Today's Passage - Luke 8:22-25

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 8:22-25   "One day Jesus said to his disciples, 'Let's go over to the other side of the lake.'  So they got into a boat and set out.  As they sailed, he fell asleep.  A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.  The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Master, Master, we're going to drown!'  He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.  'Where is your faith?' he asked his disciples.  In fear and amazement they asked one another, 'Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.'"   While there will always be unpredictable storms in our life that make us lose faith and hope, never forget the promise of the Lord.  Someone has said that when you are in darkness, don't ever forget the promises that the Lord gave you when you were in brightness.  When you possess the Lord's promise, hold on to it and keep on going, because storms will always pass but word of the Lord lasts forever.   People often can't feel the presence of God during the storms, but God's presence will never be taken back!  As children we loved to sing "when the Lord is on my boat I shall not be afraid of the wave...  Until we reach our heavenly home."  From this scripture we see that when storms came, the Lord was onboard, but the disciples reacted with fear and awe.  Jesus, however, was sound asleep because He knew God's will and plan, and He knew God's promise through Him.  Therefore, before the time comes, God won't take His life.  Peace of the Lord was not based on the environment, but rather the word of God.  As long as your peace is based on the word of God, you will enjoy peace and joy during any storm in your life.   Jesus also rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith, beginning with their faith in God's word.  When the Lord said "Let's go over to the other side of the lake," that's exactly what he meant, so they wouldn't drown to death half-way.  Also, it's their lack of faith in God's deeds; when Jesus rebuked the winds and waves and asked them to subside, disciples fearfully asked "Who is this?"  They actually already knew that He is the son of God, ruler of the universe, all things are under His authority, and nothing is impossible in Him.  During our storms in life, may God give us faith in His word and His deeds.  We will then be able to make the storms in our life subside by the authority of the Lord.                Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I thank you because you are the Lord who calms the winds and waves, and you are the faithful God.  When you tell us to go to the other side, we shall believe that we will end up on the other side.  You will accomplish it as you promised and by your zeal.  Please encourage us once again to believe and to depend on your word.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Today's Passage - Luke 8:16-21

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 8:16-21   "'No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.  For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.  Therefore consider carefully how you listen.  Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.'  Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd.  Someone told him, 'Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.'  He replied, 'My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice.'"   The condition of a person's heart will manifest outward.  Just like in the parable of sowing the seeds, the easiest way to determine the quality of the ground is to look at the harvest.  If the ground yields 30 time, 60 times and 100 times of harvest, the soil must be good; if little buds come out and die soon after, then the soil must be hard or the ground is full of rocks.  The condition of one's heart will manifest in his life.   In our daily life, we demonstrate who we are by our behavior.  "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you - and even more."  You will bear whatever you sow.  If you sow jealousy, you will surely bear jealousy; if you sow righteousness and justice, you will surely bear righteousness and justice; if you sow love, you will surely bear love.   The Lord said that here that "whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."  The key point here is that God's principle is different from the principles of men.  Men's principle is to accumulate as much wealth as possible, and the more we have the more peaceful we think we will be.  This is actually a deception from the enemy.  The reality is that the more wealth one has, the less peace he will have.  Money will never bring us peace, joy and satisfaction.  God's principle is not to do anything for oneself, but to share the blessings.  The more we share, the more God will give to us.  That is why the Lord said, in Acts 20:35, "it is more bless to give than to receive."  This word is not just to comfort or encourage those who give more, but it is also a truth that can be tested.  To those who are stingy to others, God will be stingy to them.  The more one is willing to give to God, the more God will give him.  We ask God to make us willing to give, not only to listen to God's word, but also wiling to follow the Lord's teaching in our daily life.                Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I thank you because you are our true God!  Your promise is always trustworthy and we can count on you to live a victorious life.  May the Lord help us to not only listen to Your word, but also to follow Your word.  We ask for more grace and blessing in our life.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Today's Passage - Luke 8:9-15

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 8:9-15   "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.  Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.  Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.  The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.  But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."   Lord Jesus described four types of soil here:   First, the soil along the path: the biggest difference between the soil along the path and soil in the field is that the ground is hard along the road and seeds won't penetrate the surface.  When seeds are sown, they won't get into the soil.  The main reason one cannot hear the word of the Lord and receive His teaching is not because God didn't talk to him, but because his heart is hard.  With your heart is hard, no matter what others tell you, you won't be able absorb it.   Second, the soil on the rock: This type of person might have heard the Lord's word, but there are no roots in his heart, so when he encounters suffering and persecution, he stumbles right away.  Roots are the source of nutrition for plants, so life depends on them.  In the same manner, when we have the opportunity to receive the word of God, not only should we listen humbly, we should also make God's word the momentum that our life depends on.   Third, the soil in the thorns: Although the seeds are sown, lots of things choked them and they cannot bear fruit.  We are often burdened by many things in our life, and we don't have time to listen to the Lord's word.  We may call Jesus our "Lord," but in our real life we put our Lord in the last place.  In your life today, what is the most important thing to you?  May God help us to value the word of God.   Last, the good soil: This type of person hears the word and the seeds bear fruit.  In other words, in their life, they can put the Lord's word into practice.  The ultimate goal of hearing the word is not for us to gain more knowledge, but to follow the will of God.   Let us practice following God's word and His will in our daily life.  When we march forward by faith, we will experience the faithfulness of our God, and He will accomplish His precious promises in our life!                Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I ask that You help me to be determined to follow Your word and to be intimate with You in my life.  May Your presence manifest in our life each and everyday.  I thank You and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Today's Passage - Luke 8:1-8

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 8:1-8   "While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 'A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.  Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.'  When he said this, he called out, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'"   We'd like think that a person is "spiritual" if he has been a Christian for a long-time, has abundant knowledge of the Bible, or can even recite many scripture passages; however, such an assessment may not be accurate.  Spirituality is actually defined by how well a person can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit; it doesn't really matter how many years one has been a believer, but what matters is whether one can hear what the Lord wants to say.  In other words, you spiritual life is directly related to your ability to hear in the Spirit.  Such "hearing" is not just listening to sermons, but it's the ability to hear God's word when you read the Bible, pray or in your routine life.  Whether you are a Christian or non-Christian, your attitude towards the word of the Lord determines your understanding of the Lord, and the amount of spiritual abundance you can experience.  Because hearing is so important, right after Jesus chose the disciples He regularly taught them how to "hear."  In the parable of sowing the seeds, Jesus explained that the sown seed represent the word of the Lord.  Even though seeds are tiny, they contain life, and they can break out from the soil and grow to become big plants.  So is the word of the Lord.   Bible says that the word of the Lord is the Spirit and life.  As long as you have the word of the Lord, it will bring strength to your life.  It's the momentum that can help you to achieve breakthrough from your circumstance and the strength to bring our life to maturity.  Lord's word can bring you wisdom, joy and holiness in life, so we need to ask the Lord for a positive attitude in listening to God's word.  We ought to learn God's word from the Bible everyday, and also to have the courage to follow God's word in our daily life.  Let God's word have strong roots and grow healthily in our life, and spawn many more seeds.  May God help us!                Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I thank you because there is power in every word from you.  Once your word is spoken, it won't be retracted.  I ask that you give us a humble heart that is open to learning, and ears good in listening.  Let us hear your word, not only superficially, but what you want to say to us in the Spirit, so that your word will become strength of our life.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Today's Passage - Luke 7:44-50

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 7:44-50   "Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman?  I came into your house.  You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.  You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much.  But he who has been forgiven little loves little.'  Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'  The other guests began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?'  Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'"   The more a person is in debt, and more grace is needed to forgive his debt.  We often feel that those who committed big sins need the gospel more, and those who only sinned a little can be easily excused and they don't need much of Lord's grace.  The reality is that there's no big or small sinner before God.  We all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.  We are all doomed to receive God's punishment, so we all need the grace of God to manifest in our lives.  One who is humble will receive more of God's grace, because he is willing to open his heart to accept God's salvation and forgiveness.  On the contrary, one who is proud and self-righteous cannot receive God's grace, because his conceited righteousness has filled himself.   In this passage, Jesus visited Simon's house, but Simon was not behaving like a good host.  The woman, however, was so humble that she wouldn't dare kissing and anointing the head of Jesus, but she only dared to wash, kiss and then wipe His feet.  Because she was humble, she received utmost grace.  Jesus told the women, "your sins are forgiven."  Such word immediately aroused much controversy - how could Jesus forgive sins?  Jesus is our savior, so not only can He heal, He can also forgive sins and free us from all trespasses.  Jesus, however, never told Simon "your sins are forgiven," because Simon didn't think he needed forgiveness and grace, therefore his sins were not forgiven.  These are in sharp contrast!  Simon believed that only the woman was the sinful one, but before God those who acknowledge they are sinners are the ones who are forgiven.  Those who are regarded as righteous and also self-righteous will not be forgiven of their sins before God.   We need to come before God humbly, acknowledge that there is no goodness in us and we need God's salvation.  When we open our hearts before God, the grace of God will come to us, and He will help us to become those who are truly filled with grace and mercy.                Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I thank you and I ask that your grace and mercy will fill us.  Let us receive your salvation with a humble heart, and also let your grace and mercy flow through us.  Bless us so that we may bless every life that we touch.  I thank and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Today's Passage - Luke 7:36-43

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 7:36-43   "When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.  Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.  When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner.'  Jesus answered him, 'Simon, I have something to tell you.'  'Tell me, teacher,' he said.  'Two men owed money to a certain moneylender.  One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  Neither of them had the money to pay the moneylender back, so the moneylender canceled the debts of both.  Now which of them will love him more?'  Simon replied, 'I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly,' Jesus said."   We usually have a specific purpose when we treat others to feasts.  When Simon saw this woman came to his feast uninvited, he was not too happy, especially because she was also a sinful woman.  He didn't get mad at her because Jesus was there and he had to act spiritual.  That's often the way we are as well; we have similar attitude towards others, and instead of staying quiet we may start saying words of judgment.   A person who is self-righteous can easily fall into the trap of criticizing others and lifting his own stature.  On the contrary, the woman in sin was truly humble, and she longed for receiving grace from Jesus.  That's why Jesus asked Simon what happened when one person owes fifty denarii and the other owes five hundred, but both of them cannot pay back.  In other word, neither of them could meet God's standard.  Simon the Pharisee felt that he sinned less, but he was still a sinner.  The woman seemed to be more sinful from human perspective, but before God she's just another sinner.  When the moneylender cancelled their debt, the one who owed more actually enjoyed more grace, and he will love the moneylender more.   May the Spirit of God help us to see that before God we are mere sinners.  Let us stop criticizing others and lifting our own stature, but come humbly before God and look upon God's grace.  We need to be willing to receive the grace of forgiveness and also share this grace with those around us.  May the grace of true forgiveness flow out from our life right now.                Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I thank you because you are the Lord who forgives, and you have mercy on us.  You want us to manifest your mercy and forgiveness in our life.  Even though we cannot do it by own strength, we can depend on your strength and love.  Please come and fill us again, so that in our daily life we may manifest your grace and mercy.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Today's Passage - Luke 7:31-35

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 7:31-35   "'To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry."  For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, "He has a demon."  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, "Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and 'sinners.'"  But wisdom is proved right by all her children.'"   This is an era that doesn't understand God's will.  When we proclaim to the world the message of repentance, people do not want to repent; when we proclaim to the world the resurrection of the Lord, they don't like to accept it.  Sin has blinded hearts of the people from seeing their own sin.  When King David committed adultery and murder, God sent a prophet to speak to him.  Nathan told him a parable where a poor man lived beside the house of a rich man.  The rich man had many livestock but the poor man only had one sheep; the sheep was so precious to him that he slept with the sheep in his arms.  One day, when the rich man wanted to have a feast, he didn't slaughter his own livestock, but rather he robbed the sheep from the poor man and ate it.  David heard the story and was furious, for he thought the rich man had committed an evil act.  Nathan then pointed out to David that he was that rich man!   The greatest weakness of men is not to know our own weaknesses.  In the darkness, we won't see our need and we won't understand how precious God's grace is.  Sin is not just the outward behavior, for sin can also be the spirit and attitude of self-centeredness, pride and self-righteousness.  It is a sin to believe that we don't need salvation and Jesus Christ and we can live by our own might.  The attitude of depending on ourselves and not depending on God is precisely the root of sin, because we don't understand what our soul really needs.   May the Spirit of God enlighten us so that we can clearly see how we are today.  We are often trapped in sin and fear, so we need the Lord to release us and give us freedom.  Let us turn back to God, welcome the work of the Holy Spirit, and once again pray for our generation.  This is a generation that doesn't know God, but we don't want to simply judge and convict the generation, but rather we want to cry out and pray for it.  We want to let this generation see its spiritual condition and turn back to God.  May God place a merciful heart in us, so that we would come before Him and cry out for mercy and grace to cover the sin of this generation.  This is the mission given to us by God, and we need to do what John the Baptist did, preach the message of repentance so that people will turn their hearts back to God when they hear the word of the Lord.                Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, we thank you because you are the Lord who is full of mercy.  Please open our eyes and let us see our own needs and our sins, and let us turn back to you.  I ask that you grant us the spirit of prayer, so that we won't stop praying for this generating until your will is done.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Today's Passage - Luke 7:24-30

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 7:24-30   "After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: 'What did you go out into the desert to see?  A reed swayed by the wind?  If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes?  No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.  This is the one about whom it is written: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you."  I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.'"   Jesus did not reduce the importance of John the Baptist just because John had doubt, for John was indeed the forerunner sent by God to prepare way for the Lord.  Therefore, when John preached in the wilderness, the crowd was touched by his message.  John played a very important role, for he prepared the way for Jesus Christ to be born.  Today, although we no longer need to prepare the way for the birth of Jesus, we still need to prepare the way for the Lord's second coming.  From this perspective, our role is no different from the role of John the Baptist.  Do you know that in your daily life you need to prepare the way for the Lord?  In your relationship with the Lord, do you need to learn how to become more intimate with Him?   The Bible says that Jesus is the groom and we are the bride, and the bride should be waiting for the groom to come and receive us.  In the meantime, we need to be intimate to the Lord with our eager heart, so that we won't be caught unprepared when the Lord returns.  In our daily life, are we still good witnesses for the Lord?  Are we bringing glory to God through our good behavior and testimonies?  Some have said that there are actually five books of Gospel, because the fifth one is you and me.  People will get to know Jesus through us, and they will turn to God through us.  Brothers and sisters, are you good witnesses in your life?  In your ministry, are you ready to welcome the return of the Lord?   Before the Lord returns, there will be great revival on earth.  We need to collaborate with the Lord, and partner with God in prayer.  Are you praying daily for the expansion of God's kingdom, the church and the needs in the unreached land?  Let us raise our holy hands to work with God, to speed up God's return through prayer.  Lord is seeking those who are preparing the way for Him, and may God help us to be the ones who are preparing the way for the Lord in the end time.                Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I thank you because you are a faithful God, and you shall return.  May God help us to prepare our hearts everyday in our life and to wait upon you.  I ask that you place such hope and faith in our hearts, and let us bear witness for you.  Let us also pray with you in our ministry and wait upon you in our intimate time with you, until your return.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!