Today's Passage - 2 Corinthians 8:10-15

2 Corinthians 8:10-15    ...or if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.     Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.  At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little." Paul repeatedly explained the importance of benevolent work to the Corinthian church.  This church has really been blessed, not only in spiritual gifts, but also in material needs.  Therefore, Paul taught them that they must supply for what others need, which is a principle of equality.  This principle doesn't need to be dictated by any organization or system, but it's simply based on the Holy Spirit's prompting in the hearts of the disciples and their own willingness.     Not only does the Holy Spirit know everyone's needs, He also prompts brothers and sisters to fulfill the needs of others through prayer, emotional or material support.  In fact, if there's anyone in the church who's needs are not met, it's only because someone did not follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit and thus created a gap.  The gap might be caused by our lack of sensitivity towards to Holy Spirit, or lack of teaching on this area which resulted in brothers and sisters not fully familiar with the principles for living in God's family.     In his book "Daring to Live on the Edge," Loren Cunningham talked about how the students at YWAM training center always brought their needs for tuition before God and waited upon Him before a semester begins.  God's Spirit will always work among the students to meet each other's needs.  One time, God's Spirit prompted one teacher to give another teacher a hundred dollars, but he was puzzled because he'd usually give money to the students; the teacher who received the money was excited and said: "Praise the Lord!  God prompted me to give a hundred dollars to a student, but I don't have money and don't know what to do, so God actually provided for the student through prompting me and you!"  This kind of testimony can also happen in our lives!  When you are willing to exercise your faith, you'd find that Christian life is no longer borings, but it's full of surprises, because you'll discover that God's really working among us!    Pray with Pastor Tong    Lord, please give you brothers and sisters the conviction to live by faith.  When they ask you by faith, you will provide them for all their needs.  When they give by faith, your love will flow through the hearts of brothers and sisters.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!       See Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - on Facebook!

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Today's Passage - 2 Corinthians 8:6-9

2 Corinthians 8:6-9    So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.  But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving.  I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.     John 3:16 says that "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son."  This means that God's love is not just a statement or a gift to provide for our needs; God loved the world to the point of being willing to give up His beloved son.  Love is a sweet thing, but it also causes trouble, because in order for us to truly love someone we must give up ourselves, but even that would not guarantee the outcome.  God loved us so much that He sent His beloved son Jesus to take on the form of man, so that He can replace the human beings in accepting God's punishment for our sins.  God and human beings are once again reconciled, and we can enjoy all of God's grace.     Jesus Christ is willing to become poor so that you and I can become rich.  He became the most meager one so that He could taste all the sufferings of the world.  When He ministered on earth He was filled with authority and power, and many have followed Him, because the hungry wanted to be fed, sick wanted to be healed, and broken-hearted wanted to be comforted.  Many have followed Him just so that their needs can be fulfilled, but Jesus didn't rebuke them, but rather treated them with mercy.  He knew that He came to the world in order for human beings to be delivered from self-centeredness and sin.  He was willing to take on the way of the cross and God's punishment for the sins of the world in order to restore the broken relationship between God and human beings.     Today, we can go directly before God and receive His life.  With His life insides us we can overcome sin and self-centeredness, and it can become our source of joy.  To the believers, we need to ask ourselves whether others can see God's sacrificial love from us.  May God help us not to just speak about love, but to follow the sample of the sacrificial love of Jesus, and take all  opportunities to serve God, brothers and sisters and those around you.     Pray with Pastor Tong    Lord, I thank you because you loved us first.  You led us out of poverty so that we may become rich in you.  May the Lord once again fill us with sacrificial love, let us step out of our comfort zone to help those who are in need.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!       See Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - on Facebook!

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Today's Passage - 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

2 Corinthians 8:1-5    And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.  Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.  For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.  And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. The Macedonian church is not a rich church, and it was constantly under all kinds of persecution and hardship.  When Paul started to preach the gospel in Macedonia and Philippi, he was even imprisoned.  Thank God, however, because this church had the joy of satisfaction.  Why were they so blessed?  One of the major reasons is their generosity.    Our offerings also create opportunities for us to receive grace.  The Bible says our land is filled with God's abundance, so God actually doesn't need us to offer our money to Him; however, He wants us to learn to lesson of giving.  Those who are not willing to give are selfish and not happy, and only when they start to make offerings will they step out of selfishness.  They will no longer live for themselves, but to live for God and those around them.  Our lives will be filled with joy, and we'll receive more of God's grace.     We also need to face a serious question: Who's the lord of our life?  Jesus said that one cannot serve God and mammon at the same time.  So which one is your lord today - Money or God?  We thank God because the Macedonian church chose to let Jesus be their Lord.  They chose to offer themselves to bless others even in the midst of all persecutions and hardship, and that's why God was pleased by them.  Are you willing to take on the same path by faith?     Pray with Pastor Tong    Lord, I thank you for the love and faith of the Macedonian church.  I ask that you help us to have an obedient and trusting heart, so that we'll make offerings according to your will.  We trust that if we do not save anything for ourselves, then you, Lord, will also not save anything from us.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!       See Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - on Facebook!

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Today's Passage - 2 Corinthians 7:12-16

2 Corinthian 7:12-16     So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are.  By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.  I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well.  And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling.  I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.     From this passage, we can see that Paul had a father's heart.  There should be a relationship of love of obedience between a shepherd and his flock.  As a shepherd, we need to love the flock that God entrusted us.  Maybe you are not a pastor in the church, but you might be a cell group coworker, and God has entrusted you with the responsibility to nurture a cell group.  You might be the head of your household, and God has entrusted you with all the family members.  No matter how, we need to love our flock.      How do we love others?  Paul always encouraged his brothers and sisters, seeing how great they are and complimenting them.  Even though he sounded harsh when he wrote the 1 Corinthians, he didn't mean to rebuke anyone, but it was to express his love and concern for the Corinthian church.  I also learned about encouraging others from Paul, because everyone needs to be encouraged.  Parents always pay attention to building their children's confidence, but we sometimes neglect to encourage adults.  As pastors, we must encourage others, just like how shepherds nurture the little sheep.    On the other hand, as a flock we always need to obey the shepherd, because God has given authority to the shepherds.  When we obey the shepherds, we'll bring them enormous comfort and joy.  In this passage, Corinthian church accepted Paul's encouragement, and also hosted Titus according to Paul's instructions, thus brought Paul tremendous joy.  You might be worried that sometimes pastors can be wrong, but as long as it's not a matter of truth, but rather different ways of doing things, we should still obey the pastors.     Whether we are a shepherd or member of the flock, when we proactively offer ourselves, we will see the coming of God's revival. Pray with Pastor Tong    Lord, I thank you because you are our great shepherd.  We ask that you prompt the brothers and sisters among us who are shepherds to encourage others, and we ask that you help the brothers and sisters who are followers to obey with joy, so that your will may be done.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!       See Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - on Facebook!

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Today's Passage - 2 Corinthians 7:8-11

2 Corinthians 7:8-11    Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter...  I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while...  For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.  Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.  See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.   Have you ever regretted for things that you've done?  I trust that all of us have regretted for the failures and wounds that cannot be repaired.  How are we going to be delivered from our past and present failures?     Paul talked about two types of sorrow here.  First, it's the worldly sorrow, which is the response of human nature, coming from accusation by the devil.  Some people live their whole life in accusation; they cannot forgive themselves, and they don't dare even thinking about the past.  That's why Paul said, in verse 10, that "worldly sorrow brings death."  Judah, who betrayed Jesus, deeply regretted after he sold Jesus, so he returned 30 silver coins to priest and elders, telling them: "I have sinned... for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility." This is a typical ploy of the devil: First, it used 30 silver coins to deceive Judah, making him think that he was doing the right thing.  After Judah sold the Lord, they turned around and accused him.  Judah was in sorrow because he was accused by the devil; so he hung himself as he couldn't confront the accusation from inside.     Paul talked about another type of sorrow, which is by God's will and from the Holy Spirit.  John 16:8 says that the Holy Spirit "will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment..."  This conviction is not to put people to death, but to bring hope, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.  The precious blood of Jesus will cleanse us, both in terms of our position as well as our feeling.  We can experience His forgiveness and receive true healing.  Peter denied the Lord three times, but when he saw the loving eyes of Jesus, he went out and wept.  After the Holy Spirit came on the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit brought us comfort from God and rebuilt our lives.  Are you still in regrets and cannot be delivered?  Turn back to God today and let the Lord's precious blood cleanse you!      Pray with Pastor Tong      Lord, I thank you because you precious blood is still effective today.  I now proclaim in the victorious name of the Lord that my brothers and sisters will be covered by precious blood of Jesus.  All the accusations deep down inside will be broken, and those in sorrow of failure will be comforted by the Lord.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!       See Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - on Facebook!

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