Today's Passage - Galatians 6:11-14

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Galatians 6:11-14     ... Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.    In the early church, they often forced the Gentiles to be circumcised. This was not because of the Law and not because it was for God's purposes, but it was to satisfy their own selfish ego. In the church there are many traditions which they force people to follow not because they are for people's spiritual growth or for church growth, but rather these are to satisfy their own self-image. Paul mentions here that what we boast in is Jesus Christ and him crucified and being crucified with Christ. This includes our old self and the desire to satisfy our own wishes, which are all to be crucified on the cross. No longer do things have to be according to the wishes of our own hearts. Rather we solely desire that God's will be done.     When we lead others, do we boast that they are following our ways of doing things? Or is this person truly living in the presence of God? To preach denominational teachings is very easy. When you chat with someone, you can know from the conversation if he is a Presbyterian, or a Baptist, or from the Local church. Yet to preach "Emmanuel", God is with us, is rather so difficult. What we see is the outward appearance of people, which emphasizes the methods of man, yet it fails to bring people before God to enjoy his presence and truthfulness.    If we are boasting in traditions and denominational teachings, then we are leading people on a path of death. If we are emphasizing a vibrant life, then we will bring people to the presence of Jesus Christ. We need to seriously ask ourselves, in our entire faith practices, and in our entire church, when we do something, what is the reason we do it? I find that in the church people often don't ask this question. Yet when we carefully think about the reason why we do things this way, we will discover that in reality the reason we do many things is just because the people before us did it this way, yet there is no real spiritual meaning in it and there is no real spiritual need for it. May God have mercy on us to truly face our own faith practices and help us to know what is from man and what is from God. If it is from man, may God give us a bearing heart to accept one another. If it is from God, then it is an unchanging truth.                                                                                  Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I thank you because your word gives me freedom. Lord, please forgive me for often to satisfy myself I ignored your will. Lord, please let me boast not in man's traditions, but in your works. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!