Today's Passage - John 14:7

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english John 14:7   "If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."    Brothers and sisters, do you really know your Lord? When a person begins to know the Lord, he knows that this is the Lord who loves me and saved me. The Bible says that God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Just think about how small we are in front of God, and yet he is willing to love us, give his life for us, and bring us a new life. How great is his love for us! The Lord not only loves us, but he is the Lord who is so glad and so willing to help us. Luke 4 mentions the three missions of Jesus: recover sight to the blind, release the captives, set the oppressed free, and bring the salvation of the Lord. The salvation of the Lord not only brings us forgiveness of sin, but it also brings peace to our heart and healing to our body. He is the God who helps us with his smiling countenance.    More than this, our Lord is a holy Lord. The Bible says that without holiness a person cannot see the Lord. When we come before the Lord, we will see our own uncleanness. This is like when Isaiah saw the holiness of the Lord, he immediately fell down before the Lord and cried, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips..." This is exactly the kind of experience that believers lack today. We need to first know that the Lord is holy before we can truly know the Lord as the one who sits on the throne. Since he is the Lord who sits on the throne, we need to submit ourselves to him.    Sometimes I wonder, "Is it that difficult to obey God?" Actually, God's word in the Bible is always so clear. Yet, the reason why it is so hard to obey is because we mix in our own thoughts. This is like when Peter was praying on the roof, God showed him a vision, and he saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet filled with all kinds of unclean animals. The command from the Lord is very simple, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." But this was a very difficult thing to do for Peter. To the Lord that he loved, Peter said three times, "Surely not, Lord!" It is because from his childhood, Peter had been taught that he can't eat these things. His own thoughts became the greatest hindrance to obeying God. Brothers and sisters, is there anything that hinders you from obeying God? Do you know that he is the Lord who loves you, who helps you, who is holy, and who sits on the throne? May the Spirit of the Lord help us!                          Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I thank you because you are filled with patience and kindness. Help me to know you as the Lord who helps me, the Lord who is holy, and even more the Lord who sits on the throne. Help me to depend on you and receive from you the energy to live the life. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!