Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 23:13-25   With one voice they cried out, 'Away with this man!  Release Barabbas to us!'  (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)  Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.  But they kept shouting, 'Crucify him! Crucify him!'  For the third time he spoke to them: 'Why? What crime has this man committed?  I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty.  Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.'  But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.  So Pilate decided to grant their demand.  He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.   Pilate didn't want to cause any trouble.  When Jesus was brought before Pilate, he could find any sin committed by Jesus, so three times Pilate told the crowd: "I find no basis for a charge against this man."  In the meantime, the priest lured the crowd to ask Pilate to release Barnabas, but to put Jesus to death on the cross.  Pilate knew that they brought Jesus to him because of jealousy, but he also knew that he didn't want to upset this crowd.  Between the rock and a hard place, Pilate chose to listen to the voice of the crowd.   Today, we live in a time of confusing truth.  What is the truth?  Whoever has the loudest voice holds the truth, whoever has the strongest opinion holds the truth, and sometimes even who ever throws the hardest punch holds the truth.  We are often impacted by the trend of the world, and we're afraid to take on the way of the truth.  In this time of wickedness and disobedience, would you courageously stand up for the Lord and for the righteousness and fairness of God's Kingdom?  Would you courageously testify for your faith?  I've heard a preacher said with a heavy heart that in today's world, God's Kingdom doesn't need more master and PhDs, but more martyrs and warriors, those who can sacrifice themselves for God's Kingdom.  Brothers and sisters, are you willing to be such a person for the Lord?    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, please give us a courageous heart, so that we may testify in glory for your truth in this wicked and disobedient age.  May your light of truth shine into this time of darkness, and let the world completely turn back to 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 Luke 23:8-12   When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle.  He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.  The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him.  Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.  That day Herod and Pilate became friends--before this they had been enemies.   When Jesus was sent to see King Herod, Herod already heard about what Jesus had done.  He heard that Jesus was a powerful rabbi who could interpret the Bible and perform miracles, so Herod wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle.  In other word, just ONE miracle would have been sufficient.  Jesus, however, didn't perform any miracle, and didn't even say a word.  Clearly, Jesus knew that miracles cannot save our soul.  Today, many people want to see miracles, and some even say that they will believe if they see a miracle; the fact is that after they actually see a miracle, they will use all kinds of explanations to rationalize it, and still won't believe.   Miracle itself cannot save our soul; miracles are, nevertheless, God's tool to draw our heart closer to God, because it helps us to understand God's love and compassion.  There is no need to elevate the importance of miracles, and but there's also no need to reject miracles.  When God's Spirit is working, miracles will naturally come forth.  You and I will still need to decide whether we want to trust God or depend on our own intelligence and talent.   Herod met Jesus, but his heart wasn't prepared to welcome Jesus, so He still had a lost soul.  Is your heart eager to see Jesus?  If your heart is eager, your eyes will see miracles.  The truth is that the greatest miracle is not physical healing, but how life is changed after one accepts the Lord.  People's eyesight, however, are often distorted by rationality and erroneous expectation, and could miss the miracles.  It is interesting note here that Herod and Pilate were supposed to be enemies, but they became friends because of Jesus.  When Jesus Christ came, He wanted people to reconcile with God, and He also came to have people reconcile with each other.  Even when He was able to be nailed on the cross, He was still a peacemaker.   In your life, do you have enemies in your heart?  Are you willing to bring him or her before the Lord, and let the Lord's love once again fill your heart?  If the Lord wanted people to reconcile even when He was about to die, it is obvious His will now.  May God give us more strength, help us to better understand the Lord's will and to follow it.    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I thank you because your Spirit will move among us right now, to release us and heal us.  Let us not just focus our eyes on the miracles themselves, but to focus on you, the great shepherd who loves us and died for us.  May your Holy Spirit move within my heart and bring forth renewed power.  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 Luke 23:1-7   Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.  And they began to accuse him, saying, 'We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.'  So Pilate asked Jesus, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' 'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied.  Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and Are you the king of the Jewsthe crowd, 'I find no basis for a charge against this man.'  But they insisted, 'He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.'  On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.  When he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.   This is the contrast between a true testimony and a false testimony.  When the crowd brought Jesus before Pilate, they accused Him of tempting the people and forbidding paying tax to Caesar.  Actually, the Lord never forbad the people to pay tax to Caesar, because when the teachers of law tempted Jesus with the question concerning tax, Lord responded that they ought to give Caesar what belong to Caesar to Caesar and give God what belongs to God.  These people were using false testimonies to accuse Jesus.  On the other hand, the testimony of Jesus was true.  When Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews," Jesus clearly answered "yes, it is as you said."  To the Jews and to those who don't believe that Jesus was the Son of God, what Jesus said was blasphemous; but to Pilate, the word of Jesus simply revealed the internal conflicts between the Jews.  Therefore, in order to please the people, He transferred Jesus to Herod.  Pilate was afraid to face truth, he listened to the voice of the crowd and let their voice replace truth.   This is a common phenomenon today; whoever has the loudest voice holds the truth.  In the congress, whoever fights most fiercely holds the truth; in an organization, whoever has the best connections holds the truth.  In the midst of such trend, abortion becomes the truth, homosexuality is the truth, but preaching the gospel of the Lord is illegal!  We need to turn back to God and stand up for the Lord to testify for Him.  The world today is wicked, not because hearts of the people are corrupt, but because church cannot testify the truth.  May the Lord give us wisdom to convey the truth, let us be courageous in spreading the truth; even though we may not be popular, but we'd be standing up for God's unchanging word.  Early church has tremendous power because they stood up and testified the truth courageously.  In the same way, the church today is weak because we have lost such courage.  May God stir up our heart once again, and let us be determined to live for the Lord!    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, please forgive us because we are weak in this wicked and distorted world!  Please give us a courageous heart to stand firm on the foundation of truth, to testify for you before the world, and please give us more strength.  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 Luke 22:63-71   The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him.  They blindfolded him and demanded, 'Prophesy! Who hit you?'  And they said many other insulting things to him.  At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them.  'If you are the Christ,' they said, 'tell us.'  Jesus answered, 'If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer.  But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.'  They all asked, 'Are you then the Son of God?'  He replied, 'You are right in saying I am.'   The status of Jesus Christ is the son of the eternal God; He has made his status clear several times during his preaching and He never tried to hide it.  This time, however, as He stood on trial before the judge, it's a time of life or death; no one cared about what exactly He said before, but when He was standing in the court and speaking with the Bible in hand, He must speak the truth carefully.  When Jesus faced inquisition by the court, He didn't not avoid any question.   First of all, He didn't answer the questions by flesh.  When the soldier ridiculed Him, they covered His eyes, beat Him, and asked Him "Prophesy! Who hit you?"  It's not that Jesus couldn't come up with the answer, but in all the miracles He performed, none was performed for Himself; even when He was in the desert, He didn't come up with a bread to feed Himself.  If Jesus acted by flesh, His own principle would have been violated, therefore He chose to remain silent.  We also need to learn this lesson, because no matter how much we are ridiculed by others, anger of people cannot complete God's righteousness.  Therefore, we need to calm down and let the Lord's justice prevail.   Second, He courageously faced the challenge of the truth.  The grand priest asked Him, "Are you then the Son of God?"  The answer from Jesus was totally clear with no ambiguity.  He didn't say maybe, perhaps, somewhat, or kind of; instead, He directly answered "you are right in saying I am," and then He also said "the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."  His testimony was extremely clear, and every word of His carried power, because it was a true testimony; Holy Spirit was also His witness, and the power of Holy Spirit that was manifested had confirmed that Jesus is indeed the son of God!    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, please give us a soft heart so that we may receive your testimony, and please give us a courageous heart so that we can be your testimony, and to draw more people to come to know 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 Luke 22:54-62   ...A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."  But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.  A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied.  About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."  Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.  The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times."  And he went outside and wept bitterly.   Peter had loudly claimed that "even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."  Actually, this is one of the greatest shortfalls of human beings.  We depend on ourselves too much, and we often think that "others may fall, but I have my principles, so I'll never fall or deny my Lord."  We don't recognize our own weaknesses, and that's why God wants to train us with suffering in order to let us know how inadequate and incompetent we are.   God often uses the environment to train us, and He also uses our coworkers to let us know that we lack wisdom; He may also use our family members to see that we are not patient enough.  God is training Peter her to recognize that his own natural life was useless.  He thought he could win the spiritual battle with his courage, but in fact the courage and plot of people are insufficient in facing attacks from Satan.  Therefore, for Peter, who was brave and hot-tempered, it was a great shame for him to deny the Lord three times in front of the servants and maids.  Later on he went out to cry, and he probably thought he would never serve God again!  He disappointed the Lord who loved him, the people who loved him, and worst of all he disappointed himself.   Have you ever been as disappointed as Peter?  Perhaps some of the things you've done in your past have brought you shame, thinking that you will never be able to serve God again.  Psalm 51:17 says that "a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."  Our God can heal broken hearts, and He can straighten a crooked path.  That's why Peter was ultimately able to stand up again by the Lord; on the day of Pentecost, he stood up and preached to the people.  From human perspective, he's the last guy who should get up and preach, but by the grace of the Lord he stood up again.  To Peter, it was the most unforgettable experience in his life; started from that point on, he would never boast about himself.  He was dead to himself, but alive to the Lord!  At the end of that day, three thousand people accepted the Lord.  This is such a comforting thing to witness, the joy of going from crying to harvesting.  Therefore, do not despair, let God work in your heart, until He accomplishes His own will!    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I ask that you comfort the people with a sorrow and regretful heart!  May the Spirit of the Lord comfort and encourage us, so that no matter what circumstance we are in, we may once again stand up firmly by your might.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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