Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Joshua 8:1-2   Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land. You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city."   In this passage, Jehovah told Joshua: "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." This is God's first promise for Joshua after the defeat at town of Ai, and it's the same promise as the one given to Joshua when God first revealed Himself. In Joshua 1:9, God said: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous." God's promises to us will never change, and the power of His promises will never change either. In fact, failure is a necessary step in the process of our growing life. Some failures happen because of our lust, some in our marriage, some in our interpersonal relationship, or even at work or with our expectation on others. God allows us to go through failure, because if we never fail we'd think we are strong. Just like what happened the night when the Lord was betrayed, Peter told the Lord that "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." Soon after he said this, he denied the Lord three times. The Bible says that "Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times," so "he went outside and wept bitterly." Peter thought he was strong, but at that moment he completely collapsed.   God's promises to us, however, will never change. People will break promises, but God will always keep His promises. James 1:16-17 says that "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." When Jesus was born, the wise men from the East though the king they were searching for was born in Jerusalem. Even though a star guided them, but as soon as they reached Jerusalem they quit following the star and entered into the city. Later on, they found out that Jesus wasn't born in Jerusalem, but in Bethlehem, so they proceeded to go there. When they were on their way to Bethlehem, Matthew 2:9 says that "the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was." I like the fact that the star "went ahead of them." When they digressed, God never actually left them, but it was the eyes of men that left God. When they turned back to God, however, they suddenly found that God's promise and power never changed. That's why we don't ever need to fear or panic! May the Lord help us to never stay in our failure of the past, but to rise up again from our failure and, by the might of the Lord, turn failure into victory!     Pray with Pastor Tong       Dear Lord, we thank you because your promise and power will never change. Brothers and sisters, no matter what you circumstance is right now, you must depend on the Lord by faith. May the Lord's spirit pour onto us so that we might become victorious with His help. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Joshua 7:26   Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.     Joshua is a book full of rocks. In chapter, when the Israelites crossed Jordan river, God asked them to pick up twelve rocks from the river and bring them onshore, then pick up twelve rocks from the shore and place into the river, all in order to commemorate God's work. After Israelites beat Achan to death, they put a pile of rocks on him. In other word, they didn't throw a bunch of rocks on him, but they did it deliberately with significance.   First of all, why was Achan beaten to death? Didn't he repent for his sins before God? When Achan repented for his sins, he indeed had a change of heart, but it's not related to the punishment he received for his sin. On the one hand, the sin inside him could be forgiven through repentance; on the other hand, he still needed to bear the consequence of sin. Therefore, a murderer can be convicted to death sentence, and while locked up in jail his soul can be saved because he believed in Jesus, but that doesn't mean he will be spared of the death sentence. In the process of the penalty, there's still hope in God's mercy; because of the death of Achan, Jehovah decided to "turn from his fierce anger." We can see God's mercy in this process.   Next, these rocks symbolize a warning. From that time on, whenever Israelites pass by this place, they would think of the failure of their people. In the same way, in our spiritual life, we should also be warned by the failure of the past, so that we won't deviate from the right path on our journey of faith. For example, the Bible described prophet Balaam as "who loved the wages of wickedness." God wanted to use Balaam to warn those who serve Him not to love money. As we think about Achan, we also need to ask ourselves: "Lord, is that me?" We might not have kept money or beautiful clothes, but we might have kept to ourselves caring for brothers and sisters or love and submission to God. The failure of Achan was rooted in how he loved the world and not following God's commandment. What's our attitude when we come before God? May God help us to be determined not continue to be weak, but to remove all the attributes of Achan from our lives. May God help us to restore His testimony through our lives in this generation of the end time!    Pray with Pastor Tong       Lord, I thank you because you once again showed us the rocks that warn us in our lives. May the Lord protect our hearts to depart from the way of Achan, and to follow you closely in your way. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Joshua 7:22-25    So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the LORD. Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today." Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.       The crime Achan committed was a crime that compromised others. In other words, when we commit a crime, people around us are affected as will. When we commit a crime, we often think: "The buck stops here." It sound heroic, but the fact is that when one does something, the buck usually doesn't stop with him, and it will affect others around. Many children who grew up in broken families suffered through great pains from their parents' separation. That's why when there are troubles in a marriage, both spouses need to think it over before considering divorce. It's not only because of principles in the Bible, but also because the consequence of a divorce is more than you could imagine.    The same can be said of verbal offense. Many don't pay attention to what they say. They euphemistically call it "Speaking the truth with love". But in fact, they hurt untold number of people. Even a "sorry" cannot heal the wounds. Others may turn to God because of the words you said. They could also turn away from God because of the words you said. When Achan was lusting over that beautiful robe and gold, how could he have thought that his action would compromise others? He only thought: "This is a beautiful rob. Wouldn't it be nice if I can keep it? If it were found, I only got one life to lose." He never anticipated that not only did he lost his life, all Israelites were compromised in the defeat of battle at Ai. Thirty six people died because of him. Had he known the consequence of his transgression was so severe, he would have probably thought it over more.    Brothers and sisters, no one can live alone. Human beings are social animals and we are certain to affect each other. The question is whether we will bring good influence to others, or bad influence? Bible says: "Punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." Do you want to be a person who gives blessings, or one who compromises others?   Pray with Pastor Tong       Lord, we thank you because you are a trustworthy God. You said that if we repent our sins, you will surely forgive us.  May you forgive all sins that we have confessed to you, and let us be those who blessing others.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Joshua 7:21   When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath."     Achan's confession tells the story of his crime. When he entered Jericho, he saw a "beautiful" robe from Babylonia. He thought that it would be a terrible waste if those goods were burnt. Did God really say that everything needed to be burnt? Devil's voice, once tested Adam and Eve, appeared again: Doesn't God want us to enjoy fine things? Wonderful things are God's blessings. But when those make us unable to follow God's command, they have taken God's position in our heart.   When God command Israelites to attack Jericho, He clearly told them that everything belong to Jericho had to be burnt. It is because Jericho at that time was a city that worshiped idols. Almost everything there had something to do with idols. That's why God command Israelites not to take anything from the city, so not to let their hearts go astray from God. Don't think that this is such a small thing. Greed is the biggest sin that binds today's believers. Greedy for money, houses, even other's wives, husbands. Even though we are greedy, tried all our might to grab, our hearts would never be satisfied. We only value God's blessings, but neglected Jesus Christ, the one that can really gave us blessings.    Many minor transgressions in our daily life, if not dealt with, can ultimately bind us. On the other hand, don't ever think that since you are just a layman in the church, it is ok to be defeated or be weak. Spiritual war is an all-out war, and it's not good enough to have just one or two people win. We must all win together, including you and I!  God didn't mean to have one or two cross the Jordan River, but all the Israelites must cross it. Brothers and sisters, you and I are affecting each other. If I, a pastor, become weak and fall, then cease to be a witness, will that affect you? I believe it will. At least I hope it will! If you are weak and fall, cease to be a witness, wouldn't it also affect me? Pastors are not like Iron Men, there are times for tears, cries, and sadness. We are all in the Lord, and we should learn the lesson of being responsible for each other; always be watchful and purify ourselves, always work on getting rid of all the pride, greed, and self-righteousness within us, and then we will be victorious in spiritual battles. May God help us!   Pray with Pastor Tong       Lord, may you shine upon us and let us recognize the sin of greed within us: We are greedy for things we are unable to obtain, but we feel empty even when we finally obtained those things. May God forgive us and may God's spirit fill our void once again so that we will feel true satisfaction.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus Christ, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Joshua 7:16-20    Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was taken. The clans of Judah came forward, and he took the Zerahites. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was taken. Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me." Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done..."       There are three aspects in the emotional process of repentance: First, the rebukes from God. Repentance starts from the work of God. Otherwise, people rarely see their transgressions. It's like one cleaning a room in darkness.  The room is clean viewing from every angle. But when sun shine comes in, we discover that the room is full of dust and spider webs. It is not that we are incapable to see, but because there is no light to shine on it, we can't see the filth within. Similarly, one can not see his/her own darkness within, unless there is light from the Holy Spirit. God told Joshua to draw from Israelites, gathering them together. On the one hand, it was to give warnings to Israelites. On the other hand, it was the process of shining a light. This was not an action of men, because only God could point out sins within us.   Second, it was the tenderness of Joshua. Joshua acted as a protector. He didn't rebuke Achan. He knew that only God could make judgement. He only stood aside and prayed for the people. Joshua called Achan "My son". He took Achan as his own child. This was Joshua's heart. It was not to convict, but to console. This is exactly the blessing that a church need the most today. There are already too many voices of conviction in churches, rebuking and attacking each other. Joshua turns Achan's eyes to focus on God. It was neither for one's prestige, nor for future victories of Israelites, but simply for the glory of God. This was a true repentance.   Third, Achan honestly repented, because he said, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD." It was a confession out of sincerity. Achan confessed his sins in front of God and in front of men, and he believed that he would ultimately be saved. Even though his flesh had to bear the punishment for his sins, his heart has turned to God. Corinthians 5:5 says, "hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord."   Pray with Pastor Tong       Lord, we thank you because when you rebuke us, you show your righteousness. When you turn us back, you show your love to us. You are truly, truly full of compassion. May your light shine upon us so that we can see our darkness, and thus enter into your light.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Joshua 7:13-15    "Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, 'Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it. " 'In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD takes shall come forward clan by clan; the clan that the LORD takes shall come forward family by family; and the family that the LORD takes shall come forward man by man. He who is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the LORD and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel!'"       At the beginning of chapter seven, God said "Israel has sinned...  They have taken some of the devoted things." The word "sinned" used here was originally "dishonest". In other words, Israelites were not honest in the tasks that God had given to them. God told them that everything in Jericho must been destroyed. It is not important what are devoted and what are not, but whether Israelites would follow God's command. People often don't know God's will in spiritual matters. Thus we like to ask, "Lord, why is this way but not that?" In fact, we don't understand that behind all things, there are serious spiritual battles.   When God commanded Joshua to ask Israelites to consecrate themselves, He said that the person who took the devoted things has done disgraceful things. That's because when that person decided not to follow God's command, he breached the line of Israeli army. Every disobedient heart is a breach, that allows our enemies to enter the hearts of God's children, or even into the camp of the people of Son of Man. As long as this breach is not removed, Israel can not stand in front of their enemies. When Achan took possession of those things, he only saw the value of the goods. What he didn't see was the spiritual battle that was behind them. The army of Israel was defeated in the hands of Ai because of him. Israelites could not stand in front of their enemy in the battles that follow.    Thanks God, even after this happened, God was still compassionate towards Israelites. That's why He asked them to consecrate themselves, and get rid of all devoted things. Do you know that you are one in God's army. You every action could affect the kingdom of God. Achan only did one foolish thing, and it caused such a great defeat. That's why we should never say "I am insignificant. It won't matter what I did." This chapter reminds us about the statement that "every man has a share of responsibility for the fate of his country."  We are all part of the Kingdom of God, so may God shine His light on us and give us a sensitive heart.  Let us never be persistent in our own foolishness, but to march forward with the courage that God gives us!   Pray with Pastor Tong       Lord, may you shine upon us and help us not to fall into spiritual defeat with ignorance. May the Lord cleanse and anoint our sins so that we can come back to face God again, and be able to stand firmly in front of our enemies.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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