264 - Blessed are the Pure in Heart#
264 - Blessed are the Pure in Heart
(JP Text Group - Organized by Little Prince of Heaven)
Continuing to share the Beatitudes series, today's topic: Blessed are the Pure in Heart.
Scripture Matthew 5:8: Blessed are the pure in heart! For they shall see God.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! Thank You for preparing this wonderful time for us to share the Beatitudes series again. We are blessed not because we strive to obtain Your blessings, but because You bestow blessings upon us. You said, "Blessed are the pure in heart," and I am willing to look solely to You in all things. Holy Spirit, supply me, so that I focus only on Your words, setting aside the burdens and worries. When I look to Your words, You will grant me comfort, strength, and provision. I look forward to gaining strength from Your words. In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!
Looking at today's text, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. What does it mean to be pure in heart? Is it someone whose senses are clear? Carefree, simple, without worries... If we say these things, we cannot achieve them, does that mean we cannot see God? Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. How can we encounter God?
Purity of heart, in the original text, refers to a clean, pure, and simple heart. What you just said is correct. When our hearts look solely to God in all things, believing in His provision and protection, we will see God's power in our lives.
Some may say, "Why is it that the more knowledge we have, the less we seem to experience God's power?" Many people have this question. When we first believed, whatever we asked, God provided. However, after five, ten, or twenty years of faith, as we gain more biblical knowledge, we find that God is less likely to grant our requests. Some say, "When you first believed, you were like a child; when you cried, you were immediately fed. As you grow up, it's different; you need to understand your parents and be considerate. If you cry again, your parents might scold you. You have to consider their feelings before asking..."
When we hear this, it seems reasonable, doesn't it? Brothers and sisters, is this true? If God were like this, many would conclude: I would rather revert to being a new believer. Some even testify to new believers, saying, "You are the most blessed when you first believe; it's different for us. At this time, whatever you ask, God will accomplish for you. We can't; if we ask incorrectly, there may be discipline or punishment..."
Has God changed? Does He only love new believers? God's love has never changed. So where is the problem? New believers have a characteristic: they believe whatever you say without much biblical knowledge, such as law, grace, etc. You say Jesus can save them, and they say, "I believe Jesus can save me." Their simple faith allows them to see God in this matter.
Many times, it is our own burdens that prevent us from seeing God. It is not that God does not exist; rather, some things within us limit our vision, preventing us from seeing God.
Still, the same saying: When you are willing to look solely to Jesus and believe in His provision in all things, you can experience His power in your life. So let go of our thoughts that do not align with the Bible; they are the root that hinders us from seeing God's provision. Simply believe in God's words and be willing to live according to them, and your life will undergo tremendous change.
It is simple. God has given us the Bible to serve as the principles for our lives. If it were only for salvation, believing in Jesus would already save you; after salvation, there is a long way to go. Not everyone is like the thief on the cross, who entered paradise immediately after death.
After believing in the Lord, we still have a long life ahead. How should we walk? God says, "If you wish to live a victorious life in this world, I have given you the methods and principles; just live according to the principles I have given you." That said, do all Christians completely believe after reading the Bible?
How many times when reading the Bible do we start to judge God's words: this is not right? Especially in the past few days, you saw my devotional where the wife should submit to her husband. Did more sisters or brothers like it? A bunch of brothers liked it, saying, "This is good." The next day, I posted that husbands should love their wives, and the sisters started liking it.
When we see God's words, we think, "Why?" Many read it and say, "Why should the wife submit to the husband first, and then the husband love the wife?" Often, the wife says, "If he loves me first, I can submit to him." Is God's word placed here? We say, "No, it should be the other way around; he should love me first before I can submit to him."
What is God's order? You submit to him first, and he will naturally love you. Some say, "No! I think this is incorrect; it does not conform to modern principles." God's words will never be outdated. Since creation, all things have order, and there is also order among people. I have mentioned many times that having order does not mean your status is low.
Order is to allow nations and families to function well. It is not that the sun is more noble than the earth, and we all have to revolve around it; that is not the case. This is order. Amen!
Many times we say everything should revolve around us; do not forget, people were created last. In terms of order, we are last. Order does not mean your identity is inferior to others; it is just order. When we maintain order, we can see God's blessings upon us.
I hope that when everyone reads the Bible, they do as it says. As for the world, we do not use their way of living as our way; we use God's words as our way of living. If you are willing to live according to God's way, you will see God's glory and power. Thank and praise the Lord!
The pure in heart, in the original text, refers to those whose spirits are clean. What you just said about having no filth and a pure heart is correct. The world is pursuing a state of mind as good as water; how many can achieve this? It is almost impossible to achieve through human effort. The pure in heart refers to a person's inner thoughts and emotions being clean, pure, and good, and their outward appearance is a virtue.
You may see scenes in TV shows or movies: some enlightened masters sit there, with white hair, eyebrows, and beards. When they say something, we feel, "Wow! That's right." They have something inside them; when they say a word, we feel it is right. But do not forget, God is the Creator of the world; we should believe His words even more.
Proverbs 21:8 says, "...As for the pure, their actions are upright." If we set our standards on people, our behavior will go wrong. If we measure our behavior against our Lord, thinking in the Lord's way, our actions will certainly be upright.
So it says, blessed are the pure in heart. How can you become a pure in heart person? Since it is about a clean spirit, what can make it clean? The world relies on self-help books, motivational novels, and the experiences of successful people to clean their hearts, which are things that people cannot achieve. They think it is good; it is an ideal situation. But one thing is certain: relying on oneself is impossible. If a person's heart wants to become clean, it must rely on God's grace.
If we analyze God's words rationally, it is hard to see the effect of God's words. Even if we can draw some testimonies or repeatedly argue that something is correct, there are some things that can never be proven. When we cannot prove them, doubts arise in our hearts.
However, the pure in heart first believe what God says, and then their eyes can see. The world says, "Let me see your God first, and then I will believe in Him." We say, "You believe in Him first, and then you will see Him." I ask you: among those who have accepted Jesus, how many have seen Jesus with their own eyes? After believing for so long, has Jesus ever appeared before you and said, "I am Jesus, the one you believe in"? Has that ever happened? No. Then do you believe in Him? Believing is what we call faith; purity of heart starts from here: first believe that there is God, and then you can see.
I have mentioned before that God's words are not for us to analyze but for us to believe. Simply believing will allow us to see God's glory. In the Bible, many people saw miracles and healings; they did not rely on anything else, not on how hard they read the Bible or prayed, but on simple belief. Thus, many saw God's glory. When we are willing to obey the truth, our hearts are cleansed, and such people are blessed.
1 Peter 1:18-22,
18 Knowing that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
21 Who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.
Peter was a fisherman and not highly educated, but he had a lasting hope in God. Here he tells us that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers. All the apostles preached God's grace, but ultimately led us into life, allowing our behavior to change, which not only builds ourselves but also builds those around us.
What do we rely on to be freed from our futile way of life inherited from our forefathers? Not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Our behavior changes in relation to the faith within us. Our behavior changes because our hearts have been cleansed by God, relying on the blood of the lamb without blemish and without spot.
Peter further explains that Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world, telling us that Jesus Christ did not just come into existence now or during the time of Israel; He was with God before the foundation of the world, only manifesting in these last times for you.
Brothers and sisters, did the people before Jesus believe in Him? They believed that a Messiah would come who could save them from sin. When they believed, they saw the blood of the lamb because Jesus had not yet come. Through the blood of the lamb, they saw the Son of God, whom we call Jesus Christ. When they believed in their hearts like this, through the blood of the lamb, their sins were cleansed. Their sins were cleansed, and they could then have holy behavior.
Our hearts are cleansed, which is the pure person, also called the pure in heart. Isn't it simple? It is not that we must strive to improve our behavior to become clean people. Many times, people judge a person's inner self based on behavior. In fact, God reverses this; God says, "Your heart is clean, not based on external behavior, but on the blood of Jesus Christ."
You also believe in Him, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory. We believe in Jesus, but we also believe that the Father sent Jesus down to cleanse our hearts with His blood. This faith is what God calls purity of heart. Verse 22 already tells us the answer: since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth, what truth do you obey?
You obey the truth that through Jesus' blood, all your sins are cleansed, and your heart is cleansed by the blood of Jesus, called the pure person or the pure in spirit. How many people dare not call their hearts pure? They do not dare to say they are pure in heart because their behavior is not good enough. Is it based on behavior to judge your inner self?
We have obeyed everything that Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. After we obey the truth, we have purified our hearts. You have cleansed your heart with the truth, not through your behavior, but through the blood of Jesus to judge whether your heart is clean. Is your heart clean?
When your heart is clean, it means there are no deceitful or wicked thoughts like the world. Your behavior will naturally be pure. "So that" means the result caused by the previous reason. This is called "so that." "So that you love one another without hypocrisy." If there is no pure heart in front, is there hypocrisy in love between people? There is too much. Is the love between colleagues sincere?
Some say this is hard to say. The Bible says that when you eat with your superior, and your superior says, "Please eat, please drink, go ahead," the Bible says: be careful; you might eat a piece and later have to spit it out. This proves it is hypocritical! Many times, we think someone is sincere, but it turns out to be a trap, and we fall into it.
Why do people have so much hypocrisy? Because their hearts are not clean, so their behavior becomes deceitful. We have already been cleansed by the blood of Jesus. How Jesus loves us, we receive this love and then love our brothers and sisters sincerely. Many people in the church have also been hurt. What is the reason? In the world, we still have a defensive heart. Since everyone is deceitful, I will guard against them.
Many people come to church, and upon hearing, the truth is too good! Christians love one another; everyone is sincere. They tell you everything, but afterward, they broadcast it to the world, and they fall. The reason for their fall is that they trusted you so much, but you betrayed them, which made them sad. They might even doubt God.
The reason people in the church act this way is that they do not understand this clean heart, which does not use the heart of Jesus Christ. If we treat someone with the heart of Jesus Christ, when someone tells us their story, once you hear it, it ends there. You comfort them and pray for them, and that is enough. Amen!
Brothers and sisters should love one another like this. Therefore, Peter tells us, "So that you love one another without hypocrisy, and you should love one another fervently from the heart." Is this not the way Jesus gave us? What kind of love does Jesus have for us? You can call it a pure love; He loves you and is willing to die for you.
Jesus also did another thing: He knows all your shortcomings and sins but does not point out your problems. Those who truly seek Jesus, He does not say, "Come here; let me point out your sins first." Instead, it is the hypocritical Pharisees who think they are righteous and perfect that Jesus points out their problems. When we come before Jesus, we can rest assured; Jesus knows everything about us, but He does not say it out loud; instead, He wants to change everything about us.
The last part of the verse we just read says, "You should love one another fervently from the heart." From the heart, the original text uses what we call a clean heart today. To love one another from a clean heart. If there is no clean heart, and no pure heart of Jesus Christ to love others, you cannot do it. In this generation, it is difficult for the hearts between parents and children to be clean. Many people say a parent's love is selfless. From the world's perspective, a parent's love is indeed the greatest love in the world, but does a parent's love have conditions? Is there selfishness? Yes, there is selfishness, and that is not pure.
To be practical, parents give everything for their children for one direct reason: to be taken care of in old age. This is the truth. Some parents say they do not seek anything in return; they just hope their children live well. At first, I thought it might be true, but later I found out it was not the case. Some children are ungrateful, and when they speak to their parents, they are not polite. Parents fall apart and start complaining, saying, "How did I treat you when you were young? I raised you with great difficulty; how do you treat me today? If I had known this, I should not have had you..." Why do such words arise? You give unconditionally to your child, but when you find there is no return, problems arise.
I once knew an aunt who was willing to give everything for her child. She followed her daughter from the Northeast to here and took care of her daughter’s child for over ten years. One day, her daughter said to her, "Mom! You can go back to the Northeast; we do not need you anymore." Before this, she had been arguing with me about this issue. I said, "Actually, in this world, only God's love is unconditional and selfless. We call it a clean heart. Other than that, everyone's love is conditional."
She said, "I have no conditions. I can leave my son in the Northeast and come here to take care of my daughter. She gave birth, and I took care of her child. I love my daughter without seeking anything in return." I said, "Aunt! You cannot say it so absolutely." She said, "You may not understand how much I love my daughter."
This was less than two years later. One day she came to me and said, "Teacher Ren, I do not want to live anymore. I have moved out of my daughter's house and rented a room outside. Can you come and pray for me?" I went to her rented room, which cost only two hundred yuan a month, with just a bed and nothing else. I asked, "Weren't you doing well at your daughter's house? Why did you move here?"
She said, "Don't mention that ungrateful thing." Then she told me how she had taken care of her daughter’s child, using all her pension to buy things for the child and cook for them. Now that the child is grown, she wants me to go back. I said, "Aunt, didn't you say you just wanted your daughter to be well and did not seek anything in return?" She was silent. Later she said, "Now I understand, only God's love is unconditional."
For us, God truly does not ask for anything in return from us, and this in the original text refers to a clean heart. God simply loves us. Jesus died for me and did so much for me; what does He want from me? We should not think of God this way. Simply believe that He loves me. Hallelujah!
If you cannot find the answer, this is certainly correct. Some ask, "Why did God create me?" The reason is simple: because He loves you. Some say, "Why have I gone through so many things?" Very simple; He wants to give you greater blessings. In short, these events happen because God wants to build you up and reward you. His purpose is to make your life better. If you do not understand this, you will complain against God. Our clean heart is crucial. Through faith in Jesus and what He did on the cross for us, our hearts are cleansed. The many complaints and grievances we mentioned earlier indicate that our hearts are still unclean.
Acts 15:5-9,
5 But some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees rose up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses." 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
Although Peter was not highly educated, his heart towards Jesus was truly simple. Although he had many problems before, after being renewed by the Holy Spirit, everything was different. I hope everyone learns from Peter's heart. When others debated using worldly laws, saying, "Just believing cannot save; they are not like us; they must keep some Jewish customs to be considered saved," debates arose. Why do debates occur between people? Different understandings and viewpoints. If everyone believes that Jesus loves us, there would be no debates. Debates only have one result: to win or lose. If you love others, you do not care about winning or losing; you care about whether this person can benefit.
Peter stood up and said, "You all know that God chose me to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, to let them hear this gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit." Who do the Jews think the Holy Spirit can be given to? That person must be a Jew and very devout.
Peter initially thought this way too, until one day while praying at noon, he had a vision where God showed him unclean animals. God said to Peter, "Rise, kill and eat." Peter replied, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." God said, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common." The Gentiles have already been cleansed; do not consider them unclean. Afterward, Peter went to Cornelius' house to preach to the Gentiles. As he preached, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, and they began to speak in tongues. Peter was momentarily stunned, and then he understood that God shows no partiality; as long as you believe, God can cleanse your heart.
In their view, a clean heart was too difficult. Not only must words be clean, but food must also be clean. The Jews complicated the concept of cleanliness. How many people also complicate cleanliness? They say, "First, we adhere to the law in our speech, speaking the words of the law, and then our bodies are circumcised. I am a Jew; I am clean. The Gentiles eat unclean food and speak unclean words; their customs are different from ours, so they are dogs and pigs." They consider them unclean.
Now God, through the Holy Spirit, has cleansed the Gentiles. Therefore, Peter said, "By faith, their hearts have been cleansed, and there is no distinction between them and us." This point is very important. Today, under the New Testament grace, to cleanse our hearts and make our hearts clean, in what aspects can this be reflected? In the church, do not say you are from this church, and he is from that church. Because he is from that church, if he dies, you cannot help him because he is not from my church.
This divides you and me. This is what we call an unclean heart. A clean heart means looking at these people through Jesus' eyes; they are all loved by Jesus. If so, can we not love one another sincerely?
It is precisely because of the division of yours and mine, he is from that faction, and I am from this teaching, that we cannot be together, leading to division and mutual hatred, which is precisely opposed to cleanliness. When we understand the redemption of Jesus Christ, we no longer distinguish between Jews and Gentiles; as long as one believes in Jesus, they are the same and are beloved by God. Amen!
If this is the case, those who believe in Jesus are a blessed group. When we arrive here, there is a church; we know we are home. In other places, as long as we find a church, we find a home. From the Bible, we believe this way. The fact is that today, when you arrive at a certain place and find a church, you say, "I came from here; can I stay in your church for a while?" The other party says, "Give me your ID; what do you do? Where did you come from? What is your pastor's name?..." They ask a lot of questions and finally say, "No, we cannot host you; you look like a heretic; you can leave!"
Is it because people's hearts are unclean that they see everyone as bad? In fact, it is a heart issue. Those who believe in Jesus should welcome them. Jesus said, "We welcomed our enemies; how much more our brothers?" Repeatedly judging whether a brother or sister is a heretic is problematic.
Since he needs help, just help him; this is a clean heart in Jesus Christ. This point is very important. After we understand this, using this heart to view the world, your heart will be much broader. Through the blood of Jesus, our consciences are cleansed. Looking to Jesus Christ for what He has done for us, our consciences are cleansed. After our consciences are cleansed, you will see things differently.
Hebrews 10:1-4,
1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
This is the way of sacrifice under the Old Testament law. The law refers to Moses' law, which is a shadow of the good things to come. What do the good things to come refer to? The future sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. They had to offer sacrifices every year, but their consciences were not at peace. They always worried that if they forgot a day, it would be terrible; all their sins would be revealed before God. It is like today's mortgage; if you forget, it is okay; someone remembers. Then when you have something else, they say your credit is bad. Under the Old Testament, they lived in fear, counting the days, making sure not to forget God's matters. How do you think this person's conscience is?
So under the Old Testament, their lives were often filled with fear and trembling. When serving God, they were always afraid, "If I have a problem, God will punish me." So they offered sacrifices of bulls and goats to find peace in their hearts. These sacrifices reminded them of their sins every year. Why do the sacrifices remind them of sins? Every year, when they brought bulls and goats to the priest, the priest would say, "Put your hand on this sacrifice and say, 'All my sins are transferred to this sacrifice.'"
What they saw was the sacrifice, but in reality, they saw their sins. They had to see the sacrifice killed and burned to ashes on the altar. From beginning to end, it was all about their sins. Could their consciences be cleansed?
If the focus is wrong and always fixated on sin, you will certainly live in fear and trembling. In life, you see everyone as sinful and problematic; this is under the Old Testament.
The next verse says that if the sacrifices of the Old Testament could make people perfect, then the sacrifices would have ceased long ago. After ceasing, another thing would happen: the worshipers' consciences would be cleansed, and they would no longer feel guilty. This is what they hoped for—not to expect to offer sacrifices every year, living in fear and trembling, feeling they had many sins. They did not want to live like this; they hoped that after the sacrifices, one day they would no longer need to offer sacrifices, and their consciences would no longer feel guilty. Have you already achieved this effect? Through what?
Hebrews 10:11-14,
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
In the verses we read above, can people be made perfect? No. Some say, "The high priest offered sacrifices; why are people still not perfect?" The high priest offered the sin offering, but what about the guilt offering? What about the peace offering? What about the grain offering? What about the burnt offering? Did these all have to be offered? The high priest offered your sin offering, but what if you offended someone? If today you hate someone and want to kill them with stones, have you sinned? What to do? You would take a bull or goat to the priest and say, "Priest, I am so corrupt; I wanted to kill him with stones."
Fortunately, you did not kill him. You know you were wrong, so you come to atone for your sins. The priest accepts your offering to sacrifice. There are too many people like this. You offered the sin offering, but can you guarantee you do not need to offer the guilt offering? You will always offend people; you will always have mistakes; you will always have selfishness. These are all results of an unclean heart.
How can this be thoroughly resolved? All five major offerings must be offered for our consciences to be cleansed. Today, many people think that Jesus only offered the sin offering on the cross. Were there no guilt offerings, peace offerings, grain offerings, or thanksgiving offerings? Did He not offer them all? When Jesus offered all these for you, God no longer remembers your sins and does not look at your behavior. This proves that the guilt offering has already been offered. Otherwise, if it were not offered, God would still pursue your sins today. You do not offend God, but you will offend people. Offending people is also offending God, which is under the Old Testament.
But today it is different. Jesus is our sin offering and is an eternal sin offering. After Jesus was offered, He replaced all the sins we committed, including Adam's sin, our own sins, and our bad behavior. After replacing them, all the wages of sin between us and God were completely paid off.
If you offend someone, what should you do? You confess your sins to that person. Do you still need to come before God and say, "Lord, I am sorry for that person; I was wrong; I should not have done that"? Do you need to do that? No, your offering before God has already been offered by Jesus. Now you only need to admit your mistakes to the person, and your conscience will truly be at peace and complete. From this perspective, why do you come to worship?
To have your conscience cleansed, because the worshipers' consciences are cleansed. Why do we worship? Some say, "We are Christians." Your conscience is not yet clean. Because you are a Christian, you must gather and pray; this becomes a burden, eventually becoming heavier and crushing you, leading you to say, "I no longer believe."
Why do you come to gather? It is simple. We spend six days in this world, and your conscience will be polluted by the world. You have God within you, but that does not mean everyone around you has God. You can stop yourself from speaking filthy words, but can you stop everyone around you from speaking filthy words? No, if you are not careful, you will be condemned by others. You have not provoked anyone, but someone slaps you in the face; can you just let it go? Any normal person would be very angry, and some might even directly beat that person up; that is human instinct.
Many times, when you feel wronged and cannot retaliate, you suffer deeply inside. The clean heart is gone. What to do then? You must come back to worship. The purpose of worship is to let you look to God, and the purpose of looking to God is that in the past six days, you have suffered many grievances and judgments in this world. You cannot unload them. When you come to church, through Jesus and His words, you are cleansed again.
At that moment, you feel: Yes! I am a cleansed person by Jesus; my conscience is cleansed, so I do not have to be bound or troubled by these things. I can bless him. When you walk out that door, you are released. The purpose of worship is still to benefit us. Therefore, blessed are the pure in heart; you cannot achieve purity in the world. When you come here, brothers and sisters love one another and serve one another. In this process, you are loved and served, and your conscience is cleansed through worship, so you no longer feel guilty. This feeling of no longer feeling guilty is not just about not feeling guilty yourself; it is also about not feeling guilty about others. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord! The priests of the past stood daily, unable to achieve even this, but Jesus Christ offered one eternal sin offering and sat down at the right hand of God.
Verse 14 says, "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." Is this word for us? When you come to church and read this verse, you know you are forever perfect in God's eyes. After you leave, how long can you remember this verse? That is why we need to gather repeatedly and remind one another.
No matter how much grievance you have suffered outside, as long as you sit down and see this verse, once you pray, your heart will be released immediately. This is the reason. God knows our weaknesses, so He wants us to seek Him. He wants to give us a clean heart again, knowing that you are blessed. You are more willing to rely on this loving Lord, seeking Him with a clean heart. When you seek God, do not think about those messy things.
How many people read the Bible with this purpose: I heard that God's power is the greatest; He can curse people, and when He opens His mouth, that person dies. I want to see when God starts cursing people and under what conditions He can kill people, to use it on my enemies. Many people love to dwell on this point and ask me, "Did Ananias and Sapphira die because Peter cursed them?" Do you know why they are concerned about this? "There is someone in my village who offended me, and I think, if Peter can say that, I can say it too: Ah, the person who buried you is right in front of you!"
Can we look at the Bible this way? No, this heart is definitely not clean. When we read the Bible, we look to God with a clean heart, saying: "Lord, I come to look to You alone. I am not looking at my problems; I put my problems before You and look solely to Your words." When you look to God's words, your problems will be resolved.
How do worldly people solve their problems? They keep looking at the problem, and the more they look, the bigger the problem becomes, and in the end, it cannot be solved. Jesus gives us a very simple way: when you seek Him, do not look at your problems; just look at Him, and your problems will be solved. So seek Him with a clean heart and single-mindedly believe that God can solve your problems. Do not look at your problems; look at your Lord. Using this method to seek God, your problems will be easily resolved. We call this looking solely to Him.
There is a person in the Bible named Hannah. Do you know why she prayed to God? Her husband took two wives, and the other wife bore children for him, while Hannah could not conceive. Being unable to conceive was already humiliating, and the wife who could bear children constantly provoked her. In the end, she was left speechless because it was a fact.
Many times, we are condemned because others point out your facts and provoke you. You want to refute, but this is the fact. Hannah was like this; her heart was troubled. When she came before God, she did not dare to pray aloud, fearing that others would hear and provoke her further. So, her lips moved, but there was no sound. When Hannah came before God, she was even provoked again by Eli, who said, "Woman, why are you drunk?"
Fortunately, when Hannah came here, her focus was on God. Otherwise, she would have turned around and said, "Forget it! I do not believe in this God anymore. I clearly did not drink; why did he slander me?" After going back, it would have been over, and she would have been completely desperate. At this moment, Hannah said, "My lord, it is not like that. I have not drunk; I am just too troubled in my heart, so I cannot speak. I am only expressing my thoughts before God."
Although Eli was old and blind, after listening to the woman explain, he said a blessing to her: "You may go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him." This is the content of 1 Samuel chapter 1. If you were Hannah and had just been provoked by the pastor, would you still believe his words? Probably not. Brothers and sisters, many times we do not seek God with a clean heart and do not receive, and then we blame God.
If you have a clean heart, you will not care how others speak about you or how they view you. Some say this is indeed too difficult; it requires prayer to God. Hannah told Eli about her situation because she came to seek God, knowing she was praying to God. Eli said, "Well, you may go in peace; our God will grant your request." Did Hannah believe? Yes, she believed that God comforted her through him. She was not looking at how he had offended her or provoked her; she was looking at God's provision. Amen!
In 1 Samuel 1:18, Hannah said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. Was the problem solved? She came to seek God. Although she was provoked by Eli, Eli blessed her, and she believed: I am listening to God's words. Even if you have opinions about me now, it does not matter; you are now listening to God's words. If you receive this word, you will gain.
If someone says something that provokes you, and you do not believe what they say, you lose out. Hannah gained here; after she returned, not long after, her prayer was answered. Before she saw the result of her prayer, where did she first find release? Her heart was no longer troubled. Only then did her face no longer show sorrow. After she prayed, hearing Eli say this, she believed. If we finish reading Eli's foolish deeds and can still believe his words, we should not do that. As long as he speaks God's words, do not judge how this person is; if he speaks God's words, you should believe.
How did Jesus speak to His disciples at that time? "Do not imitate the behavior of the Pharisees, but listen to the words of God that they speak." This is the meaning. Hannah did exactly this. Therefore, the Bible says, "When the time came, she indeed conceived and bore Samuel, and afterward, she bore many children." This tells us that when Hannah sought God, she did so with a clean and single heart. Today, you should come before God with such a heart. Even if you have many troubles in your heart, it does not matter. The important thing is that you come before God, look solely to Him, and believe that He can solve your problems, change your heart, and change your environment. That is enough. Amen!
Hebrews 4:14-16,
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Because your conscience has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, at any time, you can come to God's throne of grace to obtain mercy, find grace, and receive help in time of need. God is your help at all times today. You should think this way and believe this way: then you will see it. Amen! The Bible tells us that the pure in heart are blessed; they shall see God. Do you believe that God is like this and that through the blood of Jesus, you have already been cleansed? Seeking God with such a heart, you will surely see Him. Why do we need to see God? Why must we see God? Some say, "What if I cannot see God? Why must I see God?" We see God not to reveal our corruption and sins but to be blessed and receive God's blessings. Amen! This is the true purpose of encountering God.
When you meet Him, it is incredible; who is blessed? We are blessed. Therefore, you should be willing to meet this God. But if someone misrepresents God, would you still be willing to meet Him? For example, some people describe God as someone who follows you around with a big stick, ready to hit you down to the ground whenever you sin. Would you still want to meet this God?
Just like we said earlier, when you first believed, whatever you asked, God gave you. But as you grow up and become disobedient, God takes a stick and hits you, saying, "Let you not ask foolishly; is this what you should ask for?" The closer we get to God, the more dangerous it becomes, right? Some even say, "Actually, believing in God is like being with a past emperor; being with the king is like being with a tiger. If you ask for the wrong thing, won't you be beaten down to hell? It is better to stay away from Him." If God is described this way, would you still want to meet Him? You would not want to. The Bible says that the pure in heart are blessed; they shall see God, and those who see God are blessed. Amen!
Psalm 34:8-10, 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. 10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
This week, we should meditate on this scripture. You should taste and see the goodness of the Lord. How do you taste? First, simply believe. The Lord's words say so, so believe it without looking for reasons to analyze. Some say, "How foolish." Can we be foolish once? We can be smart in front of the world, but before God, we should be a little simpler. Whatever He says, we believe it.
Then you will taste the goodness of the Lord. After tasting this goodness, you will find that He is not a fearful God; He is good. The Bible says, blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Saints of the Lord, are you God's saints? You should fear Him, for those who fear Him lack nothing.
When you worship Him, you are looking to Him with a single heart, believing in His words. This is how you are blessed, how He can change your heart, cleanse your heart, and bless everything about you. Just believe this. The world says, "What right do you have to be blessed?" You say, "I do not believe your words; I only believe what my God says. I will worship Him and trust Him, and I will lack nothing." Amen!
The young lions lack and suffer hunger; why not say old lions? It is normal for old lions to suffer hunger, but young lions are different. Lions are called the kings of beasts. Why do the kings of beasts sometimes go hungry? Because lions represent strength. They already possess the strongest power among animals. However, when you use the strongest power to hunt, you still rely on your own strength. This powerful strength cannot guarantee that you will catch food every time. But relying on our God? Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
I hope you memorize this sentence: those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. God did not say that those who seek me will lack good things, but I will also have discipline, sickness, and accidents. Just remember this sentence. When you come before God, He gives you good things. So, are you willing to meet Him? Willing, that is right.
Because every time you meet Him, you receive good things from Him. We really cannot give God anything. Every time we come before God, it is to let God bless us and help us. Therefore, when you meet God, your life changes. When you meet God, you are blessed. Hallelujah! In what matters have you met God? Your heart is joyful.
Jeremiah 29:11-13, 11 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. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Our God is especially willing for us to seek Him, call upon Him, and pray to Him. Because when you do this, God's righteousness is satisfied. Amen! Why does God give to this person and not to that person? The reason is simple: this person asked, and God gave him. This is God's righteousness. The more you pray to Him and call upon Him, the more you will receive.
I have always said that our God is righteous and fair. If you do not seek Him, He will not force anything upon you. He places this blessing there; do you want to come and take it? You say, "I believe you have placed it there; I am willing to go and take it." Then He will give it to you. Someone says, "I will not go." Then you will not receive. You cannot say that God has not prepared it for you. Our Heavenly Father is willing for us to seek Him, and He wants to give us better things.
We can meditate on this passage, Matthew 7:7-11,
7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
This passage is for you. When you ask, our Heavenly Father will give it to you. When you seek, He will let you find it. When are we willing to seek? "Lord, I really cannot do it; I am willing to seek You." Seeking God at this time is fine, but if you encounter something and say, "Lord, I want to seek You first."
This way is better. When you seek God, He will surely let you find. Knock, and He will open the door for you. Is our Lord's door easy to open? It is easy to open. Even if you say, "I am in difficulty now," God will open a door for you to go out because everyone who asks receives.
Some say, "No, I think there is a problem with this verse. I have asked a lot, and God has not given me." Let me explain a little. The last sentence says, "Your Father in heaven will give good things to those who ask Him." This should be understood in conjunction with the previous statement that everyone who asks receives. Many times, we pray, "Lord, I want this thing," and find that God did not give us this. We say, "Lord, You did not grant my request; You did not fulfill my prayer."
God did not give you this; He must have given you something better. Or today, God has not fulfilled it; He is preparing the best for you at the right time.
We all know to give good things to our children. For example, if you just bought a bunch of cherries, and your child comes home wanting to eat them, you say, "Wait a minute." The child asks, "Why do I have to wait?" You say, "Let you wait, just wait." If they do not listen and start crying, you are picking out the bad ones. The child says, "You do not love me; you do not let me eat the cherries right away; you want to keep them for yourself." Many times, we pray like this: "Why do you not give it to me right away?"
The Lord means that this cannot be given to you at this time; a little later, it will be given to you at the most suitable time. We cannot wait. As a result, one day God gives us something better, and we say, "I do not want this; why did the green one disappear?" We just like the green one, which is not good for us, so God will not give it to us.
Ask, and it will be given; seek, and you will find. What are you seeking in the Bible? Some seek wealth in the Bible; can they find it? God does not give you money directly, but He gives you the wisdom and ability to gain wealth. Isn't that better? Someone says, "I want to find eternal life in here." Can you? "I searched for a long time and did not find the four words for immortality!" But there is Jesus inside; if you gain Jesus, you gain eternal life. Amen!
In short, everything you need can be found in the Bible as long as you are willing to seek. All the wisdom and everything needed in the world are in the Bible. Amen! Knock, and He will open the door for you. What door do you want to open? The door of wisdom, interpersonal relationships, family, etc., can all be opened. Knock, and God will open the door for you.
Moreover, God is afraid we do not understand, so He used a human analogy: "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Can a stone be eaten? You would not give him a stone. If a child asks for fish, will you give him a serpent? You will find that both of these are not beneficial to him; you would not give them. Our Heavenly Father will not give them either. Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Blessed are the pure in heart; we are the clean ones because You have cleansed our hearts. You on the cross, through Jesus, let His blood cleanse my heart. I am complete before You, a person with a clean spirit. The Holy Spirit also dwells in my heart. I am willing to hold on to this cleanliness, believing solely in Your words.
Lord, Your truth can cleanse my heart. I do not look at how the world evaluates me; I only believe in Your evaluation of me. You have cleansed my heart with truth and loved me with Your love. I am willing to receive Your sincere love and use this love to love all those around me. Everything that Jesus did for me on the cross has cleansed my conscience. I am no longer guilty; I receive Your grace and do not condemn others but bless others.
You said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." As the new week begins, I rely on You in all things. Please help me to see Your glory in my life. Thank and praise You! All glory belongs to You! In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!