Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Psalms 17 1:7    "... Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. As for the deeds of men-- by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped. I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes."   David had faced all kinds of attacks and difficulties; however, in verse 5 he says, "My steps have held on to your path. My feet have not slipped." Brothers and sisters, let us set our feet firmly on God's path! The promise land that God gives us will not fall from the sky by itself; rather, it is in a place that we have to fight to be our property. God once told Joshua, "I will give you every place where you set your foot" Why the promise land was given only after we set our foot on? God wants us work together, and be of one heart.   When God told Israelites to cross the Jordan River, He asked priests to carry the Ark, and set their feet firmly in the river. It is to fulfill this promise: give you every place where you set your foot. God wanted them stand there strategically, i.e. to proclaim victory. God himself would do the work: to part Jordan River, and to fulfill the miracle.   After Israelites entered into the promise land, they came into harsh spiritual battles. Every step was a battle. Everywhere enemies did their work, planned their ruses, and levied their accusations. In every field, there were obstacles from the dark authority. Even so, our God is a God that fought for Israel! Do you know that God will fight for us? Even so, we must first step on the land that God gave us. Our feet must be firmly planted on the path of God. Until then will His blessing be with us. May God's spirit help us once again. No matter what kind of difficulty we encounter, let our feet be on the land of God. As soon as we clearly recognize the land that God gave us and standing firmly on it, we will see the arrival of God's blessing and the enemies will retreat!    Pray with Pastor Tong       Lord, we thank you because you are the God who fights for us. May you help us to stay on your path and stand firmly on the promise land. We will see you denounce the work of all enemies and bless our lives and ministry. Prayer and thanks in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Psalms 16 9:11   Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.   Do you know that all our lives are in God's hands? Too many times we chase pleasure in our lives, neglecting that only in God will we have fulfilling joy. Verse 5 says, "you have assigned me my portion and my cup" In other words, you are the one who fills my cup. David spent his whole life in suffering. Not only was he pursuited by King Saul, sometimes, he had to pretend to be crazy to avoid being killed. Later, God lifted him up to be the king of Israel, living in splendid palaces. But David never said that this was a cup of of blessing or a cup of bitterness. He only said that Jehovah was his portion, the one that filled his cup. In other words, the important thing is not whether it is blessing or bitternesses, the the Lord Himself.   David understood very clearly that his satisfaction didn't come from this world, but only from God. Psalm 16:2 says, "I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." Too many times, we hear our hearts' complains. We should learn to say to our hearts, "My heart, you need to say to the Lord, 'You are my lord; apart from you, I have no good thing.'" Are you still struggling, or do you even have bitterness in your hearts? Maybe the Lord wants you to learn the lesson of being obedient, and to rely on him alone.   Whether your circumstance is a cup of blessing or a cup of bitterness, the important thing is: Whether the Lord is still in command of your life? Verse 11 says, "You have made known to me the path of life". Once we surrender, we will find that the Lord's path is so obvious and precious. When the Lord shows us the path of life, we will have satisfying joy in him. In His right hand, there is everlasting joy. Let us lean on God, so our eyes will not focus today's failure or success in front of us, but that He has the answer and treasure of our lives. Let us search for Him wholeheartedly, and from Him we will receive satisfying joy!   Pray with Pastor Tong       Lord, we thank you because you are our portion, our boundary, and path of our lives. Only in you will we have satisfying joy. Open our eyes to understand this truth and give us obedient hearts to follow 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 Psalm 16:6-8   The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.                   The word "portion" means property, but it can also mean "boundary"; verse 6 says "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places," which refers to God's Promised Land. This is a specific boundary or area, and every Christian and every church has different boundary or area. When God called Abraham to leave own country, people, and household to the land God will show him, God was asking Abraham to leave for a specific place. Is Canaanite land really better than Ur or Harran? It isn't, but the Canaanite land is the Promised Land, and the blessing of God will come upon him only when he is in the Promised Land.                   Before Israelites entered Canaan, two and a half tribes settled at the east of Jordan. Even when God wanted them to continue matching forward into the Promised Land, they did not, which is why they are the earliest to disappear in the history of Israel due to enemies' attacks. When Paul wanted to preach the gospel in Asia and Bithynia, the Spirit of Jesus would not allow him to. Even so, they understood that he can be blessed and his ministry can be effective only when he obey God and serve in the boundary that God would give him. Therefore, when he heard the call of Macedonians, he knew that's the boundary God set for him.                   You and I can't possibly do all work, but each of us has different boundary from God. Your ministry can be effective only when you serve within that boundary. There was a famous Mafia Lord who came to Christ while serving his sentence in New York and was called into full time ministry when he was done with his term. God called him to prison ministry but he refused the calling, wanting to do youth ministry but found no opportunity to do so. A prison officer asked him to minister and the Spirit of God worked mightily through him that many were saved. The news spread and many prisons invited him to minister, and eventually he formed a prison evangelistic ministry. Do you know that God has prepared a specific boundary for you? You can be effective only when you serve with that boundary.   Pray with Pastor Tong       Dear Lord, may You open our eyes to know the boundary You have set for us. Also give us a submissive spirit to obey Your will so that You can do Your work through us. 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 Psalm 16:1-5   Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." I say of the holy people who are in the land, "They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight." Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips. Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.             David was enthroned in Jerusalem when he wrote this psalm. But he did not say Jerusalem or Judea is his portion, he only said that the Lord is his portion. We are all good at managing our portion or property, and we would feel secured when everything seems to be in order. But since I live in California, I understand that no portions are unshakeable. In the big earthquake happened in LA years ago, I saw from television that many were deeply troubled in their heart, and someone said that "Why are we deeply troubled at heart? It is because we once have everything." We are often too used to the material world and hence it is difficult for us to understand that there is a spiritual world that is more real than the material world.             Verse 4 says "Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more." We think that we only run after the Lord, but many times we use what we have to substitute god, using the way of the world to substitute the way of God. We substitute the priority that God suppose to have with other people and things, seeking after ourselves and our satisfaction and become incapable of sacrificing for others. Not only that, we use God's grace to substitute God and think that it is how it ought to be, neglecting all of these come from God.             The fact is that all things will pass. David said "The Lord is my portion" because he knew clearly that only God is whom he can rely on, for God will never change. Circumstances in life will change and storms in life will always want to devour you, but the Lord is like the anchor that is unmovable. May the Lord once again open our eyes to recognize that the portion of our lives is the Lord and Him alone!   Pray with Pastor Tong       Dear Lord, may You forgive us. Our hearts are deeply troubled because we do not know that You along is our portion. May You open our eyes to know that the world and all things in it will pass away but You live forever, so our faith and hope are in You. I thank you and I pray all these in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Psalm 15:1-5   Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.             The author of this psalm asked that who is worthy of living in the temple and who is worthy to serve God. It is the one who does what is righteous. May the Lord help us to not only to confess with our mouth but to live our life worthy of His calling. Our lives should be righteous and blameless, for our God is a righteous and blameless God. May the Lord help us to be more than a listener of the Word, to be a doer of the Word; not just storing the Word of God in our hearts but also to live it out, so that others can give glory to God because of our godly examples.             Secondly, it is the one who speaks the truth from their hearts. To speak the truth is not merely "I have something to say," for many have mistaken what it meant to "speak the truth in love". Many times we are afraid of the verse "speak the truth in love," for with love it is difficult to speak the true words, and love is often absent when true words is spoken. But that is not what the scripture says, the text actually says speak the truth, which refers to the words of God and the principles of God. Therefore "speak the truth in love" means to speak the words of God, the promise of God and the principle of God, which is what every Christian ought to do. May God examine our mouths, for too often what comes out of it hurt others; may the words from our mouths are always edifying, encouraging, and strengthening, not hurting.             Thirdly, it is the one whose tongue utters no slander and does no wrong to a neighbor. May God help us to be fearful of Him, that we would even be willing to suffer in order to be kind. Here it speaks of lending without interest and not accepting bribery, and both are attitude to others. Let us treat one another like friends and not like foes, so that the love of God can be filled in our midst. Bible says that we should treat others like how Christ has treated us, and this is the attitude we should have in church. When we walk in righteousness, speak the truth from our hearts, and treat people like friends, we will become those that can serve in the house of God. Dear brothers and sisters, is that who are you?   Pray with Pastor Tong       Dear Lord, I give thanks to You for placing the standards to serve You before us. May the Lord examine us and help us to turn back to You if we are not meeting your standards. Help us to depend on Your words in our daily lives. I thank you and I pray all these in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

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Daily Devotion

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Psalm 14:1-7   The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord. But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge. Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!             Verse 1 says "the fool says in his heart 'there is no God.'" These people say there is no God not because they do not have the knowledge of God but their hearts have no God. This is because firstly they do not seek God. Their hearts are attracted and occupied by many things of the world and hence not seeking God, so they excuse themselves by saying there is no need to seek God since there is no God. This is the foolishness of people in the world, for they say there is no God because they are not seeking Him, even though there is indeed a God.             Secondly, they have turned away and walked in darkness. One that walks in darkness are afraid of the light, just like how the bugs that live under a rock would flee from light when the rock is removed. These bugs feel comfortable living in darkness, but when the rock is removed and the light shines on them, they could not stand it and have to flee. In the same manner, one is very afraid of the light when one is in sin and walks in darkness. He turned away and have to excuse himself, which is by saying there is no God. When one walks in sin, he doesn't want to acknowledge the existence of God.             Thirdly, they never call on the Lord. They are proud in their hearts and reject God, unwilling to come before God. They neither rely on God nor look upon the Lord. They never bring their needs to God and would never humble themselves to come before God, hence they reject and slander God.             May the Lord help us to stay away from these foolish people and keep us from becoming like them, for the outcome of those people is living in dreadfulness. Dreadfulness will fill the lives of those who believe there is no God. God will help the righteous, salvation will come out of Zion, and the Lord will rescue His people. Hallelujah! Our God will reign, so let us depend on Him!   Pray with Pastor Tong       Dear Lord, I give You thanks and praises. May Your spirit encourage us and strengthen us, so that we may look upon You by faith in the midst of all difficulties. You will rescue us from the hands of the fool. I thank you and I pray all these in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

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