Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Acts 16:1-5       He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Paul truly understood how to train and build up disciples. He was a great example in several ways: First, Paul knew how to build up relationship with his disciples. After Paul chose Timothy, he was willing to bring Timothy along wherever he went. The church today often mistakenly think that we just need to hold training classes. The church doesn't need more training classes, but there has to be people who can really spend time to lead others. Paul has set a great example there, for he led the coworkers by working with them. Training actually involves three steps: 1) you do the job and he watches, 2) you do the job with him and 3) he does the job and you watch. Paul truly understood how to train coworkers, so may God help us to also understand how to lead other coworkers to serve together. Next, Paul understood how to help the disciples to be disciplined in their spiritual life. Serving is not just working on things, but to be disciplined in life. When Paul decided to bring Timothy along on a trip, people in the places they were visiting knew that Timothy was half Jew and half Greek, so they demanded that Timothy followed Jewish law and be circumcised. According to sound doctrines, Paul and Timothy could have rejected such request, especially given that council of Jerusalem had already decided that in Christ we are all new creation. We no longer need to be bound by law, therefore Timothy could have rejected the demand of the locals. Paul, however, taught Timothy to learn a deeper truth in ministry, which is the fact that we sometimes need to sacrifice our deserved rights for the sake of Christ in order not to make the weaker brothers stumble. Therefore, Paul circumcised Timothy, not because he was compromising the truth, because Paul did not oppose the practice of circumcision, but rather he opposed imposing circumcision on new believers. Timothy could have refused such request, but for the sake of the gospel or winning the souls, he valued God's will more than his own right. Therefore, he was submissive in this matter and became a wonderful testimony. When we serve God, we must understand that sometimes we need to give up our desired rights for the sake of Christ, so that the work of God can be spread out more extensively through us.    Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     Lord, I thank you for teaching us through this scripture passage; in our daily life, please discipline us to become willing to put down our own rights for the sake of Christ and God's Kingdom, and help us to understand how to work closely with others. When we put down our own rights, we will see how your grace makes way for us. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Acts 15:36-41 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."  Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.  They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.  He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. God does prepare His vessels just by giving them a one-time training.  Human beings by nature like to be independent, but God wants us to depend on Him.  Not just to depend on Him once, but to depend on Him continuously.  That's why God never tells us what's going to happen say after five years, because we all hope to prepare for the future as early as possible in our own ways, not in the ways that God will prepare us.  Our greatest weakness is the desire to depend on ourselves; it's not that God doesn't want us to be prepared and plan ahead, but He wants us to depend on Him and obey Him daily.  When God is preparing a vessel, He values how we follow Him daily, so may the Lord help us to humble ourselves and learn to follow and obey Him daily. God did not equip Paul only during the time he was in Damascus or the ten lonely years in Tarsus; rather, Paul was equipped with new lessons and discipline from each ministry journey.  This passage mentioned about how Paul started his second missionary trip; I believe that when Paul started planning this trip, he thought it'd be easy because he's done it before.  Also, the previous experience of ministering with Barnabas was very fruitful.    In verse 36, we saw that Barnabas wanted to call Mark back to go with them, because Barnabas was good at encouraging people and give them a second chance; Paul, on the other hand, was strong-willed and inpatient, and he couldn't tolerate God's ministry being delayed by people.  Therefore, they argued about this and ended up parting their ways. This event had tremendous impact on Paul.  God used this opportunity to teach Paul the lesson of not depending on his past experience but to renew his dependence on God; at the same time, God also wanted to reshape his ministry.  After chapter 16, when he started his second missionary trip, Paul started to assemble his coworker team and selected those he wanted to follow him.  This is the lesson that God wanted Paul to learn - He needed to not depend on himself, but learn to depend on God, and to collaborate with other coworkers.   Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     Lord, please give us a tender and humble heart so that we may be shaped like how Paul was.  Soften our hearts and teach us to collaborate with you and with other brothers and sisters, so that you will may be done.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Acts 15:27-35 "Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.  It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:  You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell."  The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers... Once the council of Jerusalem established the principles for gentiles to turn to Jesus, the gentile church was glad.  Truth is supposed to set people free, not to bind the hearts.  The early church set a good example for us - We ought to be speak words that strengthen, encourage and comfort.  In fact, that is the definition of prophecy according to the Bible - Corinthians 14:3 says that "everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort."  Judas and Silas are both prophets, so when they reached the church of Antioch they encouraged and comforted the believers there, and fortified their hearts. The church today needs to have this message restored.  Very often the church is filled with the spirit of condemnation, traditions and rules that bind the hearts of people and prevent them from gaining true freedom.  One time I went to the church to serve as the speaker for Sunday service.  Right before the service, a sister came in a rush and her hair was all messy.  An elderly sister beside her quickly rebuked her that she wasn't prepared to come before God, and the sister went and hid in the restroom in shame.  When I saw that, I became quite nervous, thinking that perhaps this church has so many traditions and rules that I might become the next one to be rebuked if I accidentally violate any of the their rules? The church should not be filled with the spirit of condemnation, but rather it should be a place where the truth is preached.  Truth is for setting our hearts free, not for binding us.  The church today needs to restore the gift and role of prophet, so that prophecies may bring forth God's comfort and encouragement, and let the will and guidance of God be manifested.  Acts 9:31 says that the church "enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord."  In the same way, may God place the spirit of the prophecy in our midst, so that we may speak words of strengthening, encouragement and comfort.  The hearts of people will receive peace and the church will grow naturally.   Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     Lord, please grant the spirit of prophecy to everyone, so that we may speak words of strengthening, encouragement and comfort in our daily life.  Let us be edified in the Lord and add to our number daily those are being saved.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Acts 15:19-26 "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.  Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.  For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."  Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers....  So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul - men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul and Barnabas are referred to as "men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" because they are faithful to what God entrusted them.  Those who serve God must be faithful, and faithfulness means going beyond doing what the duty calls for.  Faithfulness means having the willingness to make the most effort to do the best.  Jesus talked about it in His parable of the faithful servant.  People would think that a servant who's given one thousand talents and returns one thousand talents is reasonably faithful because every talent was returned, but the master rebuked him for not having made any effort to try to do something with the thousand talents.  If we can't even be faithful in the small things, how can we be entrusted with the greater things? Reverend Edward Miller once preached this story.  During the revival in Argentina, God prompted a sister to attend a conference, and God told her that she will become a blessing to the conference.  Therefore, the sister went there and told the coworkers that God sent her to speak to the conference.  The coworkers didn't know who she was, so they sent her to the kitchen to help out with washing dishes.  The sister didn't feel insulted at all, rather she went to the kitchen and started doing the dishes.  While she was there, she was filled with joy and started worshipping God.  The coworkers were stunned that the sister was so joyful even while washing dishes, so they decided to let her go up and share during the very last session.  As soon as she got up there, the Holy Spirit started moving and many were touched by God.  This sister was faithful in a small thing, for she didn't complain that she had to do the dishes but was instead filled with joy, so God used her to become a blessing to the conference.   Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     Lord, we thank you because you are the Lord who can shape our lives.  May your Spirit move within the hearts of the brothers and sisters; teach us to be faithful in small things, so that we can be used by you on greater things.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Acts 15:12-18 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: "'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things' that have been known for ages. From this verse we understand that David's tent had only one thing, which is the ark.  In this tent, there is only one ministry, which is the praise and worship ministry. In this passage, we see how God established His worship team, including the instruments and the singers. David was not only focused on the act of praise and worship, he had the heart of praise and worship.  As such, David said repeatedly in the book of Psalms, where David repeatedly said, "Praise the LORD, O my soul". David did not only worship God with words.  He worshipped the Lord with his entire being.  In the Psalms, David mentioned clapping his hands in triumph to the enemy, falling down on his knees to worship, as well as singing, drumming and dancing. David even danced before God, which is something that is hard to imagine for the Chinese Church. If a person in the church were to start dancing, we might think that it is inappropriate.  However, David knew how to worship God with his heart and soul and his entire being.  No wonder the Bible refers to David as a man after God's own heart, because David really understood how praise and worship.  Praise and worship is not something new that was invented in this era.  It has existed since the time of David.  In this era, through the words of Jacob, God spoke about restoring David's tent to this generation in the New Testament era.  In other words, God wants to restore the ministry of praise and worship in the New Testament era, so that the Gentiles may seek God. The main purpose of praise and worship is not only to satisfy ourselves, but to reach the nations so that all people may enjoy the benefits of the Gospel.   Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     Lord, we thank you because you are worthy of our worship and praise.  We pray Lord that you will grant us a soft heart and an open spirit to come before you each time and praise you wholeheartedly.  Let your name be exalted through our lives, so that people from all nations may come to know you. We thank you and we pray in Jesus' name, amen!

Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Acts 15:6-11 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." At the council at Jerusalem, there was a debate on circumcision.  Verse 7 says, "after much discussion", indicating that the debate had dragged on for a long time, with no resolution, causing much frustration and disappointment. Sometimes we like to push things forward without much thought or reasoning. Often in the church, we assume that when God speaks to us, he will cause everyone else to be enlightened the same way, just like as He shone a light on Paul that everyone else could see. But in Acts Chapter 15, we see that God used a meeting and a debate so that we may understand His will.  Through the debate of man, two things can be learned:  One is it reveals the heart of men.  Without the debate, the different views would not have been surfaced or understood. Secondly, the debate revealed the obstacle between people.  It was only through the discussion, that the Holy Spirit was able to reveal all these differences.  This allowed people to see their own weakness, selfishness and the darkness in their hearts, in order to listen to God's voice once again.  As such, when the debate ended, the people were open to listen to Barnabas and Paul describing God's way. God used the meeting and debate process to bring about wonderful results.  In the end, everyone was able to come in agreement and obey God's will.  This is such a wonderful example for us.  At times, we have our own view of how God's work can be done.  In reality, God can use all things to accomplish His will.  The spirit of God can use discussions and debates to wipe out the darkness in the church and bring about stronger unity.  God's ways are indeed higher than what we can ever think of or imagine!   Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     Dear Lord, we thank you that you make all things work together for your glory.  We pray for your mercy and ask that you remove our preconceived ideas.  Let us come before you humbly and also face one another with a humble heart when we have different views.  Let us seek your will through various discussions. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Acts 15:1-5 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."      The most controversial matter in the early church was circumcision of the Gentiles.  On the face of it, circumcision does not seem to be a big deal, but in reality, the circumcision of the Gentiles has a deeper meaning.  That is, if a Gentile believer wants to trust in Jesus, they must first be circumcised and become a Jew, before becoming a Christian. What Paul referred to here is not to rigidly adhere to the ceremony of circumcision. Our faith is not just a ceremonial matter, although that may be important.  The more important thing is to point towards Jesus.  Jesus himself was never enslaved by religious ceremony such as the Sabbath.  Jesus declared, "I am the Lord of the Sabbath"; the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. At that time, people were not allowed to be with sinners, but Jesus went to the sinners' homes in every place he visited - the home Zacchaeus and the home of Simon. Furthermore, in the New Testament time, the covenant is no longer based on the ceremonial form of circumcision. Colossians 2:11-12 says: "In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God...".  In the New Testament era, we are no longer required to be circumcised, because circumcision is only a formality; The New Testament meaning of baptism, is that we are being buried together with Christ, and resurrected with him.  Baptism is the sign of covenant in the New Testament time.  In Christ, you and I can enjoy a life that overcomes sin, and that is a glorious blessing!       Pray with Pastor Tong Liu     Lord, we thank you that in you, we can overcome all the temptations of sin.  We pray that, Lord, you help us not to be in bondage to formality or just being religious, but let us experience your riches, victory and freedom every day in our lives.  We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!