342-Thankful for the Blessings Given by God#
342-Thankful for the Blessings Given by God
(JP Text Group - Organized Life Like an Eagle)
The topic of sharing is called: Thankful for the Blessings Given by God
Psalm 103:1-5,
1 (A Psalm of David.) Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits! 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases. 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for Your care and protection throughout the year. In this season of harvest, we come to express our gratitude. At this time, we give thanks to our Lord, for You have always kept us safe, providing all that we need in this harvest season, and we have reaped what we require. We bring this firstfruits to You in gratitude. You know our hearts and will accept our worship in spirit and truth. We commit this time to the Holy Spirit, that we may receive Your abundant supply, distributing food in due season to every brother and sister, so that we may rejoice together with our Lord Jesus. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen!
A thankful heart cannot be imitated or learned. A thankful heart comes from experiencing the grace of Jesus, arising from within. Many people say, "Lord, I thank You!" because they hear those around them saying it, but their hearts are empty.
Such imitation is useless, as after a few days, they no longer wish to say it. However, if you truly experience Jesus in your life, experiencing His salvation, healing, and transformation time and again, you will find that you cannot stop thanking Him. Just like David today, my soul, bless the Lord; all that is within me, bless His holy name.
You can imagine that David was not speaking to others; he was speaking to his own heart because he truly experienced the power of God.
Why is this time called Thanksgiving? It is actually related to the biblical Feast of Harvest. At this time, farmers have gathered almost all their crops, and they thank God from their hearts for His provision.
Today, in the city, we may not imagine the joy of harvest, but throughout this year, we have been healed by God, blessed by God, and in this season, we also express our gratitude to God for His healing and salvation.
Brothers and sisters, let us reflect from our hearts on what grace God has given us this year. For example, when you were sick, you should thank God for your healing; when you broke through the bottleneck in your career through wisdom, you should thank Him for the blessings He gave you; when we face setbacks, we thank God for His guidance and salvation. Therefore, gratitude must have reasons.
Do you see how the character for "gratitude" is written? The top part is "因" (reason), and the bottom part is "心" (heart). So, when you express gratitude to God, there must be a reason.
What is my principle of service? Let every person who believes in Jesus experience His grace. You may say that there are many people in the Bible with different gifts. Yes, there are five-fold ministries, and different people have different roles and various gifts. My role is that of a teacher. My principle is that while you are here, I do not want you to learn a bunch of theological theories or understand how many gifts you have; I want each of you to experience Jesus in your life.
What does it mean to experience Jesus? It means I know this God is alive today, and I met Him yesterday. Just like Saul in the past, how did he become Paul? Before, he knew there was a God, but he had never experienced this God. He graduated from seminary and served many, but he relied on himself and had never experienced this God. Until he was on the road to Damascus, that day he experienced Jesus.
The transformation in life began at that moment, and it is very ironic that when the great light of Jesus shone upon him, he said, "Lord, who are You?" You call Him Lord, yet you do not know who He is. Isn't that a ridiculous question?
I do not want our brothers and sisters to call out "Lord..." without knowing who this Lord is. You may say, "I know Lord Jesus," but if you have never experienced Jesus in your life, your knowledge of this God is merely knowledge. I hope this Jesus enters your life, your daily life, and your career.
In every problem you encounter or every time you give thanks, you can think of Jesus. This is experiencing Jesus.
So the word gratitude is not something we just have now; it has existed for a long time. In the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelites to observe three major feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Harvest Festival, is the Jewish Thanksgiving. The Israelites remember how God kept and provided for them in the wilderness for 40 years, and then led them into the land of Canaan. After the first harvest, they offered thanks to God, so God called that day the Feast of Weeks. Where can we find some verses in the Bible about this?
Deuteronomy 16:9-13,
"You shall count seven weeks: begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. You shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, at the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide.
And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes. You shall celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress."
Continuing with verses 14-16,
"And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates. And you shall keep the Feast of the Lord your God for seven days in the place where the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.
Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you."
Through this passage, we see that while God blesses the Israelites, He also gives them some laws and statutes.
Everyone should distinguish that commandments are different from laws and statutes. When you violate a commandment, it leads to death; but if you violate laws and statutes, it is like what we say today: if you do not believe in Jesus, you are destined to die; but if you believe in Jesus, what happens if you do not listen to His words?
We need to clarify this; it is not that everyone should stop keeping the commandments. No, you cannot keep the commandments; Jesus has fulfilled them for you. But what about the laws and statutes? Are they outdated? Many people say that Jesus fulfilled everything on the cross; does that mean Jesus also fulfilled all the laws and statutes for us? No, brothers and sisters, this is our life; life requires you to experience Jesus.
The commandments are the part you can gain life from, while life (laws and statutes) is the part you can gain blessings from.
Many Christians have received life, but they do not live according to God's words, so they do not see Jesus in their lives and cannot see His blessings. This is why many people fail and fall time and again; because they have not experienced Jesus in their lives or lived according to God's words.
Here, God gives them favorable weather; rain when it is time for rain, and wind when it is time for wind. If a person never sows seeds, can they receive blessings during the harvest festival? No! No matter how great your faith is, you will not have a harvest! So God tells the Israelites to sow when it is time to sow, do not be lazy, and then during the harvest, you can rejoice together.
From the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain, you shall count seven weeks. How many days are seven weeks? 49 days. Imagine, from the time you start harvesting, for 49 days, not only the crops from the field but also the new wine and oil, everything is harvested within those 49 days. After all this is done, God says: Come, let us rejoice together!
Then after you finish harvesting, you shall take the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you, and keep the Feast of Weeks. What does this mean? God not only allows us to be blessed but also ensures that we are satisfied materially and spiritually.
Let us consider this: if the blessings given to the Israelites were each taken home and enjoyed alone, would that be acceptable? Yes, but they would miss out on a portion of joy.
Do you know what kind of joyful scene the Feast of Harvest is? Everyone brings their harvest to the house of the Lord, and the temple is filled with delicious food, and everyone says, "Come, let us eat together! You can taste my pears, and I can taste your apples," and the joy multiplies. This is God's intention; it is not that God lacks these things, but He wants us to rejoice together with Him.
When we see these things, we say, "Thank the Lord!" This is our reason to be grateful; God not only blesses me but also blesses him, and when we see our brothers and sisters blessed, we can rejoice together.
Some may say, "But there are always those who are not blessed; what about them?"
Verse 11 states, "You and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, shall rejoice before the Lord your God in the place where the Lord chooses to make His name abide."
During this Feast of Harvest, no one is excluded; whether you are local or a foreigner, it does not matter; everyone can come. This is the Feast of Harvest. It is a wonderful thing.
Now, if you go to Israel during the Feast of Harvest, the Jews show incredible warmth. They no longer say, "Oh, you are a foreigner!" During the Feast of Harvest, they do not do that. Their hearts are all open, and they lay out delicious food for you.
This is similar to our Chinese New Year; during the New Year, we all become kind-hearted. If there is someone poor nearby, we give them something to eat. Hearts are open at that time. During this Feast of Harvest, those orphans, widows, and the Levites (who do not have their own land) also participate, so they have sown and have been blessed by God, and the Levites rejoice with them. Even those who have nothing can join in and rejoice together.
So today, as we celebrate this Thanksgiving, many will have testimonies of how they have been blessed by God. At the beginning of the year, we encouraged everyone to write down what you hope God will accomplish for you, as a reminder. Many wrote down their hopes, and after our gathering, we can share together.
You can share the great things God has accomplished in your life this year. When you share, it is the blessing you received from God, and as others listen, they will be comforted by your blessing. When we listen to each other, our hearts are moved by God. We realize that God not only blesses me but also blesses him. Hallelujah!
So this is the true purpose of our Thanksgiving celebration: It is because we thank Jesus that we celebrate this festival.
Brothers and sisters, let us continue,
Verse 12 states, "And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt. You shall be careful to observe these statutes."
God is not saying that at this time you should keep the Ten Commandments; He is saying that you should remember these statutes, which show how great the grace and blessings God has given you are. Please do not be proud; do not look down on those who have nothing; do not look down on those who are not as good as you, because all of this is given by God.
If you say, "I feel like I have not experienced Jesus this year," it does not matter; you can see that God can bless him, and from this moment on, express gratitude to God, because if God can give him, He can also give you.
Verse 14 states, "And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates."
So the most important tone of the Feast of Tabernacles is joy! In this joy, you will find that the things from the past commandments seem to be set aside. You know that in the past, Gentiles could not eat with Jews; that was something they absolutely would not do. They considered Gentiles unclean. But at this time, during the Feast of Harvest, you can eat with your servants, with orphans and widows, and with Gentiles, because the main theme is joy. Joy because of God's blessings.
Verse 15 states, "And you shall keep the Feast of the Lord your God for seven days in the place where the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice."
If you say, "I feel like I missed out this year; I just came to church." It does not matter; from next year, our church can guide you to write down what you hope God will accomplish for you, and then next time we celebrate Thanksgiving, I believe you will surely experience this God, because our God does not lie. If you believe in your heart and plant the seed, you will surely reap. Thank and praise the Lord!
Verse 16 states, "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed."
In the Old Testament, God clearly stated that the Israelites should offer thanksgiving offerings before God, because God blesses us, leads us through the year safely, and provides everything we need for our physical bodies.
So the entire Psalm 103 is about gratitude and praise. Here, David tells everyone not to forget all of God's benefits. He keeps saying, "Bless the Lord, O my soul."
From this statement, you can see that David is truly a grateful person. He knows that everything he has is given by God. This is David's heartfelt praise to our God. He reflects on God's grace and the immense provision God has given him throughout the year. You also know that David experienced countless times of salvation, help, blessing, and grace in his life.
What was David doing before? Before he was anointed king, he was just a shepherd. A shepherd boy, not favored by his family, how could he become the king of Israel? This was something he never dared to imagine, but God chose him. You could say this was God's grace upon him.
So today, no matter where we stand in this world, we know that God has placed us here to experience His grace. Some may say, "I particularly want to stand in the position of a king and try it out." If you do not have the heart of a king, you will come down quickly.
You see, in the books of Kings and Chronicles, there are many kings; Israel had many kings, and the shortest one went up and came down in just a few days. Why did you go up? Without the strength, when God places us in that position, we cannot bear it.
So what does this mean? If you want to receive greater blessings, God first lets you start small, and then step by step lifts you to the highest place. So, from your current position, express gratitude to God! When God gives you more, you will be able to express more gratitude to Him.
David truly thanked God, so he knew that our God is the one and only sovereign, a God full of love, grace, and mercy. David also knew that without God's protection, he could not have lived to this day, so he always reminded himself, "Do not forget all of God's benefits."
The era we live in today is one that greatly neglects God's grace. Many people often take God's grace for granted. Why? Because they still rely on their own efforts and achievements to exchange for God's blessings.
Some may say, "I am not like that; how do I determine whether I am working hard or receiving God's blessings?" Actually, it can be seen completely from the mindset. Every day, do you believe "God has already blessed me, and I will do things; no matter how much I harvest, I am blessed," or do you think, "I can only thank God after I am blessed"? These are two different things.
You work hard to present yourself before God, hoping He will accept you; in fact, this already forgets God's grace. What I want to say today is that no matter what, even if today our prayers have not been answered, do we not have God's grace? Absolutely! Because the fact that your prayers have not been answered is also God's grace. You just do not realize that this is God's grace.
We think, "I want something, and God gives it to me; that is called grace." Many times, God does not give you what you want because He loves you, so He cannot give it to you right now. If He gives it to you, it will ruin you, and He cannot give it to you; this is also God's grace. Amen!
So do not forget all His benefits. When we face many unresolved issues in life, we rely on ourselves, and this person seems to not see God; they feel as if they have been abandoned by God.
For example, some people say, "Why can others be so blessed, but I am not? Why do I receive less than others?" When they have such doubts, it proves that they do not understand what "all the benefits God has given him" means. Some even say, "What else do I need to do for God to be pleased with me and help me?" The truth is, it is not about what you do, but how you believe correctly. If you believe correctly, what you do will naturally be correct.
Let us share the first point: The Grace of Forgiveness
In verse 3, it mentions, "He forgives all your iniquities." You may say, "I feel like I have not experienced God's grace today." No, you have experienced it; today you may not have received God's blessings, but God has forgiven all your sins today, and that is the greatest grace.
You must know that all the grace that follows is built upon the grace of forgiveness. When Jesus shed His blood on the cross for our sins, reconciling us with the Father, it is on this basis that all other grace follows. This is what the Bible refers to as a life of "grace upon grace."
What is grace upon grace? When one grace ends, the next grace follows.
What is the basis for God blessing you so much? Is it because your behavior is good? Is it because you work hard enough? No, it is because of Jesus, so the Father gives you all these blessings one after another.
Some may ask, "Why have I not received?" They always ask this. Then look at where we have deviated; we must adjust back, and you will receive, because God never lies. So if you say other areas seem not to be blessed, start by recognizing the grace of forgiveness, and you will surely experience more of God's grace and blessings in other areas.
God's grace is perfect and includes everything. If you only know that God has forgiven part of your sins, then we still feel that God does not love us that much. Here, David says, "He forgives all our iniquities." How much does "all" refer to? Everything.
Some of the teachings we received in the past were that God forgave our sins before believing in Jesus, but after believing in Jesus, it seems that we have not been forgiven. Is that what "all" means? You should question that. If you believe incorrectly, your life will definitely be wrong. Since God said He forgives all your iniquities, then "all" includes the past, present, and future. That is what "all" means. It does not mean just the past; that is not "all." All your iniquities are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus.
When you understand forgiveness, you can live joyfully; when you understand being forgiven, you can know gratitude. The more you understand forgiveness, the more joyful you will be, and the more things you will have to be grateful for.
Let us look at a passage of scripture,
Luke 7:44-46, "Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.'"
In Luke chapter 7, there is a story: a Pharisee invited Jesus to his house for dinner. Although he invited Jesus, to him, Jesus was not the most important; he did not even provide the most basic hospitality. At that time, a woman, known as a sinner, entered. After she came in, she did things that no one else had ever done; she cried, wet Jesus' feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and continually kissed Jesus' feet, pouring oil on His head and feet.
Brothers and sisters, if it were you in that situation, seeing this woman, what would you think? "Don't disturb us while we eat; what are you doing?" We instinctively reject such behavior. Why are you doing this? But did Jesus think this woman was being excessive? Let us read further,
Verses 47-50, "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace!"
What do you see? From this story, you can reflect on a question: Was this woman's series of actions forced by Jesus? No, it was her willing heart. You could say this was her gratitude towards Jesus. She knew that Jesus had saved her and changed her life, so whatever she did for Jesus today, she felt it was not excessive. The woman's hair is her glory; she brought her best before Jesus.
Do you know that bottle of perfume was worth a year's wages for an adult man? Would you be willing to buy a bottle of perfume with a year's salary and pour it on Jesus' head? Don't answer me; that is your inner thought. Why was this woman willing to do this? No one forced her; it was her gratitude towards God.
What was she grateful for? She was grateful that many of her sins were forgiven, so she was willing to do these things for Jesus. And what did Jesus give her? "Your sins are forgiven; your faith has saved you. Go in peace!" Did Jesus also affirm her? So we must understand that the more we are forgiven, the more love we have inside.
We do not compare who received more blessings this year; blessings are just part of it. We look at who received Jesus' love the most. How do we see that? You can see how much love this person gives, and you will know that they have received more love than that.
I used to tell brothers and sisters that when you want to give someone a cup of water, you must have at least a bucket of water. If you only have a cup of water, how can you bear to give it to someone else?
God should give you more; this is the first grace of forgiveness. You should taste and see the grace of forgiveness. Every time you see that you have sinned, you have been weak, you have fallen, at that moment, express gratitude to God, "Lord, I am so corrupt, yet You have not abandoned me; I am so ignorant, I have committed so many sins, yet You still love me!" The love you have for Jesus will increase, your mood will improve, joy will increase, and the things you are grateful for will multiply.
The second: The Grace of Healing
Previously, it was mentioned that He forgives all your iniquities; now it says He heals all your diseases, all your diseases.
1 Peter 2:20-25,
20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; 23 Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
This passage tells us how you receive healing. This year, many of us have been healed by Jesus. I want to ask the brothers and sisters, how much effort did you put into receiving Jesus' healing? Did anyone fast for a week? Did anyone fast for 40 days to receive it? No, right? Not a single one.
So we do not rely on these things, "Lord, look, I have been hungry for 40 days; if You do not heal me, I will die!" A child might use such a method to threaten their family. Sometimes we might use this method to threaten friends, "If you do not help me, I will die in front of you!" But our God says, "Do not do that; you do not need to threaten or say such scary things; I can accomplish it!"
So how do we receive these? You must believe that Jesus has accomplished all of this for you. Why was He beaten? It was so that you could be healed. Hallelujah!
Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example. Why did Christ suffer? Why did Jesus Christ suffer? Remember, whenever Jesus received something negative, He always gave you something positive. Jesus suffered so that you would not have to suffer; Jesus was beaten so that your body would not have to suffer. Isn’t that simple?
Jesus left us an example so that we should follow in His steps. You must know this is not forced. The teachings we received in the past were that since you have believed in Jesus, you must do this for Jesus and that for Jesus, and then God can heal you and bless you. Today, we do not speak like that.
Have you noticed that many people who have been healed by God this year are particularly eager to introduce Jesus to those around them? This is us following in His steps.
Do you think Jesus was forced to preach the gospel to us? Was the Father forcing Him to go down?
"If you do not go down, I will kill you!" Did the Father say that to Him?
He knew the Father's love, so He could not wait to show us the Father. He knew that this Father truly loves us, so He was willing to share the Father's heart, His love, His healing, and His provision with us.
After you received healing from Jesus this year, you also want to tell others, "Stop thinking too much; receiving healing is really simple. Just believe and you will receive! Thank and praise the Lord!" Those who received healing all have one thing in common: they believe in Jesus and repeatedly listen to the correct teachings, and their physical ailments disappear. Isn’t it wonderful, brothers and sisters? This is something we can do, and it is particularly simple.
After receiving healing, they are particularly willing to testify for Jesus; their lives change, and they say, "This God is truly wonderful." Your life begins to enter a positive cycle; the more you are grateful, the more God allows you to have more things to be grateful for. This is why many people, after being healed, have more faith in healing than others. Because they have experienced Jesus in this area, healing is not a difficult thing.
Some people may say, "Pastor, do not talk to me about healing; I have experienced it countless times. Talk to me about economic turnaround!" I want to hear about that. Others may say, "Pastor, I am not worried about economic turnaround; that is too easy. Talk to me about how to be healed!" I say it is the same.
So it is not that we rely on faith for the economy and rely on faith for healing; it is all faith, all things arise from faith. It is all about believing that Jesus has accomplished all of this, that He is willing to bless you, He is willing to forgive all your sins, and He is willing to heal all your diseases. Hallelujah! It is that simple! So the grace of healing is also freely given by God. Only those who have experienced God's grace will truly express gratitude from their hearts. And this gratitude will lead to action, making them more willing to draw close to Jesus and serve Him.
Let us look at Luke 4:38-39,
"Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them."
This person is Simon Peter's mother-in-law. When Jesus visited her, He touched her, and her fever was healed. After she was healed, did you notice that she got up and began to serve Jesus? Was anyone forcing her? No.
I want to tell everyone that believing in Jesus is a joyful thing, and serving Jesus is an even more joyful thing. Do not think that serving Jesus is too painful and that you have to take out a lot of time. It is not like that; it is because you have once again experienced the power of Jesus, so you are willing to see more of Jesus' work through serving. So I see more in this area; I have seen countless people transformed because of Jesus, healed from illnesses, families changed, bad habits changed, lives transformed—so many! I see them transformed by Jesus, and my heart is also very joyful.
So in the process of serving, I am constantly witnessing the power of Jesus. Today, this word is real; He is willing to heal all your diseases.
The third: The Grace of Redemption
In verse 4, "He redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies."
When we encounter problems in life, facing imminent death, you should call upon your Lord, for He is the one who blesses you. Every time we are saved by God, we are more willing to express gratitude to our God.
Now, this death comes from sin, and the most terrible outcome sin brings to humanity is death. But today we can thank God because He does not allow us to have this outcome. The Lord Jesus personally died for us, paid the price for sin, and God has promised us that one day when our bodies die, we will also be resurrected from the dead, transformed into an incorruptible and glorious body. This is God's grace of redemption.
So when you reach a low point in life, facing problems and death, at that moment, call upon your Lord; He will surely redeem you from death.
1 John 4:9-10,
"In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. This is love."
This is God's definition of love in the Bible. God tells us what love is. We think "love" is a noun, but in reality, love is a verb. When we love someone, it must be accompanied by action. Jesus loves us, so when we face death, He saves us; He saves us from death.
Here, God gives us a specific way to be delivered from death: sending His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. So remember, brothers and sisters, if you have not yet accepted Jesus, I give you an opportunity to come before Jesus; what He gives you is life, it is definitely life.
When we seek help from people, it is possible that others dig a pit for us, and we fall into it, caught in a snare, and we may really lose our lives. But when you seek Jesus, He will always give you life. This is the Lord you should seek, this is Jesus who loves you.
If you have not yet accepted Jesus, I hope you will accept Him today, let Him become your Savior in your heart, and from now on, wherever you go, this God will save you from death when you have problems; as long as you call upon Him, He will help you.
Do you remember that in the Bible, there was a time when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, and Peter said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water!" Isn’t this just a child's way of asking? A pure heart!
Jesus said, "Come!" Then Peter began to step down from the boat and walk on the water toward Jesus. Suddenly, he looked down: "Oh no! Can I really do this?" "Splash!" He fell down. At that moment, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Did Jesus grab him? He pulled him up immediately. If we were Jesus, would we say, "Who told you to come up? Do you really think you are God?"
We would teach the child, teach those around us, because he failed, right? But Jesus did not do that. Jesus said, "Why did you doubt?" In fact, He was saying, "You can maintain that initial faith and move forward."
I hope our brothers and sisters maintain that initial faith. At the beginning of the year, what faith did you have when you wrote those plans: "Lord, I believe that what I write down, You will surely accomplish for me this year." Be full of faith at the end of the year as well. Because God will surely give you the best; this is what I am telling you because I have experienced this God.
You may say, "It has not been given yet." Just because it has not been given does not mean it will not be given. When the time is right, God will surely give you the best blessings at the right time and place. This is something that cannot be taken away from you. Just like David, David could only sit on the throne of Israel at the right time. After he was anointed, he went through many years. If David had been made king the day after Samuel anointed him, he would have become the second Saul. Do you believe that? (Yes.)
Because at that time, he was too young; he had not experienced many things. His heart had not yet correctly recognized God's grace. If you put him in that high position, he would immediately lose sight of himself. Many times we say, "Lord, why are You so slow? Why are You delaying?" In fact, it is because our hearts seem not to fully believe in God yet, and have not been changed by God to be more suitable. Once the time comes, our thoughts can bear that blessing, and God will surely give it to you.
Isn't Joseph in Genesis like this? When he was young, he was different, but he went through so many years. In the eyes of outsiders, that was suffering, but from God's perspective, it was step by step training him. In Potiphar's house, he learned at least how to manage a business; Potiphar was not a small household; it was like a big enterprise with many people, and he managed them well, keeping everything in order.
Well, God saw that he graduated, so what should happen next? You need to learn political economics; otherwise, if you are to be second to one and above ten thousand, how can you manage a country if you do not understand this? So he learned in prison. Do you see what kind of people are imprisoned? They are the ones who were close to the king but were demoted. Well, they know best who? They know the king's habits and how to serve the king.
So, Joseph learned from them. At first, he wanted to go out, but the time was not right, so God made that person forget him. Many times we say, "How could you let him forget? Such a big thing! I finally caught an opportunity to interpret his dream, and you say he forgot? What an ungrateful thing!" It is not that he wanted to forget; it is that God's time had not yet come. God said, "Wait a little longer."
You see, when the time comes, it is all in one step. Is God's route not step by step? First, you must manage a household well before you can manage a country! Today, are our blessings not like this? First, you can thank God for the small things; you believe He can redeem you in small matters, rely on Him in small matters, and when God gives you greater blessings in the future, it will be completely fine. If we are troubled by those small matters at home, losing sleep at night, and then ask you to manage a country, better save it!
You will not last three days before you cannot sleep because there is too much to do!
So brothers and sisters, in our lives now, let us see God's salvation and blessings in small matters and express gratitude to Him! Because He loves you, it says here, "Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Believe one thing: even if you mess everything up, our God will not give up on you. Even if you have nothing today, God's love has never diminished; you still have the opportunity to stand up again.
So what should we do? Believe that He is willing to redeem us from death. Amen! Therefore, Christians always have hope. Even if we encounter the most difficult things, we still have hope. So gratitude is not just because I have received countless benefits that I thank God. Even if all of this is not there, we can still express gratitude to God because He is my God, He is my Lord, so I thank Him. Therefore, we must have a correct understanding of God.
What is the last sentence? "He satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
Who is He satisfying? Your desires. He satisfies your desires, not God's desires. Today, there are many who advocate various doctrines and teachings, saying that we cannot casually ask God for things; we can ask, but we cannot threaten God. God gives you what you receive, and that is enough; do not always write down 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... Does that not mean you are threatening God and demanding from Him?
Brothers and sisters, is this a demand? When a child says, "Mom, I want to eat that chocolate," is that a demand? It is a request, but for the mother, it is a good thing, right? If your child never speaks to you from birth to the end, do you think that is a good thing? God hopes we ask Him, but what we say about demanding from God is different. The "ask" in the Bible means to inquire. This demand does not mean, "God, You must accomplish this for me!" That is a threat.
I have never taught everyone to threaten God, right? I said you should ask God; it is to consult God, "Lord, can You give me this? Can You accomplish this plan for me?" Just like my daughter says, "Dad, I want to draw a donkey." I say, "Here is the paper; can you do it?" She has an idea and goes to do it, and we support her. Is that not her request being fulfilled?
There are many people in this world who can talk big and theorize. I only do one thing: let you experience this Jesus. Otherwise, why are there so many people asking Jesus, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean"? Is this not asking God?
If you follow what some people say, if you have leprosy, do not ask; if God wants to heal you, He will heal you. What are you asking for? Is that not the same as demanding from God? So brothers and sisters, we must tell everyone that this is God's grace; God's grace is that He gives you the freedom to think. No matter how big your thoughts are, as long as you dare to tell God, God says He will accomplish it and support you! What we fear is that my child has no ideas; that is the worst thing.
Is it not? If humans do not have ideas, how can the world move forward? If everyone just eats, drinks, and sleeps, there is no progress at all. We have ideas and then say, "Lord, help me realize this!" God says, "Good, I will give you wisdom, I will give you resources to realize it." That is why technology is becoming more and more advanced.
If we had never thought of planes flying in the sky, and no one dared to have that idea, how could you fly in a plane? Is that not right, brothers and sisters? So, in Christ, you can think and let God help you! Hallelujah! The power of the Holy Spirit exceeds your imagination. So brothers and sisters, He satisfies your desires so that you may be fulfilled.
So in Christ, under grace, God hopes you have ideas. Just like in our church, my management style is division of labor; I am responsible for preaching, and others are responsible for other things. I say, "You do not need to ask for my opinion; just go ahead and do it." They say, "What if I fail?" Brothers and sisters, what do you say? "If you fail, you fail; just step on failure in Christ and continue doing it; that is fine." Is that not right, brothers and sisters?
So in the church, you see, our Thanksgiving is different every year, because your ideas are different. I say, "Whatever ideas you have, just go ahead and do it; it does not matter." What we fear is that we have no ideas.
"Pastor, you said you decide."
How do we celebrate this Thanksgiving?
"You are the pastor; you decide!"
What song are we singing this week?
"You are the pastor; you decide!"
That is it; this is everyone's home. We hope everyone can come in and participate together. In Christ, we can have many wonderful ideas. God wants to satisfy your desires.
So at the beginning of this year, many of you wrote down your wishes; is that not what you desire? God says, "I will satisfy you." What does satisfaction mean? When God accomplishes it for you, you will once again thank God for these things, "Lord, You accomplished this for me; I know You love me." This is tangible evidence.
We can take this evidence to tell others, "You can also rely on God; look, God can bless me, and He can also bless you. He is truly a God worth thanking, because with Him, there is always grace, love, and mercy. He allows us to make mistakes, allows us to be weak, allows us to fall, and He can make us stand up again.
The latter part says, "So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." In fact, David uses the eagle as an animal to describe God's care, protection, and renewal of us.
What characteristics does the eagle have? When it gets old, it has a chance to become young again. When the eagle is very old, the calluses on its claws are thick, the beak is long, and its wings are old and cannot fly. At this time, the eagle has two choices:
The first choice is to just die, and it will die quickly because the callus on its beak is too long, and it cannot catch food; the callus on its claws is also too long, just like our nails are too long and cannot work. So what should it do? The eagle has another choice, which is to start grinding its claws on the rock to remove the calluses. Does it hurt? Yes! It also grinds its beak, and then pulls out its feathers one by one. We say this is self-inflicted suffering, right? But you are wrong. When all this is done, do you know what happens? New things grow inside, and everything is transformed.
Brothers and sisters, this symbolizes our second life. In the past, I particularly liked a song written by Shui Mu Nian Hua, which says, "I have two lives; one is birth; I have two lives; one is meeting You. I love this world because You love me; I love this world because I love You."
This song talks about love between men and women or love between friends, but today if you apply it to our relationship with Christ, is it not the same? I have two lives; one is given to me by my parents, and the second life is given to me when I believe in Jesus. Many people, when they are old or middle-aged, God gives them a second life, allowing them to be fulfilled in their desires. Hallelujah!
Otherwise, how can you show this life? If I am 80 years old, and after believing in Jesus, I die quickly, then the second life of Jesus is not manifested in you! No matter when you believe in Jesus, from the day you believe in Jesus, relying on God in everything, God will satisfy your desires, and you will be renewed like the eagle. You can do many things you wanted to do in the past but did not accomplish.
Let us read a passage of scripture,
Philippians 4:4-7, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Now, let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for keeping every brother and sister during this time. You have told us through David's Psalm that we can also be blessed like David, so my soul, bless the Lord; do not forget all His benefits, for You have forgiven all my iniquities, healed all my diseases, and redeemed my life from destruction, crowning me with lovingkindness and tender mercies.
This year, I express my gratitude for all the blessings You have given me! You have given me a promise; You said You satisfy my desires with good things. I believe that the good things You speak of are the best, and they are things that the world will delight in. So I look forward to seeing more of Jesus' grace in my life, and I am willing to witness Your wonderful name!
Lord, bless all our brothers and sisters, and let us be here today with grateful hearts, expressing our thanks to You! Thank and praise You! Thank You for such abundant grace. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, please stand. Let us make one last prayer together:
In the name of the Lord Jesus, bless all the brothers and sisters who have listened to the sermon today. You should know that our God is willing to bless you. You know that all your sins have been forgiven, so the blessings that follow are freely given by God. He is willing to open His mouth to you; as long as you open your mouth to Him, He will fill you abundantly. So do not limit God's blessings; do not limit His power.
From today on, rely on Him in everything in Christ! God will allow you to break through everything, break through the bottlenecks in your career, family, and the problems you encounter. God wants you to stand out from this. This is a day of gratitude. So we thank God and express our gratitude to Him through Jesus to our Heavenly Father. The more you thank Him, the more reasons God will give you to be grateful.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I bless you and your family to be free from all diseases. This is God's promise to us. So this week, what you do will surely be blessed by God. Hallelujah! In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!