" is particularly prevalent in this passage because in Christ we are one.  No one can call Jesus the Lord without being touched by the Holy Spirit; therefore, whoever calls Jesus the Lord must honor Jesus with their lives, and thus they must be one in Christ.  No matter which denomination you belong to - Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, local church, Pentecostal, or some Charismatic church, we're all one in Christ.  Never let denomination, spiritual gifts or experience draw boundaries between you and other believers.  There will be no denominations in heaven, because we strictly speaking all belong to the same church, the one church that began on the Pentecost and lasted till today.  We belong to the same body and serve the same Lord.
 
We belong to the same body and, as verse 13 says, we are all given one Spirit to drink because we're all baptized by one Spirit.  What is the baptism by Holy Spirit?  The Bible talks about water baptism and spiritual baptism.  Water baptism lets us die, bury and resurrect with the Lord, and it makes us belong to Jesus Christ under His name.  Spiritual baptism, on the other hand, refers to the baptism by the Holy Spirit during the Pentecost.  The most important thing is not personal experience during the Pentecost, but rather the establishment of church on earth, which leads unity among believers to become one body of Christ.
 
May the Lord help us to see that baptism by Holy Spirit joins all believers together, so that we may become one even though we belong to different races, cultures, upbringings and social classes.  In the last few years I've had the opportunities to visit churches in many different places, either on short-term mission trips or praise and worship festivals.  God opened my eyes to see His people in every corner of the world, and no matter where I was and how serious were the language barrier and communication issues, as soon as we cry out "hallelujah" our hearts and souls are united.  May the Lord help us, let us not be divided by culture, language, race or different perspectives on faith, but to recognize that we all belong to the same body and we ought to glorify the holy name of Jesus Christ together.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, we once again give thanks to you, because even though we are all different, we are still one in Christ.  May the Lord once again put the truth of unity deep down in our hearts so that we will no longer be divided from others, and let us recognize that we must be united with fellow believers in Christ.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
   
        
See Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - on Facebook!

River of Life Christian Church, 1177 Laurelwood Rd., Santa Clara, CA 95054
Sent by edevotion@rolcc.net in collaboration with
Constant Contact

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Today's Passage - 1 Corinthians 12:11

1 Corinthians 12:11
 
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
    
Paul says that the gifts are given to each individual by the Holy Spirit, in other words, to you and to me.  Each person is redeemed by the precious blood of Christ and we receive His grace to become children of God. The will of God is not for us to waste our time on earth.  The Lord gave us talents and gifts.  He wants to mould us into vessels He can use.  As such, do not underestimate yourself and do not think that you have no gifts. May the Spirit of God help us recognize our gifts so that we can co-labor with the Holy Spirit. The truth is the gifts and the Holy Spirit always work together.  Gifts are like the vessel and the Holy Spirit like the water.  The water needs to flow through the vessel in order for people to receive the blessings.  The gifts must work with the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, the gifts cannot function.  Without gifts, the blessings of the Holy Spirit cannot reach others.
 
You and I need to understand that the Holy Spirit and the gifts have a very close relationship. Many people do not understand this.  Someone asked, "Why doesn't the healing evangelist go to the hospital to pray for all the sick? Won't the sick at the hospital be well then?" In fact, gifts and abilities are two different things. Although the one may have the gift of the Holy Spirit, if the Holy Spirit chooses not to work at that moment, having just the vessel of the gift is useless.  If the vessel of the gift is not around, although the Holy Spirit may want to bless, people do not receive the blessings.  Both must be present. If the Holy Spirit chooses not to work in the hospital, the healing evangelist will not be able to do anything in the hospital.  If the Holy Spirit chooses to work in the hospital, but we do not visit the hospital, the sick will not be healed either.  Both must work together.  When we understand this, we will not misunderstand the work of the Holy Spirit.  You and I are only the vessel following the Holy Spirit in order to bring about signs and wonders, so that people may benefit from the gifts. 
 
Pray that God will give us a proper understanding of the Holy Spirit and the gifts, and obey the Holy Spirit in exercising our own gifts. In this way, the people around you and the people you serve may receive the benefits of the gifts.  May the Lord encourage us once again. 
    
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, we thank you because you were willing to give us gifts and have already given us gifts.  We ask that you help us know how to exercise our gifts and work with the Holy Spirit so that your blessings may flow to the people around us and your heart may be satisfied.  We thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen! 
   
        
See Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - on Facebook!

River of Life Christian Church, 1177 Laurelwood Rd., Santa Clara, CA 95054
Sent by edevotion@rolcc.net in collaboration with
Constant Contact

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Today's Passage - 1 Corinthians 12:8-10

1 Corinthians 12:8-10
 
To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
    
Paul referred to the nine gifts, which can be divided into three categories:
 
The first category is the "word" gifts, including first, the word of knowledge. This is when we pray for others, God shows us things that have occurred in their past, or what is happening in their lives now. Second is the word of wisdom. This is when in prayer, God shows us what He has in the mind for that person or a particular situation.  Third is the gift of prophecy. Corinthians 14:3 says, "But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort".  Sometimes God will speak to us through the images in our head, sometimes with thoughts, ideas or a particular Scripture, in order to reveal His will to us. 
 
The second category is the "power" gifts, including first, faith.  This is the Spirit of God moving us to speak forth commands that God's Spirit will then fulfill, that brings about signs and wonders. The second is the gift of healing. When we lay hands on the sick, the sick are healed, spiritually and physically, immediately or over the longer term. Those who receive this gift will at the same time receive compassion from the Holy Spirit. The third is the gift of miracles, which is different from verbally issuing a command to make things happen.  The gift of miraculous powers comes by physically doing something. For example, Elisha lay upon the dead boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands, and the boy came back to life.  This is the gift of miraculous powers.

The third category is the "revelatory" gifts, including the gift of tongues. Tongues are the prayer language that God gives.  1 Corinthians 14:2 says, "For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit". The second is the gift of interpretation, especially in public, when you speak in tongues, to be able to interpret so as to avoid chaos.  The third is to distinguish between spirits, to be able to identify whether something is from God or from evil spirits when something occurs. These gifts require the revelation of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord help us to study and exercise these gifts so that the name of the Lord may be glorified and the heart of God be satisfied. 
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, we thank you because you gave us all sorts of gifts in our lives so that the church may be built up, and your heart may be satisfied. May you manifest all kinds of gifts in our lives. We thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen! 
   
        
See Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - on Facebook!

River of Life Christian Church, 1177 Laurelwood Rd., Santa Clara, CA 95054
Sent by edevotion@rolcc.net in collaboration with
Constant Contact

Monday, April 25, 2016

Today's Passage - 1 Corinthians 12:7

1 Corinthians 12:7
 
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
    
The various gifts are for the benefit of people.  The purpose of gifts is not for the benefit of oneself.  Those with gifts are not to use the gift on themselves, but to serve one another.  The gift of the Holy Spirit is not to exalt oneself above others, not to build one's own kingdom, but to build up the body of Christ, to build up others. Only when the gifts are exercised, can the church and believers be benefitted. We need to desire for gifts. The Bible talks about all kinds of spiritual gifts, especially in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. 
 
One of the first reasons people oppose to gifts is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:8, "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away". However, if you look closely at this passage, it refers to when Jesus comes back again, not now.  The second reason is that we do not belong to the same era as the apostles, thinking that the times of the apostles are different from today's church and that the apostles have different rights and gifts that no longer exist in today's church.  The Chinese church has long been influenced by wrong theological teachings.  The truth is there is only one church era. You and I belong to the same church era as the apostles. It is one church, one body, sharing the same grace and same rights. Who can say that we now belong to a different church from the early church? Read the New Testament. Who can say that this part is not for you, or this promise is not for you? No one can stop us from having the privileges of the New Testament, the promises and teachings of the New Testament.  May the Lord help us to understand the rights we have in Christ.
 
There is a third reason, many people opposed to gifts of the Holy Spirit because of the bad witness. Indeed, in the history of the church, there are many people who have abused the gift. But how can we fully negate God's grace because of some bad examples? Should we deny the 12 apostles because Judas was part of them?  Should we deny Paul because he worked with Demas who loved the world? Just as it is recorded in the Bible, Jesus did many miracles in Nazareth because the locals do not believe. Pray for open hearts to welcome the Holy Spirit so that different gifts may be exercised to the benefit of all.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, we praise you because you give gifts to us so that we may be benefitted. Let us have the correct understanding of your gifts, and therefore build up the whole church so we may be effective in helping people around us. We thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen! 
   
        
See Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - on Facebook!

River of Life Christian Church, 1177 Laurelwood Rd., Santa Clara, CA 95054
Sent by edevotion@rolcc.net in collaboration with
Constant Contact