Today's Passage - John 1:6-12

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english John 1: 6-12    ....the true light that gives light to every man was coming to this world.  He was in this world, and though this world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.  He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.  Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.        Jesus Christ is the light of men given by God.   This light illuminated not only people in the past, but also those living in this age.  It has also become the true light in our lives.   Verse 11:  He came to His own world, and yet His people did not receive Him.  The Israelites in the Old Testament had longed for the coming of the Messiah, but ironically, the Jews in the New Testament at the time of Jesus   flatly rejected Him.  Men are so blind-sighted! We have been seeking for the answer to our life, but when it is   revealed to us, we would not only dismiss it, but try our very best to reject it instead - what a pity! As people often live in the dark, they are in need of God's illumination.  May we come to recognize where the answer and the blind-spots in our lives are, so that we may be freed from all our bondages and accept the answer we have been seeking so diligently for - that is Jesus Christ himself.         Just image, as we become the children in God's kingdom, aren't we now the prince and princess in His kingdom?  My heart is   filled with excitement every time when I think about this!  God loves us so much and we are so precious to Him, may we fully comprehend His love and open our lives to Him willingly so that we may walk with Jesus Christ, live in the light and never to walk in the dark again!      Verse 12: "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God" In this verse, believing means receiving.   It is like I am knocking the door at your house today, and you notice this is Pastor Tong as you open the door.  You would say "Welcome to our house Pastor Tong" - this is an act of "receiving".  Likewise, when God is knocking at the door of our hearts, as we open the door and realize that He is our Lord Jesus, we would happily receive Him so that He  would have sovereignty over every part of our lives. This is the meaning of believing.  When we welcome Jesus into our lives, we are now believers of our Lord.  To those who believe in His name, the Lord will give them rights to become the children of God.  What a precious promise!                Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, we thank you because as we come before you, receiving you, believing in you, you give us the right to become your children.  May we follow you closely every day and live for you.  In the victorious name of Jesus we pray, Amen!