Friday, June 30, 2017

Today's Passage - Matthew 5:33-37

Matthews 5:33-37

"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
  
The Lord told us: Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No'. In other words, be honest.  Sometimes we are afraid of hearing these words the most at church. Many people mistaken honesty to speaking whenever they want, whatever they want.  But in the end their words hurt others like flying arrows.  The honesty mentioned in the Bible does not refer to your feelings, because your feelings can fool you.  Your feelings can change whimsically.  That's why David often spoke to his hearts in Psalms.  Had he only listened to his heart, he would have been full of bitterness and complains.  The secret to David's triumph is based on his telling his heart: My heart, you should come and praise.  Come and praise Jehovah!  The words he spoke to his hearts were God's promises, God's commands, and God's words.  As such, speaking honestly does not mean relying on personal feelings, but rather in the victorious name of the Lord, speaking out God's words, and God's truths.
     
Secondly, in our daily lives, there are more than God's words.  We should also hold on to His' promises, speak out his promises. We often talk about things in our daily lives, e.g. purchasing homes and buying cars.  We gave advice to those who seek jobs.  But when others have spiritual needs, we can't speak out God's promises.  Maybe we are not familiar with God's promises.  But more often than not, it is because we are not sure whether God's promises are real and reliable.  In fact, in the Bible, no matter how many God's promises there are, in Christ, they are all 'Yes'. In Jesus Christ, every God's promise is real and reliable.  In Jesus Christ, every God's promise is real and reliable.  As long as we believe, speak out God's promise in faith, speak out God's words.  God will personally fulfill his work.
   
 " 'Yes' is 'Yes', 'No' is 'No' " also means that in our daily lives, we should follow God's words.  We can't proclaim God's words while not following them in our lives.  1 John 1:6: "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth."  May the spirit of our Lord help us to live an honest life.  May God's words be our guide.  Proclaim the words of God instead of lies, blessings instead of curses, victories instead of failures, healings over illness, and forgiveness instead of sins!

Pray with Pastor Tong Liu

Oh Lord, we thank you because your words are truthful and reliable.  May the Lord protect our thoughts.  Let us proclaim your truth and promises, so that we can live in your faithfulness and truth.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
 
  
  

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Today's Passage - Matthew 5:27-32

Matthew 5:27-32  
 
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.  "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
 
Pharisees interpreted the commandment of "you shall not commit adultery" same way as they interpreted the commandment about murder.  Since the law only forbids adultery in action, as long as they didn't commitment any act of adultery they have not violated the law, and thus they were considered righteous in the eyes of God.  Jesus clearly said that the law of God didn't just ask for pureness on the outside, but also pureness in the soul.  The tenth commandment says "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife," and that is the sin and adultery in our heart.   God doesn't just abhor sin on the outside, but even more so sin inside our hearts.  Don't ever think that a little sin inside here and there isn't a big issue; when devil Satan tempts us, it always starts from the inside.
 
Brothers must be extremely cautious because our time is evil and pornography is prevalent.  Not only is TV filled with porn scenes, there're also porn phone services and websites, and even the ads sent to our homes may be filled with porn images.  In fact, even if you are just sitting home doing nothing, the world will influence you and shape you with all kind of ways so that you may become like the world.
 
Lord said that "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away...   And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away."  The right eye and right hand represent our body.  Today, many people live to satisfy their own physical desires, or even driven by their physical desires to do things that they are not willing to do.  Many are trapped by bad habits like erotic thoughts, and even extra-marital affairs and pre-marital sex are prevalent.  We know that they are not right and do not please God, but we often follow our physical desires.  Lord taught us to break the bondage of physical desires in the spirit by the authority of Jesus Christ's victory.  Let us proclaim victory against the enemy by the Lord's precious blood, rebuke attacks from it and overcome the bondages brought forth by all the physical desires.  May the Lord's Spirit help us to experience victory of God!

Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, I thank you and praise you; even though the world is filled with evil and temptations, but in you we have victory.  May the Holy Spirit help us to solely focus on the Lord.  Let us stand firm on the foundation of the precious blood of Jesus and rebuke all the temptation and lure from Satan, so that we may please God in our daily life.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
 
  
  

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Today's Passage - Matthew 5:21-26

Matthew 5:21-26
 
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder,and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.  Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift..."
 
"You shall not murder" is one of the Ten Commandments, but the Pharisees added the statement "anyone who murders will be subject to judgment", which distorted the commandment.  It seems to imply that as long as you don't murder, you are not subject to judgment.  Actually, the Lord said that "anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment."  In other word, being angry with a brother is same as killing someone, and we all know that sometimes our words are sharper than knife!  Many people are disheartened in their career development and weak in their daily life because of something that someone said a long time ago.  Therefore, we are careful when we speak to our kids; we often encourage them and we are afraid of hurting their self-esteem; however, we are less careful when we speak to our spouses, and without concern for their esteem we often criticize them in front of others.  We end up speaking harshly to each other and hurting each other.
 
This happens in the church as well.  Many people are hurt while serving; they were zealous for God before, but now they look defeated and don't want to do anything perhaps just because of one thing that others said.  Our words can truly hurt others and even bring forth death inside.  Every word of ours can bring forth blessings or curse, healing or damage, victory or defeat, hope or despair.  We must be extremely cautious and ask God to examine and anoint all our words, so that we can be used by Him.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, please examine us and give us a prudent heart.  In our daily life, help us to speak our words prudently, so that we may speak blessings rather than curse, healing rather than damage, victory rather than defeat, and hope rather than despair.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
 
  
  

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Today's Passage - Matthew 5:17-20

Matthew 5:17-20
 
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
 
The Lord said that "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."  This line can be considered as the core message in the latter half of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter five.  We often have the wrong concept that Old Testament time was the era of law and New Testament time is the era of grace, and therefore we don't need to follow the law now.  Actually, the difference between Old and New Testaments is not the law, but rather the fact that Old Testament delivered the law and the New Testament fulfilled the law.
 
New Testament law can be broken into three types: First, law of rituals, including sacrifices and ceremonies; second, law of morality, including Ten Commandments and teachings around daily life; third, law of civil affairs, including how to conduct civil trials.  Law of rituals foretells the work of Jesus Christ, and they became reality with Christ, so we don't need to offer sacrifices of ox and lamb anymore.  It's not because we don't need to follow the law, but it's because Christ already offered Himself as sacrifice on our behalf, and it will be effective forever.  When we believe and accept the salvation of Christ, we are already following the law.  We don't need to observe Sabbath anymore because true rest lies in Christ, so every day is Sabbath now.  When we are living in the Lord, the Lord lives inside us, and that is the way to observe Sabbath.  We celebrate Lord's Day on Sunday not because we're observing Sabbath, but we celebrate the day that Jesus Christ resurrected from death.
 
Law of morality is for manifesting the holiness of God, and law of civil affairs is for manifesting the righteousness of God.  These laws and rules were there for God to manifest His beauty from His people.  That's why Jesus said that He wasn't here to abolish, but rather to fulfill.  When the Lord rebuked the Pharisees in the Epistles, He didn't mean that they shouldn't observe the law, but they shouldn't observe the law in their ways.  They only value what's on the outside - You are righteous as long as you didn't commit murder, adultery or theft.  Such righteousness is the righteousness of men, which simply tries to do our best by our own might, but it's not the righteousness of God and it doesn't meet the standard of God's law.  God doesn't just value the outside, but He also values the purity of our inside.  God doesn't just want good behavior, but also renewal of our attitude.  May God's Spirit shine upon us and let us become willing to have Jesus Christ fulfill His law in our lives.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, please open our eyes so that we can understand you came to the world to fulfill the law, not to abolish the law.  Give us a soft heart so that you can work inside us until your law is fulfilled in our lives.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
 
  
  

Monday, June 26, 2017

Today's Passage - Matthew 5:13-16

Matthew 5:13-16
 
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
 
Jesus used salt and light as analogies for Christians living in the world.  These two are the most ordinary things in the society back then, but also things that families could not live without.  For both rich and poor, salt is needed for enhancing taste; light is needed to brighten a house, whether it's the rich with lots of lights or the poor with a tiny little oil lamp.  For everyone rich or poor, salt and light are indispensable for daily living.  Even though Christians might be ordinary people, we also play a critical role in the world.  Our existence in our living environment is also indispensable.  We often neglect this truth, thinking that it makes no difference for the world to have one more Christian; as long as the churches and pastors are witnessing for Christ, no one would ever notice us.  Actually, the Lord said that we are the salt and light; it doesn't just refer to us witnessing as a group, but also witnessing as individuals.
 
The Lord also demonstrated a clear contrast here - You on the one side, and the world on the other.  Christians are indispensable because we are different from this world.  It's like the difference between having taste and having no taste, brightness and darkness.  If salt loses is saltiness, it loses its unique function, and it's no longer indispensable.  Similarly, if a lamp is placed under a bowl, it no longer functions as a light and cannot bring brightness to the dark surroundings, and thus loses its function too.  The most serious crisis faced by the church and our faith is not the complexity of our environment and the wickedness of the temptation from the world; rather, it's the fact that Christians are eager to identify with the world.  We like to introduce the ways and ideas of the world into church and faith.  We think and do what the world thinks and does.  We slowly become no different from the world, and by then the world will not think we are indispensable.  Let me remind everyone - The church is attractive to people because we are different from the world, not because we are same as the world.  It's not that we behave erratically, but the essence of our life is different. 
 
Just like salt and light, it is our values and principles in life that distinguish us from rest of the world.  That's why Jesus preached sermon of the Mount and beatitudes before He talked about salt and light - Our lives need to be changed, and once we are changed we can manifest the glorious beauty of Christ through our daily lives.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, please help us to see the importance of our status and role, so that others can witness our good behavior and give Father God all the glory.  May the Lord remind us and help us to be determined, and let us manifest your glory in our daily life.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
 
  
  

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Today's Passage - Matthew 5:7-12

Matthew 5:7-12
 
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
 
Firstly, blessed are those who are merciful for they will be shown mercy. The Lord is full of mercy. The Bible talks about how Jesus had compassion on many. Because when the Lord saw that they were helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Using the word "helpless" to describe the modern day men is indeed appropriate. Modern day men are trapped in their bondage and have no way out. Those who are merciful to people as the Lord was, will be blessed because they will be shown mercy. Not only can we show mercy to others, but we can receive mercy from the Lord as well.
 
Secondly, blessed are the pure in heart. Being pure in heart means to be whole-heartedly devoted. When you come before God, you need to have a pure heart. Do you seek God or seek your own interest? May God open our hearts so that we seek Him wholeheartedly and find Him.
 
Thirdly, blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. When Jesus came to this earth, he was a peacemaker. While we were still sinners, the Lord died for us on the cross and reconciled us to God. In the same way, in our everyday lives, we need to be at peace with God and at peace with men. When we can live in peace with men, the blessing of Jesus Christ can be manifested in our lives.
 
Fourthly, blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. As Christians, we may not be physically persecuted for our faith, but here it says that being persecuted has many facets. Sometimes we are ridiculed by others because of our faith and sometimes we give up our rights because of our faith. All of these are considered being persecuted for righteousness. Note that we are referring to being persecuted for "righteousness" and not for "sin". Many people suffer as a result of their sin. If you are persecuted for your sin, you need to repent. However, if you are persecuted because of righteousness, you should rejoice because yours is the kingdom of heaven.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, may your Spirit open our eyes so that we can see that your grace is sufficient for us and that your presence and blessings are real in our everyday lives. Let us be like you and live out the life of Jesus. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen! 
  
    
  

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Today's Passage - Matthew 5:1-6

Matthew 5:1-6
 
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
 
The Lord taught us through the sermon on the Mount how we may experience God's blessings. Each of the "blessed" here has the meaning of joy in the original language. In other words, the poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek and those who hunger for righteousness are all filled with joy. Why? Firstly, those who are poor in spirit can come before the Lord and truly receive His blessings. The poor in spirit acknowledge that they are inadequate. The greatest weakness of men is thinking that we are self-sufficient, and hence this hinders us from receiving God's blessings. When we recognize our inadequacy, we can come before God and seek His blessing.
 
Secondly, those who mourn are blessed. The mourning here does not mean that we need to be filled with sorrow, but that we should be sensitive to our sin. Christians are not perfect people, but are people who recognize themselves to be sinners. Once we have the sensitivity toward sin, we know to come before God to confess our sins and ask the blood of Jesus to cleanse us. Each time we confess, we can have the peace of forgiveness from God. This peace is what this generation needs.
 
Thirdly, the meek are blessed. The meek here does not refer to being indecisive or weak, but the attitude that a person has towards God once they recognize their own condition. Hence meekness comes after being poor in spirit and mourning. When we are poor in spirit and we mourn, we recognize God's will and recognize our role and position. Only then, can we understand true meekness. Hence when we share Christ with others, we will not merely say, "You are a sinner and you need to repent."  When we have disagreements with others, we will not put others down, but will learn to respect others. The meek will inherit the earth. The earth refers to the abundance that God has prepared for us. Those who lay down their rights for the Lord will have a great reward.
 
Fourthly, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. What do you hunger and thirst for in life? When you hunger for something, you will seek it until you receive it. When you hunger and thirst for righteousness, it is not men's righteousness, but God's righteousness. When we seek God's righteousness, we can enjoy true satisfaction in Him. Are you a joyful and blessed person? When you seek God, you will be filled.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, thank you because only you can bring joy, comfort and satisfaction in our lives. When we come and seek you, may you be the strength and wisdom in our lives. Help us to enjoy your blessings each day. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen! 
  
    
  

Friday, June 23, 2017

Today's Passage - Matthew 4:23-25

Matthew 4:23-25
 
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
 
The Lord did not only save us from sin, but He is also our healer. He has conquered all things. Not only did he overcome sin on the cross, but he also defeated all powers of the enemy. The Bible tells us that there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. The meaning of "salvation" in the original language means "being healed". The Lord's salvation does not refer to only to the salvation of souls, but also for the healing of bodies. Not only can we ask in Jesus name for salvation, but we can also ask for healing. In Acts Chapter 3, when Peter and John were arrested for healing the lame man, they declared to the people that it was Jesus who healed the man. Actually, modern medicine is also a blessing from God to people. However, for those of us who believe, God has also given us another special blessing, which is the prayer of the saints that can bring healing. We are indeed blessed! There is no contradiction between prayer and medicine. They are actually complementary because many sicknesses cannot be healed by medicine alone and some sicknesses are brought about by sin, or by curses from evil spirits. Often only by prayer and confession can these bondage of sickness be released.
 
Healing is often a difficult ministry because we cannot understand why God chooses to heal some, but not others. We can only acknowledge that we are weak and ignorant and humbly declare that only Jesus is Lord. On the other hand, God also teaches us not to focus on the result of healing, but to bring hearts before God. Because physical healing is only temporal, but in God there is eternal life. We need to use prayer to bring people before God, so that they can meet God. When the person encounters God, they may receive blessing directly from the throne of God anytime. If God heals them in the process, we will give thanks and glory to God. If they do not get healed, we should also give thanks to God for His presence with us. May the Lord help us to seek his grace in the lesson of healing.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, I pray especially for my brothers and sisters who are sick. May you place your healing hand upon their bodies where it is weak and hurting. In the name of Jesus, we command all sickness to leave and bring about healing to our brothers and sisters. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!