363-The Lord's Prayer Series 4 - Your Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven#
363 - Your Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven
(JP Text Group - shalom compilation)
Peace in the Lord! Dear family, I am very happy to meet you all here.
The topic of sharing is the fourth lecture of the Lord's Prayer: Your Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven.
Let’s read this scripture together, Matthew 6:9-13:
9 Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. 10 May your kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Let’s start with a prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for preparing such a wonderful time for us to come back to you and offer our prayers. We believe that you will surely hear our prayers and are willing to listen. You want us to enjoy blessings and lead us during this time to gain strength and provision from your word. We completely entrust this time to the Holy Spirit to guide every brother and sister seeking you, so that we can all receive supply and nourishment. Our Father in heaven is listening to the requests of every brother and sister at this moment. Thank you and praise you, Holy Spirit, help us to know you more. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.
We share: Your Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven.
Prayer needs to be done in God's way; it is not about how we want to pray or saying things randomly. Such prayers do not matter to God. Many Christians' prayers are heard by God, but it seems that God does not care about these prayers and will not fulfill what He has said.
For example, some people say: "Lord, I am truly the chief of sinners! Please once again shed your precious blood to cleanse my sins..." Prayers like this, even if heard by God, do not matter to Him; He simply thinks that your understanding is not quite correct. There are also prayers that ask God to curse others; similar prayers will not be listened to by God.
You can tell our God about your grievances and let Him judge, but you cannot assign God to do something for you in your prayers. Prayer is to express to our Lord, asking Him to help us, and it is absolutely not treating the Lord as a servant, as if we are assigning Him to do something. I do not want your prayers to be ineffective, so we need to look at some principles in the Bible. Let's first look at God's will.
Share the first point: What is God's Will?
What is God's will? It is the words that God has spoken. God is responsible for what He has said. For example, there are many promises of God in the Bible; once God speaks them, He will be responsible for these promises and will certainly fulfill them according to these promises, but not necessarily for everything we say, because many of our words are contradictory and do not align with God's intentions. However, as long as it is a promise given to us in the Bible, you can rest assured that what He says will definitely be done.
What is God's will? This is a broad category. Many people use God's will to scare some believers, saying you must pray according to God's will; otherwise, God will not listen. You must walk in God's will; otherwise, everything is in vain... With such words, we do not know when our prayers are in God's will, nor do we know if we are walking in God's will. People will be fearful and tremble, thinking every day, "Is what I am doing in God's will? Is my prayer in God's will?" If people do not know what God's will is, they will fall into fear.
The Bible contains many aspects of God's will. God loves you; God wants you to love others; this is God's will. God wants you to forgive others; this is also God's will. God wants you to preach the gospel; this is God's will. When do we think this will is correct? Which will should we execute? So, brothers and sisters, if you do not understand well, you will fall into confusion and even bondage.
In the Bible, no matter how many aspects of God's will there are, there is one principle: love. Regardless of how many promises God has, they are all given to us because He loves us. The command ultimately is love; love is giving, is for the betterment of others. On this principle, God has given us many of His wills, His intentions, to let us obey, to let us listen to His words, etc. The purpose is all this.
Praying to God according to your current needs is in line with God's heart; He will surely grant it to you. If your heart is filled with hatred, and we pray to God saying, "Lord, quickly punish a certain person!" Brothers and sisters, this actually deviates from God's will. God certainly wants us to forgive, or if we feel wronged, we say, "Lord, I entrust this matter to you; you make the final judgment." This is God's will!
Once you grasp this principle, you will not easily be bound by others. God loves us, so He sent His only Son Jesus to the world to save us and help us. Now He listens to our prayers because He loves us; this is God's will. God wants us to live better! God wants us to receive His life.
John 3:14-17:
14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Have you noticed what God's will is? In the Bible, when certain verses mention God's will, you must look at the context to understand what God wants to say in that passage and what He wants to give us. For example, in this passage, God's will is that all who believe in Him may have eternal life. God hopes that we receive His abundant life in Him because He loves us. No matter how many aspects of God's will there are, they are all beneficial to us, all because He loves us.
God loves the world and even gave His only Son to them. What is the purpose? We lack life and need life; God gives us life. What should we do? Believe in Him! Believe that God has sent His Son Jesus to the world to pay the price for our sins. By believing this, you fulfill God's will; by believing and receiving, you have already accepted God's will, and you are saved. Thus, God's promise and blessing are fulfilled in you.
The Bible contains many blessed promises; as long as you believe in Him and are willing to act according to His words, you will see the blessings behind this will. Ultimately, God's will brings blessings, Amen. Because God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him, Hallelujah. In one sentence: God's will is for us to receive life and benefit. Today's text says, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Why say as it is in heaven? God's will in heaven is carried out without obstruction!
Psalm 103:19-22:
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Bless the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Bless the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The psalmist tells us in this passage that God is very powerful, having established His throne in heaven, and His authority rules over all. There are angels in heaven, and those angels fully obey God's will; they are the ones who bless the Lord. Therefore, God's will in heaven is fulfilled; whatever God says is accomplished. The angels in heaven listen to God's words, and everything He created and governs praises God. Why? Because everything God created in heaven is alive and has life, while it is not the same on earth.
All things on earth listen to God's will and operate according to God's words. For example, in the morning, we can see the sun rising; in fact, the entire universe operates according to God's words. God upholds all things with His mighty authority, and all things are operating day by day according to God's laws; this is God's will. If one day the earth does not listen to God's words, there will be trouble, and we may not exist. So far, all things are still operating according to God's will.
However, one thing is that people on earth are unwilling to listen to God's words. God tells us here, "May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." God loves us, has mercy on us, and gives people the opportunity to turn back, but people take these as excuses for indulgence and are unwilling to listen to God's words. Our God, because He loves us, patiently gives people opportunities to turn back, sends His Son to teach life and truth, so that we can willingly live according to God's words.
In prayer, God also hopes that we can pray according to His will, not out of selfish desires, do you understand? So here, "May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" means that just as God's will is carried out smoothly in heaven, He hopes it will be the same on earth, Amen.
Let’s look at a passage from James 1:16-18:
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
James emphasizes human behavior. After being saved, we establish a relationship with our Heavenly Father, can pray to Him, seek His help, praise Him, and give thanks to Him. At the same time, we also need to have good behavior before people. Therefore, James emphasizes that we are justified by our actions before people, and through you, the goodness of God in heaven can be manifested. You say your God is so good; how can this be reflected? It is through you that God's goodness is revealed, and people will see it. You say grace is wonderful; how can people feel it? It is not by your mouth saying it is good, but by truly receiving grace and living out good deeds, allowing everyone to benefit, and then others will say God's grace is truly good.
James emphasizes this aspect, so it does not contradict justification by faith. Our God wants us to receive His life, so He sent Jesus to the world to let us see God's beauty through Jesus, to receive life through Jesus, and to have good behavior like Jesus. Where does Jesus' ability come from? Every good gift comes from above. Jesus' love and ability are not produced on earth but are given from above.
As children of God, people do not know how to live a rich life or how to receive life, but we do. How can we make the world willingly follow your Lord? It is by manifesting the good gifts. No one has ever seen God; only the only Son who is in the Father's bosom has made Him known. So Jesus manifested all kinds of goodness, showing us God's love and God's will. Today, Jesus has returned, and as Christians, we continue to receive the power and goodness that come from above, living in the world.
God's words are established in heaven; what He says will surely be done. Therefore, He places His promises in the Bible. You can pray to God according to the words in the Bible, and He will grant you every good gift. What is the purpose? To manifest God's glory through you and also to let you enjoy this blessing. No matter how great the difficulties or problems you encounter, we have hope. Even if we are weak, we still have hope. We can pray to our Heavenly Father, and He will grant us gifts and strength.
What you want to receive on earth are temporary rewards, but what comes from above is every perfect gift. In God, everything you need is sufficient, and moreover, God is unchanging. Unchanging means He is reliable, so you can pray with confidence. Anytime, as long as you take God's words to pray to Him: "Heavenly Father! Because you have said this, I believe that this word will surely be fulfilled in me."
This is different from people. When a person gives you a promise, if you go to him a few days later with that promise, he may say he never said it. You say, "You clearly told me two days ago," and he says, "I never said that..." So in this world, various kinds of evidence are needed to prove that a person indeed said this or did that. Because people change too quickly, but our God is not like that. God has spoken; as long as He has said it, anytime you take such words to pray to the Heavenly Father, He will acknowledge it and promise that it will be fulfilled in you.
When Abraham believed in the Lord, God did not give him any written note or evidence; He only gave him a verbal promise, and Abraham believed it. Why is Abraham called the father of faith? Because he believed what God said without any witness or written evidence; God simply said it, and he believed it.
Some say God has never spoken to me! Do you know that the Bible you hold has many promises? That is God's word to you. You do not need to expect God to come down in the form of an angel with two large wings to speak to you in a dream; you do not need that. This is real evidence that God has spoken to you, and He indeed sent Jesus to the world to do the work of redemption for you. If we do not believe this, we lose too many blessings; losing this life is too regrettable. Based on this, we must believe that God's will is unchanging.
Why do we encourage everyone to read the Bible? Because by reading the Bible, you know that these words are certain. Looking at some stories made up by people, they may seem good at the time, but many are fictional. Movies and TV shows often say at the beginning, "This story is purely fictional," meaning what? That is something created by humans; they can make things seem perfect or tragic, making you feel good or feel sorry. But the Bible is not like that; the words of God in the Bible are real and unchanging. Therefore, anytime you pray to God, as long as you hold on to what God has said, He will acknowledge and fulfill it.
He brought us forth by His own will through the word of truth; we are all products of God's word. What does this mean? Jesus Christ was crucified two thousand years ago, shedding blood for our sins and resurrecting three days later. If we believe this word, we believe in God's will; you are born again from the word of truth. Being born again makes you different! You have a relationship with God and can pray to this Father. You have established an unbreakable father-son relationship with Him. Because you are His son, He will listen to your prayers anytime and respond with the best. Why? Because God wants us to be the firstfruits among all things, and believers should be good examples for non-believers, allowing the world to see goodness and God's love through us.
Some say, "I can't do this!" Then you need to pray to the Heavenly Father. If we could do it on our own, we would not need the Father's provision. If we could do good and manifest it, it would not be our Heavenly Father. It is precisely because you cannot do it that you need to pray. When you pray, God gives you strength and lets the Holy Spirit help you. When this matter is accomplished, you will give glory to our Heavenly Father and say, "This is not my ability; this is given to me from above." This is the firstfruits, Amen.
Share the second point: God Wants His Will to Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven
Earlier, we mentioned that God's will is carried out smoothly in heaven, but the people He values on earth do not listen to His words. The Son of God came to earth, but the world did not receive Him. In such circumstances, God still shows His goodness. When the world does not understand Him, He allows His Son to shed blood for our sins; this is God's love and God's will.
Whether you understand it or not, He loves you this way. His will is to be carried out on earth as it is in heaven. God, through His words, shows us love on earth, unconditional love that transcends human love, and shows us abundant life. God lets us see these through Jesus, hoping to give us these through Jesus. I say this because God has written so many promises in the Bible; it is actually to give them to you. Otherwise, God would not have written them there. If those promises had nothing to do with you, they would not have been recorded. Therefore, you should treat the Bible as a treasure and read it often because it is all related to you.
You can watch TV dramas or various videos, but if they have nothing to do with you, it is a waste of time. However, if you are willing to obey God's words and let His will be carried out smoothly in you as it is in heaven, you will be blessed! Amen. Because He is willing to give us this abundant blessing, allowing us to receive this blessing through His will.
Psalm 115:13-16:
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great. 14 May the Lord give you and your children increase. 15 Blessed are you by the Lord, who made heaven and earth! 16 The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.
This is very clear: whoever fears the Lord, regardless of size, the Lord will bless him. Some say, "Isn't it true that if we believe in Him, He will bless us?" Yes, this statement is correct. After believing in the Lord, you have already received His blessing and have received life.
Some say, "I haven't seen much change in my life after believing in the Lord..." This requires us to live according to His words because when you believe in Jesus, you believe that Jesus shed blood for your sins and resurrected three days later. You receive life through faith, and the change in life also comes through faith, which means letting God's words take precedence in your heart and operate smoothly in your heart.
When some worldly views conflict with God's words, we will unhesitatingly abandon those worldly views and do according to God's words. When we do not know how to act, we must find answers in the Bible and unhesitatingly act according to God's words. This is called fearing the Lord, which means you treat His will as the greatest.
If you do not understand what God's will is, think of some ancient dramas. When the emperor's will is announced through others, regardless of how high the official's rank is, no matter what he is doing, he must stop and accept the emperor's will. Why? Because this is the greatest! This is what it means for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. If the eunuchs in the palace come and say, "The emperor's will has arrived," and the people below just continue as if they have not heard, saying, "Okay, just leave it there!" Do you know what the consequence is? This is to go against the heavenly will! Those people would not survive. This is how it is depicted in some dramas, called resisting the emperor's will. Think about God's will in this way.
Do you regard God's words as treasures? Many people first do their own things and only consider God's matters afterward, which is like saying, "The emperor's will has come, but I will deal with my matters first!" That does not mean His will is carried out smoothly. I hope to use this image to make everyone think: If you were a person in ancient times with a decent official position, and the emperor's will came, would you put down everything in your hands to listen to his will and execute it immediately? If we view God's words this way, regardless of size, the Lord will bless him, Amen!
May the Lord increase you and your children. Brothers and sisters, if we respect God's words and fear our God this way, how could we not be blessed? How could what you do not be blessed? Because God's will is love; it is to bless us; it is to let us receive life. Many people do not receive because they take God's words lightly or put God behind! So they do not see. What should we do? Do not condemn yourself, and do not regret and stop. From now on, adjust your relationship with God, placing God's words in the first place. Do not say before God's words, "I have no time, I have no energy, I am annoyed, I have no strength to listen to God's words..." These are all excuses.
If you turn around and place God's words in the first place, you will not be annoyed, you will not resent, you will have strength, and you will have time. It is precisely because we have the wrong direction and the wrong order that our lives become chaotic! Why? Because this is very clear! You have received the blessing from the Lord who made heaven and earth. Our blessings come from God. If God does not have the power to grant us, relying solely on ourselves, we have too many problems that cannot be resolved.
The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but He has given the earth to mankind. This means God's will is carried out smoothly in heaven, but on earth, it seems that God's will cannot be fulfilled. The Son of God came to the world, but the world did not receive Him and even crucified Him. If God executed justice according to His righteousness, He could eliminate all these people without question and would not wrong them. But because God is love, He gives us opportunities to turn back time and again, waiting for us and forgiving us. Why? Because we do not know what we are doing? So brothers and sisters, if your family's situation is chaotic in every aspect, you need to adjust your relationship with God.
Here I want to tell you when Adam began to fail. In the beginning, everything God created was very good, the sun, moon, stars, and all things on earth were all very beautiful! God created Adam last, hoping Adam would manage all things.
So the true order is that God is at the top, followed by Adam, and then all things below. The order cannot be wrong. God blessed Adam, and Adam used the blessings given by God to manage all things. Everything was carried out smoothly, and all was blessed. Adam was in blessing, and all things were in blessing; it was very beautiful. This is God's will, which has been operating throughout the earth.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. Adam listened to the serpent's words, wanting to become like God by relying on himself. In other words, he wanted to command God. Adam wanted to be on the same level as God. Isn't that the reason for Satan's fall? The devil wanted to be equal to God or even surpass God. If this relationship were reversed, what would it look like? Adam above God, commanding God to do things and manage all things? Isn't that ridiculous?
In fact, many people are in this order. They believe in Jesus but treat Jesus like a servant, commanding Him to do things, and then find it does not work. Why? Because God does not come in this way. We listen to God's will and manage everything according to His will; this is the correct order! If this order is not restored, it is a very bad thing.
What is the current situation? God is still in the first place, but in the middle, it has become all things, and Adam has come down. Adam's descendants are the same; therefore, there are more and more materialistic people today. Whether that material is money, reputation, or status, more and more people are blinded by these and cannot see God. People can go to any lengths for money, become estranged from their families for profit, and go to extremes for themselves. Isn't this the reason why God's will cannot be fulfilled on earth? If God's will could be carried out on earth as it is in heaven, there would not be so many problems.
After Adam sinned, God expelled them from the Garden of Eden, and conflicts arose among Adam's descendants, even leading to murder. The reason is that God's words no longer have an effect in their hearts. God's words exist, but I can choose not to listen! If I do not listen, God does not lose; the one who loses is man. Just like after Adam sinned, God did not lose; Adam lost.
I share all this to show God's intention. God is very willing for us to listen to His words and pray to Him about everything. This way, His will can be carried out smoothly within us, and we will have the ability to handle all matters! For example, many families cannot even manage their own children! Let alone anything else! Many sisters cry for a long time because they cannot manage their children. Is it because they lack methods? Some say, "I have tried many methods," but you need to use God's methods!
God manages all things without effort. So in this sense, we all need to listen to God's words. We first act according to God's words, and everything below will follow God's words. If Adam had listened to God's words back then, no matter what the serpent said, he would have believed God's words, and no one could do anything to him! He would have been in blessing, and all things would not have been cursed because of Adam. Right, brothers and sisters? We need to pray and let God's words operate fully in our hearts. God is willing for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven because this is extremely good for us!
No matter how many aspects of God's will there are, they are all good for us. Just like when you see the king coming with his decree, it must be good for you. So why not put everything down to accept this decree? Many people do not take God's words seriously, so they lose many blessings, always busy, always relying on themselves. If you are in such a situation, I hope you return to God in prayer, calm down, and act according to God's words. Let His will operate fully in you, and you will be blessed, making things very easy.
Some say, "You don't know how much work I have now!" Do you know how much work Adam had back then? God asked him to take care of all things and manage the entire world; what a huge responsibility that was! But did Adam feel tired? No! If he managed according to God's way and God's will, it would be very easy. Just a word would accomplish the task.
What God gave him was an extremely blessed yet simple and easy job. If we return to Jesus Christ, you can rest assured that everything will become very easy and simple for you. If you are in a terrible environment, it is better to turn back to God and repent, saying, "I want your words to operate fully in my heart." God hopes we will obey His words, pray to God, and understand His intentions.
Ephesians 5:15-20:
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise. 16 Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. 19 Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. 20 Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is God's will. God hopes that after we receive His life, we can live according to His words, allowing His will to be manifested in our lives every day. You must walk carefully, not as unwise but as wise. Where does our wisdom come from? How can we walk carefully? It is simple; we do as God's words say. Do not forget that this world is created by God, and only the Holy Spirit can see through people's hearts. The Holy Spirit can discern all things, so He can teach you how to walk carefully and how to be wise.
Make the best use of your time because the days are evil. Too many people waste their days in chaos, not knowing what they have been busy with today. As a result, they do not grasp God's truth or anything in the world, wasting day by day.
Do not be foolish; this is God's advice, and this is also God's will! Especially in this generation, there are many foolish people because they do not understand God's will, so they are foolish! Brothers and sisters, being foolish does not mean they do things foolishly; it means they do not know what they are doing!
If you read Ecclesiastes, you will know that many people are very shrewd but do not know why they do all these things. For example, many people can earn money, like machines constantly making money, but they have no family ties and do not know why they do these things. This is also foolishness! You understand God's will, know that there is a God who loves you, know what your mission is, and know where you are going in the future. These are the most basic things to understand. When you understand these, you will no longer be foolish, and you will have direction in your actions. When you encounter problems, you will pray to the Heavenly Father because you know He will help you; He is your Father, the one who loves you. Hallelujah, you will no longer be foolish!
Do not get drunk with wine, for that leads to debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. Many people in the world love to get drunk for various reasons. We should not do such things. It is not that we should not drink wine, but we should not get drunk. Why? Because you should be filled with the Spirit. Many people get drunk because they have too much bitterness in their hearts. When we have suffering and problems, there is no need to numb ourselves with alcohol. We can pray to the Heavenly Father and let the Holy Spirit fill us; He can help us solve problems! Isn't that better?
Brothers and sisters, God has given us another way to act according to His will. He hopes that this will can operate throughout the earth. Speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. You can often meditate on this passage and understand how beautiful and good it is for brothers to love one another. This is heaven on earth! Amen!
When people do not know God's will, they may fight and attack each other, being selfish. In such an environment, we will all dislike ourselves and feel the coldness of human relationships! But in Christ Jesus, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, understand God's will, and love one another in Christ. This is what everyone admires and longs for! This is God's will.
Brothers and sisters, God wants this will to be done on earth as it is in heaven because the place we are going in the future is like this. Now you can taste a bit of this flavor on earth. Living on earth as it is in heaven can be experienced now! So live according to God's will on earth, regardless of how those around you believe or live. You should ask yourself, "How should I live?" Amen.
People often ask me why those around them who believe in Jesus behave in such a way. I say this is not important; what matters is that Jesus is not like that! If the Jesus recorded in the Bible is extremely evil and selfish, then you should not believe! Some say Christians are like that; this disciple did not learn well from the master, so does that mean the master is also bad? That cannot be said!
As long as the master is good, if other disciples do not learn well, we should learn from the master. You are a Christian; Christ is your master! Do not completely regard a certain person as Christ! He is not Christ, Amen! Let God's will take precedence in you, in your home, and in everything, and you will receive God's blessing! In you, the different image of Christ will be manifested. Hallelujah!
In everything, give thanks to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, meaning that regardless of what happens, good or bad, we thank God because we believe that there are methods, provisions, and abilities in God that surpass all things. Therefore, we give thanks to God always! It is not about thanking God for bad things. Many people have developed a habit of thanking God, but it has become a mere phrase: "Thank God, I broke my arm and leg a few days ago." What is there to thank God for? Did He make you break your arm and leg? That is not correct.
Brothers and sisters, we thank God in all things because He is our hope, able to change our difficulties, change all our problems, and grant us every good gift. Hallelujah, this is God's will. So we must see hope in everything. You can pray to God; this is your source of strength. When we understand God's will, we know we can pray to Him about everything. Because His intentions are always good, always kind, Amen.
If our hearts desire such words, why would God not fulfill them for you? If you are willing to help others, why would God not fulfill them for you? Conversely, many selfish requests are, "Lord, give me more; let me have more! Fill my storehouse!" God asks you why you want it filled. Is it so you can show off? This is useless; God will certainly not give it to you. If you use these to love others and supply others, "Lord, I am your channel of blessing; please bless me, and I am willing to help more people." If you have such a heart, why would God not give it to you? Just like God blessed Adam and let him manage all things, God will bless you because of your heart, allowing you to manage His house. Amen!
We start with small things, doing as much as we can with the strength we have. If we are faithful in small things, God will entrust us with bigger things. Amen. Many people aim too high and do not like to do small things; they only want big, famous, and sensational things... This is not God's will! Because God sees more clearly than we do how much capacity we have. Therefore, if some things have not yet changed by God, just continue to thank God here for now, receiving His strength. Once this stage passes, rest assured, when your heart expands, and God expands the curtain within you, greater blessings will naturally come upon you. Amen!
Many people say, "Lord, give me a hundred million, and I promise I can go to Africa to preach the gospel." If we are deceiving God, He knows! If God gives you a hundred million, you could go to Antarctica, a place without people, and no one would know who you are. Many times, God does not fulfill that matter for us because we may not be able to bear that blessing right now. So let God's will be carried out in us first, starting with small things. Amen! Let God's words take precedence in your heart, and slowly, God will grant you greater blessings. Hallelujah!
Finally, let’s look at a passage from 1 John 2:14-17:
14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. 15 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
John is one of the disciples loved by God. When John was old, he looked back and thought about how much God loved him, so he encouraged those who came after him to let God's word abide in their hearts. John encourages us, saying, "You have known Him who is from the beginning," which is our God and our Father. He writes to young men because they are strong, and the word of God abides in their hearts; they have overcome the evil one. For young men, their strength and power must come from God's word. This is why I often encourage everyone to keep God's word in their hearts; you will overcome the evil one and be strong and courageous.
A person is often weak because they lack God's word in their hearts. When a person's heart lacks God's word, they naturally love the world, feeling that others live better than they do! They feel that others are more at ease! You know what? When you follow God's will, you will be much more at ease than they are; you will have true freedom inside!
John tells them not to love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. This is twofold; you can only choose one. What are the things in the world? The desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life are not from the Father but from the world. For example, doing things for the sake of one's flesh, for the sake of looking good, living well, dressing well, etc., is all for oneself, completely self-centered, boasting of oneself. These do not come from the Father; they are not from the Father; they are from the world, and this is not God's will!
Loving the Father means being like Jesus, not for oneself but for others. Therefore, in 1 Corinthians 13, the characteristics of love are not for oneself but for others. Hallelujah! The things of the world, whether the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, or striving for fame and profit, will all pass away! Only those who live according to God's will will abide forever.
I hope all dear family members will live meaningfully. It may not be spectacular, but it must be meaningful and remembered by God. Amen! That is, we place God's words in our hearts, set our minds to live according to God's words. If you are weak and lack strength, you can listen to the word or pray to God; He will surely grant you strength! Because He is willing for us to live this way, regardless of how those around you live, you must set your mind to act according to God's words. This way, you will become a help and supply to those around you. Hallelujah.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for letting us understand your will through your words. Your will is for us to receive your life and also to use us to let more people receive the life of Jesus Christ. Your will is that we can willingly act according to your words on earth, becoming a supply and help to others, allowing people to see that our God is a powerful and loving God.
Lord, give strength to every brother and sister. We are willing to live this way. Every day, we act according to God's words, taking your words as the standard. We will do as your words say because it not only builds ourselves but also brings benefits to those around us, for your words are powerful and full of grace. We are willing to bring this grace to more people, Hallelujah! Through our good deeds, we manifest your glory because such rewards last forever. Our lives are not in vain. Thank you and praise you, and thank you for hearing our prayers. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.