Today's Passage - Hebrews 1:6-7

Hebrews 1:6-7 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire." Jesus was referred to as God's firstborn. This is a metaphor and does not mean that God the Father is senior to Jesus the way we typically think about a father and son relationship. Firstborn refers to the relationship between Jesus and the believers. Jesus is considered the firstborn because He sets an example for us, just as the "first fruits" referred to in the Bible. If the first harvest from a tree is sour, the fruits that come afterwards will be sour too. If the first fruit is sweet, the rest of the harvest will be sweet. In the same way, Jesus as the firstborn means that our lives should be like His. No matter how we were before, once we received Jesus as our personal Savior, the Spirit of God will work in us so that our lives can be changed and we can become more like Jesus. No matter how you view yourself, and perhaps you may not think you are like Jesus at all, but as long as you open your heart to God, your life will be touched by the Spirit of God and be changed.     The identity of Jesus is different from that of angels. Angels are only ministering spirits, but Jesus is the Lord of Lords. Verse 6 tells us that "all God's angels worship Him". As such, Jesus has authority to send angels to accomplish His work. Hence, verse 7 says, "He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire." In the Old Testament, God often used the wind to open up a way for God's people and used fire to protect and guide His people. In the same way, God will send his angels to protect, to guide and to open a way for us. You need to simply believe and depend on Him and God's grace will come into your life today. Are you facing difficulties in your life circumstances? Do you need God's protection? As long as you bring your needs before God, the Spirit of God will send His angels and open up a way for you. Pray with Pastor Tong Lord, I thank you because you are the God who opens up a way for us. I pray that your Spirit will send angels to open up a way for us and protect us when we face any difficulties. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!    Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!

Today's Passage - Hebrews 1:4-5

Hebrews 1:4-5 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"? The work of Jesus Christ far surpasses that of the angels. The work of the angels is very important. God has appointed a guardian angel over each one of us. Matthew 18:10 says, "See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." The work of the angel in our lives is primarily to guard and protect us. Hence the Psalmist says, God has called his angels to encamp around us to protect us. However, the work of the angel does not cause hearts to turn back to God. They can only do the work from the outside. They cannot cause people to acknowledge their sin, or cause men to become righteous. Angels can only manifest God's powers, but cannot manifest God's love because they are only ministering spirits. However, the name that Jesus has is the name above all names. He was resurrected from the dead and sits at the right hand of God. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All authority has been given to him. He is not just a ministering spirit, but He is the God who deserves our worship. Hence angels cannot be compared to Jesus Christ. The church at that time thought that God cannot come in human form, and so Jesus cannot be equal to God. They thought that Jesus was the highest among the angels. The truth is Jesus' name is far above the angels. The authority of Jesus far surpasses that of the angels. Verse 5 says, "For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?" God the Father and the Son have the same nature and are One; but angels are ministering spirits and cannot enjoy the fullness of life that God promises. Once we understand the difference between the two, we need to give thanks for God's grace in our lives. Those who believe in God will not only have salvation, but through Jesus, will be called children of God. From this perspective, we are superior to angels and God also sends angels to protect us. Psalm 91 says, in all that we do, His hand will guide us. Hallelujah! We often experience the help of angels in our daily lives. I have experienced the help of angels in the most critical times. Brothers and sisters, you can trust God wholeheartedly and enjoy the guidance of Jesus as your Shepherd and also enjoy the protection by the angels. Pray with Pastor Tong Lord Jesus, I thank you because you are our shepherd who comforts us and you also send angels to encamp around us to protect us. I rebuke the work of the enemy in whatever difficulties, dangers or weaknesses that my brothers and sisters are facing now and ask that your protection will come upon them. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!    Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!

Today's Passage - Hebrews 1:3

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Here the author clearly described the deity of the son of God, Jesus Christ; Firstly, He is the radiance of God's glory. The God that we believe in is a God of glory. Glory is the opposite of sin. Romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." A person with sin cannot live in God's glory. Jesus is not only one of the member of the trinity, but is also the manifestation of God's glory in human form, so that through Him, people may come to know the true God. John 1:18 says, "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." Jesus is glorious and is the God who is manifested to mankind. Secondly, He is the exact representation of his being. The author once again pointed out that Jesus is the part of God Himself. The members of the Trinity do not have different levels of authority. The nature of the three are the same, except that they have different functions. God, the Father, is the one who plans, the Son executes and the Holy Spirit fulfills. In the plan of salvation, God the Father was the one who came up with the plan. God, the Son came in the form of a man and was crucified on the cross for our sins. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings the benefit of salvation to men in their daily lives. Hence, Jesus is one of the members of the Trinity, but he has the role of revealing Himself to mankind. As such, we say that he is the exact representation of God. God's body cannot be seen, but God's nature can be revealed, through His Son, so that people may come to know the true God.     With respect to the work of Jesus, first of all He sustains all things. He is Lord of all and the entire universe rest in the palm of His hands. He is the source of energy and controls all of nature. In the Gospel books, the Lord rebuked the wind and the waves, and calmed the storm. He commanded water to turn into wine and it did. He walked on water, and the water supported His weight. He is indeed Lord of all. Secondly, He is the Savior of the world. Because of his salvation on the cross, our sins may be forgiven. Whoever believes in Him and receives Him as their personal Lord and Savior, will experience the joy and peace that comes from Him. This is what the human soul truly needs. What we need is not satisfaction of our material wants from the outside, but a peace that is deep in our hearts. Jesus Christ is our Savior. Dear friends, do you know Him? Are you willing to follow Him? Pray with Pastor Tong Lord, I thank you because you are the God who created all things and you are the Savior who rescues us from our sins. We put our lives in your hands and ask that you cover us with your precious blood and forgive us of all our sins, so that peace and joy may be with us. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!    Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!

Today's Passage - Hebrews 1:1-2

Hebrews 1:1-2   In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.   The Book of Hebrews serves as a link between Old and New Testaments in many ways.  Old Testaments explains the origin of our faith and revealed to us God's nature, will and work.  The birth of Jesus Christ on earth in the New Testament is a part of God's eternal plan.  From the beginning God designed salvation and was determined to make it happen.  When Jesus came to the world, God's eternal plan of salvation has become reality in human history.   First, God explained about salvation through the prophets in the Old Testament.  Prophets were rebuking the sins of the society and God's people at the time, and also pointed to the hope in the future.  Even though God's people kept on rebelling against Him and God used different ways to punish them, God knew that He ultimately would need to heal the disobedient hearts of the people, otherwise there's no way for people to become righteous.  Time and again God used the prophets to speak to the hope for the future, which is the fact that a Savior will be born for God, and the Savior will bring forth deliverance and freedom.    Next, in the last days God wanted to show us that the promises He made in the Old Testament are true.  The "last days" doesn't point to the return of the Lord, but rather anytime between the resurrection of Jesus and His ascension into heaven to the return of the Lord.  During these last days in the history of salvation, we are witnessing how God's plan is becoming reality.   Third, Jesus Christ is the everlasting true God.  Lord Jesus didn't just appear in the New Testament time, but He was there when Father God created the universe.  Proverbs chapter 8 describes how Jesus was the architect of the God's creation, and He's the everlasting true God.  God has installed Jesus as the "heir of all things," and God has raised Him to be the Lord of all universe.  He's the king of kings, lord of lords.    When you read the Old Testament, your heart will pound because it has written about how Jesus will fulfill all the promises.  If you calculate the probability of all these things happen in the world, you'd be surprised to find that it's highly unlikely to be an coincidence.  It is God who accomplished all things with His zeal.  When we ponder about the life of Jesus, we must acknowledge that God has an eternal plan, and the plan includes you and me!   Pray with Pastor Tong   God, we thank you, because in your eternal plan you have already seen our needs.  You sent Jesus Christ to the world, to die on the cross for us, to be resurrected, and to bring forth hope for new life.  We once again come before you to receive your grace, and may you become the strength in 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 - 2 Thess 3:13-18

2 Thessalonians 3:13-18   ... Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.  The Lord be with all of you.  I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.   First of all, God is truly the "Lord of peace."  Peace is not necessarily a scene of calm and quietness; rather, it is the evidence of experiencing presence of God.  The three friends of Daniel set a good example.  After King Nebuchadnezzar built an idol of gold, he asked everyone in the nation to worship it, but the three friends of Daniel refused to and they were going to be thrown into burning furnace.  At the time, we'd think God would save them from going into the furnace, but He didn't do so, and the three were allowed to thrown into the furnace.  When King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, however, he asked the servants: "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire," and "I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."  Praise the Lord, He wanted to perform a greater miracle in the midst of hardship.  Right in the furnace, God still revealed His presence to His servants, which is the true meaning of peace.   Next, God can grant us peace all the time.  God's peace is available to us anytime.  When our hearts panic and we lose our peace, we can bring our needs before God right away.  After the incident of 911, Americans fell into panic and people felt they were in a turbulent society.  Our hearts, however, do not need to panic, because God is with us.  He will be our strength and help.  If you are panicking and don't have peace, you can ask God for peace now, because He's happy to grant you peace.  Just open your heart to receive God, so that you may experience peace from Him.   Third, God grants us peace in every way.  No matter where you are and what circumstance are you in, you can bring your needs before God and let His peace guide you.  Colossians 3:15 says that "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts."  Many people are seeking God's will, but yet cannot distinguish what is God's will.  An important criterion for understanding God's will is whether you have peace of God inside you.  In you have peace inside, peace of Christ will rule inside you, and you will find yourself following God's guidance.  If you have no peace, you must turn back to God, meditate and pray again and ask God to guide you.  God's Spirit will not only grant us peace in our hearts, but also let the peace of Christ become our guiding principle.   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, we thank you because you are the God who grants us peace.  May you give us more peace, and fill us whenever we have needs.  We ask that you give us more strength to live 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 - 2 Thess 3:6-12

2 Thessalonians 3:6-12   We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.  We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.  For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat."  We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.  Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.    Back then, there was a phenomenon at church where some people thought the Lord was returning soon, so there was no point doing any work.  They believed that they should just simply lay down all things secular and wait upon the Lord.  As a result, these people did nothing in the church to help and cause an major issue.  That's why in this passage Paul encouraged everyone to "settle down and earn the food they eat" and not to be "busybodies."  This is an important lesson on waiting upon the Lord's return; no one knows when will the Lord return, so the best way to wait upon the Lord's return is to fulfill our duty, because that's what Jesus Christ did.  When Jesus was on earth, He went to John the Baptist to be baptized.  John the Baptist said: "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"  Jesus replied: "it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness."    Paul also did the same.  He was a major apostle who had the authority to ask the church to provide for all his needs.  Paul, however, never asked the church to do so with his authority; instead, he became an example for the church by weaving tents.  On the one hand he was making a living, and on the other hand he was serving the church.  Many people like to wait upon God, but neglect their responsibilities in the world.  Some like to hide in the mountains and stay far away from people; some like to hide in the ivory tower of church to escape from issues.  The Lord's commandment, whoever, was for us to confront our issues.  May God help us, let us not escape when we are encountering difficulties, but rather learn to confront them, because the Lord is with us and His presence can bring us wisdom and strength.  Let us understand how to resolve our issues in life, to overcome circumstances and the enemy with the power of God.  May God guide us and focus on looking upon Him; follow Him, obey Him and fulfill our duties.  When we fulfill our duties, God will also fulfill His.    Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, we thank you because you are a faithful God.  You always provide us with abundance in all that we need in our daily life.  When we pray to you by faith, we ask that you turn our circumstances around and bring forth renewal and breakthrough, and let us experience your abundance and faithfulness.  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 - 2 Thess 3:4-5

2 Thessalonians 3:4-5   We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command.  May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.   Paul said that "May the Lord direct your hearts" because the heart of our faith comes from the inside of our heart.  Faith is not a set of doctrines or ceremonies, but it should come from our heart.  Our heart must turn back to God first, then our whole person may turn back to God.  There are two directions towards which our hearts are led towards: First, we are led to love God.  We often think that to love God is to do something for the Lord, thus we would hear about so and so brother really loves the Lord because he goes to Sunday service each week, tithe faithfully, enjoys participating all kinds of church ministries, or whatever else he does.  We can easily do lots of things on the outside, but it doesn't prove that our hearts truly love the Lord.  When Martha and Maria served the Lord, Martha was really busy, but Maria simply became close to Jesus and knew how to love Him.  Lord wants us to love Him; He's not only demanding that we serve Him and work for Him, but more importantly we ought to come before Him to simply love Him.  When our hearts truly love God, serving Him is no longer heart, but it would instead come out naturally; loving God is the momentum for truly serving Him.   Also, we need to learn to persevere like Jesus Christ did.  When we are in hardship, we need the perseverance of Christ, because God wants to discipline us.  Sometimes we are like seeds; when seeds are held in hands, they can feel the warmth and security from those who are sowing the seeds.  When the seeds are suddenly sown and buried underground, they would feel lonely and dark, surrounded by all kinds of pressure.  During the process, the seeds might question whether those who had sown them really cared about them.  In the same way, when we are going through hardship, we also question whether God is really out there looking after us.  Let us strengthen our faith, learn to persevere in Christ and continue to believe in God.  We need to believe that the one who sowed the seeds will continue to water them, and life from God will continue to grow.  Once there's sufficient water, life inside us will start to grow, break through the darkness and enter into light.   In our life, we need to have the perseverance of Jesus Christ in order to overcome the circumstance of hardship.  May the Lord guide our hearts to love Him more, and to have the perseverance of Christ in order to overcome any circumstance.   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, please guide us and let our hearts turn back to you and love you.  Let us learn from your perseverance so that we will not lose faith and be afraid under any circumstance.  We want to simply follow you and experience your power of breakthrough.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!    Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - We have almost reached our Phase I Target!  Click here to donate online.

Today's Passage - 2 Thess 3:1-3

2 Thessalonians 3:1-3   Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.  And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith.  But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.   God can protect us from the evil one.  He is faithful and just, and when the evil one attacks us, He will be able to protect us.  Lately the US has been under the threat of terrorism, and terrorists are somewhat like devil Satan, because we don't know where they are and what they want to do.  Those who believe in God, however, will live in light and there's no need to fear the devil.  Our God is one who prepares table before me in the presence of our enemies, and He will fight for us.  The enemy always strives to kill, steal and destroy, but God can keep us completely safe in Him.  In your daily life, you must believe that the Lord is faithful, for God can keep us completely safe in Him.  In your daily life, you must believe that the Lord is faithful; He can fortify you and protect you from the attacks of the evil one.   Many years ago, I brought a group of youth from church to a camping trip.  I had to slam the brakes a lot in order to slow down on a road going downhill, then I noticed there's the odor of burnt tires, so I thought perhaps I need to take the car into a shop later.  Suddenly, all the brakes failed and the car started to slip downhill.  I thought there's something that could have stopped the car, but it kept on going down.  I prayed "Lord, save me" and suddenly the car stopped after I heard a big bang.  It turned out that my car was caught by three trees - one on each side and one on the back, forming a pocket that caught my car and saved my life.  When the tow truck came, the driver thought it was a miracle for the car to be stopped that way.  The car was caught between three trees that were like the hand of an angel!   When I climbed uphill from my car, I was filled with gratitude, because I knew that God had saved me from the evil one.  He's faithful, and He protects me.  Do you know that God can protect you in your daily life?  Even though the enemy wants to devour you and attack you, God will protect you in His mighty arms and not allow the evil one to harm you.  Hallelujah!  Let us thank God and praise Him!   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, I once again come before you and thank you, because you are the God who can protect us and save us from the evil one.  I ask that you protect each brother and sister, strengthen them so that they can avoid the attacks from the evil one.  May the Spirit of the Lord become the mighty arms in our life.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!    Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - We have almost reached our Phase I Target!  Click here to donate online.

Today's Passage - 2 Thess 2:16-17

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17   May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Do you know that you have a loving Heavenly Father? He is the loving Father God, just like the father you have in your life, providing for the needs of his children, guiding and disciplining his children. Disciplining is not only about rebuking, but about loving the children. In addition, He is our Comforter. The comfort or men is temporal, but the comfort of God lasts forever. As a pastor, I have been to many memorial services and have conducted memorial services for many   non-Christians. I discovered that the non-Christians do not have hope for life after death and their hearts cannot be comforted because they do not have the everlasting hope in their hearts. Only God can put the everlasting hope in our hearts, to bring about comfort. The words of men are limited. Only God's Word can bring about true comfort in the hearts of men when the love of God penetrates their hearts.   God's Word can bring about good hope and we have the hope of eternal life in God. Do you know that when you leave this world, you will be with the Lord forever? If you do not have this beautiful hope, you need to come before Jesus and accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior. If you already have this good hope, your heart will be filled with joy because you know that death is not the end. Not only do we have the hope of eternal life, but we also have the hope for today. We know that in our everyday lives, even in the midst of trials and pain, God is with us and will give us strength. We do not have to be afraid because his staff and his rod comfort us and lead us.   May God open our hearts to receive the comfort he has for us. He wants to strengthen us in word and in deeds. Man often cannot strengthen himself, hence we love to sing worship songs and read encouraging words. When troubles come, we are often weak. The only thing that can strengthen us in life is God Himself. There are many ups and downs in life. Only when we depend on God, He can strengthen us until He returns and we see Him face to face!   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, I thank you because you first loved us and gave us a good hope that brings us such comfort. I pray Lord you will strengthen our faith to look to you only. Although we may be weak at times, we know that you are strengthening us throughout our lives until we see you face to face. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!    Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - We have almost reached our Phase I Target!  Click here to donate online.