280 - Becoming a Channel of Blessing#
280 - Becoming a Channel of Blessing
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Genesis 12:1-3
1 The LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! Thank You for preparing such a wonderful time for us to share Your words together. You lead every brother and sister personally, supplying us, because You know the lack in each person’s heart right now. You are the God who provides food in due season. In this time, You renew our thoughts and minds, let us enjoy Your blessings. You bless me, so that I may also be a blessing to others. I pray in the name of Lord Jesus, Amen!
The topic we are sharing is called Becoming a Channel of Blessing.
Have you ever thought about what God’s purpose is in blessing you?
Many people say, “If only God would give me more money.” But many do not understand what God’s purpose is in giving you wealth. If He gives you wealth and you end up falling away and do not even know God, then that becomes a disaster, right? Just like Solomon, God gave him a lot of wealth and a high position, but he abandoned God, which became a calamity for him.
The purpose of God giving us these blessings is that He wants you to receive His blessings and become a channel of blessing. This is God’s purpose for us. If we have such a heart, why wouldn’t God be willing to give to you? The glorious Lord found Abraham; it was not Abraham who actively sought God.
When God found him, He did not condemn him or speak of Abraham’s corruption, but instead gave Abraham grace and hope. Abraham believed God’s words, and so he left his hometown, Ur of the Chaldeans, with his family to go to the place God showed him. He believed that God would bless him, not only to make him prosperous but also to be a blessing to others. He believed that all nations on earth would be blessed through him, and because he believed so, God fulfilled it for him. Now we indeed see that Abraham is a channel of blessing. If you have the desire to become this channel of blessing, God is also willing to bless you.
The first point we share is: Encountering God and Seeing His Goodness.
The reason we are willing to become channels of blessing is that our God is good, and we are willing to live according to God’s ways because His ways are good. First, let’s look at what Abraham’s hometown was like. Stephen tells us in the book of Acts that the place where Abraham was at that time was called Mesopotamia. Have you heard of this place? In the north of the Persian Gulf, there is a place called Ur of the Chaldeans, which is within the range of Mesopotamia. Abraham walked all the way to the land of Goshen. Now think about Abraham’s hometown; it was a very beautiful place in the middle of the two rivers.
Those who have read world history know that great civilizations generally originate near large rivers. The place where Abraham is now is in the middle of the two rivers, between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, a fertile and beautiful place. The area between the two rivers is a plain where trade and economy are quite developed. Let’s look at a passage of scripture to see what was produced abundantly in that place, and in that place, the most peculiar event in the Bible occurred. Let’s take a look together.
Genesis 11:1-4
At that time, the whole earth had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
What did they use this beautiful place for? To build the Tower of Babel. In fact, Shinar is Babylon, located in the middle of the two rivers, which is actually where Babylon is. This may be one reason why ancient Babylon was also an ancient civilization, as it is located in the middle of the two rivers. Some people ask where the Garden of Eden was. Many speculate that it was actually in this place because the Garden of Eden has disappeared, and we do not know where it went. However, in the middle of the two rivers, Genesis chapter one mentions that the Garden of Eden had two rivers, and here there are also two rivers. Therefore, many people believe that the Garden of Eden was in this place, which proves that the place where Abraham was before was indeed wonderful.
The Hebrew meaning of Shinar is “the land between the two rivers.” Later, there was a very important person recorded in Genesis named Nimrod, a very famous person who established the cities of Babylon and Assyria, which eventually became two empires. Their locations were indeed excellent, but in this area between the two rivers, they used it to worship idols.
Brothers and sisters, whenever the Bible mentions the word Babel, it actually means Babylon, and it also has another meaning, which is Shinar. Babel and Shinar are both translated as Babylon, and Babylon means confusion. God gave such a beautiful place for them to enjoy His goodness and to proclaim His glorious name, but people used it to proclaim their own name. At that time, Abraham’s hometown was a land full of idols, and people were mad because of the idols.
Jeremiah 50:35-38
The sword of the LORD is against the Chaldeans and those who live in Babylon, against her officials and wise men. The sword against the arrogant will make them fools; the sword against her warriors will make them tremble. The sword against their horses and chariots and against all the foreigners in her midst will be like women. The sword against her treasures will be plundered; a drought on her waters will dry them up, for it is a land of carved idols, and people go mad because of idols.
Abraham’s hometown was a very beautiful place, but in this beautiful place, it was full of idols. People seemed wise, but in reality, they had no wisdom at all. When the economy was prosperous, people went to worship idols. So God said here that a drought will come upon her waters, and they will dry up, for it is a land of carved idols, and people go mad because of idols. If a place is beautiful, and the people there particularly love idols, what is the most profitable thing to do? Carving idols is the most profitable.
So there were historical records that are not found in the Bible, but some archaeological discoveries have revealed this, saying that Abraham’s hometown used to sell idols, and his father was in the idol business. Abraham dealt with idols from a young age, and over time, he grew to hate these idols. Have you noticed this problem? Those who sell idols generally do not believe in them; they know how those things came about.
Abraham, because his father sold these things, grew up around them, but in reality, Abraham hated idols and did not believe in them. There was a saying at that time that Abraham wanted to make his father realize that these idols were useless because his father always introduced others to these idols as if they were powerful...
One day, when his father went out, Abraham smashed one of the idols. When his father returned, he was very angry and asked, “Why did you smash it?” Abraham replied, “I didn’t smash it; it ran away by itself and broke.” His father said, “Impossible, how could it run away?” Abraham said, “Father, if it can’t even run away, why believe in it?” In fact, Abraham always wanted to leave this place; he just didn’t have the opportunity and didn’t know what he could do. So when God called him, he was willing to follow God. Do you understand?
If Abraham particularly loved idols and wealth, he would not have followed God. God’s calling of Abraham was not because of Abraham’s good behavior or great faith, but because God’s grace came upon him. Amen! Now I tell you the biblical basis for this: Abraham’s family was in the idol business. Let’s look at two passages of scripture.
Joshua 24:2-3
Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac.”
Although this is a historical account, it can still find some biblical basis. Interpretation of scripture must not be nonsensical. What was Abraham’s family doing in the past? Worshiping other gods, which actually means selling idols; they had many kinds of gods in their home. Abraham and his father Nahor, this family worshiped idols.
From this, let’s think about when God went to find Abraham, where was Abraham? Was he a holy person? Was what he did something that both people and God liked? No.
The Chaldeans were a land full of idols, and Abraham’s family was also a land full of idols, but God found this person in this family. Do you think it was because Abraham’s faith was good? Was what he did not one of the things God hated the most? Yet God still found him.
Today, why am I telling you all this? You might think that God wouldn’t come to your house because your past is too corrupt, and you have done many sinful things that offend God. You might think that God would look for someone with better behavior and reputation, but God precisely came to Abraham’s house.
If God cared that he was selling idols and worshiping false gods, He would not have sought him, but would have let him perish. You might wonder why God found Abraham; shouldn’t Abraham be the one looking for God? Why did God choose Abraham? A seventy-year-old man whose life was almost over, who had spent most of his life selling idols, had the most knowledge about idols. Such a person, who had nothing to boast about and spent most of his time in sin, God found him.
Now you understand why God found Abraham and wanted him to leave his home, right? “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Always remember, God is a God of grace. No one can say, “I found God; I sought God.”
What should be said is that God found me, and His grace came upon me. Amen! How many times has God come to this place, to this evil family, and found Abraham, who dealt with idols every day, and said to him, “I will bless you, and I will make you a great nation”?
Why is this different from the way many people evangelize today? We tell people to abandon their idols first before God can bless them. Isn’t this the faith we heard in the past? If we follow this rule, God should have first said to Abraham, “Abraham, what should we do with these idols? I hate these idols the most; you must smash them all, and then I will take you to a place…”
Do you think Abraham could have done that? His entire family would not have let him off the hook. God did not say this. How did God evangelize to Abraham? “I will bless you, and I will make you a great nation; you will also be a blessing to all the nations on earth.” And this word was a blessing that Abraham had never thought of. Amen!
Because God wanted to pull him out of sin, brothers and sisters, please remember, when God finds you and saves you, it is not because you are so good, but because our God is full of grace and love. Hallelujah! I also want to tell you that your past does not matter; what matters is that you recognize God’s grace, repent, and live a new life. You cannot live like you did in the past.
The changes we can make are all because of God’s grace; it is God’s grace that leads us to repentance. If you expect a sinner who lives in sin and has not recognized God’s grace to change, that is almost impossible, just like hoping an iceberg won’t melt when it encounters the sun. It is that difficult. For a person to want to change and repent, they must first recognize God’s grace. Amen! I tell you again, it was not Abraham who sought God; it was the glorious God who found him, told him the blessings of eternal life, and gave him true life so that he could see. Amen! This was the most meaningful thing in Abraham’s life.
John 8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
When God made a covenant with Abraham, Abraham spiritually saw God’s blessings and realized that he could receive great blessings through God, and he became joyful. Just like today, when you have not yet become a great nation and have not yet become a blessing to all nations on earth, God says, “I will bless you, and you will be a blessing to many; you will become a great nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through you.” This promise was given to you first. You can choose to believe it or refuse it.
When we evangelize, we are telling people this good news. Sometimes you may feel discouraged and lose hope, but today I tell you what kind of covenant God has for you, what kind of promise He wants to give you, that He will bless you and place the blessings of Abraham upon you. If you say you believe, then learn to live like Abraham, looking up to God. Amen!
What did God first say to Abraham? “Leave this place.” You think this place is beautiful, the land between the two rivers; I want to take you to a better place. I believe many people have given up their previous evils and turned to God because they have seen God’s goodness and experienced His grace.
Perhaps it was Abraham’s experience; it was precisely because he knew that this place could not bring him great change, it was just wealth. But what he wanted was not this at all, so he believed in the promise God gave him and left his hometown.
Today, it is the same for us; the same truth leads souls to repentance. Amen! You may have a heart that fears God, just like Noah, but now you must be attracted by His love to change, not forced to change. Amen! In the past, he thought he was right, just as Proverbs says, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death.” Many people in the world think they are on the right path, but in reality, only God’s way is correct. Only when you see God’s glory will you be willing to turn back and live according to God’s way. Amen!
We share the second point, Leaving Everything Behind to Receive Blessings and Live.
Today we are talking about grace; in fact, grace is not a doctrine, nor is it a foundational gospel; grace is Jesus. You cannot just learn a bunch of knowledge about Jesus and go home; you must let Jesus enter your life, and then your life will change. If you let Jesus into your life, your life will change. Amen! Now, because of God, everything in Abraham’s life will change.
So in the first verse, it says, “The LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.’” Have you noticed that the three places God mentioned are all full of what? They are all full of idols. The people of the land are mad because of idols; the people of his clan sell idols; his father’s household also sells idols.
So God said to Abraham, the first thing is to leave.
Brothers and sisters, when we believe in Jesus, it is also a kind of leaving, not leaving the world, but leaving past sins and darkness. Amen! From a human perspective, God made me leave...
Leaving is definitely not a kind of pain. Abraham’s leaving was not painful, brothers and sisters; God was not holding a whip behind him saying, “If you don’t leave, I will beat you.” No, God’s call for Abraham to leave was not painful but a better expectation. Amen! So today, let’s emphasize again that everyone must understand this aspect clearly. Abraham’s leaving was not forced but willingly.
Some people say that God wants to shatter your past, God wants to break your old self, and then God can accept you and rebuild you. There is a team in China that talks about digging into their sins and spiritual issues every day. They often use a term saying that God wants to destroy you.
So in that team, many entrepreneurs ended up with nothing and owed millions or tens of millions. Is this God’s intention? No, God did not say, “Abraham, all those cattle, sheep, and servants you have are unclean; throw them all away and come to me with nothing.” God did not say that. But today, many people use this method to say that you must destroy your past and break your old self before God can accept you. This is completely inconsistent with the Bible.
Abraham left because he knew that God wanted to give him something better, because God had promised him to give him greater blessings. Amen! Today, how do we evangelize to the world? They say, “I’m doing quite well here.” You need to tell them, “Because you don’t know better, I want to introduce you to something better.”
In the past, how did we talk? “Oh, this world is corrupt; this person is corrupt; these things won’t last long; what are you relying on?” Although what you said is true, unbelievers are unwilling to accept this; they would rather hear about something better. Are we deceiving them by saying this? No, you think the earth is good. God says, “I have something better.” You say, “I have suffering on earth.” God says, “I have joy.” Thank and praise the Lord!
So Abraham saw that God gave him greater blessings, blessings he had never thought of before. Today, whether you have left your previous job, left your previous group, or someone like Abraham has left their beloved hometown, you must believe that you are not leaving home unwillingly; you are about to receive God’s greater blessings, and you will also become a channel of that blessing. Hallelujah!
Otherwise, if we think back to the past, “Oh, how good my hometown was, the land between the two rivers; now I live in this broken tent, wandering on the mountains every day.” If you think like this, doesn’t your heart immediately darken? But Abraham thought of God’s promise; God told him that the places he looked upon were where his descendants would live in the future. So he kept looking at the promise God gave him. Amen! Today you must remember, perhaps you have just left your previous job or left your hometown, left a group of people, or someone has left your life, and you have made new friends... Please remember, your leaving is not a sorrow; it is God preparing something better for you.
Let’s look at 1 Peter 2:9-10,
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
What do you see from this passage? In the past, we thought we were good, but you were living in darkness, right? Now God has brought you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Amen! What is the identity God gives you now? You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession. Amen! You had none of this in the past, but now God has given you all of this. Hallelujah!
In your heart, never say, “I pray to God, and He will not listen.” I often hear some Christians say, “I prayed, but my prayers don’t work.” Why do they come to this conclusion? Why do they think their prayers don’t work? Because you think God will not have mercy on you; you think you are not His child, so you come to such a conclusion. Today, do not think this way; God’s promise does not say your prayers won’t work; you can just speak to Him, and He will surely fulfill it for you.
Abraham left the Chaldeans, the Israelites left Egypt, and Peter left his fishing nets; these were not to make their lives worse but to inherit greater blessings, to become vessels of blessing. Amen! If you look closely at those who followed God afterward, which one lived a miserable life? Similarly, your leaving is because you are also following God; you are to receive greater blessings from God, and your life will be more meaningful than it is now. Amen!
Let’s look at a passage of scripture, Mark 2:14-15,
As Jesus went along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
What do you see in this passage? It seems like a very simple thing, the story of Jesus choosing Levi son of Alphaeus, who is also Matthew. Have you noticed that Jesus choosing this disciple is particularly simple? Just like now, he is sitting there; if he is a tax collector, I walk up to him and say, “Follow me.”
Without saying a word, he puts the money down and follows Jesus. Isn’t that the scene? I didn’t add anything, right? Jesus did not plead with him or cling to him to get him to leave. No, it was just a simple sentence, “Follow me.” This person immediately put everything down and followed Jesus.
This is the scene we see. Have you ever thought about what happened here? Did Jesus force him to follow Him? No, what was the reason?
Actually, before this, Jesus had already preached some teachings; He already had some reputation, right? At this moment, I want to tell you about the state of Levi’s heart. If Levi loved money very much and particularly liked his current job, could Jesus have called him away? Absolutely not. So in this process, you can imagine that Abraham was actually like this; he had long been tired of that kind of life and wanted a new breakthrough, but he didn’t know where to go.
Now Levi is also in this situation; he is sitting at the tax booth, indeed able to make a lot of money every day, but he also receives scorn, and everyone looks at him with disdain. He knows that what he is doing is immoral, but what can he do? Where is his way out? He also wants to do something meaningful; he also wants to live a blessed life; he also wants to become a channel of blessing, right? But he doesn’t know how to do it. Just at that moment, Jesus comes to him and says, “Follow me.” This sentence gives Levi new hope, so he is willing to put everything down and leave his past behind.
Have you ever thought that at that time, many people must have said, “Oh, what a pity! You could earn a lot of money; are you going to give that up?” To others, it seems like a pity, but have you noticed that after Levi left, he had no regrets? Jesus sat at Levi’s house, and after Levi left, he did one more thing: “Jesus! Why don’t you come to my house and sit for a while? I’ll treat you to a meal.” Have you thought about whether this was something Levi had longed for?
So brothers and sisters, if you are now hoping for a new beginning or a more meaningful life, now Jesus finds you and says, “Come, follow me!” Will you immediately say, “Lord! I am willing to follow You”? Amen! So Levi felt that following Jesus was such a great thing; there was nothing better than this. Although he didn’t know what he would do by following Him, he was willing to follow Him.
Today you must have this faith; following the Lord, you will certainly not suffer loss. After Levi followed Jesus, he even invited Jesus to his house for a meal, and as a result, many tax collectors and sinners came over, and Jesus sat and ate with them. Because of this, they were also willing to follow Jesus.
We always think that when we evangelize, we should look for the poor, the sick, and those on the fringes of society, the ones no one cares about, to tell them about Jesus. But what about people like Levi? He seems to be doing well, but does he expect a better life in his heart? Do you think some bosses who have a great reputation and are wealthy are strutting around every day?
In fact, many of them are just like Levi in their hearts; they are tired of their lives and do not know where the way out of life is, nor do they know what the purpose of life is. So when Jesus called Levi, he immediately followed Jesus. You could also say that it was the Spirit of God moving within him that made him leave his past and follow Jesus. Amen!
From then on, those who sincerely followed Jesus became channels of blessing. Why do we say sincerely following? Because many people also follow Jesus just because they see His reputation growing; they follow Him, but they do not truly believe in Jesus. Among the twelve disciples, wasn’t there one? Judas Iscariot, and his end was tragic. The others became channels of blessing, right? So brothers and sisters, as long as you truly believe in Jesus and are willing to follow Him, you will certainly become a channel of blessing. Before you become a channel of blessing, God will first double the blessings upon you. So what should you do? Hold onto God’s promises and live. Amen!
Let’s look at a passage of scripture; this is a new way of living.
Genesis 12:2-3,
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
This is our way of living. Before we believed in Jesus, how could you become a famous person and make your family prosper? By working hard, striving to improve your reputation, and then saying, “I can finally bring glory to my ancestors.”
But could he become a great nation? No.
But look, did Abraham become a great nation because of his efforts? God said, I will make you into a great nation. This is a gift; it is what He will give you after you follow Jesus. He will give you blessings that surpass all the results of your own efforts. Amen!
Now we have a new way of living, a way of living centered on Jesus Christ. This way of living requires you to leave your previous ways. If you believe in Jesus but still live according to your previous ways, then there may not be much change in your life. It’s not that you are not saved; believing is enough to be saved, but your life may not change much.
If you also expect your life to change, your quality of life to improve, your stress to decrease, and to enjoy a life of rest and joy every day, then learn to live according to Jesus’ way, leaving behind a self-centered way of living, and start living centered on Jesus Christ. This is a new way of living, a way of living that Abraham never had before.
Abraham’s previous home was large and prosperous, with over three hundred servants. These were not just household slaves; they were like bodyguards, practicing and training in the backyard every day. Once they encountered enemies, these three hundred men would take care of them. To this day, how many families have over three hundred bodyguards? Not many, right? This proves that Abraham was already quite successful at that time. But God said, “You must leave your hometown.” Was that difficult?
On one side is God’s promise to you, and you don’t know what kind of things will happen; it’s just a word from God. On the other side is your established home. What will you choose?
Just like now, we often tell you to live according to Jesus’ way, to put Jesus first, to prioritize church life, and to prioritize God’s matters; then God will smooth out the other aspects for you.
We always say it’s a bit risky; I must first take care of my own matters. Now it’s a matter of choice. Abraham chose to follow God, even though he had not yet seen the blessings God promised him; he believed in His words. He put down the blessings he had, which were very real. Do you know what kind of life Abraham lived after following God?
From a worldly perspective, he lived in tents every day, moving from one place to another. How foolish! He used to have over three hundred bodyguards, and now they are all following him around. But if you look ahead, did God lie? Did He not make him into a great nation? The current nation of Israel is proof of this; not only Israel but the entire region of the Middle East, including the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac, all of them. This is just in the world; spiritually, all who believe in Jesus are descendants of Abraham.
God did not lie, did He? If Abraham had said at that time, “I don’t believe you; although what you say sounds good, I also hate my life selling idols, but at least I don’t have to worry about food and clothing,” then his life would have been limited to that.
Peter may have already had a bit of fame and had his own fishing boat, but if he had not followed Jesus and lived a new life, he would have just been a famous fisherman, nothing more.
Today, you also face this choice. When you choose to follow Jesus and are willing to live according to God’s way, this is a new way of living, a way of living centered on the church and on Jesus, putting Jesus first. The blessings you receive will be much greater than before, incomparable to the past. Amen!
From the perspective of the world, Abraham seemed to be worse off than before, but through the Bible, we see that Abraham, whether in earthly blessings or heavenly blessings, indeed received great blessings as God said. Amen! Many people were blessed because of Abraham; he indeed became a channel of blessing. Although Abraham at that time did not have the stable life he once had, he had already become a blessing to others.
For example, Lot, did he not receive blessings by following Abraham? Previously, Lot may have truly had nothing, but shortly after following Abraham, the Bible says that the herdsmen of both began to quarrel because there were too many sheep and too little grass. Isn’t that a sign of prosperity? This guy Lot had no gratitude; he didn’t even realize where his blessings came from, and in the end, he chose a path of self-development and ended up with nothing.
There was also the king of Sodom; because Lot lived in that city, other kings bullied them and took away all their possessions. Abraham took his three hundred strong men and went far north to deal with them, and after bringing back all the goods, the king of Sodom said, “Look, my possessions are here; take whatever you want.”
Abraham said, “I will not take a thread from you because the blessings God has given me are already great enough.” Did the king of Sodom not receive blessings because of Abraham? Where in the world can you find such a beautiful thing, where someone helps you so much without any cost, and then returns your possessions and family without asking for a penny? Such people are indeed very rare in the world.
But Abraham did it; was he not a blessing to others? Lastly, there was Ephron the Hittite; when Abraham’s wife Sarah died and he had no place to bury her, he found Ephron, who had a cave. At that time, there was a tradition in Israel that when someone died, they had to be buried in a cave. But he was a wanderer; if he were in his previous home, this problem would not exist. So he had to buy a piece of land. At that time, those people said, “You and I are brothers; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver is nothing between you and me; just bury your dead.”
Today I tell you how deep this routine is. “You and I are brothers; why talk about money? In fact, what he meant was that if we talk about money, our feelings will be hurt.” He immediately asked for a lot of money. In this situation, do you have room to bargain? If I say to you, “Can we talk about money between us?” What does that piece of land worth ten thousand dollars mean? Can you still bargain? If you don’t say this, others will say ten thousand is a bit expensive; can’t it be cheaper?
People say, “Do we need to talk about money between us? What does ten thousand dollars mean?” In reality, the market price was not even worth that much, not even ten thousand. As a result, it was sold to Abraham at a high price. Did Abraham lack money? No, he said, “Okay, let’s settle it.” Many people think we Christians are easy targets, but they do not know that God gives us more. Amen!
What is the purpose of God blessing Abraham? To use various means to make you a blessing to others. He does not think you are an easy target; He wants to show you and them that our God’s provision is completely abundant. Did Abraham give so many people so many benefits and become poor? Instead, he became increasingly prosperous. Amen! In fact, Abraham was very clear that this was God’s grace upon him, that God blessed him. Where is this evident? Let’s take a look.
Genesis 24:1, Abraham was now very old, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
But even when Abraham was very old, he still relied on God; he still believed that when he looked back, in everything, the LORD had blessed him. He still believed this way. Amen! Can you believe this way? If you say you can, great! The blessings of Abraham will begin to manifest in you. It’s very simple: abandon the past, leave the old way of living, and start living centered on the church and on God. Amen!
Put God’s matters first; every day, give God a little time, such as reading, praying, listening to the word, taking out a little time. God will not take all your time; just take out a little time to put Him first. If you do this, you will find it very easy. Even if you say you are at a loss, it doesn’t matter; God will give you more.
Today, you should believe in God’s words, believe in His promises, and often meditate on His promises that are for you. In fact, the promises God gave to Abraham were very few; throughout Abraham’s life, God did not give him many promises. But how many words did God say to us? Too many! Just look at your Bible, and you will know how many words God has said to you, how many promises He has given you. If you can grasp some of them or a few of them, it is enough for you to live on for a lifetime. Amen!
And what did Abraham believe? You said you would bless me; you would make me a great nation; you said you would bless me, and I would also be a blessing to others. I believe this; I believe you will make me prosperous and fill me. I believe you will surely accomplish this. No matter what environment I encounter, he always remembers this. Amen!
We share the third point, God Blesses You, and You Must Also Be a Blessing to Others; You Must Cause Others to Be Blessed.
In the scripture we just read,
Genesis 12:2-3, it begins with God saying, I will make you into a great nation; I will bless you; I will make your name great; you will also be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.
So if others curse you, let God handle it; you do not need to do it. Amen!
This is our way of living. In the past, when others cursed us, what did we do? We got angry. When others cursed you, you got angry; isn’t that exactly the result others hoped for? Others think of every possible way to curse you, intending to make you angry, hoping you will be so angry that you can’t sleep for a month. The greatest harm is actually between family members because they know you too well and know which nerve is the weakest, so they poke it, and you start bouncing around, losing sleep at night, and all sorts of problems arise.
They say, “This is the result I want,” isn’t it the enemy’s greatest joy? But you must leave this past way of living. How do you do it? Look at what the scripture says: if someone curses you, God says, “I will curse him.” Amen! So brothers and sisters, God says, “I will curse him.” You do not need to curse; this is our way of living. Today, many people still can’t let go and say, “Am I just going to let it go?” In fact, you don’t need to curse.
Romans 12:12-18, you can meditate on these scriptures when you go back. First, read some of them: Do not repay evil for evil, and then it immediately says, Dear friends, do not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath. The meaning is, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.” You feel you have suffered loss; others have cursed you. We need to let it go, “Lord! He has cursed me.” Just tell God, and for the rest, you don’t need to do anything because what you do won’t help; it will only make you angrier.
This is a way of living that belongs to God. You may not understand it, but when you do it this way, you will not be affected by them. Looking back at the scriptures we just read, I will... I will... It is all God doing it. So when we receive God’s blessings, it says, You also cause others to be blessed. This is the purpose of God blessing us! Why does God bless you and give you enough inheritance? The purpose is to make you a channel of blessing, not to become a greedy person.
Why do business people like the Pi Xiu? Because it has no anus; all business people like that their business is like the Pi Xiu, only taking in and not giving out. Isn’t this the way the world does business? But we should not become like this; we want to be like a channel that is open at both ends, flowing in and out; this is living water. Don’t block it! You must also cause others to be blessed; all nations on earth will be blessed through you. Amen!
Has God given you such authority and blessing today? So you have received God’s blessings, and you must also give them out. If you have the heart to help others, God can give you more. Some people will say, “I understand your meaning; now I finally understand what you are saying. You want me to have a heart to help others.” I say yes. Do you know what some people say?
“Let’s do this: let God give me a billion now, and starting tomorrow, I will do good deeds.” I tell him, “If you don’t help others with what you currently have, even if God gives you a billion, you will disappear tomorrow, and you will never see me again because you will look down on me.” I used to be like this: “Lord! You greatly bless me, and I will definitely give you my tithe to help poor preachers in China.”
Was my heart wish good? The intention was good, but in reality, I didn’t do it; I thought I would do it when I had money, but when I really had money, I couldn’t do it. So if you truly want to become a channel of blessing, start from now! Amen! You say, “I am very poor now; I only earn a thousand dollars a month.” Then take out a hundred dollars to offer to God or do good deeds, and after that, you will develop this habit. When God gives you a billion, you will truly be able to do it; otherwise, if you are unfaithful in small matters, you will not be able to do it in big matters. Thank the Lord!
You must remember one thing: no matter what God gives you—gifts, abilities, wealth—the purpose is to make you a blessing to others; you must also cause others to be blessed. God works through you to do this.
Let’s look at Hebrews 13:1-2, Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
This is talking about Abraham. Now I will tell you about Abraham’s blessing and how he caused others to be blessed, which has been fully demonstrated. Why was Abraham so blessed by God? There is a reason. God is also particularly willing to bless you; what He fears is that you will become a greedy person. That is not good for you!
Let me tell you a joke; you will understand when you read Genesis carefully. It says that God blessed Abraham, brought him out, and made him leave his original hometown, and then he lived in the mountains of Canaan. Because the good place was taken by Lot, Lot chose the plain of Sodom, and Abraham lived in the mountains, setting up his tent there. There were not many people going up the mountain, right? But Abraham particularly hoped to be a blessing to others, so he would often sit at the door of his tent, perhaps rocking in a rocking chair, enjoying life. Whenever someone passed by his house, he would see them and run over quickly, saying, “My lord, please come to my house for something to eat and drink before you go.” They didn’t even go to his house, nor did they ask him; why did he run over to see them? I want to say that Abraham had already developed this habit.
Look at what the scripture says, Some have entertained angels unawares.
What does it mean to entertain unawares? He often did this; whenever he saw someone, he would say, “Friend! It’s not easy to come up the mountain; come to my house for something to eat.” Then he would say to Sarah, “Quick, prepare some good food.” Perhaps Sarah had already developed the habit that whenever Abraham spoke, it was definitely time for guests to come, so she would start preparing food. This requires faith to receive; you can pray, “Lord! I am willing to become a channel of blessing.” But one thing must not be mistaken: do not start waiting at your door today, hoping that anyone passing by will come in for a meal.
Don’t do that; definitely do not go to extremes.
The Bible describes what happened: one day, three men passed by Abraham’s door. They did not go to Abraham’s house, but Abraham ran over and said, “My lord, please come to my house for something to eat.” They said they wouldn’t go. You say, “Since they said they wouldn’t go, shouldn’t I give up?” Abraham said, “I beg you, my lord! Just give your servant a chance.” They said they wouldn’t eat, and you wonder why he insisted on having them eat.
In the end, Abraham said, “If you don’t want to go to my house, that’s fine; just wait here, and I will bring you something to eat.” This hospitality was already quite extreme, right? Then the three men said, “Let’s do it your way.” This scene, you can imagine it yourself when you go home. They didn’t ask Abraham, did they? Finally, when Abraham heard them agree, he was overjoyed. He hurriedly told his wife to prepare food. After they finished eating, the three men finally spoke. Abraham asked, “What are you doing?” They said, “We have heard that the sin of Sodom is very great; we want to go see if the people in that city are as sinful as I have heard. If so, I will destroy that city.”
Abraham’s heart sank; he thought, “No, my disobedient nephew is still there.” Then he began to plead with them. Brothers and sisters, have you noticed this? God was actually giving Abraham an opportunity. We always think, “Why is Abraham so tasteless? Why does he live so lowly? He must invite others to eat or become a blessing to others?”
This time, it was God giving Abraham an opportunity. I have told you before; does God need to come down from heaven to know what is happening in the world? He could go directly to Sodom. But He came to the mountain; He wanted to walk down from the mountain to the plain of Sodom, and it just so happened that He passed by Abraham’s door.
Is there such a coincidence in the world? In fact, it was God giving Abraham a blessing opportunity. But Abraham had already developed a habit of blessing others; he unwittingly entertained angels, which proves that when he entertained them, he did not know they were angels. Amen! So brothers and sisters, you must have this heart; starting today, I want to live centered on Jesus Christ. I am willing to welcome strangers; I will help others today without seeking a return. I am doing it before the Lord. In this way, you will unwittingly entertain angels, and God will be willing to give you more. Amen!
Now let’s look at the last passage of scripture.
Romans 12:12-18, Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
In fact, you can understand these scriptures, but these need to be received by faith. This is a new way of living that is completely different from the world.
Then look at verses 19-21, Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.”
So, the answer comes out; it is another way of living. “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink, for in doing this you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Brothers and sisters, I will briefly share this, and then today’s sermon will end. The previous verses 12-18 refer to being joyful in any environment, even in affliction; you must have joy, patience, and hope because you are looking up to God’s promises. Amen!
If you look at the world and your environment, you will not be able to move forward. So it says, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need; practice hospitality,” which means that no matter how others treat you, you should treat others this way. Amen!
Just do what you can; do not feel burdened. A few days ago, someone told me, “My family situation is like this: my father remarried a stepmother, and that stepmother is scheming, always saying bad things about them in front of my father. Now my father has started to become distant from them and always asks them for money, giving all the money to his stepmother.”
In this situation, their family relationships are particularly bad; the children do not want to give money to the elderly, but they feel they cannot not give it because their father raised them. So what should they do in this situation? They are very worried and do not know what to do.
I told them, “You should do what you need to do, but do not overextend what you can do. If your father says, ‘You all need to give me money; I am not well, and you must give me money every month,’ in fact, he has a lot of money. So what should you do? Just give what you can afford; do not give more than you can bear. This way, you will have an explanation to anyone. Why must you give so much when you clearly cannot afford it? Just do what you can.”
In life, helping others is the same; if you clearly cannot do it, why must you do it? Just do what you can. Amen! Then it says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” The ones who persecute you may be the ones who curse you, perhaps even someone in your family. When they persecute you, what should you do? Bless them in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!
Is that difficult? Yes, but every time you think about God’s promises, God wants to make you a channel of blessing. When God wants to pour out great blessings on you, you will be able to do it. Hallelujah! God does not want curses in your heart. The latter part says, “Do not repay evil for evil; be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.” So God hopes that we can live in harmony with the people of the world. Amen! This is our way of living.
Finally, it says, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. Don’t forget, this is your enemy. I have heard some people read this and say, “Hmph! Jesus also said that if my enemy is hungry, I will feed him; I will let him eat until he bursts…”
When you do this, is your heart still full of hatred? The purpose of God letting you do this is to ensure that your heart is filled only with blessings and no curses. Amen!
So brothers and sisters, if someone says, “I can’t do it now; I can’t stand seeing my enemy.” What should you do? First, learn to bless them. This is God’s promise to you. If you have developed a habit of blessing, you will be able to bear greater blessings. Hallelujah!
Verse 21 says, Do not be overcome by evil. In fact, God cares about us; we are not enemies. The enemy curses you, hates you… but do not be overcome by this evil. This means do not accept their erroneous condemnation; you must learn to refuse. You reject these errors and give them what is right. Instead, overcome evil with good and give them God’s blessings. So be like Abraham and become a blessing to all. Amen! Our God is willing to bless you and hopes you become this channel of blessing. Thank and praise the Lord!
Let’s pray together.
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for allowing us to return to Your words through this time. I know that Abraham is a channel of blessing because You blessed him, so he became a great nation. You blessed him, so his name became great. Today, I no longer rely on my own efforts to become famous; I do not rely on my own efforts to become prosperous. I am willing to receive Your promises and live. I am willing to become a channel of Your blessings. First, bless me, and I am willing to be a blessing to others. I am willing to let others be blessed through me. Starting today, please lead me to live a life centered on the church. I am willing to put You first in my life because I know You are a very good God, and the path You lead me on will surely be good. I thank You. As a new week begins, I believe this will be a blessed week. Wherever my feet tread will be blessed ground because Your blessings are upon me. Thank and praise You! All glory be to You. I pray in the name of Lord Jesus, Amen!
Let’s partake in the Holy Communion together.
Psalm 105:37, meditate on this verse: He brought out His people with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered. Do you know why? What happened? On their doorposts and lintels was the blood of the lamb, and inside the house was the flesh of the lamb. It was not to let them discuss the lamb’s flesh; the Bible clearly says to have them hold a staff and eat quickly because the road ahead is long. When they finished eating, and as they went on their way, their bodies were healed.
Don’t forget that they were slaves; slaves could not have the highest treatment. Over two million people could not have one person who was not sick. But the Bible says that not even one was weak; everyone regained strength because they ate the lamb’s flesh in the house.
Today, in our lives, this is the Holy Communion. As you meditate on this verse, so many Jews that night ate the lamb’s flesh in their houses, and their bodies changed because they digested it. So not one was weak; they all regained strength because they ate the lamb’s flesh.
Now each person begins to meditate on this verse before God. In the name of Lord Jesus, I set this bread apart; from this moment on, it is no longer ordinary bread; it is the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father! Today, as I partake in the Holy Communion, I remember that Jesus spoke to His disciples in the wilderness, saying, “I am the bread of life.”
Today I also believe that Jesus, You are the bread of life. I believe Your body was broken for me. When I receive Your body, I believe that I receive Your body, which will enter into my body and bring about change. Lord Jesus, I thank You for this! Thank You for loving me! Now everyone begins to meditate on the words received today and pray.