Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Acts 10:34-43 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.  You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.  You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached - how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.  We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.  He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen - by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead..." Peter's sermon was all about Jesus Christ, and there are three aspects to it: First, Jesus is the messenger from God who's anointed by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus served with power and authority on earth because anointing of the Holy Spirit came upon Him, and thus He was able to heal the sick and cast out demon.  We can therefore see that our Lord is an anointed Lord, that's why each time the Bible mentioned about the church, the church was described as the "body of Christ."  Because Christ was the "anointed one," it means that church is extending the work that the anointed Jesus performed on earth.  Therefore, church has the authority and power to heal the sick and cast out demon just like what Jesus did when He was on earth. Second, He is the savior who resurrected from death.  The resurrection of Jesus from death proved that He could overcome the authority of sin, because the Bible says that "the wage of sin is death."  The fact that Jesus could overcome death proves that we could overcome the authority of sin.  He didn't resurrect from death to let everyone see, but more importantly He manifested Himself to those who will testify for Him, because they were chosen to become his witnesses in order for His message to be spread out. Third, He is also the Lord who judged the living and the dead.  One day, Jesus will come back again to judge the world, and as we come before God today we need to contemplate about this.  Our Lord has resurrected, and the Bible says that He will return in the same way that He left in order to judge the living and the dead.  The question is, are you and I ready to welcome the second coming of the Lord?   Pray with Pastor Tong Liu      Lord, I thank you and honor you, because you are the anointed one, the savior who resurrected from death, and the Lord who judges the living and the dead.  May the Spirit of the Lord examine our daily life, so that our hearts may turn back to you and be prepared to welcome your second coming.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!