Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Colossians 2: 9-10   See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.  For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form...   Formalism is the act of following the rules and laws in the church without really understanding why.   "Human tradition" is the tradition passed down by people, and in the church there are indeed many human traditions, such as closing our eyes and hands folded together while praying, because the Bible never explicitly taught us to pray like that.  When Jesus prayed, He looked up to the sky, and in 1 Timothy Paul taught the believers to pray with their hands lifted high.  Therefore, closing our eyes and folding our hands while praying is actually a church human tradition.  We follow the practice but we may not understand that the real intention is for us to focus solely on the Lord.   Church also has many rules that forbid us from doing certain things.  Back when I was in high school, the church warned youngsters against playing guitar, dancing and even wearing jeans because they are disrespectful.  We often followed the rules with disgruntle, but never really understood that these rules were good for the young people because of the social circumstance, for they helped to keep our hearts respectful for God.   Legalism is, on the other hand, to turn the formality that we grew accustomed to following into law and force others to follow them.  The "hollow and deception philosophy" mentioned here is the law created by people, and this is a common phenomenon in the church.  For example, a person started to get up at six in the morning to do devotion and felt that their spirituality grew, and therefore firmly believed that it is the path to spiritual revival.  The person promoted it at church to encourage everyone to get up at six to worship, do devotions and pray, making it seem like the only way to grow spiritually that everyone ought to follow.  Those who were able to do it were then considered more spiritual, while those who could not do it were failures.  Waking up for devotions in the morning is a great thing; however, but once it becomes a law that everyone needs to follow, it turns into a self-righteous practice of legalism.   Do the rules and law make us spiritual?  Jesus Christ is the only source of our spiritual growth.  Are you also living in the bondage of formalism and legalism?  May the spirit of God examine us, so that we may be released from the state of self-righteousness, and thus have true freedom in the spirit.    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, please examine my heart and release me if I am still in the bondage of formalism and legalism.  Set my heart free, and help me to focus my eyes on you.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Colossians 2:6-7   So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.   We often hear people saying this in their testimony of salvation: "I accepted Jesus because He gave me a peaceful heart."  Other would say: "I accepted Jesus because He solved my problems in life."  Jesus can indeed bring us peace, joy and satisfaction in life, but they do not constitute the entire gospel.  Paul said here "just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord..."  Jesus didn't come into our lives just so that we can be happy and satisfied, but He wants to be the Lord of our life, so these are all integral parts of the same package.  Since we are created by God's will, we can only be truly satisfied when we follow God's will.   The problem of many Christians is a lack of understanding of sovereignty in life.  Although we call out "Lord, Lord", but Jesus is like just like a visitor in our life, for He can only stay in the guest bedroom but cannot move around freely.  No wonder that in our life, we don't really sense any change brought by the Lord, and we don't feel the joy like a river that should come with the Lord, because there are too many things that we don't want to throw away in life.  Can Lord Jesus be the Lord of your life?  How will you follow Him?   First of all, we need to be rooted in Him.  We need to decide to follow Jesus and never let things of the world preoccupy us.  Spend time to read God's Word and get to know Him better.  Next, we need to make sure we are built in Him.  Let God build us up, let His hands shape us in our life through prayer, so that we will be more like Christ.  Third, our faith needs to be firm.  We will encounter hardship in life, but we must have a firm faith that is unshakable, because those who trust the Lord shall not be ashamed.  When we follow these rules, we will discover that God is faithful, and we will be filled with gratitude to Him.     Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, I come to you once again to declare that you are my savior and also the Lord of my life.  I am willing to open all the doors in my life for you to rule, so let me gladly follow your will each and every day.  I want to be rooted and built up in you with a firm faith.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Colossians 2:3-5   ...in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.  For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.   We are in a time filled with deceiving things.  We are easily deceived because there are too many choices, but we don't know what to choose, so we really need God's wisdom.  It is the same at church, for some are stressing on knowledge, but knowledge only makes one proud; some are stressing experience, but experience makes one fall into the trap of mysticism.  Many are crying out for the solution and the right way, and some claim it's biblical hermeneutics, some said it's Sunday school education, and others say it's overseas missions.  What is the true solution and right way for the church?  What can really address our spiritual need?   Actually, all the wisdom and solution are in Jesus Christ.  Our eyes need to once again focus on Christ, and actively seek His face.  David said in Psalm 27:4 that "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."  The "one thing" is to seek the Lord's face.   Does that mean we don't need to spread the gospel or study the Bible?  No!  We ought to actively engage in any method that points to the way of Jesus Christ with gladness.  In the way of faith, our eyes must be focused, and our mind must be open.  God can use all kinds of method and all types of people, but only Lord Jesus Christ can bring us true satisfaction.   Many have uplifted themselves, tradition or rationality at church, much more than uplifting Christ.  Let our hearts not be deceived by the outside world, but simply be close to God, because all wisdom and knowledge are in the Lord.  Faith is very simple, for the Lord said that when we are close to God, God will come to close to us.  We, however, use all kinds of methods to make the process of being close to God very complicated, and it makes people think twice before they accept the faith.  The key to being close to God is to simply get closer to Him.  If you keep on staying close to Him, you will experience His presence.     Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, I ask for your true wisdom, so that I may know your way among many different choices, and know your will among many different teachings.  Let me be close to you and know you, for only through knowing you will I find the source and beginning of wisdom.  Lord, please talk to me now!  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Colossians 2:1-2   My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ...   Faith does not depend on feeling.  If it's from feeling, then you'd feel God is with you when you are in good mood, but complain that you can't find God when you are in bad mood.  The faith of some Christians is like a rollercoaster which goes up and down drastically.  God actually never changes, and He and His presence will never change, so the only thing changing is your feeling.  True faith should never be based on feeling.   When Hudson Taylor first went to China to spread the gospel, no one accepted the Lord in the first six years.  It's hard to imagine how he must have felt.  We thank God because Hudson Taylor never became discouraged, because his faith was not based on feeling, but it was based on understanding of God.  Paul said that we "may have the full riches of complete understanding;" in other word, we ought to spend more time in understand God through His word.  The root cause of the weakness in many Christians is the lack of enthusiasm for God's word.  May God give us a heart that is eager for His word!   What is the place of God's word in your life?  Every time I read about the history of revival in China's early church I am really touched.  Back then the brothers and sisters are so in love with God's word that the first thing they ask each other when they meet is not "have you eaten yet," but rather "have you read the Bible today?  Can you share with me?"  God's word produced real faith and impact in their life.  We need to ask God to bring down revival fire among us and light up our heart with love for God's word, so that our spiritual life will grow together.     Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, I ask that you give me a heart that is eager for your word.  Let me know you more through your word, and let me trust you more.  No matter what difficulty or struggle I encounter in life, I don't want to rely on my sight any more and I want to depend on your word by faith.  I ask that you would manifest your faithfulness in me.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Colossians 1:28-29   We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.  To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.   Paul said here that we need use "all wisdom" to proclaim the Lord and draw people closer to God.  Spreading the gospel doesn't only involve holding evangelistic meetings, but we can engage our mind and let our creativity be put to use.  The core message will always be the same, but we can continue to improve the method; on top of our zeal, we also need wisdom.   Two types of power are also mentioned here, one is the power of God, and the other is the labor of men.  When we are serving God, we need both types of power.  Our God is an almighty God, and He can still save today through healing and opening doors.  We can't just acknowledge it rationally, but we must proclaim it by faith, as well as reach out our hand to pray and step out to serve, else we can't experience the power of God.  We can't rely on our hard labor to serve but neglect the mighty power of God.  There are many smart and gifted people in the church who like to serve by their own talent, but they don't know how to follow the mighty power that is working within them.   Did you know that the Holy Spirit needs space inside you in order to work?  We often use our own ways and thoughts to fill up our life, to the point that Holy Spirit cannot freely work within us and God's work cannot be manifested.  So how do we depend on Holy Spirit?  First, we must welcome Holy Spirit to come and work, and we must listen to His voice; second, we must obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  Simeon in Luke 2 is the best example; he not only had Holy Spirit inside, he was also inspired by the Spirit and obeyed the Spirit to enter the temple, where he met Jesus.   In order to serve effectively, we need the collaboration between God's mighty power and our labor.  Are you willing become such a vessel?    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, I thank you because you have sent Holy Spirit to live in me.  I am willing to become your vessel and by faith I lift myself up to you.  Lord, please help me to let the Holy Spirit in me, and also let me be happy to listen to the voice of the Spirit and follow Him.  May you use me to manifest your mighty power.  I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Colossians 1:26-27   The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.  To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.   Why is there a mystery?  In the Old Testament time, the fact that gentiles can become children of God was indeed a hidden truth that people back then did not understand.  In Christ, God has torn down all walls between people, so that everyone - Jewish or gentile, men or women, master or slave - who believes in the Lord will become one in Christ.  To those who believe in the Lord, we all have the same glorious hope in Christ, and thus we can become one.   One time I attended a pastoral retreat which had attendants who are Caucasian, African, Asian and Hispanic.  Right before the retreat ended, an African American pastor stood up and said that while he attended this retreat for many years, he didn't feel that African Americans were respected.  A female minister got up afterwards, and claimed that not only African Americans weren't respected, so weren't women.  A Chinese pastor was next and he said that there were too few Asians in the retreat.  The retreat coworkers and Caucasian ministers rushed to defend themselves and claimed to have no intention to discriminate anyone.  When the argument was going on with no conclusion in sight, I lifted my head and saw a big bulletin board on the other side of the hall with the words "Jesus Christ is the glorious hope in our hearts."   I suddenly realized that the bottomline is not to have quota for minorities or including women in the committee, but it is rather the question whether Jesus Christ is the glorious hope in you and me.  If He is, then we can become one no matter whether the committee has Chinese representative or not.  If He is not, then it doesn't many how many Asians or women are in the committee, we will not become one.  The real source of oneness is not cultural, race or etiquette, but rather new life in Christ.   Is Jesus Christ the glorious hope inside you?  If He is, then you must retain such hope until Lord's return; if He is not, then you must adjust your sight and not become preoccupied with what's on the outside.  Pay attention to Christ inside you, and please Him in everything you do.    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, I thank you because you have become the glorious hope in my heart.  I ask that you would continue to draw me closer, help me to see your glory in everything and every brother and sister.  Let me not just look at the circumstance, but to solely look upon you.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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