Friday, September 30, 2016

Today's Passage - Acts 8:9-17

Acts 8:9-17
 
Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power."  They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.  But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women...  When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.  Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
 
Phillip was used by God mightily in the early church.  He was one of the seven deacons, which included Stephen, that were chosen back in Acts chapter six.  Not only was he filled by the Holy Spirit, he also had great burden for the gospel.  Therefore, the early church often called him "Phillip the evangelist."  When you read this passage, you'd realize that this church didn't seem to have a solid foundation.  Why was that?
 
First, the believers in Samaria seemed to be easily influenced by the circumstance.  From verse 9 to 13, the words "amazed" and "exclaimed" appeared many times.  Before Phillip went to Samaria, a man named Simon practiced sorcery, and when the locals saw what he did, "all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed."  As soon as Phillip came, the gospel that he preached not only healed the bodies, but also changed inner lives.  Even Simon was startled because both men and women were baptized.  Although they believed, their faith was established on the circumstance; later, when the disciples came and brought forth the work of the Holy Spirit, they were totally amazed, and that's why Simon tried to buy the anointing.  What is our faith based on today?  Is it our circumstance, real estate or our own strength?  If our faith is based on those things, then when the circumstance is bad or we feel weak, our faith is easily shaken.  If our faith, however, is based on the word of God, then no matter how the circumstance changes our faith will remain strong, because the word of God will never change.
 
Next, the Holy Spirit doesn't have authority in the church of Samaria.  When Peter and John were there, they found that although the believers there were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, they were not baptized in the Holy Spirit.  To "receive the Holy Spirit" means to be filled by the Holy Spirit and to give the authority to their lives to the Holy Spirit.  They needed to let the Holy Spirit move freely in order to accomplish the work of God.  Not only do we need to be baptized in the name of Jesus, we also need to be filled by the Holy Spirit so that we may serve God and live according to His will before Him.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, we thank you because not only have you saved our lives, you also gave us strength to live through the Holy Spirit.  May the Lord fill each brother and sister today with the Holy Spirit, so that we may experience your power, faithfulness and abundance each and every day.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
    
   
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Thursday, September 29, 2016

Today's Passage - Acts 8:1-8

Acts 8:1-1
 
And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.  Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.  But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.  Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.  Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.  When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.  With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed.  So there was great joy in that city.
 
The early church is a church that was continuously expanding, but the expansion wasn't as smooth and natural as we might have imagined.  In Chapter 7, we saw that Stephen stood before people and testified for the Lord with great power, but after they heard his word, not only did they not repent, but they were furious and stoned Stephen to death.  The passage says that since that day, the church of Jerusalem suffered great persecution and all disciples except the apostles became scattered all over Judah and Samaria.  Sometimes it's hard to understand what God did, isn't it?  Wasn't the Jerusalem church doing great and weren't the apostles filled with faith and power?  Why did God accept such terrible thing to happen to the church?
 
In Acts 1:8, Jesus told the disciples to go out and witness for Him before He ascended to heaven.  The believers in the church of Jerusalem loved one another and were living together like they were in heaven.  They, however, overlooked the most important mission that God has given them, which was to preach the gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth.  The church cannot be confined with an ivory tower, like some kind of refuge for Christians; rather, it should function like a lighthouse that is projecting true light of life from Jesus Christ. 
 
God allowed persecution to come upon the early church in order to expand their vision, not to just see their own needs but to see the needs of the Kingdom of God.  I believe that they were able to preach the gospel by letting it naturally flow out of their lives through the precious presence of God.  Although the circumstance was difficult, they were still joyful and hopeful because of the presence of God.  When people come near us, can they feel something refreshing in our life?  You don't need to make a lot of noise, but as long as you have the presence of God, others will feel that our lives are different.  Starting today, are you willing to testify for the Lord among people around you?
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, I thank you because your will for us is higher than our will.  Although we may persevere through difficulties and persecution, you let us experience your faithfulness and your plan in our lives.  May the Lord give us more strength and wisdom so that we may be your glorious witnesses.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
    
   
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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Today's Passage - Acts 7:54-60

Acts 7:54-60
 
When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
 
Stephen prayed the same prayer Jesus did before his death.  Verse 60 says, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."  It was like what Jesus said on the cross, " Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." These verses set an example for us in forgiving our enemies.
 
The Bible teaches us to love our enemies. Each time I read this verse, I wonder how I can love my enemy.  It is mind boggling because if we can love our enemy, they must truly not be our enemy.  If we can love, it is not the enemy. This lesson that the Bible teaches us is really difficult to learn. What is love? Is it just a feeling? Think about it. When Jesus went to the cross, did He feel love in His heart?  Probably not.  In fact before Jesus was crucified, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me." In other words, he does not want to go on the cross. But the precious thing was, although according to the flesh, Jesus did not want to go, still he said: "not my will, but yours be done" When He submitted in obedience, that was an expression of love.
 
We must understand that, when the Bible teaches to love our enemies, it does not say that we must first have the feeling of love.  It teaches us to submit to God's Word by faith.  In Matthew 5:44, the Lord tells us, "Love your enemies", and in the same verse it says "pray for those who persecute you". We do not need to have the feeling of love before we pray.  We see the examples that Stephen and Jesus gave us here. Even if our hearts are filled with hatred, we are still called to pray for our enemies. You may have experienced some injustice in your life that you just cannot stand.  Perhaps you are being persecuted currently.  Are you willing at this moment to submit to God and pray for those who persecute you?  When you do that, the Holy Spirit will move in your heart and release the real joy in your heart that will release you from the hatred you feel.
      
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, we thank you because when we are willing to surrender to your Word and obey your Word in action, the Holy Spirit can act freely in our hearts to bring about freedom, joy and we can be set free. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
    
   
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Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Today's Passage - Acts 7:44-53

Acts 7:44-53
 
"Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. Having received the tabernacle, our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built the house for him. "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?'...
 
God's heart has always been to dwell with man.  He revealed this through the construction of the tabernacle and the temple, but often men have rejected God. When God created Adam and Eve, God walked with them in the Garden of Eden. God gave great wisdom to Adam to name each animal.  In Genesis chapter three when Adam and Eve sinned, God said, "Although I love you, but because of sin, you must leave!"  As such, Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, but God's eternal plan did not change because of that.  God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them before they left the Garden of Eden.  This shows that God's will was to restore His relationship with men, so they may return to His presence.
 
Moving forward to Genesis chapter 12, God chose Abraham. You find that wherever Abraham went, he built an altar to worship God so he could enjoy God's presence. Abraham had an intimate relationship with God.  God even said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" When it came to the time of Moses, God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle, where God and man could meet. God led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night and He manifested His presence among them in the form of a cloud above the tabernacle.
 
When it came to the era of King Solomon, God commanded Solomon to build a temple for the Lord.  Again the temple was a place where God and man could meet.  Does our God care to live in a building?  No.  Because of God's mercy, He is willing to live in the temple so that He could dwell with men. Moving forward to the New Testament era, although the temple was destroyed, God did not change his mind. From beginning to end, God's will was to dwell with men so men could experience all His riches.  Hence came the birth of Jesus Christ.  John 1:14 says, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."  Finally through the birth of Jesus Christ, the power of sin that separated man from God was broken, and God's will was accomplished. God and men were reconciled.  That is the will of God for every person since the time of creation. 
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, we thank you that since the time of creation, your will has dwelled us. Lord, help us to enter into your glory each and every day of our lives.  Help us walk with you and commune with you, so we may enjoy your glorious riches.  We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
    
   
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Monday, September 26, 2016

Today's Passage - Acts 7:37-43

Acts 7:37-43
 
"This is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.' He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us. "But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. They told Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt-we don't know what has happened to him!' That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made...
 
The Israelites should have been rejoicing when they left Egypt.  Instead when they entered into the wilderness, they were full of complaints.  Why was this so?  It was because although the Israelites had physically left Egypt, Egypt was still in their hearts.  As such, verse 39 says, "their hearts turned back to Egypt".  When they were in the wilderness, each time they complained, they would say, "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." At other times they said, "It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" Although they had left Egypt, Egypt was still in their hearts.
  
In order to enter God's Promised Land, we must first remove Egypt from our hearts. What is the "Egypt" in our hearts? I believe that it refers to the influence of the world.  Too often, the values and ethics of the world surround us every day.  We pursue the things of the material things of this world instead of seeking God's presence in our lives. If we continue to live under the influence of society, listening to secular music, reading the news on the stock market, watching Hollywood movies, reading secular books and magazines, or even gambling once in a while when we are on vacation, our hearts and minds cannot be longing for God.
 
How can we remove the influence of the world in our lives? It starts with our living environment.  Let yourself be immersed in an environment that is led by God.  Let your office be filled with God's Word. When you are in the car, put on some praise and worship music.  When you are on vacation, go to some Christian retreat or conference so that your body, spirit and soul may be set free.  We need to let God rule and reign in each and every area of our lives today.  Ask God to break the powers of darkness, and influence of the world on our lives.
      
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, we ask that your light will come and shine upon us, so that we can see the things in our lives that do not please you.  Help us see what the "Egypt" in our hearts are and where we have been influenced by worldly views.  Pray Holy Spirit that you will help remove the "Egypt" in our hearts, so that we may focus on walking with you. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
    
   
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Sunday, September 25, 2016

Today's Passage - Acts 7:30-36

Acts 7:30-36
 
"After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord's voice: 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. "Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals; the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.'...
 
That day in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, Moses saw a miracle - the flames of a burning bush that did not destroy the bush.  Moses was very surprised and went over to look more closely. During this process, God appeared to him and gave him his calling.
 
God's fire is one that does not burn up the bush.  This is a very important lesson in ministry.  Many people often say they are burned out from ministry.  This indicates that the fire in you, is not God's fire, but your own fire. Wherever the fire is not from God, it makes you tired, depressed, weak, causes you to stumble;  however, if it is God's fire you are serving with, you will not stop the moving forward because the fire of God will never cause you to burn out. God's fire can be burning in the bush, but the bush will not be destroyed.  If the fire of God is in you, no obstacle can hinder you.  Even if you encounter any difficulty, you will overcome it.  The fire of God will not stop burning, and even if you make a mistake, you will have courage to correct it.  If you come to a dead end, the Holy Spirit will suddenly open up a way for you and allow you to move forward with confidence, because the fire of God is inside you!
 
When a person moves forward, and does not look back, we described him as a "goner".  Once you are touched by the fire of God, you are a goner as well.  You will be reluctant to return to the ways of the world, or return to serving Him by your own flesh.   Pray that God will put this fire in our hearts - a fire that will cause our hearts never to grow cold, and never to stop serving Him.  We need to be bold in our request to God.  Ask God for His fire to burn in your hearts today, so that you can serve Him, but not grow weary.  Let us never lose heart in serving Him!       
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, I pray that you will bless everyone.  I pray that the same fire that Moses saw in the burning bush will begin to burn in everyone's heart to help them overcome every difficulty and obstacle in their lives.  Holy Spirit, empower them and lead them in the path to go. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
   
 
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Saturday, September 24, 2016

Today's Passage - Acts 7:17-29

Acts 7:17-29
 
"... Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?' "But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.
 
After four hundred years of suffering from being enslaved by the Eygptians, God heard the prayers of the prayers of the Israelites and raised up a man named Moses. It did not take four hundred years of praying and begging by the Israelites before God heard them.  God heard them immediately when they cried out to him.  However, God had His own time in fulfilling His work. 
  
Moses grew up in the palace and was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He had the best training undertake the task God gave him. When he was forty, he happened to find out that he was an Israelite.  He saw how his own people were enslaved in Egypt, and wanted to use his position of authority to help them.  One day he saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite, so he killed the Egyptians. He thought the Israelites should crown him as king after what he did for them.  The next day when he saw two Israelites fighting each other, he tried to be the mediator between them. Instead, one of them said to him, "Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?" Although he thought that the Israelites will understand him and appreciate him, they did not. 
 
Since then, Moses fled to the wilderness for forty years.  God called him again out of the wilderness to save the Israelites. Moses said to God, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue!" God worked in the life of Moses during the forty years he was in the wilderness.  Moses used to think he could do anything, but when he stood before God that day, he acknowledged his limitations.  God said to him, "Indeed, you can't, but I can!" In our lives, we often need to be "pruned" by God.  Serving God by our flesh is never effective. We need to learn to let God "prune" us, to rely on God, and to serve Him through His power. 
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, we thank you because you are faithful and you are willing to help us. Forgive us, Lord, for relying on ourselves and our natural abilities.  We pray you will take away our tendency to rely on our flesh, and help us to depend on you each day.  We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
   
 
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River of Life Christian Church, 1177 Laurelwood Rd., Santa Clara, CA 95054
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