338 - To Have Heavenly Wisdom is to Gain Abundance and Honor#
338 - To Have Heavenly Wisdom is to Gain Abundance and Honor
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
The topic of sharing is: To Have Heavenly Wisdom is to Gain Abundance and Honor
1 Kings 3:3-13
3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."
6 And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this your great people?" 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
11 And God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you all your days.
Let Us Pray Together
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for giving us such a wonderful time to come before you. We are willing to receive heavenly wisdom, which will help us understand the world better and recognize your power through heavenly wisdom. Grant us the wisdom we need, and through this time and your words, let us receive provision, walk in your wisdom, and manifest your glory. We fully commit this time to the Holy Spirit, renewing every brother and sister. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
Many people know what to do after receiving grace; they declare and already know how to use it, commanding diseases to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. Many have been very effective in this practice. There are many such testimonies in our church regarding how to deal with diseases. But what about abundance? People not only hope for good health but also wish for a prosperous life to help more people. Thus, they apply the methods used for dealing with diseases to abundance, declaring in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that they are prosperous, sufficient, and lack nothing...
After declaring for a period, if the situation does not change, and the family remains the same, is there a problem with God's word? No, because God's word is very powerful and also very rich. If simply knowing to 'declare' could solve everything, then wouldn't God's power be too small? There is another important matter: wisdom! Do you know what wisdom is? Is there a difference between wisdom and knowledge? Knowledge can be learned through school and professional training; one can acquire a lot of knowledge and become knowledgeable, but that does not necessarily make one wise.
What is wisdom? It is the skillful application of knowledge! With so many words in the Bible, do you know which one applies to your current situation? This is where you need God's wisdom. When non-believers face circumstances, having learned so much knowledge, which one should they use? That is wisdom. Worldly wisdom can solve worldly matters, but heavenly wisdom can solve all problems, Amen! Is it difficult to obtain worldly wisdom? Yes! Because you need to read extensively, know countless people, have experience, and undergo trials to generate that wisdom. Why is a child's wisdom not as good as an elder's? Because the elder has experience; they haven't lived for so many years for nothing. A child's wisdom is indeed not as good as an elder's; this is worldly wisdom. But what about spiritual wisdom, heavenly wisdom? Heavenly wisdom does not depend on age. When led by the Holy Spirit, one possesses heavenly wisdom.
Let’s look at how Solomon obtained this heavenly wisdom. I hope that after sharing this, many can experience breakthroughs in their lives, especially in finances and interpersonal relationships. The world learns knowledge to improve relationships and increase wealth. They use worldly methods, which often do not yield significant results. We believe in Jesus and should use God's methods. Everyone can have heavenly wisdom, and you will receive two gifts: abundance and honor. Amen!
The first point of sharing: Sacrifice is to Restore Relationship with God
1 Kings 3:4, Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice, for there was a great high place; he offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
Why did God grant Solomon wisdom only after he made the sacrifice? Why not before? In the Old Testament, Jesus had not yet been crucified, and the issue of sin had not been resolved. Before a person can pray and receive God's response, they must first resolve the issue of sin. God must see you as holy and righteous for Him to listen to your prayers. If a person is full of sin and has nothing to cover it, God will not listen to their prayers. In the Old Testament, people had to restore their relationship with God through sacrifices. Verse 4 states that Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings.
There are five major sacrifices in Leviticus, and what is the purpose of the burnt offering? It is for atonement. What about the sin offering? It is also for atonement. Among these five sacrifices, it seems that all have the effect of atonement, but they are not quite the same. What is the burnt offering for? What kind of animals are used for burnt offerings? Cattle, sheep, or birds—these clean animals can be used for burnt offerings. Why is there such strict selection for these animals?
Let’s look at Leviticus 1:3-9
3 If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish at the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 And he shall kill the bull before the Lord, and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
6 And he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. 7 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 And Aaron's sons, the priests, shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat on the wood that is on the fire on the altar. 9 But its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water, and the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
The burnt offering and the sin offering are not the same. After offering a burnt offering, a certain effect is achieved, as mentioned in verse 3. People can use cattle, sheep, or doves for burnt offerings, as long as they are clean, according to their financial situation. If the offering is a bull, it must be a male without blemish at the entrance of the tent of meeting. The focus is not on whether you have blemishes or problems or lack; the focus is that your offering must be healthy. Amen! If the offering is healthy, what will God do? When you offer a male without blemish, you will be accepted before the Lord. Amen!
What is the purpose of the burnt offering? After offering a burnt offering, you are accepted by God. Solomon offered burnt offerings, and after offering a thousand sacrifices, he achieved this effect. Do not measure God's acceptance by quantity; that is incorrect. Solomon was wealthy, not just an ordinary rich man; he was extremely wealthy. If he offered a thousand, we can offer a dove or a turtledove, and it serves the same purpose. God will not say that since someone offered a thousand bulls, you can only offer a little dove; that won't do... In God's eyes, the effect is the same; it is simply Solomon's love for God. Amen.
At the beginning, we read that "Solomon loved the Lord." He was willing to offer a thousand. He had a large household and was happy to offer a thousand each time. This was his intention toward God. Just like when we go to church, some people donate ten yuan, while others donate ten thousand; God delights in our hearts the same way. The key is whether we are willing to give. Solomon offered a thousand; let’s see what this effect is.
He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
What does this mean? The person offering the burnt offering may have blemishes, problems, or sins, but when he lays his hand on the head of the burnt offering, his sins are transferred elsewhere, and the righteousness of the burnt offering is fully upon him. Thus, he is accepted by God. Amen! His problems and weaknesses are transferred to the sacrificial animal, which is then burned. After seeing this, God sees the righteousness of the person and sees that the person is accepted by Him.
This is why after Solomon made the sacrifice, God established a relationship with him, allowing him to hear his own words. This was a necessary process in the Old Testament. Even the high priest had to resolve his own sin issues before atoning for the people. In the Old Testament, to see God, one must go through this process. If this process is ignored, God will not listen to prayers. Does everyone understand this? We just read that whether it is a bull, sheep, or bird, all can be used for burnt offerings.
Finally: When the offering is burned, the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, there is actually nothing fragrant in us, but when the offering is burned, the fragrance of the offering becomes our fragrance. Amen! Think about it; is this not the case for us in Jesus Christ? It is impossible to be accepted by God based on our own actions because our actions have weaknesses and shortcomings. Our God is a righteous God, and His standard requires that there be no blemish or problem at all, but humans cannot achieve that. What to do? There must be a perfect offering, and Jesus accomplished that. Amen!
Jesus committed no sin at all, and His actions were righteous. When Jesus becomes our burnt offering, you are accepted by God. Every time you come before God, you must know that you are offering a sacrifice before the Father, and His name is Jesus! Why do we raise our hands to pray? You can understand it as offering a burnt offering in the Old Testament. I lay my hand on the head of the burnt offering, saying: All my weaknesses are transferred to it, and its righteousness and perfection are upon me, and I am accepted by God. Every time you raise your hands to pray to God, you must know that your problems are given to Jesus, and the righteousness and perfection of Jesus are upon you, thus ensuring that God accepts you. Amen!
Moreover, there is one more thing: Jesus has the fragrance of sweetness; do we have it? No, what to do? Ladies are most qualified to answer this question. What are cosmetics for? Our faces lack moisture; when cosmetics are applied, we gain moisture. What is perfume for? We do not emit fragrance; applying some perfume solves that.
All who are in Christ carry the fragrance of Christ. How much effort do you need to emit such fragrance? You do not need any effort at all. Just like if you want to emit a certain perfume scent, how much effort do you need? Do you need to strive to cleanse yourself to emit it? Or do you need to correct all your actions before you can emit that fragrance? Regardless of your situation, even if you are covered in filth, if you pour out perfume, can it emit the scent? Yes!
All brothers and sisters, remember: In Jesus Christ, the fragrance of Jesus is upon you! Anytime you pray before the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, the Father sees you as accepted! And you carry the fragrance of Christ, ensuring that your prayers are effective. If you are unclear about this, many people will say: Does God really listen to my prayers? Does God accept me? Remember: When you are in Christ, God accepts you. How do you enter into Christ? Very simply, with one word: "Faith"! What do you believe? You believe, just like we read in today's text, that Jesus is my burnt offering; He offered everything on the cross, so I am accepted by God.
Completely accepted by God, not based on actions, but because of Christ's actions. Hallelujah! This is why none of Jesus' bones were broken; He was completely offered before the Father. The offerings in the Old Testament were also like this; the skin, the internal organs, the legs, were all completely offered before God and burned. On the cross, the fire of God's wrath fell upon Jesus, so the fragrance of Jesus is upon us. Hallelujah! This represents the righteousness of the burnt offering being your righteousness. Thus, Solomon restored his relationship with God and was accepted by Him; likewise, so are you!
Hebrews 10:10-14
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
You can recall that in the Old Testament, sacrifices were made for those with issues, and a sin offering had to be made once a year. It was very troublesome, but if not offered, the relationship with God would be poor. Today you also have a sacrifice, but you do not need to offer it every time or every year. 'And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.' Many people say they are already saved but need to strive, continuously, and gradually be sanctified. Is this correct? What does the scripture say? Is there sanctification? How do you become holy? Jesus Christ offered His body once, who became holy? Why have you become holy?
Someone insisted on arguing with me, saying: This verse refers only to Jesus; Jesus offered His body once, and He became holy. My point is simple: Even if Jesus' body were not offered, He would still be holy; He is inherently holy. The purpose of His offering was to make us holy, just like that offering, which had no blemish, was offered before God to make the offerer complete. Jesus is the one who makes us complete; through Jesus Christ offering His body once, we are sanctified.
We are different from the Old Testament; in the Old Testament, sacrifices had to be made every time, but in the New Testament, Jesus offered once. Look at the last sentence: 'For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified!' That is you! Every time you feel incomplete, feel you have problems, feel you are not good enough, not qualified, think about Jesus. Jesus, two thousand years ago, offered a single sacrifice on the cross, which is enough to make you forever complete. Through this, you should believe that your relationship with God has been restored.
Jesus is our burnt offering. Every time you seek God or pray to God, when you pray in the name of Jesus Christ, remember: It is not based on your righteousness or holiness, but on Christ's righteousness! Based on His redemption! Amen! What is holiness?
Holiness does not refer to the behavior of not sinning; holiness means being set apart. This is the meaning of holiness. In the Old Testament, the priests had a plate on their heads that said, 'Holy to the Lord.' Did they not sin? The priests also have weaknesses and sin, but in God's eyes, when they wear this clothing and this hat, they are holy. Amen!
In Jesus Christ, God sees you as holy. Holiness does not refer to behavior; it means you have been set apart by God and are different from the world. Please remember: Every time you pray before God, you are different from the world and different from those under the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, one had to offer sacrifices before praying; but you are different; your sacrifice is Jesus, and you can pray directly before God. This is why we ultimately pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, because you are in Jesus Christ, and all your prayers are accepted by God.
1 Corinthians 1:30, And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
You will find that all of this is not the result of our efforts; it is when we believe in Jesus Christ that these things are done by God. How did you obtain wisdom? God gave it to you. How did your righteousness and holiness come? God gave it to you. How did your redemption come? God gave it to you. Do you know what 'give' means? Look at how 'give' is written. A treasure ' 贝 ' and something easy ' 易 ', the best treasure is easily obtained; that is the meaning of 'give'. Amen!
God gives the best in the easiest and simplest way: believe in Jesus! Is it simple? If you want to obtain heavenly wisdom, the best thing, God allows you to obtain it in the simplest way, in the name of the Lord Jesus! We need to confirm one thing: Solomon needed to offer many burnt offerings to be accepted by God and to have God listen to his prayers. You do not need that; you come before God with Christ's righteousness and are accepted by God. You are at the same starting point as Solomon.
It is not that you must offer a certain number of sacrifices for God to accept you and listen to your prayers. We stand at the same starting point as Solomon; after he made his sacrifices, we have also made ours. Solomon had to wait until night for God to give him a dream and show him a vision. You, however, can simply pray to God anytime. Amen!
Let me share my own testimony: Many of my interpretations and answers have indeed come to me in dreams, especially in the early hours of the morning. In the past, I did not understand many scriptures and could not unlock the Bible. What to do? Lord, grant me wisdom. Many of you also say: Lord, grant me wisdom. You will find that my sermons, even if heard for the first time, can be understood. My view is that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Brothers and sisters, many feedback messages say: My sermons are easy to understand. This is the first step; if you cannot understand the sermon, how can you receive it? How can you apply it? It is simply impossible. The first thing is to make it simple and easy to understand; God has given me this wisdom.
When I started preaching grace ten years ago, I asked God for this wisdom. Some people ask me how I prayed. It is simple: Lord, I do not understand this verse; please enlighten me. Is this wisdom? When the problem arises, and you do not know how to solve it, pray to the Lord for the wisdom you need at that moment. It is not like some people say: Lord, grant me wisdom... and then turn around and fall asleep, waking up in the morning and wondering why they still have no wisdom. It is not like that; wisdom is what you need today. Pray to God for wisdom regarding that issue, and the Holy Spirit will immediately tell you what to do. You will receive it. You need to repeatedly use God's words in your problems; that is wisdom. Amen! This is something to seek every day.
Many people say: Under grace, there is no need to seek anymore; this is incorrect. Wisdom needs to be sought every day. The Bible never says that after Solomon received wisdom that night, he never asked God for anything again. In fact, Solomon received a listening heart from God. Later, we will share this part.
The second point of sharing: What do you want to ask for?
1 Kings 3:5: At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."
Is this good? This statement is a promise, a blank check, as if God has already stamped it and handed it to you, saying: Write what you want. What would you write? Do not forget what your identity is now: a king! Very young, probably in his twenties or thirties, a young man who has just ascended to the throne, surrounded by many who are not satisfied with him. In this situation, how to govern such a large country? If governance is poor, he could be ousted. If you were the king, what would you want God to give you? God says: "What do you want me to give you? You can ask for anything!"
In the past, many great kings in China, shortly after ascending to the throne, wished for eternal life. We watch some ancient dramas and think, is this king crazy? Why would he believe in the tricks of those sorcerers? Pursuing eternal life... Because you have not been in that position. If you were in that position, you would rather believe that person could give you a pill for eternal life than believe those people's truths. Because that position is too comfortable, you would wish for eternal life to remain in that position forever.
Should you ask for this? You might say, I do not want this; living like this is terrible. Let me live forever, I would rather be killed... It is because you have not enjoyed it yet. So what to ask for? Some say, give me money. I remember someone prayed to God, saying: Lord, I do not want anything else; just give me a hundred million. Brothers and sisters, will a hundred million really satisfy you? It will not satisfy you. If you do not have a content heart, even if you are given a billion, you will still not be satisfied. Even if the whole world is given to you, you will still say, what about the moon? This is a lack of wisdom.
If you were the king, surrounded by many enemies, you might say: Lord, destroy those enemies for me, let my country be peaceful. You could also ask for these things. The three easiest things for people to ask for are: eternal life; wealth; and the lives of their enemies. Do you also hope for these? If these three could be achieved, that would be great. But Solomon did not ask God for these. Let’s take a look.
1 Kings 3:7-9
7 O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this your great people?
Solomon accurately understood his position, knowing how he came to this position: it was God who allowed him to succeed his father. According to worldly standards, he was not qualified because there were many who were stronger than him. After taking the position, he felt many around him were dissatisfied, so he said: "Lord, you made me king in place of my father David, but I am a little child." He knew there were many things he could not solve himself.
He said: "I do not know how to go out or come in; your servant is among your chosen people, a multitude that cannot be counted. Therefore, grant me wisdom to judge your people and discern between good and evil."
Brothers and sisters, do you know what this represents? When Solomon asked for these things, he knew what he wanted. He knew he was among God's chosen people, just as I preach to you, but you belong to Jesus, not to me. Although you are here under my management, you belong to Him. Just like Solomon, he managed the people of the nation for God, but the people belonged to God. If you view your relatives, children, and work with this wisdom, you will know what to do because it is not you who is in charge, but Him!
For example, in the business you manage, you say: "Lord, this business is not mine; I am managing it on your behalf." When encountering issues, you ask the Lord what to do. We often call Him "Lord." Do you know that "Lord" has a bit more than "King"? Solomon is now a king, and he asks the Lord. There are interesting words in this text; sometimes it is "God," and sometimes it is "Lord." It keeps changing. Solomon knows that the Lord is always a bit more than him. Now I hope everyone understands one thing: God is always a bit more than you! I have said too much; you may not believe it. The world says: What good is your God? You say: He is just a little bit more than the kings of the world. Just a little bit more is significant; when you confront your opponent, you will always have a bit more wisdom than him. That is incredible! You will always have the upper hand.
Solomon said: "Therefore, grant me wisdom to judge your people."
Whose people are these? Solomon said: "Lord, grant me wisdom to manage your people." At this moment, how humble Solomon is! He wants to judge God's people and discern between good and evil. Brothers and sisters, if one is wise, they must first achieve two things: First, they can judge all matters; second, they can discern between good and evil.
How do we distinguish between good and evil? Where is the standard? Since Adam and Eve sinned by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, humans have had a conscience. When judging right and wrong, people will use themselves as the standard, which is selfish. Some murderers say, "I am freeing them; they are living too painfully..." Have you asked if others want your help to free them? They judge others using their own standards.
We know that after eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the harm is that people use themselves as the standard to judge everyone and everything, resulting in constant mistakes. What to do? We need God's wisdom. We must return to God's word and use His word as the standard for discerning good and evil. Just like when people say: "How can you call yourself holy?" Where is the standard? When God says, "I see you as holy." Why? God has His reasons: because my son Jesus has already paid the price for your son, so you are holy and righteous. We know that according to God's standard, we are righteous and holy. We can receive blessings. Although the world says we are unworthy, we know you are willing to bless us.
This is how God sees you; you should see yourself this way too. God says, "I will not remember your sins anymore." Do you still want to say: "Lord, I have sinned..." This is just like in court; when the judge says this person is acquitted, how do you define yourself after leaving the court? I am innocent! They wronged me. Even if everyone around says you are guilty, if the judge says you are innocent, you are innocent. Do not believe their words; believe the verdict. Now God sees you as righteous; you must believe this, and in God's presence, you will possess God's wisdom and be able to discern between good and evil. Let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Hebrews 5:12-14
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food. 13 For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
I hope everyone remembers the last sentence: You must grow up! Growing up is not based on age; the growth of inner life does not necessarily correlate with outer physical growth. Some have believed for decades and are still children; this is very normal. However, some become very mature in just three years. There is a difference here: 'trained by constant practice.' First, you must know: 'skilled in the word of righteousness.' The original meaning of the word righteousness here is the word for justice.
We just mentioned that Jesus Christ on the cross offered all five major sacrifices for us, so you are completely accepted by God. Jesus is both your burnt offering and your sin offering; Jesus is your grain offering. Everything God needs, Jesus has offered for you. Spiritually, you are completely justified by God. How do you become skilled in the word of righteousness? It is by praying to God every time you encounter a problem, being assured that the Lord will listen. Perhaps someone may question: I have prayed for three days, and nothing has happened. Is it because I did this that God did not listen to my prayer? What is this? It is unskilled in the word of righteousness! You need to re-recognize that Jesus is your offering and return to the starting line.
Was Solomon accepted by God? God told him the promise: "What do you want me to accomplish for you? Speak." Does God have promises for you? Too many! Your promises are more than Solomon's. The Bible has about 1,500 promises; just take one out, and it can solve your problem. Every time you have doubts, return to the word of righteousness and become skilled in it. Being skilled does not mean memorizing it. Brothers and sisters, I have told you to read the Bible more.
Some say they do not understand; they forget as soon as they read. I will tell you the truth: I also forget as soon as I read. But just because you forget after reading does not mean you should not read. I have never asked you to memorize the Bible; I just ask you to read it. Can you do that? Just read it. Even if you forget after reading, it does not matter; as long as you have read it, when you need it, the Holy Spirit will remind you. If you have never read it, when the Holy Spirit wants to remind you, you will not be able to remember. So, you can only get a picture, a vision, or a voice, and you are still not sure if that is it. How troublesome! Therefore, we need to be skilled in the word of righteousness. Amen! When you are skilled, you will clearly know that this is God's word to you; this is the wisdom that has been given.
Otherwise, how can you discern? Brothers and sisters, if you are negotiating with a client at this moment, you say: "Lord, you control my mouth; let me say what I should say." What if you suddenly start speaking in tongues? What to do? Others do not understand! You can pray in tongues in your heart. Suddenly, some words come to your mind; just say them. That is the wisdom God has given you at that moment. Hallelujah! This requires you to be skilled in it. Being skilled means there must be a process of practice. There are so many words of God; when used, they become your wisdom. Use this method to judge your people and deal with others, right, brothers and sisters?
Next, there is a story about two prostitutes and their two children. One night, one of them accidentally rolled over and killed her own child, then took the other woman's child. The next day, they appeared before Solomon, and no one knew whose child it was. There were no witnesses; we now talk about human and material evidence, but there were none. It was dark at night; they could not even tell the difference, let alone others. In this situation, is wisdom needed?
Imagine Solomon sitting in that position, with the two women each claiming the child. What was Solomon doing at that moment? A wise person is praying. He has a listening heart. There is a phrase: "to judge your people and discern between good and evil." The original expression means: "Let me be able to listen." Listen to what? To God's voice!
At that moment, listening to the voices of people would be confusing; each would speak their reasoning. When both were speaking, he needed to pray to God: "Lord, please give me a listening heart." God will give you wisdom; He will tell you who the liar is. Solomon might have been praying at that moment, and God said: "She is the liar; you will know when you test her." So Solomon said: "Bring me a sword. Since you both claim it is yours, cut the child in half and give each half." Perhaps at that moment, God gave Solomon wisdom, but would you dare to use it? You would not dare; that is too scary.
God's wisdom is that when He gives it to you, you clearly know that it is from God. This requires practice. If you are not skilled, would you dare to use it? At that moment, Solomon knew it was his wisdom, so he said: "Bring me a sword." The child was to be cut in half, and the answer immediately emerged. It seemed like a deadlock, but God always has answers. This is how Solomon gained the ability to judge the people. Thank you, Lord!
I hope brothers and sisters will ask God for wisdom! When you seek wisdom, you will have insight. I give you this word: insight! Through this matter, you can see the essence of things. When you possess God's heavenly wisdom, others cannot deceive you. Amen!
I forgot what month it is this year. When everyone was speculating on Bitcoin online, virtual currencies were very popular, and people said that whoever invested would make money. At that time, I told you all to withdraw quickly; there was still time. I emphasized this for about three weeks. After a week, it started to drop. Who gave me this insight? I am not a professional; I am not better than those people. But I had one thing: a listening heart. God gave me this insight. Amen!
At that time, God wanted to use my mouth to let some brothers and sisters who had already entered the market come back quickly. But some did not believe it, and many fell into it. Of course, those who listened to my advice and withdrew made money. It was indeed very popular at that time. Not everyone was willing to withdraw. When it was at its best, how could they withdraw? But later, they lost a lot of money. This is called insight!
When God gives you this, even if everyone else is rushing forward, you need to leave. God has given you this wisdom. Therefore, in every matter, ask the Lord what to do. Perhaps at that moment, your brain is faster than a computer's hard drive, spinning at 8400 RPM. Suddenly, it stops at a place, and a verse comes out; that is given to you. If you have a completely blank hard drive, what can it spin out? Many people neither read the Bible nor listen to sermons. When they encounter issues, they say: "Lord, I pray to you; grant me wisdom." After waiting for a long time, no words are spoken. God is anxious; when He speaks, you cannot hear. What to do?
Brothers and sisters, reading the Bible works! Amen! I hope everyone has the ability to discern good from evil, which refers to insight. If this insight does not involve God, you can only rely on your experiences to judge, which will lead to mistakes. But if the Holy Spirit reveals it to you, you will not make mistakes. Amen!
I once saw a testimony: A couple was in full-time ministry. One time, they were driving to visit a sister. They were driving fast when suddenly God told them: "Stop immediately and pray by the side of the road." When this word came out, the brother driving said: "Lord, I am going to pray for the sister." The Holy Spirit continued: "Stop and pray immediately." He obeyed the Holy Spirit's guidance, stopped, and they prayed by the roadside for over ten minutes. After that, the feeling disappeared, and they continued driving, only to see a bridge collapse ahead. He calculated the speed of the car and the time; if they had not stopped, they would have encountered the collapse and been crushed under the bridge.
Through this matter, I want to tell everyone: Do not think that our lives are invincible and that nothing will happen. Even if I reach under the bridge, my car will hold up... Do not have such confidence, brothers and sisters; this is not wisdom; this is foolishness! Many Christians treat these as faith, strength, and courage, which is wrong. Many times, we need to avoid danger; otherwise, the Bible would not say to flee to the mountains. Some say we are servants of God; why should we flee? If anyone should flee, it should be them... Do not think like that; we need wisdom. When God says to flee, for example, do not go back to get anything from the field; run to the mountains. You might say, "Why run? I am a child of God." If you go to the city, you will die there. At this moment, it is not about how great your faith is or how many times you declare; it requires wisdom. If God says do not go, then do not go.
In 69 BC, the massacre in Jerusalem happened at this time. God told the people to leave that place; those in the fields should not go back to get anything; leave! Hurry and run! If you do not listen, what will happen? You will be martyred. But you say: "Lord, why did you let me encounter this situation?" You are wrong; it is not God who let you encounter it; God already told you to leave. This is wisdom.
I hope brothers and sisters have such insight; this is the power of discernment, the ability to distinguish between good and evil. Amen! Someone may ask, what does this have to do with what we are talking about today? I want money! I want to make a lot of money, to have high positions, and to have honor. In fact, with wisdom, the latter two are given to you for free. Is it easy for Solomon to make money? There was a Queen of Sheba, a queen of a nation, who came to hear Solomon speak: "Your fame has spread far and wide; I want to see how great your wisdom is. If your wisdom impresses me, all the good things I brought are yours..." With wisdom, making money becomes easy.
Some say: "No, I do not want that; I want money." Do not be so stubborn. If you obtain wisdom, God will easily give you wealth and honor. Hallelujah! Our country has a very reputable figure, Mr. Yuan Longping, who invented hybrid rice. Let’s popularize this: Does he lack money? No, he has wisdom. A reporter once said: "Mr. Yuan, many people online say you are the most handsome post-90s..." Honor is upon him; his wisdom has brought us great benefits. Think about it; is it not the same for others?
Mr. Newton discovered the law of universal gravitation. How did it come about? One day, Mr. Newton was under an apple tree, not knowing what he was doing, when suddenly an apple fell and hit his head. An ordinary person might say: "Why am I so unlucky? I will cut down this tree." If you cut it down, you will lose everything. Perhaps at that moment, Newton was struck and inspired by the Holy Spirit: "Think about why it fell on your head and not somewhere else?" Just this one question gave birth to a great scientist.
From God's perspective, there will always be infinite wisdom. Hallelujah! Many applications of wisdom come this way. When something happens, think about how the Lord will solve it. "Lord, grant me wisdom to resolve this." Stand in God's position and think about it; your wisdom will increase. Without this wisdom, declaring every day is useless.
Remember there was a couple who made some money in the city and then returned home to start a business. They sent many WeChat messages asking me: "Teacher Ren, why does God not bless me? I declare every day, 'The wisdom of Jesus is my wisdom; the abundance of Jesus is my abundance.' Why is my business losing everything? I have declared for a year with no improvement. What is the problem?" While she was complaining about the problem, God gave me a word: "Ask her what business she is in." I rarely ask others what they do, but I asked: "Can you tell me what business you are in?" She said: "We run a brick factory."
This was a brick factory from the 1960s. They returned to their hometown, and this brick factory could not continue. They used all their life savings to take over this factory, but there was no business.
She asked me: "Why does God not bless me?"
I said: "What should I say? As Christians, we do base our actions on the Bible, but we also need to look at the development of the world. Do you not watch the news? What era is it now? Houses are built with foam bricks now; everyone emphasizes environmental protection. Who still uses bricks that cause severe pollution? Why are you doing this business?"
She said: "We are Christians; whatever we do, God will bless us."
I said: "And the result?"
This was not God abandoning her; it was a lack of wisdom. Brothers and sisters, now we need to know what to ask for. In everything, let God give you the wisdom you need at that moment. Amen! This has nothing to do with faith. Many people mix faith with wisdom and cannot distinguish between them. They say that as long as you strive to ask, as long as you have faith, this matter will definitely succeed... What great things do you want God to do for you? You need to turn the clock back to the 1950s for your brick factory to survive. I said: "Your brick factory cannot operate in China; otherwise, go to Iraq or Pakistan; that would work." Is this not the truth? This is wisdom. We need this kind of insight from God. Amen! This kind of insight is not given by human experience; it is directly given by God. Hallelujah!
1 Kings 3:10-13
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you all your days.
It turns out that abundance and honor are the byproducts of wisdom. Amen! Do not ask for money, honor, or status; let God give you wisdom, a discerning heart, and a listening heart, and you will receive wealth and honor. In this troubled world, what people lack most is a listening heart. Many people have no one to talk to; the pressure is too great, and they just want to share with someone, and the problem is solved. My job is this, and God has given me all of this; God will give it to you too. If you have a listening heart, it does not matter what you do.
You say, "I am just a salesperson; what good is a listening heart?" Let the buyers have a listening heart. You are wrong; the highest sales technique is to make the customer treat you like an old friend, constantly confiding in you. They will buy whatever you sell. The low-level sales technique is when people do not want to listen, and you keep talking. "Do you want to buy? Let me tell you..." Next time, they will never buy from you again. Why did friends turn into enemies? Because you did the worst thing; people do not want to listen, and you keep talking. You need to let them speak! You satisfy their heart, and they feel happy about spending money on what they buy. The product is not important; what matters is the person. Therefore, when you have wisdom and a listening heart, wealth and honor will be freely given to you.
The third point of sharing: With Heavenly Wisdom, There Will Be Abundance and Honor
Proverbs 15:33, The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
At this moment, Solomon is very humble. Before he received honor and abundance, God had already given him wisdom, and he had a humble heart.
Proverbs 4:7-9
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. 8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.
When you ask God for wisdom, everything you need afterward, the position of honor and wealth, God says, "I will give you all of it; I will add it to you." Amen! I suggest everyone read a chapter of Proverbs every day; God will grant you wisdom. When you encounter matters, ask God for wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 7:16-18
16 Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that, do not withdraw your hand; for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.
Being overly righteous will lead to destruction; being overly wise will lead to destruction; being overly wicked will lead to death before your time; being foolish is the same as being wicked. What is being discussed here? Let’s take a look:
Do not be overly righteous; does this mean being overly righteous is bad? This refers to worldly relationships. Being overly righteous in worldly relationships is not good. For example, at work, if you always share food with everyone, if you share too much, everyone will dislike you, even if they do not say it out loud; they will dislike you in their hearts, thinking: "What do you want to do? You are always not doing your job properly, trying to win people's hearts with ulterior motives." Is this not being overly righteous? Worldly wisdom is gained from one's own experiences and leads to self-praise. People will dislike you; why should you destroy yourself? In the end, everyone will deal with you together. This is the result of worldly wisdom.
The latter part is the same: Do not be overly wicked. If you have a few small flaws, everyone can tolerate you. If you think people are easy to bully and constantly deceive and attack others, you will die before your time, meaning you will not last long; everyone will gradually distance themselves from you.
Do not be foolish. I just told you that whether in interpersonal relationships or anything else, we should not be foolish. Some things have passed; do not pursue them anymore. Pray and let God raise them up again. For example, a postman delivering a letter from one person to another, do not do this anymore. This industry no longer exists; we need wisdom.
Why should you die before your time? This means you are doing a sunset industry; the country has already banned it. The polluting industry will definitely perish; if the industry is gone, no matter how much money you invest, it is useless. This requires wisdom.
You should hold on to this as beautiful and not let go of that. This means that heavenly wisdom and worldly wisdom will lead to your destruction, but you should hold on to both; you must be both righteous and wise. Do not be foolish; you need to hold on to both. This is heavenly wisdom.
How can you obtain these? Fear God! When you fear God, heavenly wisdom will arise from within you. When you have both, you will not be disliked by others, and you will not perish foolishly. Amen!
James 1:5, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.
What kind of wisdom do you need? You say you need money and honor. First, seek wisdom! Seek wisdom, and God will add those two to you. Hallelujah! What kind of person feels they lack wisdom? A humble person! When encountering problems and failing every time, pray to the Lord to grant you wisdom to manage your family, your business, your students, etc. Lord, grant me wisdom! As long as you acknowledge that you lack wisdom, God will give it to you. An important point is that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom!
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for granting us heavenly wisdom through such words, allowing us to know that we are already accepted by God. This is heavenly wisdom. We pray to you, and you will surely grant us wisdom in all we do, manifesting your glory. You let us live out the likeness of Jesus in this world. In everything, I am willing to look to you and grant me the wisdom I need at this moment. After I receive wisdom, abundance and honor will follow. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I grant the wisdom needed by brothers and sisters this week. May they experience the power of your word this week, seeking the wisdom of God every day and experiencing the power of your wisdom. Thank you and praise you; all glory belongs to you. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.