Today's Passage - 1 John 2:24-25

1 John 2:24-25 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us - eternal life.     John said that we should see that what we have heard from the beginning remains in us. What we have heard from the beginning is the teaching of salvation, the gospel that the Lord became flesh for us. Had He not become flesh, He wouldn't have had the experience of our dilemma. Nor would He have taken over our weakness and carried our pain. Just because the Lord became flesh for us, experienced the physical death and was resurrected from death, He was able to give us the authority to overcome the sins. Thus all those who are still in the bondage of sins and living in fear of the death today can have the power to overcome. This is the gospel we have heard from God from the beginning.    John told us that we should see that his gospel always remains in us through praise, prayer and reading God's Words. Praise is the first lesson we should learn in our life as a Christian. The first thing we should do in the morning after we get up is to learn to praise God, and proclaim that today is a new day and God's resurrecting power will be manifested on us. When we see that what we have heard from the beginning remains in us, we already accept Christ to enter into our life and be our savior. The Lord gave us the clear promise that we then live inside the Son. What precious truth it is!     As believers, it is so great for us to be able to live with the Lord from now on. There is nothing else more precious than the presence of the Lord in our living world. You may have honors and titles in this world. But without the presence of the Lord, you will still not have the true satisfaction. You may experience all kinds of sufferings in this world. Without the presence of the Lord, you will never enjoy the true comfort. Nothing can take away the eternal life that the Lord promised us. Therefore, in Romans 8:38-39, Paul said: "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." In other words, no circumstances can take away the presence of the Lord. Not even death. This is all the promise and hope we have in the Lord. Brothers and sisters, do you have such a hope inside of you? Do you have the assurance?   Pray with Pastor Tong Liu   Lord, we thank you for not only promising us that we have eternal life, but also promising us that you will be with us. How precious such presence is! May your Spirit guide us so that we can experience your presence in our life every day. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!       Support Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Expansion Project