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!