334-His Revelation is Always Present, and We Can See Clearly#
334-His Revelation is Always Present, and We Can See Clearly
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
1 Samuel 3:1-5
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am!” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
Let’s Pray Together
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for preparing such a wonderful time for us to share Your Word together. Through this time, let us know You more. You have given us the words we need to know today, to receive Your revelation. We do not wish to be spiritually blind, but desire to see You and the world with spiritual eyes. Please help us to receive Your provision. Thank You and praise You. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
The topic of sharing is: His Revelation is Always Present, and We Can See Clearly.
Samuel was born in the mid-11th century BC. He was a judge between the time of the judges and the time of kings. The Bible has the Book of Judges, and the first king was King Saul. Before this, it was the time of the judges, and Samuel was the last judge. He also led the Israelites into the time of kings, which began with Saul and continued with David and others.
What was the state of life for the Israelites at that time? They were in a period of darkness. Over four hundred years of the judges' era had plunged the entire Israelite people into darkness in terms of religion and faith. The priests at that time were very corrupt. What about personal faith? Let’s look at the summary of the judges at that time.
Judges 21:25, "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit."
This was the state of the Israelites at that time. There was no king in the nation, while in other foreign lands, kings ruled the people. But in Israel, there was no king. Does this mean they had no ruler? No, they had God! However, because this God was invisible, the Israelites acted as they pleased. What happens when a nation has no king? What would happen if our country had no king? It would be chaos.
That was the situation in Israel at that time. They did not lack a king; their king was the Lord. But they did not take the priests and prophets seriously, nor did they regard the rules set by God. Because of this, the Israelites acted as they pleased. When the people acted as they pleased, what was the state of the nation? They were often invaded by the Philistines. This was the external situation, while internally, the faith of the Israelites was in chaos, caught in a state of internal strife and external threats, with the environment in disarray.
When the external environment is bad, the real reason is that there are spiritual problems. For example, if someone has acne on their face, it is not an external problem; it is actually an internal hormonal issue. Whether it is a nation or a family, if there are problems with the fruit, we should not look for problems with the fruit itself, but rather investigate upwards to see if there are spiritual issues.
The problems of the Israelites were very obvious; they had strayed from God and acted as they pleased. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel mainly record how Samuel led the Israelites back to God.
The boy Samuel was serving the Lord before Eli. Eli was serving God as the high priest, but the problem was that God did not use Eli; instead, He used the boy Samuel. This shows us a spiritual truth: a transformation is about to take place, a change from the old to the new. The old must pass away, and the new must come in.
If it were you, would you choose Eli as your priest, or would you choose a child of a few years old to be your priest? Doesn’t it seem that both options have problems? It is precisely in such a faith life, in the last days, that God will raise up many young people. What about the old ones? Today, many people's concepts have not been renewed; they believe that a certain pastor is old and has a wealth of experience. But now God is raising up many young people in their twenties and thirties. Such people may lack social experience, so where will their revelation from God come from? This is the age of grace!
Today we talk about Samuel being in such a transformative era. In the past, there were many high priests serving in God's temple, but for four hundred years, the Israelites had been in a dark period. Is it the same now? Before young people are raised up, many people's faith has entered a dark period. Many people were better off before believing in the Lord, but after believing, their lives became worse and worse, with more and more bondage. Many Christians have developed depression. The fruits we see are actually signs of spiritual problems.
How does God solve these problems? Does He need to eliminate Eli? No, God wants to raise up the boy Samuel who is serving in the temple. The boy Samuel was serving the Lord before Eli. Who is Eli? Let me introduce you to Eli the high priest.
The first point of sharing: The spiritually blind Eli
1 Samuel 3:2, "One night Eli lay down in his usual place. His eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see."
If you have read the Old Testament, what do you find the high priests doing? They are helping the people offer sacrifices before God. How could they have time to sleep? Eli was lying down in his usual place. In the tabernacle, God did not prepare chairs for the priests, let alone beds. But what was Eli doing? Sleeping! He was lying down in his usual place. If even the priest is asleep, how about the people? This is a true spiritual state. If your church pastor spends all day sleeping and knows nothing spiritually, what will the state of the believers be? This is the real reason why the Israelites were in a dark period at that time. In fact, Eli was not very old; priests retire at fifty. The fact that a fifty-year-old is sleeping shows that his state is really bad. How do we know he is fifty?
Numbers 8:24-25
24 "This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting. 25 But at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer."
As a priest, one is not qualified to serve before the age of twenty-five. After twenty-five, they can serve in the tabernacle, and they retire at fifty. The entire service age is a maximum of twenty-five years. Now Eli has not yet retired, and he is sleeping. Those under fifty are in their prime, yet he is already spiritually blind. How does God describe him? His eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see. Eli was a person who could not discern.
In 1 Samuel chapter one, there was a problem. At that time, Samuel's mother, Hannah, could not conceive, so she prayed to God. The more distressed she became, the less she dared to pray aloud, not wanting others to know. She prayed quietly. When this woman was praying, Eli appeared before her, saw her lips moving, and thought she was drunk. Eli said to her, "How long will you keep getting drunk? Get rid of your wine!" You can imagine how blind Eli was. When believers come before God to pray, and someone is moving their lips without making a sound, he thinks they are drunk. In reality, this woman was not drunk; she was in great anguish, praying to God for a child.
God answered her prayer a year later, and she gave birth to a son named Samuel. The name Hannah means grace; in Hebrew, it means grace. The spiritual meaning is that when Hannah prayed to God, grace came, but Eli could not see the grace, even when it was right in front of him. This was Eli's spiritual life at that time. Brothers and sisters, when grace comes, how many people can see it? When God fulfills a prayer, they will thank the Lord for His grace and see God's grace through this, but do they see that every day, God has grace coming to us?
Yesterday, I shared a testimony in the group. Teacher Kong's partner asked him to pray for his mother, who is 86 years old and had a tumor the size of a small watermelon. Because of her age, the doctors could not perform surgery due to high risks, and all indicators suggested it was cancer. We said we would pray for her, and to help his family believe in the Lord and know how to pray, I specially recorded a prayer for him. After they returned home, they prayed for his mother, and a miracle happened. Within a week, the hard tumor became soft, and later the doctor found it was a benign tumor.
Brothers and sisters, you see this is God's grace, but have you thought that coming before God is itself God's grace? Eli, because of his old, dim eyes, could not see clearly. He did not know that this woman was in anguish, coming before God to seek grace. He thought she was drunk. Perhaps Eli often drank; I have mentioned before that if a person frequently judges others in a certain area, it is likely that they themselves are doing that very thing. We speculate that Eli often drank, so he mistook this woman for being drunk. He misunderstood God's grace. The Bible mentions several spiritually blind people; today I will talk about one.
Genesis 27:1-4
1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” he answered. 2 Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. 3 Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. 4 Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”
Everyone knows this passage. Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. When Isaac was old and wanted to bless his son, God had already given a prophecy about these two sons before they were born, telling him that the older would serve the younger. It was very clear. But when Isaac was old, his eyes were weak, and he could not see. Do you think Eli was in the same state? Eyes dim, unable to see clearly.
Brothers and sisters, one can be very old, but one must not be spiritually blind and unable to see. Moses lived to be 120 years old, and the Bible clearly states that his eyes were not weak, nor were his ears deaf. No matter what age we reach, even if we live to be 80, we should not feel that we are spiritually blind and unable to see clearly. We must understand that spiritual life determines physical life. If the inside is dark, one may not be able to discern even at 30; this is a very important point.
Isaac obeyed God when he was young, but when he was old and his eyes were dim, how did he accomplish the matters concerning his sons? Because he favored Esau, who often brought him wild game to eat, he had a good relationship with his older son. He said to Esau, “I am now old and do not know the day of my death. Go out and hunt for me, and prepare the kind of tasty food I like so that I may bless you before I die.”
Brothers and sisters, he completely disregarded God's promise. Therefore, God describes him as having dim eyes and unable to see. If our spiritual eyes cannot see, we will not understand the meaning of living in this world. Too many people do not know why they are alive.
Not long ago, a sister told me, "I really don't know what the meaning of my life is. My parents treated me very badly, and I just want to marry someone and get away from them." Because her family always asks her for money, there is no other topic to discuss. She married her current husband at 18, and the only reason was that he was obedient; there were no other conditions to speak of. After a few years of marriage, she was very miserable because her husband did not work and played video games all day. They were both still children and thought that getting married would be a way out, but it was not. Brothers and sisters, this is being spiritually blind. She thought that place was a way out and worked hard towards it, only to fall from one pit into another.
After marriage, she had three children, including a pair of twins. How could she live if her husband did not work? She said she worked two jobs every day and had not rested for a single day all year. She worked until 11 PM and had to help her children with their homework in the morning. The children were already in school, and when she returned at night, they were already asleep, and their homework was not done. She would wake the children up at around 5 AM to help them with their homework...
If you are living like this, what should you do? The key is that you do not know what the head is. This is a problem for many people; they do not know how to walk the path ahead. When Isaac was old, his eyes were dim, and he could not see. He did things according to his own understanding, but this was not God's way of blessing. God wanted the older to serve the younger. Although the younger did not bring him wild game, he was the one whom God valued. In Romans, it is mentioned: "Esau I have hated, but Jacob I have loved." Many times, it is because we do not see with our eyes that we judge matters and people based on what we see, which is a spiritual problem. Let’s look at a passage Jesus shared with us.
Luke 11:33-36
33 "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light; but when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when the lamp shines its light on you."
Brothers and sisters, while living in this world, we must pay attention to what Jesus shared with us. People in darkness need light the most. When the word of the Lord is rare and there are not many revelations, and the high priest often sleeps in his usual place, unable to discern right from wrong, it seems that there is no hope from top to bottom and inside out. If your current state of life is like this, what should you do? Where is the way out? Should you search again? It seems you do not know where to look.
What Jesus tells us is to let the light within you shine. No one lights a lamp and puts it in a cellar or hides it under a bowl; instead, they put it on a stand so that those who come in can see the light. As the world becomes darker, we must know that there is a lighthouse in this world, which is the church. If even those who believe in Jesus do not know the meaning of living, how can the world know? No matter what problems or discouragements you encounter, you will never fall indefinitely because you see the light. In the darkness, you will know where the direction is.
Jesus said, "Your eye is the lamp of your body." Brothers and sisters, our eyes should be bright. Hallelujah! Have you noticed that when babies are born, their eyes are particularly bright, but the eyes of the elderly are often cloudy? If our spiritual eyes are dim and we cannot see clearly, we will not know where to go. Jesus hopes our eyes are bright. If our eyes are bright, our whole body will be full of light.
Now let me ask you a question: Do you know that you are children of light? Because He is light, Amen! The world may say there is no light, no direction, and they do not know what to do. But we should not be like this. If our eyes are dim, our whole body will be in darkness. When we drift away from Jesus and do not have God's word in our hearts, we are in darkness. I encourage everyone to read the Bible regularly and listen to sermons so that God's word fills you, and you will never say you are in darkness.
Verse 35 tells us, "So be careful."
What should we be careful about? In the past, we were told to examine how many sins we have committed and confess them to God. But look, what does God want us to examine? "So that the light within you is not darkness." We need to examine whether God's word is in us because God's word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. If we do not have God's word within us, when we encounter situations, we will act according to our own ways, coming out of one pit only to fall into another.
God often wants us to examine whether we are in the light or in darkness. When you wake up every day, I hope everyone looks in the mirror and declares: "In the name of the Lord Jesus, I am a child of light. Jesus loves me, and as He is, so am I in this world." By telling yourself this every day, you are in God's light. Amen!
If your whole body is full of light, and there is no darkness, you will be entirely bright. This is your true self. Are you full of light? Why are you full of light? Because we are in Christ. Because He is light, if we stand entirely in the light, our whole body will be full of light, and God says, "without any darkness." Because the light of Christ shines upon you, your whole body is full of light, and you can bring light to others.
If we believe in Jesus but sigh and complain, not knowing what the meaning of life is, how can those around us see the light in us? Conversely, if we believe in Jesus and live in joy and peace, even when the world is anxious, saying that the economy is so bad and various problems keep arising, we still have peace because God is always keeping us. Living in joy, people can see the light of Christ in you during these times. Amen!
Returning to today's main text, the situation was that the word of the Lord was rare, and there were not many revelations. Why did God not want to speak often? It is not that God does not want to give revelations; it is that at that time, from the priests to the people, no one was willing to act according to God's word. Is this problem also present in today's era? The word of God is here, yet people say, "This is not what I want to do." Some say, "Why should I follow such rules? I can live however I want because we are free under grace..."
When we act as we please without being in God's word, it is not a good thing. At that time, from the priests to the people, they all acted as they pleased, as we just read. Eli represents the old system, a priest from the time of the judges. That system was gradually disappearing. When people stay in darkness for too long, they always want to see the light.
The problem is that there was not a single priest over the age of twenty-five who could help Eli; God could only use the boy Samuel. At that time, this was not recognized by people, just like now, when a person under thirty comes up to preach about God's grace, can a pastor who has been preaching for thirty years accept what you say? They might say, "I have eaten more salt than you have walked on bridges..." Pride may arise within them.
When comparing the boy Samuel to Eli, who would you believe? An old system versus a new system. Now God wants to speak to Samuel. God does not like Eli; in fact, Eli should reflect on himself, but he never considers where his problem lies. Let’s look at why God did not like Eli. At that time, there was a problem with Eli's two sons. Let me read an example for you; you will understand if you read chapters one and two.
1 Samuel 2:12-14
12 Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord. 13 Now it was the practice of the priests with the people that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
Brothers and sisters, you know that the priests serving in the temple indeed had the right to take meat, but not in this way. Let’s continue reading:
Verses 15-17, "15 But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one sacrificing, ‘Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.’ 16 If the person said to him, ‘First let the fat be burned; then take whatever you want,’ the servant would answer, ‘No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I will take it by force.’ 17 This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt."
These two sons were priests, and their father was the high priest, but in God's eyes, Eli's two sons were wicked men. How wicked were they? They did not know the Lord! Those serving in the temple trampled on God's offerings, which is a great sin! It is like someone standing on the pulpit, using it as a platform to attack others. What are they doing standing there?
The actions of these two sons caused the entire Israelite people to begin to despise the act of offering sacrifices. As it says in verse 17, they made people despise offering sacrifices to the Lord. In the end, people did not want to offer sacrifices because these two sons were too detestable. Why did these two sons do such things? It was for themselves. They saw the meat they liked and just took it. Don’t forget, this meat is God's! Did Eli see what his two sons were doing and stop them? No!
Brothers and sisters, as a pastor, if you see problems in the church or among believers, you should give them advice, even stop or reprimand them. This is good. But now the high priest sees his two sons, who are priests, doing this and does not stop them. Therefore, God said they were acting as they pleased. At this time, what could God say to them that they would listen to? This led to the true reason why the word of the Lord was rare!
This situation did not only happen then; it continued into the time of Malachi, where the people were again like this, and for four hundred years, God did not say a word to the Israelites. This is the most terrifying thing; God’s most severe discipline is to let go! "You do as you please!" Now there are priests, but whether they are high priests or regular priests, they are acting as they please, disregarding God's word. God is also unwilling to speak to them anymore. By the time of Malachi, God simply stopped speaking because they offered the blind, the lame, and the sick to God. This situation has not yet occurred; it is just because of the terrible actions of these two sons that people began to hate offering sacrifices to God.
If today the serving personnel in the church cause brothers and sisters to stumble, making them unwilling to gather or believe in Jesus, it is a problem with that church. If such a situation arises, what should we do? There is spiritual darkness, and the nation is in turmoil. What should we do? How to live? It seems that God is not present.
1 Samuel 3:3, "The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was."
The lamp of God had not yet gone out, representing that even in darkness, you still have hope. Recently, someone told me: After entering grace, I found that this pastor's preaching is not good, and that pastor's preaching is also not good... He criticized everyone, saying that not many people preach well. Do you know how I encouraged him? I told him to pray to God, seek God, and read the Bible; God will definitely give you revelation.
You must understand that no matter which pastor preaches, what they receive cannot be comprehensive. Just like when I preach today, I cannot explain everything God has for you in one hour. I can only tell you that even if you are in darkness, the lampstand of Jesus Christ is already lit, and God's word has been given to you. You must know that God's lamp has not gone out; even in darkness, you still have hope. Hallelujah! Even if your prayers have not yet been answered, please continue to pray! Even if you see the world becoming darker and the church not meeting your expectations, do not lose hope! Because you are seeking our Lord! Amen.
Even though the situation may not seem good, you still have hope. Samuel was already lying down, which indicates that everyone, from the priests to the young servant Samuel, was asleep in darkness. But the lamp of God was still shining, Hallelujah! At this time, God began to call Samuel. Did you notice? He no longer mentioned Eli. God did not care about Eli anymore; He began to call Samuel, and Samuel said, "Here I am."
The second point of sharing: God calls Samuel and dwells with him.
1 Samuel 3:4, "Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, 'Here I am.'"
Thank the Lord! What a beautiful scene! If today you see the world in darkness, your family in chaos, and the church in confusion, if God calls you, you should say, "Here I am!" He will surely guide your path. Amen! God uses people regardless of age; the key is whether you are willing to be used by God! Samuel served God in the temple from a young age. Because Eli could not see, God called Samuel, and Samuel said, "Here I am," indicating he was always willing to serve God.
1 Thessalonians 5:5-6, God's definition for you:
5 "You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober."
If you look at the surface meaning of this sentence, does it mean we should not sleep? What does this mean? Like Samuel, if you are asleep, when God calls you today, you should say, "Here I am!" Hallelujah! If you are in trouble or sickness and hear God's call, you should say, "Here I am!" This indicates that God wants to use you and turn your situation around. Amen! You are children of light, children of the day, not of darkness. Even if you are asleep, your spirit does not sleep. I suggest that everyone watch a segment of the Bible or listen to a sermon before going to bed. Even if you are extremely tired, it does not matter; your spirit does not sleep. Amen! Although Samuel was asleep, God called him, and he said, "Here I am." Let’s look at this passage.
1 Samuel 3:19-21
19 "Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word."
You see, the things Samuel did should have been done by Eli. It should be the priests who do these things, but a child did many years of work. Let’s look at Eli’s situation at that time. That night, when God called Samuel, Samuel said, "Here I am." Because he had never heard God’s word, he ran to Eli and said, "Did you call me?" Eli said, "I did not call you; go back to sleep." The second time, God called Samuel again, and Samuel said, "Here I am." He ran to Eli and said, "Did you call me?" Eli said, "I did not call you; go back to sleep." After three times, Eli finally woke up and said, "If you hear that voice calling you again, say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'"
After three times, old Eli finally realized that God was speaking to Samuel. As the high priest, his ears were too dull, and his faith was too slow. I hope everyone understands that the purpose of praying in tongues is to train our spiritual sensitivity.
Many people are spiritually dull. Things have already become this bad, yet they still do not notice. They do not even realize that dawn is approaching. Brothers and sisters, Eli was in such a situation. When Eli heard Samuel say this, he knew that God wanted to speak to Samuel. The next morning, do you know what Eli did? He frightened little Samuel!
He said to Samuel, "What did God say to you last night? You must tell me everything; otherwise, may God deal severely with you." Isn’t this the law of a pastor? How can you scare believers like this? Even if you want to receive such a revelation, shouldn’t you speak kindly? But Eli never thought he was wrong. This is what Eli said to Samuel, who was just a child. Samuel told Eli everything, saying what would happen to his family... Think about it, how was Eli's heart at that time?
Brothers and sisters, in these last days, each of you is a priest. Amen! But I am not the high priest; I am also a priest. We are all priests, and our high priest is Jesus Christ. As priests, we cannot be like Eli's two sons; we cannot be spiritually blind. When God gives us revelation, we must be able to discern it! Regularly praying in tongues, when God speaks a word to you, you should be able to capture it. No matter where you want to go in life, during the prayer process, God will surely lead you.
When Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and none of his words fell to the ground. Today, many people long for gifts but do not read the Bible, wanting to hear God say something to them. I am very troubled when people say to me, "Teacher, there is a problem at home; please pray for me and see what God says." I am most afraid of being asked to pray like this. I am not a prophet; my role is that of a teacher. Not every prayer will have a word from God. Many people ask, "Did God give you a word?" Of course, if there is a word, I will tell them. But it is not always the case because that is the way prophets operate. Even if they pray to God, it is not guaranteed that God will always have a word for them. But we still have the Bible.
In our daily lives, the wisdom and ways to handle matters are all in the Bible. Unless in special circumstances, God will speak to you specifically. But we cannot always look for what God has said. It is clear that the Lord was with Samuel, and none of his words fell to the ground. At that time, the Lord appointed Samuel as a prophet, and people recognized him as a prophet. Why? Because of his age! I believe that in the last days, which we call the age of grace, God will raise up many young people, surprising the older generation and those who have been preaching for many years. So you have hope! Even if you have just believed in the Lord for a short time, you can receive God's revelation if you are willing to pursue it. God will surely tell you. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord! This has nothing to do with biological age; I am talking about the length of time one has believed in the Lord. I hope every brother and sister has a heart to pursue, allowing God to lead you.
Finally, let me share: God was with Samuel, which forms a sharp contrast with the previous statement: "The Lord was not often revealing." God is with you; no matter what you encounter, do not lose heart.
Let’s look at a few people. Genesis 39:2-3
2 "When Joseph was taken down to Egypt, Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 3 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master."
If you want your life to go smoothly, remember the previous sentence: "The Lord was with him." Joseph was living in the house of an Egyptian, and his identity was that of a slave. Even so, the Lord was still with him! He prospered! Prosperity does not mean there are no setbacks or difficulties; it means that no matter what difficulties he encountered, God would reveal and help him resolve these problems. At that time, Joseph must have lived a different life. His master saw that the Lord was with him; how did he see it? Because this slave was different from other slaves. Amen!
When Joseph knew that the Lord was with him, he had peace in his heart while working, joy on his face, and showed a difference from other slaves. Every time his master asked him to do something, he did it well. Because God's blessing was upon him, he lived out this life as fruit, which is related to his faith. Amen! His master saw that the Lord was with him and saw that the Lord made everything he did prosper. We especially want to live out such a life, especially in the last days, in darkness. We hope to live out such a life; please build your inner life! Amen!
If you know that God is with you, you will not care whether the outside is dark. Philippians is a letter of joy. At that time, Paul was in prison, comforting those outside the prison, saying, "Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!" Who is in prison? Through Paul’s perspective, you can see that you have merely changed to a larger prison. Although Paul was in a small prison, his heart was free and joyful. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord! Christians should live out such a life, knowing that the Lord is with you, and everything you do is hopeful.
Let’s look at another person, David. 1 Samuel 18:14-15
14 "In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him."
Brothers and sisters, if you want to establish a reputation in your work, family, or among friends, it is not by force but by doing things wisely. How can you do things wisely? By having godly wisdom. Amen! When you do things with godly wisdom, you will always think of methods that others cannot imagine. Even when difficulties arise, the first thought is not fear but that God is with me. He will help me and give me strength to completely overcome all problems.
David was often troubled by Saul, but every time Saul troubled him, David could resolve it because he saw one thing: the Lord was with him! In the end, Saul saw that David was successful in everything he did and was very afraid of him. Brothers and sisters, if you want to be promoted in your company, hope for economic turnaround, and wish for everything to improve, seek wisdom from God and see that God is with you. Hallelujah!
In the New Testament, Jesus, Acts 10:38, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil because God was with him."
Is the Holy Spirit in you? If Jesus had power because of the Holy Spirit and God was with Him, then today the Holy Spirit has also anointed you. This is something you should know. Knowing that the Holy Spirit dwells in you, no matter what environment you are in, even if you see the world and society as dark and problematic, those are the facts. But you must see that God is with you. Even if you say, "Why does God speak so little to this world?" you must still believe that God is with you. Hallelujah!
When Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit's power, He did many things, going around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. Today, you see many people's transformations, many wonderful testimonies in the church, testimonies of healing and deliverance, and many testimonies of families being turned around. These are the fruits of their faith in Jesus, which brought them transformation. Amen! You must also believe that God is with you, and no matter what you encounter, do not lose heart!
Finally, let’s look at a passage, Matthew 28:18-20
18 "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"
Earlier, we mentioned that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit's power and lived a different life on earth, which we call a victorious life. Jesus also encountered difficulties and problems in the world, but every time He had the power to overcome. Today, God has given you this power, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you. God is also with you. Soon, you will face your relatives and friends during the holidays. In this process, remember that God is with you. No matter where you go, God is with you. Please manifest the great power of Jesus in you.
Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Why did He say this? It is to tell you that through His death, He has already overcome death and all the authority of the devil. Amen! After He received all authority, He said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Jesus has given you this authority. You now possess this authority and can live like Jesus in your life. Amen!
Do not say anymore, "Why is the Lord's revelation so rare? Why doesn't God speak directly to me?" God no longer uses the old ways; He has placed His word in the Bible and in the sermons each week. You can receive what you need through this hour of preaching or through reading the Bible. Both are possible. The rarity of the Lord's revelation will not happen again today. Today, God is with you, the Holy Spirit is always with you, and He has given you authority. Therefore, He says, "Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you."
Some Christians have believed for many years but still live as they do, treating God as God. This is because they have not lived according to God's ways, which has led to the lack of fruit. This does not mean that God is not in them; the Holy Spirit dwells in you. No matter what state you are in, even if you are in sin, weakness, or failure, the Holy Spirit still dwells in you.
What you need to do is to live according to God's ways. This is our way of life. You already have new life; experience God in your life. This is why I often tell everyone during daily devotions: "Today, let me experience Your presence." I hope that the God we believe in is not just the God in the church or the God in the Bible. You must be aware every day that He is with you. When you are aware that He is with you, when you encounter situations, pray to Him, and you will bear fruit. Hallelujah!
Our principle is to teach you to obey what God has commanded. I believe that God is with you and will let you experience His great power until the end of the age. Hallelujah!
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank You and praise You! Thank You for helping us through Your word, letting us know that Your revelation is always present. We are not spiritually blind; the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and we possess Your wisdom. We are children of light. Jesus Christ has already paid the full price for our sins on the cross, so You always smile upon me and will never be silent. I am willing to receive Your word through listening to sermons and reading the Bible as we begin a new week. No matter how those around me live, I am willing to live according to Your word. Please lead me to experience Your word this week. I believe Your revelation is always present. With my spiritual eyes, I will view everything, and You will help me experience Your great power. Thank You and praise You! All glory be to You! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!