Today's Passage - Matthew 13:33-35

Matthew 13:33-35 He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."    In the parable of yeast, the kingdom of heaven is not testimony that will not change. It keeps expanding on earth. At the beginning, it is very small, like yeast hidden in three measures of flour. The Lord gave the commission of spreading the kingdom of heaven to those who are humble. They rely not on their own talents and powers, but the power of the Holy Spirit to spread the gospel for the Lord. Wherever they go, they bring changes. In the Book of Acts, people even accused apostles of bringing changes to the world. This is the commission that the kingdom of heaven has given us. The expansion of the kingdom of heaven is not limited to spreading of gospels, but also bringing righteousness and justice of the kingdom of God to this evil world. When the world is full of injustices, we can't solely rely on social reforms to solve problems because people can never get rid of selfishness. This or that reform merely produced classes with special privileges. A real equal and just society can only be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. When the gospel was spreaded to Mainland China, the change it brought were not only spiritual, but also civil and culture, e.g. liberation of bonding feet of women, science education, movement to forbid opium, establishment of hospitals, and establishment of newspaper. These were all changes that brought into Chinese society by the spreading of gospels. When we think of the expansion of the kingdom of heaven, we need to realize that we have to fight at many fronts. Like a military campaign where army, navy and airforce are all coordinated, we need to expand the kingdom of heaven in every facet. We need not only full time pastors, missionaries, but also people from all walks of life, to put on the cloth of gospel, and to spread the gospel in places of work. Have you ever thought about how your skills can be used for the kingdom of God? The main purpose that God let us stay on Earth is to expand the kingdom of heaven through us until Jesus returns. What kind of role are we playing in the expansion of the kingdom of heaven? May God help us - Even though the kingdom of heaven is like a yeast, one day it will grow such that the whole world will see our Lord and millions will be drawn and turn to Him! Pray with Pastor Tong Lord, we thank you, because the expansion of kingdom of heaven will never cease, and it will be realized through us. Even though we are weak and not worthy, You willingly selected us such that we can be part of building your glorious kingdom. May You add to our faith and strength. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!               Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!

Today's Passage - Matthew 13:31-32

Matthew 13:31-32 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."    This passage says that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Have you ever seen a mustard seed? There was a speaker who very excitedly brought us a mustard seed. He put the seed in his palm. There was a brother who breathed a little bit too hard, and he blew the seed from the palm of the speaker. We spent quite some time before finding the seed on the floor. A mustard seed is this miniscule: one breath and it is blown away. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, very tiny. But when it grows, it grows into the biggest of vegetables. Here it says how the kingdom of heaven will continually grow on the Earth. God's spirit reminds us that from the point of men, the kingdom of heaven is not prominent on the Earth. Even churches' services are not prominent on the Earth. But when we look upon God with our faith, we find that the kingdom of heaven is continually growing, until the day when Jesus Christ returns. Brothers and sisters, do we have faith of believing in God's promises as we build our churches? The Bible says that if our faith is as small as this mustard seed, we can command mountains to move. God will personally accomplish the faith within us, even as small as a mustard seed. May God help us to depend on the faith of a mustard seed when we build the church and serve God together. We trust that there is nothing impossible for God, and God will use His zeal to accomplish His work. Pray with Pastor Tong Lord, we thank you, because your words are so precious. You said that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, growing into a tree such that birds of the air come perch on its branches. We trust that the Lord will use this church to be a spiritual cover for many more people. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!           Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!

Today's Passage - Matthew 13:24-30

Matthew 13:24-30 Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' " 'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' " 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "   In this parable, the kingdom of heaven coexists with today's evil generation. Even though satan tries every way to destroy God's work, to make people drown in sins and pains, we thank God because the kingdom of heaven is being continuously built upon the believers. It's God's will that we do not leave this world after we believe in the Lord, but rather live in this evil generation to bear witness to His authority. Whenever there are few people on Earth willing to follow God's will, the kingdom of heaven will be among them, and the glory of kingdom of heaven will be manifested by them as well.     There is a song, "Jesus is the Lord", singing that for those of us who belong to the Lord, the sovereignty of Jesus shall be practiced in all part of our lives. He is the Lord of our heartbeats, the Lord of our breaths, the Lord of our families, the Lord of our schools, the Lord of our factories and offices, as well as the Lord of churches and fellowships. We need to ask whether the sovereignty of Jesus has been manifested on us? Whether the kingdom of heaven is in our families? A normal Christian family should be a safe harbor in a thunderstorm. Unfortunately, many families are thunderstorms in safe harbors. As soon as we came back home, we feel headache. May God help us to willingly manifest the sovereignty of the Lord. Is kingdom of heaven in churches? Time and time again, churches are merely social gathering places. Christians are supposed to be edible salt on earth, but instead they become rock salt at church, which is inedible. They not only lose the ability to bear a testimony, they are so salty that they could kill. Are we willing to let the sovereignty of God to rein in churches? Are we willing to be broken, to be discarded, so that through us witness for the kingdom of heaven can be manifested? The kingdom of heaven is not a hope in the future, but a responsibility of today. God didn't ask us to leave this evil generation, but to bear witness to His glorious work in this evil generation.   A good friend works in a very competitive business. He made his mind to let Jesus to be the sovereign of his work. Because of that, he refused to accept bribery, nor do business through backdoors. At first, everyone laughed at him. He faced all kinds of obstacles: colleagues stymied him, subordinates refuses to obey. But he wholeheartedly relied upon God, and was resolute in obeying God's words. After a few years, his achievements rose to the top of his company. Even gentiles had to sit up and take notice. This is the witness that a Christian should bear in this generation. May the Spirit of the Lord help us to see that it is not God's will to let us leave this world, but rather to bear witness to His glory right where we are. As seeds in the weeds of the field, God will accomplish His work through us. Pray with Pastor Tong  Lord, we thank you. May your Spirit excite us again. Give us wisdom and power so that we bear witness to your glorious testimony in this crooked and perverse generation. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!           Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!

Today's Passage - Matthew 13:17-23

Matthew 13:17-23   "...Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.   But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."     In this parable of the sower, we must pay attention to the fact that all the seeds were the same, but the soil where the seeds land determines the outcome from the seeds.  In other words, the condition of our hearts determines how much of God's grace and abundance we can receive.  There are four conditions here: along the path, rocky ground, thorny field and good soil.  There are many things in the world that can occupy our eyes and make us shift our focus from following Jesus.  The last one is good soil, which means we can follow the Lord's word in our lives and put them into practice.  The ultimate goal of listening to God's word is not to increase our knowledge, but to follow the will of God.   We've always heard others say that "don't ever become an 'old' Christian."  It doesn't mean that you have become old in age; you might have just accepted the Lord, but have already become like an "old" Christian.  Actually, an "old" Christian is one who knows the truth well but cannot put it to practice.  For example, we all know that it's important to study the Bible and pray, and also it's the Lord's command to share His love with others, but are we doing these things?  A brother once told me that he felt that his spiritual life is rather dry, and neither worship, cell group nor studying the Bible are interesting to him.  Later on, he realized that the reason he felt that way was because he never brought the truth that he was familiar with into his daily life.  Then, he began to boldly live out everything in the truth that he's already known, and his life was turned around and filled with joy and energy.  He described that the rekindling of his first love for God almost felt like his first romance!   Are you feeling heavy burdens in your life and your spiritual life is tired with no energy?  What you need is not to listen to more renewal sermons, but to truly repent in your life and follow the Lord's commandments.  Once we boldly take this step forward, our life will be different.  Today, God no only cares about whether we become Christians, but also what kind of Christians we are.  What's our attitude towards the word of God?  Are we willing to listen to His words and follow His commandments?   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, we ask that you help us to become good soil.  When your word enters the field of our heart, let is bear good fruit.  In our daily life, help us to follow your word and let you will be done in us.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!           Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!

Today's Passage - Matthew 13:10-16

Matthew 13:10-16   ...He replied, "...This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.  In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.  For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'  But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear."   The Lord was talking about the condition of the human beings today.  Very often people have closed themselves towards the word of God, and as a result we won't be able to receive God's grace even if He really wants to bless us.  Our hearts are cold towards god, just like what Isaiah said in this passage.  Many people misunderstand this prophecy from Isaiah, thinking that God hardened the hearts of people.  Actually, God will never harden our hearts, but we are the ones who harden our own hearts.  God merely allowed us to remain in such condition.   When we come before God to hear His word, we sometimes feel that we've heard too much and His word no longer touches us.  Our hearts are closed and no longer allow God to discipline us and comfort us.  This passage says that when our hearts become calloused, our ears won't be able to hear, and we can no longer hear the Lord's voice.  Our eyes are also closed and won't be able to see the Lord's word.  When we see people cry out before the Lord and repent for their sins in tears, or people praising and worshiping in joy, we will just sit there with no feeling at all, or even think that these people ought to be more rational and keep their cool.  We will no longer be able to feel the work of the Holy Spirit - It's almost like we're asleep when God is working, thus we are not seeing what He's doing among us.  Brothers and sisters, our hearts must turn back to God!   If the hardening begins with our hearts, and goes to our ears and our eyes, then God's healing must begin with our eyes, then our ears, and finally our hearts.  We first need to see that the Lord is sitting on the throne, and we must once again listen to the Lord's calling and mission.  Then our hearts will begin to understand and our zeal will be restored, and we may once again put our lives in God's hands and let Him use us.  May God's Spirit once again turn our hearts around!   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, please open our eyes so that we can see and open our ears so that we can hear.  Let our hearts turn back to you and be revived.  In this wicked time, let us still follow you fervently.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!           Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!

Today's Passage - Matthew 13:1-9

Matthew 13:1-9   That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.  Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.   Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop - a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.   Whoever has ears, let them hear."     I've read an article named "the discipline of listening to sermon."  Listening to sermon is actually a form of learning.  If we read the Bible closely, we'd find that back in the days of Jesus, the way people listened to sermon is totally different from what we do today.  Verse two says that "large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore."  So, the preacher was sitting down while the congregation stood to listen, unlike today where the congregation are sitting comfortably and can even fall asleep whenever they want to.  Someone has joked that when we build a new church, we should only get one chair and put in on the podium for the preacher.  Not only will it save money, it'll also help the congregation to stay focused.  No matter whether we're sitting down or on our feet to listen to sermon, the most important thing is whether we are really listening.   Some preacher has said that good spirituality means having the ability to hear the calling of the Holy Spirit.  In other word, it doesn't matter how long you have believed in the Lord, but it's whether you can hear the word of the Lord.  You spiritually is directly related to your ability to hear the Holy Spirit.  It's not just to listen to sermon, but whether you can hear the word of the Lord during your devotion time in your daily life.   For both Christians and non-Christians, the attitude towards the word of the Lord determines how much you know the Lord and how much spiritual abundance you will experience.  When Jesus was selecting His disciples, He also taught them how to listen.  In the parable of sowing the seeds, the seeds represent God's word and His way.  The type of soil that the seeds fall into determine how much of God's grace will be received.  Do you know how to listen to God's word?  Can you hear the sound of Holy Spirit calling you?  May God give you a humble spirit to come before Him, and ask Him to teach you to hear God's voice.   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, please give us an ear that we can hear, so that we may hear your voice in our daily life and get closer to you.  May your Spirit speak to us from inside us and guide our daily life.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!           Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!

Today's Passage - Matthew 12:46-50

Matthew 12:46-50   While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."             Some people feel that Jesus is cruel towards His family, for He seems have no feeling or care about His mother and His brothers in this passage of scriptures. That's a misunderstanding, for it is clear throughout the Bible that Jesus cares about His mother and His siblings. But here Jesus is presenting an important truth: salvation is personal. Salvation is about individual relationship with God, that when one receives Christ as personal Lord and Savior, His salvation comes upon us.             Salvation is individualistic, without backdoors. A pastor once said, "God has many children but no grandchildren." Not only God has no grandchildren, He has neither son-in-law nor daughter-in-law. It is impossible for you to go to heaven because of your wife is a Christian. We cannot get saved corporately, for the grace of God come to us individually.             That's why Jesus asked, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" His mother and brothers do not enter the kingdom of God by the biological relationships they have with Jesus. The condition of entering the kingdom of God is stated in verse 50, "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. In other words, one must do the will of God in order to enter the kingdom of God, and nothing else can bring him to God.             Dear brothers and sisters, do you have this personal relationship with God? Do you truly know this God? Have you received Christ into your lives as your personal Lord and savior? If you have not, today is the best time to do so, open your hearts and welcome Jesus to work in your life, and then you will receive His salvation. Are you willing to do it?   Pray with Pastor Tong   Dear Lord, I pray for those who are willing to receive You as their savior. Maybe some of them have been attending church for years and have heard many things concerning You, but have yet to have a personal relationship with you. I pray that Your Holy Spirit will open their hearts so that they will come before You and receive You as their personal Lord and savior. May Your salvation come upon them today. I thank you and pray all these in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!           Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!

Today's Passage - Matthew 12:38-45

Matthew 12:38-45   Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."  He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.  The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here..."   The Lord used the miracle of Jonah as an example, but actually He was foretelling His own work.  In our days, the greatest miracle is that Jesus died on the cross for us for three days, and resurrected from death after three days.  Jonah was trapped inside the fish for three days, in the same way Son of Man was buried for three days.  When Jesus resurrected from death, He brought salvation to human beings by forgiving, redeeming and delivering us from our sins.  Verse 41 says "now something greater than Jonah is here," which refers to Jesus Christ.  Miracles cannot save us; the only way our lives can be saved it through knowing Jesus Christ, accepting His salvation, and receiving the power that can change us.   The Lord said here that "The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it," because the queen from the South wanted to seek God's wisdom, so she approached Solomon in order to hear God's word.  The Lord said that "now something greater than Solomon is here," which also referred to Jesus.  Only Jesus can give people true wisdom, and in this complex world He can point out the right way for us.  If we reject the Lord, it's same as rejecting salvation and God's grace.  In our time, even though people are seeking miracles and want to know the right way, but if they reject Jesus Christ the Spirit of God won't be able to enter the world and bring forth salvation.  Instead, people become more corrupt in sin.  May the Spirit of God help us to turn back to Him and receive His grace.  Don't let our hearts be hardened, but rather let us have softened hearts to receive everything that God wants us to learn.   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, I thank you because you are our prophet and our king, and you are the source of our wisdom and salvation.  When we lack anything, we can come before you and pray.  May you cleanse our hearts and teach us your way so that we can be victorious by depending on you each day in our lives.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!           Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!