Daily Devotion with Pastor Tong Liu

Saturday, March 26, 2022

Today's Passage - Matthew 25:1-13

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english

Matthew 25:1-13

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I don't know you.' Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

The difference between being wise and foolish is not whether one is eager. Actually, all ten virgin were eager, otherwise they wouldn't have waited till midnight. The difference between being wise and foolish is whether one is prepared. We all eager for the coming of the Lord and His revival, but the question is whether we are prepared to welcome the Lord's return and His work.

Years ago, California suffered severe drought, so we kept on praying for the weather, asking God to send rain. When rain actually came, however, many of us weren't too happy, because when it rained we found that the roof wasn't fixed and became leaky, and drainage wasn't working and caused flooding all over. Because we were not prepared, we weren't able to enjoy the grace of God. In the same manner, we can long for God and wait for His coming, but have you prepared your heart to accept the Lord? We must first fix the roof and make sure drainage is working well in our lives, so that Spirit of God can move freely. We need to prepare first, not only to be eager for God, but also be well-prepared. Let God's Spirit shine upon us and move among us to remove everything that hinders the work of God, and God's Spirit will be able to flow freely in our lives to accomplish His work.

This analogy is not about love, but rather specifically about preparation. The Lord stressed on preparation, and no one else can prepare on your behalf. You must come before God to prepare your own heart, and no one else can do it for you. Jesus will come back again, and great revival will come at this end time. Are we prepared to welcome the Lord's return and revival?

Pray with Pastor Tong

Lord, I ask that you shine you light on us, so that we will not only have a heart that longs for you, but we will also be prepared for the revival of the end time, become your vessel and be used by you. May you add to our strength and make us a blessing to many in our daily life. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

River of Life Christian Church | office@rolcc.net | ROLCC Website

Friday, March 25, 2022

Today's Passage - Matthew 24:45-51

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english

Matthew 24:45-51

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

"Faithful and wise servant" is one who knows how to give out food at the proper time. Giving out food" doesn't necessary mean preaching a sermon, but it's to share God's word that one receives daily with others. If we want to give out food, we must first receive good, so it is necessary to do devotion regularly. We need to come before God daily to read His Word in order to receive the spiritual food that we need. Doing devotion is like eating; it's good to have a feast sometime, but we can't have feasts every day. We must have regular daily meals in order for our bodies to grow healthily. In the same way, sometimes we do need big conferences to uplift ourselves, but it's daily devotions that make our spiritual life grow.

How do we give out food then? First, take any opportunity to share with people, saying something like "I read this really precious scripture passage today, let me share it with you..." Don't gossip on the phone, but rather share with one another about the passages you read and how they encouraged you. Second, learn to do scriptural prayer with others. Scripture prayer is one of the most effective ways to read the Bible; if we do scriptural prayer with others, we can encourage and edify one another in the spirit. Third, share what you've learned from devotions in the past week during cell group meeting. We need to share God's Word in cell group; once you share it, you'd feel God's Spirit move through your life to edify those around you. If we never have the opportunity to share God's Word in cell group, then God's grace will not be passed on from us.

The spiritual principle in the Bible is always that the more you use the more you will have, and the more you share the more abundance you'll experience. What you share with others is truly what belongs to you. It's like sharing your testimony; those who like to share testimonies always seem to have more testimonies to share, and those who never share testimonies can't think of anything to share because of lack of practice in sharing. Therefore, in our daily life we must learn to give out food; the more we give out, the more food we will have to give out. Do you give out food regularly? Do you sometimes feel that you have no food to give out? May God help us to see this spiritual principle; help us be a faithful and wise servant, not a foolish one, who will regularly receive and give out spiritual food!

Pray with Pastor Tong

Lord, we thank you because you are the food of our lives. Let us come before you daily to receive energy for our spiritual life, so that you may become our strength and help. Please shine your light on us daily, and let us walk in the path that pleases you. I thank and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

River of Life Christian Church | office@rolcc.net | ROLCC Website

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Today's Passage - Matthew 24:34-43

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english

Matthew 24:34-44

"...As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

When I was working in Washington D.C., one time I was talking to some Christian colleagues about the second coming of the Lord. One female colleague who's divorced with two children said that she'd rather see the Lord come quickly to bring her back to our heavenly home, because she's already tired of life in the world. Another young female colleague said that the Lord's better wait, because she hasn't started enjoying life yet. A third colleague said that he never thought about the Lord's return, as he didn't really care whether the Lord returns or not. Our attitude towards the return of the Lord will surely impact the way we live.

The early church has great power to testify for the Lord because it had the assurance and expectation for the Lord's return. On the contrary, many Christians today often pity for themselves and don't think the Lord's return would have anything to do with them. Being watchful while waiting is not just about praying while waiting, but we should also bring ourselves before God and serve Him. A godliness that pleases God is not just waiting quietly and do nothing; it's always God's will for us to move forward. Therefore, anyone who follows God must follow all things commanded by God.

One time, President Roosevelt went hunting in Africa. The evangelist Morrison was also there to preach the gospel, and they took the same ship back home. The ship arrived in the U.S., there were lots of people welcoming President Roosevelt home, but Morrison went home alone with his suitcase. As he walked home he was complaining inside: "Lord, I worked so hard for you, how come no one came to welcome me home?" When he prayed about it, the Lord told him: "That's because President Roosevelt is already home, but your home is in heaven. When you come home, you will know how big the welcome ceremony is!" Indeed, our home is in heaven, so when the Lord returns, we will be in the kingdom of God and spending eternity with Him. Our effort in the Lord is definitely not done in vain.

Are you also waiting attentively for the Lord's return? In your daily life, do you really read God's Word and pray, bear glorious testimony for the Lord, and let the love of Christ glow out through your lives to those around you and even to all people and all nations? Are we really able to understand God's will and live a life that pleases Him? When the Lord returns, He wishes that we are all working hard to please Him. May God's Spirit help us to wait attentively and to follow His word until the Lord's return!

Pray with Pastor Tong

Lord, I thank you because you are filled with mercy and grace. Even though we don't know when the Lord will return, but we ask that the Lord will give us a watchful heart to wait for you attentively until the day you return. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!

River of Life Christian Church | office@rolcc.net | ROLCC Website

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Today's Passage - Matthew 24:29-33

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english

Matthew 24:15-28

"...Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will father his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that it is near, right at the door."

Although the day of the return of Jesus is unknown to us, this doesn't mean we don't have a part in it. Our responsibility is to "see", which means to be alert and of sober mind. In these last days, we need to pay close attention to the happenings in the world. Billy Graham once said, that when he picks up the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other, he reads almost the same words in the newspaper as he reads in the Bible. This statement is both shocking and rejoicing; shocking, for the world is worsen so rapidly, and rejoicing, for the day of the Lord is indeed near.

The more you read the Bible, the more you will not be worried about the world, and the more you will be able to face sufferings and death. Staying alert, which means pray, can help us to be ready to see Him. We often feel powerless and are controlled by the dominion of this world. We often feel helpless in our efforts to living God's will, for we want to overcome temptations but couldn't. We need to come before the Lord and pray earnestly, for only prayer can bind the works of the devils. 1 John 4:4 says that "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." It is only by His power we can overcome the power of the world.

I always heard this saying: more prayer, more power; less prayer, less power; no prayer, no power. The more I serve the Lord the more I see how truthful this word is. If we don't pray, we have no power. How could we overcome the challenges from the world if we don't have power? May the Lord help us to pray and observe, and to put everything in His hands. May His compassion fill the earth before His glorious return, so that we may experience His mightiness. Let us pray like how Apostle John prayed: Come, Lord Jesus! The day of His second coming is truly near, so let us prepare ourselves and wait for His return!

Pray with Pastor Tong

Dear Lord, You are the Lord with all authority. For not only You've resurrected from death and ascended to heaven, but also one day You will come back in glory. Come, dear Lord! Come not only in the future, but come now. Guide us in our daily lives, in every circumstance and in every relationship. Teach us to pray earnestly everyday till Your return. I thank you and I pray all these in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

River of Life Christian Church | office@rolcc.net | ROLCC Website

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Today's Passage - Matthew 24:15-28

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english

Matthew 24:15-28

"... at that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the wilderness,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east in visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather."

In this passage of scripture, Jesus quoted Daniel 9:27, which says, "And one who causes desolation will come upon the wing of the abominable temple". Daniel's prophecy was fulfilled once at 168 BC during the Maccabean Dynasty. Back then, the king gave offerings to Zeus in the temple and declared the beliefs of Jewish as illegal, which brought desolation to the temple. But Jesus said, this prophecy refers not only to what happened back at Maccabean Dynasty, but also the great tribulation that we will face at His second coming. When Jesus returns, the antichrist will carry out its deceiving works full force. And when the great tribulation comes, situations will be worsened and the elect will be persecuted.

Before the great tribulation comes, there are many sayings of false prophets and many come in His name. If we look at this generation, we have heard many predicting when Jesus Christ is coming again. There was a very famous Christian broadcaster in the bay area, who predicted when the time of Jesus' return, and of course it didn't come to pass. These let us see that, although the antichrist is not here, not the spirit of antichrist is already at work. The day of the Lord is really near, may He help us not to be Christians that do not understand the will of God.

The Lord asked us to be alert, for He said, "Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather." When we see carcass, we would know that cultures will come; in the same way, when we see all these things happening, we know that the second coming of Jesus is near. May the Lord help us to be alert and of sober mind, for the Lord has revealed His will to us. But we always miss His presence and His works because we are hindered by our own busyness and misconceptions. May the Lord help us to be sensitive to His will, and to always walk on His path!

Pray with Pastor Tong

Dear Lord, I thank You, for You have revealed things of the future to us so that we can be prepared. May You prepare our hearts so that we can be ready for Your return. I thank You and I pray all these in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

River of Life Christian Church | office@rolcc.net | ROLCC Website