168-Receiving Love, Spreading Love (The Secret to Financial Breakthrough)#
168-Receiving Love, Spreading Love (The Secret to Financial Breakthrough)
(JP Text Group - Ren Wei Compilation)
The topic we are sharing today is: Receiving Love, Spreading Love
2 Corinthians Chapter 9:6-15:
"He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." This is true. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
As it is written: "He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.
By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others; while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you. Thank you for preparing this time for us to share your word together. Give us faith, so that we may stand firm on your word. You desire for us to be prosperous, you desire for us to be healthy. You have given us your word, so that we may gain strength and provision from it. Help us to receive your blessings like Abraham and to pass on your blessings. We completely surrender this time to you, may the Holy Spirit personally guide each person's heart. Thank you and praise the Lord! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
The Bible mentions three major areas that the devil strives to destroy and cause us to misunderstand.
The first aspect is speaking in tongues.
Why does the devil strive to destroy speaking in tongues? Many churches even condemn it directly, saying, "Speaking in tongues is heresy." People try hard to stop speaking in tongues, but the devil is anxious behind the scenes because speaking in tongues can make our relationship with God more intimate. When we pray with understanding, the devil can disturb us. When we pray with understanding, we might remember things about work, family, children... all sorts of chaotic thoughts arise. But when we pray in tongues, these thoughts do not appear, and the devil cannot disturb you. The devil strives to destroy this aspect of speaking in tongues to prevent God's children from having an intimate relationship with God.
The second aspect is the Lord's Supper.
Many people have grown in their lives after hearing our sermons about "the Lord's Supper" a few days ago. Sister Zheng from our church began to preach the grace of Jesus Christ in her hometown and recommended our sermon on the Lord's Supper. One person was healed because of this sermon. After the truth of God was revealed, many people were set free. Many churches have turned the Lord's Supper into a curse, but in reality, it is the greatest blessing that Jesus Christ has given us. The Lord's Supper can be summarized in one sentence: it makes our bodies stronger! If you are already healthy, you can continue to partake in the Lord's Supper; you can have a stronger body through the Lord's Supper, not only in physical health but also in spiritual health. God wants to grant us both aspects.
The third aspect, which is also the area where the devil attacks the hardest, is offering.
When you think of the churches and preachers in China, what image comes to mind? — Poor, uneducated, without status, looked down upon. But is Paul an uneducated person? Is Paul a poor person? Is Paul a person without ability? — No. On the contrary, Paul was very knowledgeable, had a high status, and was gifted in many areas. Yet Paul ultimately chose Jesus Christ, who is the source of all our blessings. Because we have misunderstandings about God, especially regarding offerings, we hesitate to talk about the truth of "offering" — today, under grace, God wants to make you more prosperous through the way of "offering" and make you a channel of blessings.
When God wants to bless others through you, He first needs to bless you. This principle is the same as in healing and speaking in tongues. You cannot say, "I don't speak in tongues; I will pray for you to receive tongues!" You also cannot say, "I am about to die; I will pray for you to be healed!" In such situations, we ourselves lack confidence. Similarly, when God wants you to bless others, He will first make you prosperous. We need to find out from the Bible where God's blessings truly are. Under the New Covenant, God has already blessed us with His abundance. We are all continuously receiving His grace in Jesus Christ. After we continuously receive, how can we apply the blessings in our lives? Or how can you increase your wealth and the capital of abundance?
Let me tell you a story:
A grandmother often takes her grandson to a beef noodle shop next to the school to eat. Every time they go, they order two bowls of noodles. Each time, the grandmother takes the beef from her bowl and puts it into her grandson's bowl, watching him eat the beef heartily. There are no waiters in this shop; usually, the boss cooks the noodles, and customers serve themselves at the table.
One day, when the grandmother picked up the noodles, she simply transferred all the meat from her bowl into the other bowl and then brought both bowls to her grandson. The shop owner saw this and shook his head. The grandmother smiled as she watched her grandson eat, but then the grandson stared at her bowl and said, "Grandma, why didn't you give me any beef today?"
The grandmother said she had already given all the beef to him. The grandson did not believe her and shouted, "You're lying! You must have hidden the beef." While crying and fussing, he used his chopsticks to dig into the grandmother's bowl, spilling all the noodles onto the table. The grandmother helplessly said, "You really don't listen!" while putting the noodles back into the bowl. The grandson said, "You must have eaten my beef; I'm not eating anymore!" People around them found it strange and looked at this "little tyrant" in confusion.
Then the grandmother sighed helplessly and said, "If you don't eat, you'll be hungry. Otherwise, I'll buy you another bowl!" When she took out money to buy another bowl, the shop owner suddenly said, "Sorry, I won't sell you any noodles." So the grandmother sat back down helplessly and said to her grandson, "I really gave you the beef; I didn't eat it!"
At this point, the child was furious, with veins bulging on his forehead. He reached out and knocked over both bowls of noodles on the table, then angrily turned and left the shop, with the grandmother following behind. People around them cast judgmental looks at them, criticizing the child for being too domineering and the grandmother for spoiling him.
Not long after, the child returned with a man who seemed to be his father, followed by the grandmother, who was still wiping her tears. The man came in and directly approached the shop owner, saying, "Give me three bowls of noodles." He then angrily sat down. The shop owner remained silent and prepared three bowls of noodles. When the noodles were served, the man took all the beef from two bowls and placed it in front of the child, then called the shop owner, banging on the table, and said, "I paid for the noodles; I can eat however I want. I just want to give all the beef to my son; I don't want to eat from my bowl anymore." After saying this, he spat into the noodles and left 100 yuan on the table.
The shop owner felt wronged and regretted refusing to sell the grandmother that bowl of noodles. He actually wanted the child to realize his mistake and wanted the elderly woman to understand that spoiling the child was wrong. Unexpectedly, it brought him such humiliation. Every time the shop owner thought of this incident, he felt uncomfortable. The man not only indulged his child but also hurt a kind elderly woman.
The purpose of telling this story is to illustrate: When a person is constantly seeking grace, they should realize that this grace, although seemingly received for free, comes at a cost to someone else. If we do not supply grace to others but keep asking for it, eventually, all who receive grace will become like the grandson in this story, greedy and ungrateful.
When a child becomes accustomed to asking for things, he forgets to be grateful. He always hopes that others will keep giving to him, rather than thinking: Can I also help others? Perhaps we have people around us who constantly ask for grace from you, and one day, when you no longer give to them, you may become their enemy because they have become accustomed to asking for things, believing that your help is a given.
But grace is not like that. We who receive grace know: everything we have is freely given to us by the Lord Jesus. God gives us all this freely, but it was purchased at an immeasurable cost by the Lord Jesus, who gave His life to bring us such blessings.
God does not want us to become greedy and ungrateful like the child in the story. God is not unwilling to give to us, just like the shop owner was not unwilling to sell them a bowl of noodles; he wanted the child to know gratitude. If we truly do not understand this, we will always say, "Lord! Give me... give me..." and in the end, we may indeed become like the rich man mentioned in the Bible.
Everyone has read the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man had an abundance of things at home and feasted every day, but he was unwilling to give Lazarus even a little. He thought, "This is mine." Once a person does not understand what grace is, they will keep asking for more and eventually become greedy.
Today, we are all descendants of Abraham, and we are willing to inherit the blessings of Abraham. So we need to know what kind of person Abraham was. Therefore,
The first point we share: Receive grace and become a channel of blessings.
Genesis Chapter 12:1-3:
The Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
When God began to call Abraham, He gave him a promise. Brothers and sisters, do you know? When God calls you, He also gives you promises.
John 10:10 says: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Abundant life includes two aspects of blessings: the first is material blessings in this world, and the second is spiritual blessings from heaven.
Both of these blessings were exchanged for us by Jesus Christ on the cross. For us, all of this is freely given, just like Abraham, and there is a very important spiritual significance here.
At the beginning, God said to Abraham, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house..." Do you know what kind of place Abraham was in before? Abraham was in a big city, where idol worship was very serious, and Abraham's father was selling idols. Some historical records can verify this. God did not say, "Okay! Today I will bless you in this place."
God said, "Come out from this place to the land I will show you, and I will greatly bless you there." The place where Abraham was at that time symbolizes the world, while the place God ultimately led him to was Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, a place of God's blessing.
So when you accept Jesus, God calls you out of the world and into Jesus Christ. God wants to greatly bless you in Jesus Christ. You cannot say, "Lord! I don't want to believe in you, but just bless me." That would be like Abraham saying, "Lord! I don't want to follow you out; just bless me here in my hometown." God does not work that way; He will wait until you are willing to come out. God wants to bless those who believe in Jesus today. In Jesus Christ, God wants to make you famous and blessed like Abraham. Hallelujah!
"I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great; you will be a blessing to others."
Abraham knew that God was the source of his blessings, while people in the world want to rely on their own efforts to become famous. In Christ, you do not need to do that at all. Because when you proclaim Jesus Christ, God will lift you up, and once you are lifted up, no one can pull you down, just like Abraham. Now, anyone who believes in Jesus knows Abraham, even those who do not believe in Jesus know him.
For example, even the Islamic faith recognizes the name "Abraham." When you are in Christ, the blessings God wants to give you are beyond what you can imagine, so do not think about how to become famous yourself. As long as you are willing to exalt the Lord in Jesus Christ, God will make you famous, Hallelujah! God's promises will not fail; God keeps His word. God said, "I will bless you," not "I might bless you after you come out." God's words are never 'possible'; they are very certain.
Then God said, "You will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you."
God does not want Abraham to become someone who only stores money in the bank and enjoys it himself; He wants to bless more people through Abraham. Abraham was someone who was willing to bless others, and God's blessings were passed on through Abraham. If someone curses Abraham, they cannot receive Abraham's blessings.
The New Testament tells us: wherever you go, seek the peace of that house first. If that household is worthy of peace, then peace will come upon that house; if that household is not worthy, peace will return to you. So Abraham continually blessed others; if that person is not worthy of Abraham's blessing and instead curses Abraham, then the blessing will return to Abraham.
The Bible says, "I will curse those who curse you." God gives us such a promise. God desires that the hearts of His children be filled with blessings, so what we bring to others is not curses. No matter how others treat us, we should give blessings to others.
God also promised Abraham that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him. We are all descendants of Abraham, and this blessing is also for you today — "God will bless you, make your name great, and you will also become a blessing to others." So you must become a channel of blessings. When you are willing to become a channel of blessings, God will first bless you, and then you can give it out. The Bible tells us, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." When you have blessings, you will be willing to share with others and continually give to others.
Helping others is a very joyful thing. Especially the message we are discussing now helps many people come out of sickness and past pains, and broken families are personally transformed by Jesus Christ. This joy is much greater than winning five million; it cannot be bought with money. So I am willing to be someone who brings blessings to others. Thank you and praise the Lord!
From my experience of often helping others, I have come to this conclusion: when you are willing to do so, God will absolutely fill you first. You can try this; when you are willing to help others financially, God will first fill you. This is God's promise to us and a great blessing. "All the families of the earth will be blessed through you" has already been fulfilled. We have seen with our own eyes how Abraham brought many blessings to others, and this blessing has also come upon you today. Why did Abraham have such great blessings?
Galatians 3:29: And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
God's blessings have always existed. However, there are two types of people: one type knows God's blessings but does not receive them; the other knows God's blessings and has received them.
Some Christians are still very poor and still suffer from illness. Is our God biased? No! Some people's faith is problematic. The blessings God gives us are for us to receive, and the method of receiving is very important. Abraham had already received God's blessings, and we inherit Abraham's inheritance according to God's promise.
Abraham had two types of promised inheritance: spiritual inheritance in heaven and material inheritance on earth. God initially promised Abraham, "You shall know that your offspring will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore." Here, there are two types of Abraham's offspring, symbolizing spiritual meaning: one is the offspring of Isaac, who will shine; at night, people need the light of the stars; the other is the sand by the sea, symbolizing the offspring of Ishmael.
Today, we are the offspring of Isaac, and we inherit spiritual blessings. This blessing comes upon us, and we can shine and bring blessings to others. Hallelujah! Unbelievers, when they have money, will think of themselves, buy bigger houses, and acquire more land. But a true believer in Jesus will become a blessing to others. They do not only accumulate spiritual blessings in heaven; God also allows them to have abundance on earth.
God especially hopes that we live like Abraham, not like Lazarus. Lazarus also believed in God, but he was sick and lived in poverty. God never said, "You who believe in the Lord Jesus are all descendants of Lazarus." If that were the case, we would not need to talk about the blessings of "offering and finances" today. God says we are all descendants of Abraham. Abraham was prosperous materially and spiritually. Thank you and praise the Lord!
So God hopes we live like Abraham, able to inherit the same inheritance as Abraham. Abraham was a grateful person to God. Since he left Ur of the Chaldeans to follow God, he often lived a life of building altars and making sacrifices.
For example, if the crops Abraham planted this year had a great harvest, he would take the best of what he had planted and offer it before God, acknowledging that God is his blessing. But people in the world do not think this way; they believe it is all due to their own efforts. This is the difference. Abraham was someone who often made sacrifices and built altars; this was Abraham's life of gratitude. He could always see God's provision for him, so wherever he was, God would bless him.
The Bible records two types of righteous people: one is Abraham, and the other is Lot. Lot learned alongside Abraham and came to know God, so both were blessed by God. Their wealth increased, and their flocks multiplied. When there was not enough grass to feed them, the place could not accommodate them.
Although Lot was very clever, Abraham's faith was even greater. Abraham said to Lot, "We are brothers; we cannot keep quarreling. You choose a place; if you go east, I will go west; in short, we should not argue about this anymore."
At that time, Lot chose the land first, selecting the plain near Sodom based on what he saw. Abraham had no choice; everyone knew that the one who chose first would choose the better land. But Abraham did not choose first; he settled in the mountains, which were originally barren and could not provide for his sheep.
At this moment, God immediately gave Abraham a promise: "Lift up your eyes from the place where you are; look northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as numerous as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you."
See, brothers and sisters, God does not want you to use worldly eyes to choose these things or to strive for wealth and fame. God wants to lift you up; He wants your name to be great. Abraham believed in God's provision and promises, which is why he let Lot choose first. Let's see how God promised Abraham:
Genesis 13:14-18:
And the Lord said to Abram after Lot had separated from him, "Lift your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as numerous as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you." Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.
At this point, Abraham had not yet seen the blessings God had for him, but he believed first because building an altar represents "I have believed first." So when we give offerings, we believe that God has already blessed us. Abraham continually received blessings from God and then used those blessings, and his blessings increased more and more. We hope that like Abraham, we receive blessings, and we must learn to live a life of faith like Abraham.
Hebrews 13:1-2:
Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
The Bible records that Abraham and Lot often showed hospitality to strangers. We know that receiving guests is a costly affair. Guests eat and leave, and you have to clean up afterward. This is not a profitable business. But Abraham enjoyed doing this because he knew God was his blessing. Let's take a look at how Abraham received strangers.
Genesis 18:1-5:
And the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, "O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant." They said, "Do as you have said."
This is Abraham's life of faith. Many people want to receive blessings like Abraham, but they are unwilling to live according to Abraham's way of life. By modern standards, Abraham is seen as someone who is making things difficult for himself. The three men in the scripture did not say they needed food; they were far away, and it was hot. Abraham might have been sitting in his tent enjoying the coolness! But when he lifted his eyes and saw three men, he ran over. We might say, "This person has nothing better to do; why run over to them when they are so far away? They didn't even say they were hungry or thirsty!" But this is Abraham's way of life.
Let's look at Abraham's heart. Abraham said, "My Lord!" He served these people as if they were "Lord." Today, if we could treat our friends and family like Abraham treated these strangers, we would receive Abraham's blessings. This is why Abraham was able to receive such blessings. Abraham and Lot believed in the same Lord, but their outcomes were different.
Abraham said, "My Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant." Abraham meant, "Give me a chance! Please do not pass by your servant." This shows that they were probably moving forward, and Abraham hurriedly ran over and said, "My Lord! Please do not go on; rest here for a while! Let me bring you some water to wash your feet."
In the Middle East, there is a lot of dust from the wind and sand, so after walking for a long time, feet can be very dirty. Brothers and sisters, how many people can do such service today? This is why Abraham received blessings that we cannot obtain. Today, God has prepared all the blessings for us; we need to learn to live like Abraham to receive the blessings God gives.
"Let me bring you some water to wash your feet, and rest under the tree. I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and then go on your way."
If Abraham had said, "Come on, rest at my house! Everything is ready," would you dare to go? You might think, "This guy wants me to go to his house; he must have some purpose." You might doubt or worry. But Abraham said, "Eat a little, and then continue on your way." Abraham did not invite them to stay overnight.
The scripture then mentions, "Since you have come to your servant, it is only right to do this." This proves that Abraham often did such things. When he was willing to receive strangers, he unknowingly entertained angels. This shows that at that moment, Abraham did not know they were angels.
In the Old Testament, angels often appeared in human form, looking just like people, so you would not know they were angels. So these three men said, "Then do as you have said." Brothers and sisters, this is also one of the most difficult things for us to accept. If it were us, we might get angry — "I have been so polite; can you be a little nicer to me?"
Receiving guests is a very tedious task and can be exhausting. Here, I want to share a testimony:
Last time, a few of us went to serve at a church in another place, and many of us stayed at an aunt's house. She woke up very early every day to prepare breakfast for us. She would get up around 4 AM and use a small soy milk machine to grind enough soy milk for dozens of people. How many times does she have to grind for so many people? This aunt served us like this for nearly a week. For a woman in her seventies or eighties, this is not an easy task. We saw the love of Jesus Christ through her.
Of course, our church also has such examples. Last week, Sister Zhang also did such service, so I want everyone to give her some applause, okay? When we serve God, we need to have God's love, but do you know? Actually, we are not just receiving people; we are receiving angels. God records all the service you do in heaven. I believe that Sister Shen's service is also recorded by God.
Abraham served strangers in this way, and as a result, he unknowingly entertained angels. Later, God said to Abraham, "Abraham, I have heard about what is happening in Sodom, and I have come to see." Did God need to stop at Abraham's door to go to Sodom?
God could go directly there; He even knows what is happening without needing to check. But God gave Abraham an opportunity, which also shows us that Abraham not only had the habit of receiving strangers but also had a compassionate heart. Abraham willingly received these strangers without expecting anything in return. This is why he could pray for the people of Sodom, even though the people in that city were extremely wicked. He did not want God to destroy that city; this is Abraham's righteousness. Abraham lived this way, and his nephew Lot learned this as well.
Genesis 19:1-3:
The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When he saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the ground and said, "My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way." They said, "No, we will spend the night in the town square." But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. He made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Lot's words were almost identical to Abraham's. If Lot had learned to rely on God's words, he would not have lost his possessions. Unfortunately, Lot relied on himself; he wanted to gain fame by his own efforts, and now he finally gained that fame by sitting at the gate.
Those who sit at the gate are people of status, but Abraham did not care about these things; God had already exalted him. Lot said, "My lords, please come to my house." But they said, "No, we will spend the night in the town square." Lot pressed them strongly, and they finally entered his house. In fact, Lot was also a blessed person by God, but unfortunately, because he ran to the wrong place, he ended up with nothing. If he had not been in Sodom, he would not have lost anything. Abraham had a significant influence on Lot. We need to let Abraham's way of life influence us. Rest assured, we will not suffer losses; we do not need to keep accounts in this regard. God will never treat us unfairly. Amen!
The second point we share: Willing to give, the cycle of blessings.
If we keep doing this, it will form a cycle of blessings. When Abraham gives to others, he may have less at that moment, but God will continue to give to Abraham, and then Abraham will continue to give out. This blessing will always be fresh. He will never lack; instead, it will increase more and more. Hallelujah! Because God does not want us to be poor; He does not want us to just have enough to eat and wear. If you say, "I have already solved my basic needs, and I want a breakthrough in finances," I suggest you start with giving. These suggestions are absolutely not to force you to do so. You also cannot just randomly invite someone off the street to your house for a meal; please do this wisely.
Proverbs 3:9-10:
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
We know that barns are places to store things. The scripture mentions "that your barns will be filled with plenty and overflowing." "Your vats will be bursting with wine" indicates that new things are coming in. Let's return to today's scripture, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, and briefly share.
"He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" is true.
Our giving under the New Covenant is absolutely based on the principle of sowing. For example, if two people go to the field to plant corn, both want to reap a harvest. One person plants a total of one pound of corn seeds, while the other plants one hundred pounds. Do you think they will have the same harvest in the end? No matter how great the faith of the one who planted one pound is, they cannot surpass the one who planted one hundred pounds. If you want a breakthrough in finances, you should let God sow seeds in heaven based on your situation. According to your situation, do not feel pressured; this is something we must emphasize.
Giving under grace in the New Covenant is different from the Old Covenant. Many churches turn giving into a curse. You have probably heard this saying — "If you do not pay your tithes, just wait! God has ways to make you take it." According to this saying, we would not want to believe in Jesus. It was precisely because of such preachers that I was afraid to listen to sermons about "giving." I did not want to give, but I also did not dare not to give.
If you are not giving willingly, God does not look at it. If you cannot even give willingly, then you might as well not go to church. So one reason I did not go to church for more than three years was because of "giving." In reality, the preachers did not explain this truth clearly. This is just a principle of "sow sparingly, reap sparingly; sow bountifully, reap bountifully." If you say you do not want to give, and you do not have that faith right now, you can completely refrain from giving. If you want a breakthrough in finances, you can pray and then try to do it; God will not curse you. Do not believe the saying that "God will cut a hole in your pocket if you do not pay your tithes, and all your money will leak out." This is teaching under the law.
Under grace, we worry that people will fall into two extremes: one is that I must give nine-tenths of my income to God; the other is that God has already done everything for me, so I do not need to give at all because God will bless me anyway. In fact, both of these are extremes that lead people down a wrong path. We need to live according to the teachings of the Bible, according to the size of our faith. If you have faith for only one pound of seeds, then plant one pound. If you have faith for one hundred pounds of seeds, then plant one hundred pounds. Please remember: you will definitely see your harvest. God has already told you, "This saying is true."
"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
The meaning of the scripture is: do not give just because you see others giving one hundred; you should give one hundred too. Even if you do not give a single cent, God still loves you. However, when you want to break through in wealth, you can use this method to sow seeds. You cannot say, "Lord, please bless me! Let me receive a hundredfold harvest like my neighbor," while you do not sow any seeds. You will not receive anything. You cannot say, "My faith is so great; why have I not seen results?" First, check what God's blessing principles are!
Why does God insist that you sow seeds before blessing you? God has the ability to bless you without you doing anything. This is absolutely not a matter of faith; it is called correct believing. If we do not need to sow seeds for God to fill our barns, do you think any Christians would be willing to go to work? They would all become lazy. In such a situation, people would not be grateful.
So God's intention is, "You sow! No matter how much you sow, I will bless you. If you have faith to sow more, I will give you more; if your faith is small, you will sow less, and I will bless you according to your situation." You must give as you have decided in your heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. This is the principle of "sow bountifully, reap bountifully."
In fact, I have always wanted to make this suggestion to everyone: try sowing, and three years later, look back; everything will be different. Now, do not sow according to others' faith; sow according to your situation. If you have faith for only ten yuan, God is also pleased with that.
"God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
Do you understand why God wants us to give? — God wants us to do more good works through our giving. Hallelujah! Currently, there are serious floods in the southern regions. As far as I know, many churches in the south have started to receive homeless people. The churches are located in higher areas and are large buildings, so they have become public reception places. Church members have begun to supply food, drink, and daily necessities to those in need. If the church were poor and had no money, how could it help these people?
We know the government will provide support, but there are areas that the government cannot cover, and this part needs the children of God to step in. So you will see that every time there is a disaster, there are always Christians rushing to serve, and they serve quietly. If I want to go, I need a group of churches to support me. Otherwise, if I go, I will become a disaster victim myself. If you support me, I can help them. This is the true reason God wants us to give on earth.
God wants us to use the money we put in the offering box to continuously spread the gospel to others, to untie some people's bonds, to help some poor people, and to help those in disaster. You see many clothes at the entrance; every so often, we send them to the south and the west to help those in need. Since this church was established, we have been doing this. We do not want to boast about it, nor do we want too many people to know about this ministry because these things are done before God. Hallelujah!
God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
Today, God's intention for you to be sufficient is to help others. Help others like Abraham did; when you give out, God will give back to you. God will continually make you sufficient. "As it is written, he has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." When you use your money to help others and to develop church ministries, your money is stored in heaven, and your righteousness is also stored in heaven. This is something that cannot be exchanged for anything on earth.
"He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness."
This is God blessing you. The seed is what God gives to the sower. For example, if you earned five thousand this month and took out five hundred, that five hundred is the seed. When you bring this seed before God, rest assured! God will multiply the seed you give. What does that mean?
Let me do a simple calculation for you. For example, this month, if your five hundred yuan seed is in God's hands, and then you find out that your seed has turned into one thousand, how much have you earned? God wants to multiply your seed, and the one who benefits is still you. So I hope everyone has the ability to offer ten thousand yuan each month, and then you will know how much you can gain.
You say, "No! I only have faith for one yuan right now." — Good! Then you can offer one yuan! Please remember: what you do in faith pleases God. One yuan is fine; God will gradually increase it to two yuan... three yuan... One day, you will find that your seed has increased to one thousand, which proves that you have already received the blessing of "God multiplying your seed." Hallelujah!
God not only gives you seeds for sowing but also increases the fruits of your righteousness. Both aspects of blessings come upon you. The blessings God gives us are very tangible; you can see them in your life. First, let your seeds increase; second, let the fruits of your righteousness also increase in heaven. A person who often helps others cannot have a bad reputation.
For example, if there is someone in your church who often treats you to meals, would you find that person annoying? We all like such people. God will first give you seeds, making you prosperous in everything. God does not only want you to be prosperous financially; He also wants you to be prosperous in every aspect, including having a joyful and generous heart. There are many wealthy people in this world, but there are not many generous-hearted people.
God hopes that you have abundant wealth and a generous heart, and then God will greatly bless you. You can give generously; God dares to give you things because He knows that after giving to you, you will give generously in return. Abraham is a worthy example for us to follow; he manifested God's glory.
In many receiving families in China, brothers and sisters will prepare a room in their homes specifically to receive preachers or certain church members from afar. Everything they eat, drink, and use is in their home. This is actually a burden for the receiving families, but from what I have seen, these receiving families become more prosperous as they continue to receive because God blesses them. Hallelujah! We cannot think about things in Christ using worldly methods. God will not make us poorer as we give; God wants to bless us abundantly so that we can give generously, and through us, thanksgiving may be given to God.
Last week, when we went out together to a receiving family, they also received us in this way. Early in the morning, they got up to prepare breakfast for us, making us feel like princes and princesses being cared for. This also made us willing to learn from their service. The reason I am willing to receive people who come to our church is that I was received like this by others in the past. Many people treated me well the first time they met me, so we need to pass on Abraham's way of life. This is "Receiving Love, Spreading Love."
"For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God."
We cannot say "Thank the Lord! Thank the Lord!" while seeing that there are people in the church who are so poor that they cannot afford to eat and then tell them, "Thank the Lord, God will bless you." That is simply a lie; the more you say it, the more others will dislike you. It is better to personally help them at that moment. We need to help each other in this way.
"By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others."
Paul was once misunderstood by many churches regarding the matter of offerings, saying he was a fraud. However, the Philippian church continuously supported Paul, even though that church itself was not wealthy. They kept supporting Paul, and then Paul used that money to supply the Jerusalem church and other churches. Do not wait until you say, "I will give when I have money."
In fact, it is not like that. You must first sow seeds, first train yourself to have a prosperous heart and a prosperous way of life. Hallelujah, thank the Lord! In fact, the blessings God has given to my family are immense. I have seen with my own eyes how God has manifested His blessings in my life, so I will continue to help others. I am willing to do this because it is the most meaningful thing in the world. Many people will thank God because of us. They cannot see where God is, but they will see the love of Jesus through us.
"They also long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!"
Today, God's grace is manifested through us. From today, sow the seeds of blessings according to your situation. This is not the law; it is the principle of "sow sparingly, reap sparingly; sow bountifully, reap bountifully."
Proverbs 3:9-10:
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Let us meditate on this scripture and pray to God with our faith for the words we have received today. No matter whether you can receive this word today, I hope you will pray to God, saying:
"Lord! I am willing to have a breakthrough in my finances. I want to manifest your love and your generosity in this area; please help me! Grant me such faith." Thank you and praise the Lord; God hears your prayers. God will first give you faith, allowing you to see that in Christ, He has already prepared everything. He has prepared all the blessings for you. You are a descendant of Abraham, and you can live a prosperous life like Abraham. God has given you the method, which is through the path of giving, allowing you to manifest His glory. After receiving such seeds, keep sowing, and God will give you more seeds, making you a blessing to others. God bless you, making you a blessing to others like Abraham. Hallelujah! Thank you and praise the Lord. I believe that when you decide to live this way today, God will let you see His glory upon you, His abundance upon you. When Jesus was in this world, He became poor so that we might become rich. Hallelujah, thank you and praise the Lord!
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you. Thank you for supplying us once again through your words today. You desire to give us abundance in material things; you do not want us to live like Lazarus; you want us to live like Abraham because we are descendants of Abraham. He is our example of faith and our example in life. We see that Abraham was a generous person, willing to receive strangers, and he manifested the glory of Jesus in his life, showing God's generosity.
Grant me this faith, so that I may continue to manifest God's glory through finances, and I am willing to honor you with my wealth because I believe that through this way, you will continually make me richer and give me more seeds for offering, allowing me to be a blessing to those around me, to be a blessing to this church, to be a blessing to those in need in the world. Through our offerings, let the gospel ministry go further. Thank you and praise you. Thank you for hearing our prayers. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!