Today's Passage - Galatians 1:1-5

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Galatians 1: 1-5    Paul, an apostle-sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-  and all the brothers and sisters with me.  To the churches in Galatia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,  who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,  to whom be glory forever and ever.     Jesus Christ died for us in order that we may be saved from this sinful generation. "Generation" stands for the power and influence of culture and also our everyday livings and beliefs. Culture, a tool that Satan uses to control his people, is a form of living in itself.  In US, the pursuit of material well-being and wealth have taken sovereignty over people's hearts. There is a sense of failure, and one's survival ability is at risk if one does not follow the flow of the society. In this turbulent world, there is an unspeakable fear even if we want to serve God as this has become a hindrance to us.    In the third world, the worship of idols and evil spirits is also a cultural hindrance. For example, if a company's CEO worships Buddha, he would naturally lead his people to burn incense. What are you supposed to do?  In the Muslim world, preaching Christianity is absolutely forbidden.  Cultural restrains are extremely dangerous as they prevent people from coming close to God and follow Him.  In fact, this is also the power of sin, which takes hold of sovereignty in people's hearts. Culture is an external influence, whereas sin is internal.  People's hearts are filled with jealousy, hypocrisy, pride and indignations. These sins become the stumbling blocks in our lives. We may be inadvertently hurt by others, but as a result, we are often filled with rage and become revengeful; all these can make us fall into the traps of sin, unable to experience breakthroughs in our spiritual lives.   Brothers and sisters, whatever difficulties you may encounter in your lives, you can come before Jesus.  He is not only your savior when He was nailed on the cross on behalf of our sins, He is also our savior in the future as we anxiously wait for His return to be with Him forever.  What's more, He is also our savior today - He will deliver us form the power of darkness and set us free giving us joy and fulfillment  in this world of sin and bondages.                                                                    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, not only have You delivered us from our sins, but also from the bondages of our lives, You are willing to save us and provide us with victorious lives today.  May your power be manifested through us. With thanks we pray, in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!