Today's Passage - Luke 19:41-44

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 19:41-44   As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes.  The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.  They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls.  They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.'   Why did the Lord weep?  Verse 44 says that the Jews "did not recognize the time of God's coming to you," because the Lord already foresaw that in 70 AD the Roman army will march into Jerusalem and burn the whole city down.  The gold in the temple melted between the stones, so the Roman soldiers had to take apart the stones in order to fetch the gold.  Indeed, no stone will be left on another stone.  The Jews back then, however, didn't know that these things will happen, and they refused to repent and turn back to God.  We thought that the Jews, after all the hardship throughout history, would have turned back to God, but in fact, until today, Jews are still hardened and don't want to turn back to God.   When I think about how the Jews don't want to turn back to God, I weep for them, because although they follow the rituals and laws, they refuse the God who gave them the law.  I also weep for many lost souls around us, because many who are living under the grace and mercy of God do not know His will.  The Bible says that we ought to look for Jehovah when He can still be found.  Many do not understand this, so they take God's word lightly and don't pay attention to God's work.  Many turn back to God only after they encounter storms in their lives.   The Bible says that "now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."  You must come to depend on God when the door of grace is still wide open.  This calling is not only made towards to the non-believers, but also to the believers.  Many believers say that they want to be close to God, but their hearts are far from God.  Therefore, in 1 Peter, it says that "for you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do," but those days should be done, and this is the time to turn back.  God is still watching over us, so let us come closer to God!     Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I thank you because you are still watching over us and saving us.  May the Lord open our eyes so that we will understand that your grace and mercy are meant for us.  Let our hearts turn back to you so that we may receive your love abundantly.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!