Today's Passage - Galatians 2:20-21

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Galatians 2: 20-21    "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"                  This is the mystery in Christ, Paul said, "In Christ I have been crucified with Him and I no longer live, but Christ lives with me." "Crucified" is no longer according to our will and sentiment; the church brothers really need to deal with self-will and opinions that we always think highly of ourselves, that our ideas are always the most workable and sensible; then it often results in arrested spiritual lives and broken human relationships. We need to surrender in our ministries, let Jesus be our Lord, rely no more on our intelligence and abilities.                  Many years ago I chaired the Philadelphia Bible Studies and I saw people busy with their school work, showing little passion; then I decided to write a long letter every week to lift the coworkers' desire for God, to encourage them to seek the Lord and not to love the world any more. After writing for several weeks, I thought it was a great success and very effective, until one day I went to dinner in a coworker's home and he told me after the meal, "The bulky letter that you mailed every week, I dared not to read it and I threw it right away." Suddenly I realized my previous attempts to rely on my ability and enthusiasm to motivate brothers and sisters had basically the opposite effect. What we trust is not our power and abilities, instead it is to trust the Lord and things will only happen in Christ.                  Sisters really need to deal with their own emotions. Loving God more when in a good mood, however, complaining when in a bad mood and letting emotions control our lives, so that we are unable to breakthrough and step forward. Ask God to help us to learn in Christ to shy away of our past influences, that it is Christ that lives in us. After St. Augustine accepted Christ, once walking the street, he happened to run into his former girlfriend who called out his name "Augustine", and he reacted instinctively, "It's me!" The thought suddenly came just when he was about to turn his head around: "Oh, it's not me, it's no longer me, and it is Christ." We need to learn the same way just like Augustine; it's no longer my past self, but beginning from today, Jesus lives in me, this is the new me, with a new life, living in Christ daily with God's power.                                                                 Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, thank you, because you are the God that gives everlasting lives. We ask your Spirit to live in us, remove the old lives, always keep us in Christ to become a new creation, experiencing your new work every day. We give thanks and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!