158 - Bitter Water Becomes Sweet: A Life Looking Up to the Cross of Jesus Christ#
158 - Bitter Water Becomes Sweet: A Life Looking Up to the Cross of Jesus Christ
(JP Text Group ~ Sister Qingqing organized)
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord!
Let’s look at today’s Bible passage from Exodus 15:22-26.
The topic of our sharing today is "Bitter Water Becomes Sweet: A Life Looking Up to the Power of the Cross."
Alright, let’s read the Bible, the content of Exodus 15:22-26:
22 Moses led the Israelites from the Red Sea and went into the wilderness of Shur; they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them. 26 And said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” Amen!
Alright, let’s start with a prayer:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You for Your grace! It is You who has gathered us before You, not to give us more laws, but to let us receive Your grace, Your strength, and Your provision. Today, Your children come here once again to receive Your supply.
As a new week begins, we are willing to receive Your strength from You. Please help us and grant us wisdom to look up to the cross of Jesus Christ, so that we can live a victorious life in this world through the cross. We completely dedicate the following time to You, and may the Holy Spirit personally help each brother and sister, renewing us in our hearts. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray! Amen! Hallelujah!
In fact, as Christians, many times after we believe in the Lord, not everyone can learn to look up to God and live. Among Christians, there are two types of people. The first type believes, but only believes. They tell others they also believe in Jesus, but their lives are no different from those of non-believers. Are such people saved? Yes, they are saved. Brothers and sisters, their lives are just similar to those of non-believers, indistinguishable. Two people standing together cannot tell who believes and who does not; this is the first type.
The second type is different. This type of Christian believes and looks up to the cross of Jesus every day to live. Such a person is a victorious person. They can immediately be distinguished from non-believers, and the world will say, “Look at that person who believes in Jesus; you can see they are different from everyone else.” Therefore, we are willing, brothers and sisters, to learn to look up to the cross of Jesus and live a victorious life. Hallelujah!
First, let’s take a look at today’s text. At the beginning of Exodus 15, we see a very beautiful prospect. What is it? Just like you praised earlier. In fact, at the beginning of chapter 15, the Israelites were singing to God, right? “I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him.” Isn’t this wonderful? This is truly amazing!
Why did they worship and praise God like this?
Because they had just seen God’s great power, Amen! This was the situation of the Israelites at the beginning. You will find that when they saw the miracles, were they not happy? Were they not joyful? Did they have faith at that time? Yes! Absolutely they had faith! The lyrics say so.
Brothers and sisters, if you can often see God’s great power in your life, you can also write songs! Didn’t Miriam lead all the sisters to start singing? A different life immediately emerged. So they were there exalting God’s name, praising God’s name, and worshiping our God! From the surface, was their life good? It was fantastic! A life suddenly freed from slavery is wonderful; this life is truly amazing.
They saw God’s grace, saw God’s great power, and their lives were different. So, here we see a very clear fact: their worship was entirely because of God’s salvation, right? In fact, our lives, as Christians, if we often see God’s salvation, your life will also be joyful and singing, just like theirs. Amen!
They did not understand the things beyond God’s salvation; they had not experienced them. So they did not understand what God’s purpose in choosing them was. They only felt that in the past, they were slaves living under the whip, bound, and now they were free; this life was too good.
As for how God wanted them to live, they did not know. So at this time, they only praised God. But what is good about God? It is because God saved them; nothing else. So you will find that many Christians’ testimonies are also like this.
I ask you, why do you thank Jesus? “Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for my sins,” and that’s it. Ten years later, they still thank the Lord! “Thank you, Jesus!” You ask them, “Why do you thank Jesus?” “Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for my sins,” and that’s it; it’s the same as ten years ago. So such people’s gratitude may come from their hearts, and they might feel it’s somewhat hypocritical; when they come to church, they just thank God! Praise the Lord!
I have not found that this God has done anything in my life. This is very similar to the current situation of the Israelites. So what are the characteristics of such people? Let’s continue to look at today’s text. They saw God’s works and then worshiped God; they saw God’s grace and praised God! God also listened to their prayers. This is a characteristic of a new believer; a new believer has a characteristic: when they encounter good things, they praise God! If they encounter bad things, they immediately complain.
So the Holy Spirit shows us in this chapter a very peculiar thing: at first, they loudly praised God! Then, starting from the latter part of chapter 15, they began to complain against God. So this is the state of life of a new believer. The Holy Spirit lets us see that in the spiritual journey, it is impossible for us to believe today and suddenly become a spiritual person tomorrow; it’s impossible. Our situation is often very similar to that of the Israelites; we all need a process of growth.
But, brothers and sisters, please remember, even though we complain against God, does God discipline them? Does He? If you dare to complain to me, I will give you some diseases to bite you; does this happen? No! This is how we are when we are new believers. Because we know nothing.
God does not give us any requirements, just like a little child. When a child is just born, they cry, they poop, they pee on the bed; does the mother immediately beat them to death? No! Does this bad behavior reduce their parents’ love for them? No. So, brothers and sisters, we should always remember that no matter how you behave, God loves you. Hallelujah!
Although their behavior was not good, God still accepted them, still tolerated them, and gave them His grace because God leads them to repentance through grace. Hallelujah! So later you will find that when they had no water to drink, God gave them water to drink; later when they had no food, God gave them food. Then when they encountered problems, God provided solutions; God is continuously supplying them, Amen!
So why does the Holy Spirit record an exciting praise at the beginning and immediately record their failure afterward? In fact, God lets us see this to show us our true selves. So, brothers and sisters, if you see someone around you complaining, you know their spiritual state is not good, but it absolutely does not affect God’s love for them. Amen! Always remember!
Even though they are complaining now, it does not affect God’s love for them in the slightest. Because today’s Israelites are in such a situation. They began by praising God, and then continued on until they came to Marah, and by that time, three days had already passed. Because when they came out of Egypt, it was very hurried.
They did not have enough food; they finished eating in three days, and they also ran out of water. So what to do in this situation? In this situation, the problem arose. The first thing people needed was water; without water, could they eat food? Just like now, if there is something to eat, but you can’t cook it, how to do it? You can’t do it without water.
They saw water and saw hope, but when they tasted it, the water was bitter. So verse 23 says, “When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore the name of it was called Marah.” This is a term from the Semitic language; Marah means bitter. When they arrived at this place, they found it was bitter. In this situation, did the true state of their faith emerge?
So, brothers and sisters, when we encounter some problems today, what is our reaction? In fact, that is a true reflection of our faith. Amen! When everyone is doing well, you are well, I am well, and God is well, we can all praise God. When the problem arises, at that moment, your reaction reveals your true situation with God. Our spiritual condition can be immediately manifested.
At first, the Israelites were still joyfully worshiping God. You say they had not seen miracles? They had seen more than one, right? In fact, God continuously let them see many miracles. The most recent miracle was the parting of the Red Sea, right? Such a great miracle; didn’t everyone participate?
Think about it, if it were us, such a huge Red Sea, and a wall of water was built up, and we passed through underneath; what a great miracle! One would think that three days should not be enough to forget it completely! But you see, this shows that even if we see miracles, it does not mean you will rely on God.
We will also share some testimonies of others’ life transformations or healing from illness with you. But this does not mean that just because you saw these miracles, your faith will last long; in fact, it does not exceed three days. Do you remember what healing testimonies I shared with you three years ago? Can you not recall? Because that miracle was not yours.
But if you remember, oh brothers and sisters, if you were healed by God three years ago, do you still remember it today? Yes, that’s right. So, in your life, your own experiences are actually more useful than hearing others’ testimonies. However, the Israelites also reflected a true situation of our believers, at most just three days.
Even if today you have indeed experienced God, after three days, you will almost forget it. Oh, you see, after three days, the Israelites could not find water, and they began to complain against Moses. What did they say? “Oh, if it’s like this, Moses, we are especially grateful to you!” Did they say that? “What shall we drink?” They were not so gentle, brothers and sisters. If it were like this, Moses would not need to be in such a state, you know?
Brothers and sisters, Moses did not need to plead with God; this group of people was not so gentle! Their words were very violent! “What shall we drink, Moses?” Shouldn’t it be like this? In fact, it made people feel very annoyed. I have shared with brothers and sisters before that in the wilderness of Sinai, during the day, the temperature can reach above 46 degrees, and at night it can be particularly cold, below minus ten degrees.
In such hot weather, doesn’t the heat make people more irritable? When people are irritable, their words are not so pleasant. Especially in the case of not having water to drink, the people could still grumble. In this situation, they began to complain against Moses, saying, “What have you brought us here for?” Brothers and sisters, in this environment, the first reaction of the Israelites was to complain.
This is what the Bible records as a spiritual infant; three days ago, they were joyfully worshiping God, and three days later, they immediately began to complain. Isn’t this a big change? Isn’t it like a child? Three seconds ago, they were laughing, and three seconds later, they were crying. This is a characteristic of children.
Brothers and sisters, if you see someone around you who is so fickle, please remember they are a spiritual infant; do not argue with an infant. Amen! At this time, what do they need? Love; just give them love. Comfort them, because they are infants; there is no other way! So every time you see them, they seem like a child who never grows up; every time they see a problem, they start to complain.
So many times, we say, “It’s really hard to believe; how can the Israelites be like this?” Sometimes many people say, “The Israelites really can’t do it; how can their faith be so small?” We can say this today, but if you were placed at the Red Sea, you would be in a similar situation.
In that environment, we are actually very similar to the Israelites; they forgot the experience of the Red Sea, forgot the salvation God gave them, forgot the miracles God had performed for them time and again. In fact, when they encountered problems, shouldn’t they rely on God? Shouldn’t they pray to God, right? Since God could use past miracles, couldn’t He solve this water problem?
What did they see with their own eyes? Moses stretched out his rod over the sea, and what happened? The water turned to blood; didn’t they all see it? Because the whole of Egypt had this problem. So today, can’t this water be turned sweet? In other words, their concept of God was very vague; they only saw benefits and thanked Him. If there were no benefits, they complained. This is the situation of a spiritual infant.
They did not understand how to rely on God or look up to God. It’s not that they had not experienced it; they had seen miracles with their own eyes, but up to now, they were still living by sight, not by faith. So I hope, brothers and sisters, if we live by faith, what you see is not bitter water, but sweet water that can be turned from bitter water. Amen! Thank the Lord! Therefore, we must learn how to look up to God’s great power in our lives, and not just know it intellectually; that is very bad.
Sharing the first point: In Trials, Meditate on God’s Great Power
In front of this bitter water, if the Israelites could remember God’s great works in Egypt, at that time, they would not need to complain. But they did not think of it. What the Israelites saw was not something that personally related to them. They only received grace, received grace, received grace, but did not understand how to rely on God.
Look back; when God protected them, did they do anything else? For example, during the ten plagues, did the Israelites do anything? They just stayed in peace, right? Then they received God’s protection and supply, that’s all. So many times, we say that if we keep receiving grace, receiving, receiving, receiving… and we do not know how to use this grace, it is actually the same as a child. Did Moses encounter this problem too?
Today, what I want to analyze for you is the same problem, the same situation, but the solution is different. When the ten plagues were executed, was Moses there? He was there, and he saw it, right? But what is the difference between Moses and the Israelites? It’s actually very simple: one is a participant, and the other is a recipient. Do you see the difference?
Every time Moses performed a miracle, did Moses pray in between? Did the Israelites pray? Because it seemed to have nothing to do with them, but in fact, it was related to them, right? Brothers and sisters, do you know why? When someone in our church needs prayer, I hope you all participate in the problem, right? It’s not that I can’t do it; I can do it all by myself, just like Moses. So why let you participate?
Because the faith of those who participate is completely different from those who just watch. Moses also began to know God at this time, right? That is to say, the time he spent with the Israelites was about the same, but the experience of faith was completely different. After going through these miracles, every time Moses prayed to God, prayed to God, prayed to God, and then Moses’ life also began to grow.
Do you remember when they were on the other side of the Red Sea, the people also complained, “Moses, who made you bring us out of Egypt to die here?” The words of the people were very harsh. If Moses complained like this, the people would have been finished! So Moses did not do such a thing; every time he encountered a problem, he prayed to God. But Moses’ life was also growing.
When they were on the other side of the Red Sea, before God parted the sea, how did Moses pray to God? We shared this last time: Moses pleaded with God. He pleaded with God, and in fact, pleading represents a kind of despair. So he pleaded with God, and then our God said to him, “Moses, what do you have in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” God said, “Stretch the rod toward the Red Sea,” and suddenly the Red Sea parted. Then after this incident, you see the people praising God; in fact, was Moses also praising God in his heart? But his life had already grown.
To this day, when this problem arises again, Moses does not complain or complain with the people; what did he do? The people complained against Moses.
What does verse 25 say? Moses cried out to the Lord. Amen! So brothers and sisters, this is something we need to understand in our faith life. So when we encounter problems in our lives, do not learn to complain like the Israelites, complaining, complaining, complaining about this being bad, complaining about the teacher being bad, complaining about the church being bad, complaining about the people around you not having enough faith, not having love; do not complain about these things.
What should you do?
Turn to the Lord like Moses, Amen! Cry out to the Lord. Everything Moses did was to plead. Now it has changed to crying out; does crying out contain faith? He believes that God can definitely accomplish this, so he cries out. Therefore, when Moses encountered problems, he did not complain but came before God to pray. Moses always came before God to pray, brothers and sisters.
So we are willing, in our lives, when you encounter any problems, do not complain, because it cannot solve any problems; it will only make your problems worse. You must pray to God, Amen! Pray before God. So Moses believed that God had already heard his prayer, so he prayed to God, and God told him a method.
Brothers and sisters, we must bring our difficulties to God to draw wisdom and methods from God, Amen! Although the environment is the same, Moses did not lose his rest. The Holy Spirit also recorded this for us. Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; he cast the tree into the water, and the water became sweet. Amen! In fact, this problem is directly related to our lives today. Because today, those who believe in Jesus and are saved live differently; we hope our lives are all victorious lives!
Let’s look at a verse, Psalm 34:17 says: The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. Amen!
So when you are in trouble, what should you do? Cry out to God! Amen! Is the righteous referring to you? So when you cry out to the Lord, what will He do? He will deliver you from how many troubles? All troubles; how many troubles do you have? You must remember!
Brothers and sisters, when we cry out to God, He will deliver us from all troubles. It’s not like, “Lord, I have cancer; Jesus says, ‘Just bear with it for now! This cancer is a bit troublesome.’” It’s not like that. He will deliver you from all troubles. Hallelujah! Ah, you must remember this! The righteous cry out to the Lord, and He hears.
So never pray today, “Lord! When will You hear my prayer?” This way is wrong; you cry out, and God hears. Amen! God absolutely does not not hear; even if you use a very small voice, God can hear.
Let’s look at another verse: James 1:5-8. I want to solve a problem for brothers and sisters.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Brothers and sisters, look, how does James describe our God? The first thing is to give liberally to all. Brothers and sisters, what does it mean to give liberally? What is God giving you? Is it blessings or curses? If it’s curses, that would be troublesome! Who can bear a curse given liberally?
So you all believe that what James said is true; if you lack wisdom, you should ask of Him who gives liberally to all. If you ask for a little wisdom, how much will God give you? God will give you abundant wisdom. Amen! Isn’t it like this? What is the next sentence? And without reproach. Brothers and sisters, remember to keep this word in your heart!
God does not reproach you today; why? Because the cross of Jesus has changed all of this. God reproached Jesus and judged Jesus, so today God does not reproach you. Amen! Instead, He gives you abundant grace and blesses you. So what should you do? What do you need to do? Ask! Isn’t that right? If you ask Him, He will give you. Hallelujah!
Then we say: The Lord will give him; you see, what is the condition in front? If you ask Him, He will give you. This is the principle of God’s blessing; remember this. Whoever asks God will receive; God absolutely does not impose blessings on you. Remember this; this is the principle of God’s blessing.
Brothers and sisters, many times we say, “Lord, why do You give him and not me?” We say, “Did you ask?” Some people say, “I asked, but I’m not sure if God will give it to me.” In fact, it’s because of this reason. What reason? It says afterward, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting.” Do you know how many people have not seen answers to their problems because of this reason?
They asked in front but then doubted afterward. Some people say, “What kind of state is this?” I’ll tell you; I’ll demonstrate it for you, and you’ll understand! Once, I went to a church to preach, and afterward, an old sister said, “Teacher, can you pray for me?” I said, “Sure.” She said, “I’ve had this illness for many years.” I said, “No problem; you need to believe that God can heal you.” She said, “Amen!”
When we prayed, I told her, “Do you believe that after we pray today, God can heal you immediately?” She said, “Amen!” Isn’t that quite confident? Then we prayed for her, and during the prayer, we said, “In the name of Jesus Christ, your illness has left you.” She said, “Amen!” Then, when the meeting was over, as I was about to leave, this aunt rushed over and said, “Teacher, remember to pray for my illness!”
Ah, you all laughed! Do you know if the previous prayer was effective? We explained to her very clearly that she needed to believe that God had already healed her. She said, “Okay, okay, I believe, I believe.” But when she was about to leave, she said, “Teacher, pray for my illness.” This is called doubt, brothers and sisters.
It seems that the previous prayer was not very effective, and she still had to continue praying. Someone says, “So should I pray once or multiple times?” In fact, this question is easy to answer: If you pray once and you are sure that God has healed you, that’s enough. Amen! If during the prayer, I still worry, ‘What should I do?’ then continue to pray; this is to remove the doubt. Amen!
It says here: “For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” The problem lies here. Today we know that after we pray, God will definitely hear and accomplish it.
If you have worries in your heart, then continue to pray. Until when? Until you are no longer in doubt. Amen! Because when you are in doubt, you are not sure that God will accomplish it, so you continue to pray. Hallelujah! This is a problem!
So the Israelites, they didn’t even pray; they directly complained to God and complained to Moses. In fact, this is the worst method; it’s better than praying a little now, isn’t it? Thank the Lord! Then someone says, “Teacher, you don’t know? Not everything can be prayed for, right? The Bible also says, ‘You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives.’”
So many people take this verse and keep it in their hearts like a time bomb. “Lord, is my prayer a wrong request?” Someone says, “Teacher, I prayed to God for healing; is this a wrong request?” Is it a wrong request, brothers and sisters? No, you all know that. If it’s a wrong request, that would be troublesome; then God hopes you live in pain!
Let’s clarify this verse: James 4:1-3 says:
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Brothers and sisters, isn’t it important to read the Bible in context? The problem with the Israelites is that they do not ask; this is their problem! Many people today, after asking, begin to doubt, or after asking, they begin to fear that it is a wrong request. So we need to clarify both of these issues.
You see, in fact, here there is a context that says, “Where do wars and fights come from among you?” It comes from desires, doesn’t it? So if there are desires and coveting, then you do not obtain. You know, I once went to a place where they prayed like this. If God accomplished it, do you know how serious the consequences would be? This church split into three factions, and these three factions were together, fighting with each other. Then how did one faction pray? “Lord! Quickly send down thunder from heaven and strike that group dead! Lord! Let them be hit by a car when they go out!” If you pray like this, can God hear?
If He can, that would be troublesome. Where do your wars and fights come from? Then they fight, quarrel, and curse each other; do you think God can hear in such a situation? So God says, “You ask like this, and you do not receive.” Amen! So, our church’s brothers and sisters are very smart, so you do not ask for such things. Amen! Always remember not to ask for such things.
For example, one day you say, “God, curse Teacher Ren!” You don’t need to pray for this; God will definitely not accomplish it. This would waste your breath, so don’t waste your prayers on such things! Why? Because you do not receive; you ask and do not receive. Amen!
Just now we read that God gives liberally to all and does not reproach you; He does not get angry with you or curse people. So this prayer is ineffective.
You see, it goes on to say that they ask because they want to spend it on their pleasures. Then there are desires and coveting, killing, and jealousy, so you should not ask for such things; this will not be received. But did God say that if you ask like this, there will be a curse afterward?
You see how wonderful our God is! Even if you say, “Lord, quickly curse that group of people; let thunder strike them dead!” God says, “I can’t hear.” But did He say, “If you dare to pray like this, I will step on you”? Did He say that?
So at most, you waste your own time and breath; God does not reproach you. Do you see how good our God is? So the Israelites were in this situation because they had just come to know this God, but they did not even pray; they did not even ask. Moses was different; didn’t Moses pray to God? So after Moses prayed, the Lord heard him and delivered him from trouble.
God said to Moses, “Throw a tree into the water, and the water will become sweet.” Amen! So in your problems, you must see God’s works and cry out to God to solve your problems, rather than complaining every day, “Oh, what should I do? What should I do? I’m so annoyed; I’m so troubled.” Don’t pray like this; it’s useless!
The best way is to cry out to God to solve this problem. Amen! Just like Moses, “Lord! This water is bitter; now the people cannot drink it. Now You heal this water and let it become sweet so the people can drink it.” God said, “Okay, I will give you a method.” Then, a tree was thrown in, and the problem was solved. Amen! Isn’t that simple? So how is our life changed? How is your life changed?
So, we share the second point: The Cross is the Turning Point of Your Life and Living
In life, you will definitely encounter some problems, but where is your turning point? It is at the cross; that is the turning point of your life. Before the cross, our lives were under curses, suffering, and problems. But after Jesus went to the cross, He changed all of this. You have gone from a life of death to a life of resurrection, from a cursed life to a blessed life.
From a life without hope in the past, now it has become a life full of hope because the cross has changed all of this. In the past, God judged the people; now God no longer gets angry with you or reproaches you because the cross of Jesus has made a change and changed all of this.
God’s promise is very special; you see how wonderful God is. He showed him a tree; in fact, this tree does not have any special function. This tree is because of God’s command; it carries God’s authority. Amen! You can say this tree is a tree of life; you must see this from the spirit. Amen!
In the past, Adam and Eve chose the wrong tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But now to solve their problem, they must choose the tree of life. This tree of life is our Lord Jesus Christ. So Jesus Christ is the tree of our life; when you have this tree, you will find your life changed. Thank the Lord!
God said this, and Moses did it, and things came to pass. Do you believe it? You must remember that His order is like this: Moses prayed like this, and things came to pass. Because God did all of this behind the scenes. Many times, we also pray, but we do not believe that things will come to pass, so we do not see results. But Moses is different; he prayed, and God told him a method. He did it and saw the results. Hallelujah!
In your life, experiencing miracles and experiencing God’s great power is not difficult at all. Just return to Jesus Christ and believe in Him; that is enough. So do not add other things; if you add other things, it will be difficult to believe. For example, now God tells Moses, “Put this tree into the water, and the water will be healed.”
If Moses said, “This is impossible; this does not fit my concept; ah, this goes against science; how can I see miracles?”
Many times, we humans are too clever; we think God’s methods are unreliable. This method seems to be of no use at all. So many people always say, “Teacher Ren, your method is too old-fashioned; we have used many better methods than yours.” So what? Is our method old-fashioned? It is indeed very old-fashioned; we only have one way to solve your problem: in the name of Jesus Christ.
But how is this old-fashioned method? It is the simplest, easiest, and most effective method. It is that people are too clever and unwilling to use this method. So we must simply return to the cross of Jesus Christ. Amen! So brothers and sisters, if you simply believe in the words of Jesus Christ and let go of your own concepts, you will see His miracles!
In fact, each of us has difficulties in this world. When we interact with others, we also have difficulties. People are unwilling to act according to God’s words; they always feel their methods are better. When their reasons come out, when their thoughts come out, when these things come out, it is actually very difficult for us to see miracles.
The Israelites were in despair; they did not think this water could be healed, so they complained, right? So brothers and sisters, do not live like the world; when you see problems, say, “It’s over, it’s over, it’s over; this is how it is; it cannot be changed; it’s completely over.”
You must see that once Jesus enters, this body will change, and this situation will change. Amen! Because Jesus is different; He is the tree of life! Brothers and sisters, many times, the Lord Jesus says, “You must forgive others.” In relationships between people, if you forgive others, people will forgive you, right?
Then we say, “No, I cannot forgive him; I absolutely cannot forgive him; he is so terrible; I cannot forgive him.” As a result, we always carry bitterness, and in the end, we ruin our own bodies. In fact, Jesus does this for our good, doesn’t He? If you forgive him, you will be forgiven. So I have preached a sermon in the past called “Forgiving Others is Actually Releasing Ourselves.”
Jesus thinks of us, brothers and sisters; He does not want you to keep the law and say, “You must do this, you must do that.” In fact, if you can choose to forgive, you will not carry pain every day. So the people did not understand this, but Moses gradually learned this problem. Brothers and sisters, thank God! Moses now lives in God’s words; he threw the tree into the water, and the water immediately became sweet.
That tree symbolizes the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; this cross can solve all of man’s difficulties. Always remember that all difficulties can be solved by the cross. Is bitter water a curse? Jesus can solve the problem of this bitter water curse. Suffering, illness, pain, and death are not God’s intention; how to solve it? The cross of Jesus has solved all of this. Amen! Hallelujah!
Let’s look at Galatians 3:13-14, which tells us:
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Amen!
We were all under curses in the past, so is this bitter water a kind of curse? Is illness a kind of curse? Is hereditary disease in the family a kind of curse? How to get rid of it? This seems very difficult in the eyes of the world, doesn’t it? It’s something that cannot be removed at all.
Brothers and sisters, when we believe in Jesus, believing that Jesus Christ has already become a curse for us on the cross, you will be free from it. So do not say, “Oh, this is a hereditary disease; our family has had this disease for generations.” Do not repeat such problems. This is just like the Israelites, who began to complain and complain; it will not solve your problem.
You might as well let Jesus enter your life and then start declaring, “Jesus Christ, You have been hung on the tree for my sins and for my illness because cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, so all my curses have gone upon You.” What do I have now?
It says afterward that the blessing of Abraham might come upon you; if you read carefully, what kind of blessings did Abraham receive? Did Abraham have problems in his life? Did he lie? Yes, he had weaknesses, right? But did God slap him to death? No, He still gave His abundant grace to Abraham.
God wants to bless you today. Amen! Because Jesus Christ took the curse for you, the blessing of Abraham can come upon you because of Jesus Christ; this is the cross. This cross has completely changed your life. So it is absolutely not your behavior; it is not because your behavior is good that God loves you a little more, and when your behavior is bad, God loves you a little less. No, it is because of the cross of Jesus Christ that all your curses have turned into blessings.
In Hebrews 2, it also tells us something:
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
Jesus died for you, so you do not have to taste death. Ah, it goes on to say: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory.” Where is He bringing them? This is a very important verse. Jesus Christ has suffered and died for you, not to bring you into death, not to bring you into suffering, not to bring you into curses, but to bring you into glory. Amen!
Always remember that this is the change the cross brings you. So if there is illness in your body, it should not appear in your body. What to do? You say, “Lord Jesus, enter into me; Holy Spirit, renew me within; in the name of Jesus Christ, I command all diseases in this body to leave because I am now entering into glory. Jesus took the curse for me; now to bring many sons into glory, doesn’t that refer to me? Does it include you? So He wants to lead you into glory!
Brothers and sisters, so what should be manifested in you? The glory of Jesus Christ! Hallelujah! So this is the change the cross of Jesus brings you! It also says afterward: To bring many sons to glory, for it was fitting that He, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. The fitting means what you should receive. Amen!
What you should receive today is not illness, not curses, not pain, but the glory of Jesus Christ! Hallelujah! So you must always keep this word in your heart. Today, the glory of Jesus is upon me! So when I go out, I am filled with the glory of Christ. Christ is absolutely not a complaining person because He knows the glory of God is upon Him. Hallelujah! So if you can know that today the glory of God is upon you, you can live out the completeness that the sufferings of Jesus Christ bring you.
Then in 1 Peter 4:1-3:
Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
Many people do not understand this verse, and as a result, they interpret this verse in a legalistic way. Let me explain this legalistic way to you. You see, since Christ suffered in the flesh, you should also arm yourselves with the same mind; does this mean you should wait to suffer? Have you heard others interpret this verse like this? You have, right? “You should also wait to suffer!”
Do not think that after believing in Jesus, you will not suffer; you must be prepared to suffer; you must have a mindset of suffering, and take the mindset of suffering as your weapon. Is that so? If it is like this, you can rest assured that difficulties will come quickly. Because you are already impatient, the devil is even more impatient.
Then it goes on to say, “When you have the mindset of suffering, when you suffer in the flesh, you can cease from sin.” Is it like this? Can we cease from sin just by suffering? Can we? No, that’s because you haven’t suffered enough, so you cannot cease from sin. This kind of explanation makes people more and more afraid, and that is the life of suffering for Christians.
Because you keep suffering, you can cease from sin; if you cannot cease, it is because you have not suffered enough. Alright, in the end, we all feel that Jesus cannot be believed. The more you believe, the greater the suffering becomes, and then it tells you, “This is God’s will!” You see, you must live according to God’s will in the remaining time on earth, which means you must be prepared to suffer, and then you can cease from sin. This kind of explanation, do you know how many Christians it has harmed?
So someone asks, what is the true meaning of this verse?
The cross is the turning point of your life. Amen! You see, Christ suffered in the flesh; who suffered? Jesus Christ, right? Jesus Christ suffered in the flesh; you should take this mindset as your weapon. It is not that Jesus suffered, so I must also suffer. Jesus bore the painful cross, so I must also bear the cross. Jesus gave Himself for me, so I must also give myself. If you go, you will be like that! Did anyone go up on the cross with Jesus? Did they solve their sins? No, then what’s the point? Even if you go up on the cross, it will be the same.
So what does this verse mean?
You should take the mindset of Jesus suffering in the flesh as your weapon. What was the purpose of Jesus suffering? To bring you into glory, right? Isn’t this what we just read? So you should take this mindset, the mindset of what the suffering of Christ brings you, as your weapon! Jesus has already suffered for me, so I am delivered from the curse. Today, I will take this as my weapon. So in the name of Jesus Christ, sickness has no power over me; this is my weapon. I will overcome sickness through Him; I will overcome my environment through Him.
Because Jesus has already suffered for me, only with this mindset, because who suffered in the flesh? Jesus Christ, that’s right. Jesus Christ who suffered in the flesh can let you cease from sin! It is not that we strive to suffer; even if you suffer more, you cannot cease from sin unless you die. Jesus Christ suffered; His suffering in the flesh has allowed you to cease from sin. So this refers to Jesus, not you. In the future, you should keep this mindset: Jesus Christ has already suffered for you, so He has saved you from curses and suffering.
So when you encounter problems, in the name of Jesus Christ, change this environment; you can be delivered from such difficulties. Hallelujah! Then afterward, it says: You should live according to this will; this is God’s will! In the remaining time on earth, you must remember that Jesus has already suffered for you.
He has saved you from the law, from death, and from suffering. Because in the past, you followed the desires of the Gentiles; what was your state back then? The time has been enough; Jesus went to the cross, and all of this has changed! Hallelujah! This is the cross of Jesus! It has brought a complete change to your life.
So today, no matter what problems you encounter in your life, please remember, you say, “I am so bitter now,” remember to put the cross of Jesus in. You remember that Jesus has already suffered for you on the cross. So your problems should turn sweet because even if it was bitter in the past, now it should turn from bitter to sweet.
Just like this water, it is bitter, but how? Once the cross of Jesus goes in, the bitter water becomes sweet. Let’s emphasize again that if your family is currently not harmonious, and the relationship between husband and wife is very poor, it is because of the lack of the cross of Jesus. You do not know that Jesus has already paid the price for you. If you cannot see Jesus, you cannot forgive and cannot be harmonious. The best way is to return to the cross of Jesus. As a result, the problem is solved. Hallelujah!
Then we should keep this mindset, brothers and sisters. Always take the cross of Jesus Christ as our weapon for victory. The suffering of Jesus becomes your mindset for victory; take this as your mindset. Then when you live, you will be able to overcome all the schemes of the devil.
The third point we share: Under Grace, It Is Not License, but Living Out God’s Glory.
Wow, this is completely different! God did not deal with the complaints of the people but directly performed miracles for them, turning the water sweet. Then it goes on to say, “The Lord made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them.” Amen!
Many people think that this means God gave them statutes and ordinances to test them, meaning God is giving us some suffering to try us out. Is this the meaning? Well, let me clarify this for you. The word used here for “test” in the original language is actually another word, meaning “exam.” Do you all know what an exam is? How many people think that when you go from first grade to second grade, there is an exam set up by the teacher to deliberately make things difficult for the students?
What is the purpose of this exam?
The correct understanding of an exam is that you should go back and teach your children not to fear exams because many people are very afraid of exams now, aren’t they? What does an exam reveal? Grades, and what else? In fact, it reveals two aspects: first, it reveals your abilities, and second, it reveals your shortcomings, right? When there are shortcomings, what should you do? Keep learning, right? Only after the exam do you realize, “Oh, I really don’t know this area!”
So I need to continue to work hard in this area. Amen! God is testing the Israelites in this way; He is absolutely not saying, “Oh, you just came out and gained freedom; that won’t do! You are too free; I will give you something to bind you!” That is not the meaning. Since they have come to know God, who is such a powerful God, then how much do you rely on God in many things?
So when this environment comes, you can treat this environment as an exam. Then you find, “Oh, when I encounter problems, I complain?” You suddenly realize, “Oh, I understand now; I have not learned to rely on God.” So at this time, you can return to church and pray with brothers and sisters, and then you can overcome this environment.
Next time, you will be able to overcome this problem. Amen! So this is absolutely not God wanting to make things difficult for the Israelites; it is to let you discover your shortcomings. You should learn to pray to God like Moses when you encounter problems, not to complain. Amen!
Later, you know the Israelites really learned. Later on, about 40 years later, when there was no water, they surrounded the well and began to sing, “Well, spring up water, spring up water!” As they sang, water sprang up. Haha, did you see that, brothers and sisters? So God’s way is very wonderful; you should not complain about this environment. You should think, “I am a powerful God.” So in the face of this difficulty, you should sing, sing, sing, declare, praise, and praise, and let it spring up!
“Well, spring up water!” Didn’t it spring up? Just like Moses, let this bitter water become sweet! Throw the tree into the bitter water, and it becomes sweet. So with these words, you will not fear the problems in your life; you know that God can solve any problem. Hallelujah!
God gave them some statutes and ordinances and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes.” It goes on to say, “I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you.”
Alright, this raises a question. In fact, this verse has two interpretations because a problem has arisen. Now it is not yet Exodus 20, right? It is still chapter 15. God only issued the commandments after chapter 20; there are no commandments yet! So how did this come about? In fact, there are two interpretations. The first interpretation is that some say that the commandments and statutes here refer to some regulatory things.
For example, when it mentions commandments and statutes, it refers to letting them listen to God and worship God. Do you remember? When the Israelites were leaving Egypt, their leader Moses said to Pharaoh, “Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.” Amen! So they already knew how to worship the Lord.
God wanted to tell the Israelites what the statutes and commandments refer to: it is to listen to My words and live a life that worships Me. This is a different way of life; it refers to listening to God, obeying God’s words, and learning to let the Israelites live a separated life. Amen!
God does not want them to live like the Egyptians but to live out the pattern of God’s children. And what do the statutes refer to? They refer to the norms of social life. So the detailed statutes are very detailed in Exodus chapters 21 to 23. For example, if you are a slave in someone’s house for six years, in the seventh year, they must let you go. If there is a conflict between people, how should you handle it? These are all norms of life. Amen!
What does this mean? Today, God brought them out of Egypt not to say, “You are free now; do whatever you want! It doesn’t matter; I will supply your food, so you can live however you want.” It is not like that. The Christian life, when you accept Jesus, is not to say, “Now it’s good; I have been freed from death and the law, so I can do whatever I want. I can sin, and it doesn’t matter; tomorrow I will rob a bank; after all, if I die, I can go to heaven.” You must remember that such a mindset is still not knowing God’s grace.
God’s purpose in bringing them out is to let them live a glorious life. Amen!
Jesus Christ saves us to bring the sons into glory, which means you must live a life that is completely different from the world. When the world encounters illness, they say, “Oh, it’s over!” You cannot live like this. If you live like this, then what has your God brought you? Right, brothers and sisters? So how should you live? In the face of illness, in the face of problems, you must solve it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a separated life. Hallelujah!
So this is the kind of life we Christians should live. Therefore, the statutes and commandments tell them how to get along with others. In the past, they were slaves under Pharaoh; now they are suddenly free. But God does not say, “You are free; you can indulge.” Instead, just like us today, we were all under the law and in death. But the cross of Jesus Christ has saved us!
Now we are under grace. Amen! Being under grace means you can live a life of grace. Ah, it is different from the world. Amen! In the past, when others cursed you, you could curse back ten times without repeating. But now, when others curse you, you think, “Lord, have mercy on him! He is so pitiful!”
Look at him; his heart is filled with this curse, filled with bitterness; he is so pitiful. “Lord, have mercy on him!” This is the way of Jesus Christ. Amen! So you all understand that Jesus Christ on the cross said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” They do not know that their hearts are already filled with bitterness and curses, so Jesus has mercy on them.
If you understand that grace is like this, you will absolutely not indulge. Amen! Instead, you will become an example to the world. Others will say, “Look at those who believe in Jesus; they are different; their demeanor is different; their grace is different.” Isn’t that right? Haha, if that’s the case, you will live out the pattern of Jesus.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
God knows the thoughts He has toward you; do you know? Do you know that God wants to give you thoughts of peace? So God says, “I know the thoughts I think toward you,” proving that the Israelites did not know, right? God does not need to say this. So brothers and sisters, I tell you this verse today: God knows that the thoughts He has toward you are thoughts of peace, not thoughts of disaster. So you must believe that God wants to give you thoughts of peace. Amen!
So what should you do? Since God wants to give you thoughts of peace, not thoughts of disaster, you should not give others thoughts of disaster. Isn’t it different how to treat people? What is the thought of disaster? “Lord, let that person be hit by a car when they go out!” Please remember, this is a thought of disaster. Will God accomplish your prayer? No, so do not pray for this; you know it is useless. Rather, what should you do?
“Lord Jesus, please give him Your peace!” This is wisdom, oh brothers and sisters; this is wisdom! The Bible has a promise that says, “Whatever house you enter, you should pray for peace for that house.” Right? If that person is worthy, then peace will come to that house. If that person is not worthy? The peace will return to you! Ah, this is wisdom! So God always hopes that your heart is filled with thoughts of peace, thoughts of blessing; He does not want curses and disasters to exist in your heart. So you pray for your enemies, “In the name of the Lord Jesus, bless him!”
If he is not worthy of that peaceful thought, whoosh… it comes back to you; how wonderful! At any time, you will not be hurt. Amen! At this time, you will find that this is a Christian under grace because they are different from the Egyptians. God wants them to live a life that is different from the world. Therefore, the life of the Israelites, starting from entering the wilderness, was centered on worshiping God. When you worship God, praise God, and live a life centered on God, it begins. Amen! I hope that our brothers and sisters will start living a life centered on the church and centered on Jesus Christ; this is a life under grace. Hallelujah!
Then it goes on to say, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you.”
Here, it seems that our expression in Chinese means, “If you obey, I will not bring disaster upon you; if you do not obey, I will bring disaster upon you.” In fact, the original text does not mean this. When the Israelites were in Egypt, why did God bring ten plagues upon the Egyptians? Did God want to show His power?
No, brothers and sisters. Today’s verse makes it very clear that the Lord’s thoughts are thoughts of peace, not thoughts of disaster, which means God is not without the power to bring disaster, but God absolutely does not want to bring disaster. Amen! If at the beginning, when Moses went to say, “Let my people go to worship the Lord in the wilderness,” if Pharaoh said, “Okay, you can go!” Would there be any disasters? No, brothers and sisters; this is the problem. His repeated rebellion and refusal to let God’s people go is why God brought down disasters.
But bringing down disasters is not God’s will. What is God’s will? He is the God who heals people. So it goes on to say, “For I am the Lord who heals you.” So, brothers and sisters, if we are unwilling to obey God’s words and live, we can easily bring ourselves into curses. If you are unwilling to live according to the church’s way, the way of Jesus Christ, you will definitely live according to the way of the Egyptians.
So you see, when Moses went up the mountain, did the people live according to the way of the Egyptians? They immediately worshiped the golden calf. This is the life of the Egyptians. So you will find that today, many people in the world, when they encounter problems, just complain, complain, and then criticize and judge. If we are still like this, you are living according to the way of the Egyptians, but God does not want you to live like this.
Because it goes on to say, “If you heed the voice of the Lord your God, He is the one who heals you.” In the original text, it means that the Lord is the healer. You may have heard a term called Jehovah Rapha; have you heard this name? What does it mean? Jehovah is your healer. This is the meaning of this verse. So the original meaning is that because the Lord is Rapha, Jehovah Rapha, He is the God who heals you; this is God’s intention. Amen!
God’s intention is absolutely not to bring disaster upon you; He wants to give you peace; He wants to heal you because He is the healer. This means that whether it is an illness in your heart or an illness in your body, He is always willing to heal you. So your shortcomings in life, your shortcomings in your body, Jesus is willing to heal you because He is the God of healing. Hallelujah!
I hope that we, the children of God, are a group of people with hope. No matter what problems we encounter in life, do not complain like the world; do not treat people with deceit. We can pray to God. Amen! God can give you abundant blessings! Hallelujah!
Alright, let’s pray. Brothers and sisters, please stand, and let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank You! Thank You for hearing the prayers of each of Your children. I know today that You are the God of peace, not the God of disaster. You want to give us hope in these last days. You tell us that when we cry out to You, You will hear our prayers and answer our prayers. When we seek You, You will let us find You.
Because You tell us You are the healer; You are Jehovah Rapha; You want to heal the shortcomings in our lives. You do not want us to only see our problems and complain; You want us to see that You are the abundant supplier. We thank You for this! We know that no matter what environment I am in, I will not lose hope. Because we have You, a Heavenly Father who loves us. Therefore, we are willing to face all circumstances with a heart of peace and joy, and we can live out the pattern of Christ.
Jesus, You have brought us into Your glory; we will become an example to the world. Then the world will see the pattern of Christ in us. No matter what kind of person we are, we are willing to bless them and give them the grace of Christ, becoming a blessing to those around us. Thank and praise the Lord! No matter what problems you have today, at this moment, you must know that the Lord is the God of peace; He will heal.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, He will heal you; He will heal you right now. If you say, “I am hurt in my heart; I cannot forgive this person,” now God wants to give you strength. Because He is the God of peace; He wants to give you this peaceful thought, giving you the strength to forgive others. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Now start praying to God! Give all your bitterness and problems to our God, and like Moses, cry out to God; He will hear your prayers. When you raise your hands, God will hold your hands and solve your problems, completely solving your problems.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I now heal all the diseases in your body; all diseases will leave you. You are a person of hope; you are a person of hope. So you are not a complaining life; you are a blessed life. The blessing of Jesus Christ is already upon you; He has already led you into glory.
Cry out to Him! Cry out to Him! Hallelujah! Cry out to Him! Tell Him your problems; cry out to Him! Stretch out your hands to cry out to Him! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Thank the Lord! Thank and praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Jesus, You are our healer; You are our helper; You are our giver of grace. I know that when I cry out to You, You will hear; You will hear; You will hear. I know it is not because of my good behavior; it is because of the cross of Jesus. So, Heavenly Father, You now hear all my prayers; You are my helper; You are my healer. I will never lose hope; I will never lose hope.
Today, I boldly declare in Christ that I have the righteousness of Jesus, the peace of Jesus, the holiness of Jesus, and the health of Jesus. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
I am willing to face all problems with a peaceful heart and a joyful heart. Because I know that when I make a declaration, God will hear and change this environment and change my environment. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bless my family.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bless my family, commanding the love of Christ to fill my family. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bless my children; the health of Jesus Christ fills my children.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bless the company I am currently in; God’s grace will be given in this place. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bless myself; I will become a channel of grace, a channel of blessing. When the world sees me, they see Jesus because I am the representative of Christ. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! All glory be to You; I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus! Amen!