Today's Passage - Luke 20:9-14

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 20:9-14   He went on to tell the people this parable: 'A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.  At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.  He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.  Then the owner of the vineyard said, "What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him."  But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over.  "This is the heir," they said. "Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours."'   The parable was targeted at the Israelites.  In the entire Biblical history, God has shown favor to the Israelites; He again and again showered them with grace and called them to turn back to Him.  The Israelites, however, never followed God's word, and even killed the prophets who were sent by God.  When God's only son was sent to the world, He was still rejected by the Israelites and was eventually nailed on the cross by them.  Actually, generation after generation, the Israelites have been expecting God's salvation and the coming of Messiah.  When Messiah Jesus Christ really came, they rejected Him.  They were not anticipating and preparing for the savior according to God's will, but they were following their own way and own ideals, and ultimately they rejected God.   Today, we are also expecting God's revival to come, and we ask God to reveal His true presence; however, when God's presence is manifested among us, we may reject Him instead, because we have not prepared ourselves to welcome revival according to His will.  God has His authority and His timing, so if He delays something, He also has His perfect will.  God has His own timing and will use His own way to use us and to revive the church, for everything is in His hands.  When we expect God to do this and that according to our own expectation and ideal, we are often disappointed, and we may reject God in our own way.  May God help us, give us a soft and humble heart from God so that we may receive all the work that God wants to do on us.     Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I thank you because you have put the example of the Israelites before us.  May God help us to expect your work according to your will in our daily life and our church ministry, and may your mighty power be manifested in us.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!