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!      Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!