395 - Jesus is the Descendant of Woman#
395 - Jesus is the Descendant of Woman
(JP Text Group - shalom organized)
The topic of sharing is: Jesus is the Descendant of Woman
Isaiah 7:14-15
14 Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (which means "God with us"). 15 He will know enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for leading us once again to seek you during this time. When we come before you, you will provide for us. You have given us the best and most precious Jesus from heaven, and you desire for us to know Jesus more in this world, living with the power of Jesus. You are the God of Immanuel, the God who is with us, and at this moment, you are also with us to guide us. In this moment, we are willing to look up to you. Please grant us infinite strength through these limited scriptures, allowing us to experience your goodness more. We completely dedicate the following time to you, praying in the name of Lord Jesus, Amen.
Every December, many churches celebrate the birth of Jesus. Why did God send Jesus into the world? It is because we need Jesus. When the people of Israel sinned and turned away from God, God gave them a promise through the prophet Isaiah: a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel.
What does Immanuel mean? God is with us. God being with us is the greatest blessing He has given us. Many times, we are not without direction, not without strength, and not unaware of what to do; we are afraid of being alone. But the greatest blessing God gives us is that no matter where you go, I am with you. His name is Immanuel, and He pointed out that this Savior will bring abundant blessings to people.
Before Adam and Eve sinned, they did not understand the knowledge of evil because they had not eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. At that time, they only knew good and did not understand the knowledge of evil, which means they were in goodness, in blessing. If we did not know pain, how wonderful this life would be! If we did not know guilt and condemnation, that would be heaven.
The problem is that when a person is born, they encounter more knowledge of evil, distinguishing whether a person is good or bad, right or wrong, and whether it is beneficial to them. Most of a person's life is spent discerning these things. Even after believing in Jesus, most people still discern that what he says is wrong, that it does not conform to my logic, that it is not from our faction... In fact, this is all called the discernment of good and evil.
Most of us use evil to discern good, which is incorrect. Brothers and sisters, at first, Adam and Eve did not know the knowledge of evil; they lived entirely in God's love and goodness, unaware of matters unrelated to evil. But later, because they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they chose to survive and live on their own. At that time, they knew the knowledge of evil, and they also knew what death and pain were.
Did Satan say, "If you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will know good and evil like God"? Is this statement correct? They did not know good and evil like God, but they did know good and evil. This means that part of Satan's words was correct. If everything the devil said was wrong, we could discern it. Just like today, when people are given the law and constantly condemned and attacked, we all know that this person is not good. What is frightening is the mixed doctrine, half right and half wrong. Isn't that a bit like the practices of folk deities? It sounds right, but it also seems not quite right; you cannot understand it. Whatever they say seems correct.
Satan tempted Eve in this way; after you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will know good and evil like God. Satan emphasized that you can be like God, but in reality, when she followed the serpent's method, she did not become like God; she lost God's glory and was left only with the knowledge of good and evil. Evil entered their hearts, producing the knowledge of good and evil within them.
Before and after Adam and Eve sinned, their lives underwent a complete change, and the difference was particularly great. As mentioned earlier, they did not know the knowledge of evil before sinning, while fallen people know the most about the knowledge of evil. Look at the descendants of Adam; they often calculate against others. There was one named Cain, who killed his brother Abel, fearing that others would kill him. The descendants of Lamech also feared being killed by others. Perhaps they really did not do anything wrong, but they still lived in fear. This curse grew increasingly in their families, eventually multiplying many times; this is the knowledge of evil.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus did not take on the same body and nature as Adam before he sinned. It is not that Jesus did not know good and evil; He possessed a human nature that can discern good and evil after the fall, just like us. We have been emphasizing that humanity did not understand evil before sinning, but after sin, they understood what pain is and the different results brought by good and evil. This means that after sinning, people grow in their understanding of what is good and what is evil, and they can discern good and evil themselves, but most people choose to follow evil and live.
Look at this text: The Lord himself will give you a sign: A virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (which means "God with us").
The matter of a virgin conceiving was itself a saying that seemed fantastical at the time. Perhaps the people of Israel did not understand it, and they found it even more astonishing later. When he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, this describes Jesus. From the moment of His birth, apart from the blood in His body being without sin, in other aspects, is His discernment of things and views on things the same as ours? He also had evil things appear within Him; it is just that when Jesus knew good and evil, He rejected evil and chose good. This is the only difference between Jesus and us.
Most of us, after knowing good and evil, harbor a sense of luck and think it does not matter; after I do this, others may not know. Yesterday, our two children went out to play. After eating, I gave each of them a bag of juice. While playing, the older one lost her juice. When she wanted to drink, only her brother's juice was left. The mother discussed with the brother, saying, "Can you give your sister half of your juice?" The brother said yes. But do you know what the sister was thinking? It was not a matter of half; although she lost hers, this is mine, and I want to drink it all.
Have you noticed? Was it someone teaching her? No. It is not that we told her to take advantage of her brother; he did not say she could not drink. She just wanted to drink it all. This is the nature of humanity; after discerning good and evil, her heart leans toward what benefits herself, even to the point of taking from others, regardless of whether her brother wants to drink. This means that when a person knows good and evil, they choose evil. The difference with Jesus is that when He knew good and evil, He chose to give up evil and choose to live righteously. What benefits come from this?
Look at the following: He will know enough to eat curds and honey.
Do you know what curds and honey represent? Endless blessings from God! Humanity did not understand evil before sinning, but those who sin and know good and evil still choose to live in evil. The greatness of Jesus is that He chose to follow good and live.
Everyone is born of parents and is a descendant of man. How can a virgin give birth? Human life continues from generation to generation, passed down through the paternal bloodline, so generally, children follow their parents' surnames, existing within their parents' lineage. However, the Bible says that the Savior Jesus was born of a virgin.
Let’s look at this passage, Luke 1:30-35:
30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."
In fact, when God spoke these words to Mary, she did not understand. Now that technology is so advanced, can people thoroughly study this matter? It cannot be studied. How can a woman conceive by herself? Have you seen "Journey to the West," where drinking water from a river makes one pregnant? In reality, such things do not exist. Can you believe in the conception by the Holy Spirit? The Gospel of Luke was written by Dr. Luke, who is himself a doctor. Doctors are very rigorous in their work! The length and depth of a surgical incision are regulated; it is not a matter of saying, "Let's try it out." Brothers and sisters, human skin tissue is layered and counted!
As a doctor, he is very meticulous in his work. When Luke wrote this matter, he carefully investigated how it happened. This is quite difficult, brothers and sisters. He also believed that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin; He had no earthly father. This conclusion was drawn after a long period of investigation, not mere nonsense.
Let’s look at a passage written by Luke at that time, Luke 1:1-4:
1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
Luke is a doctor, and when you read the Gospel of Luke, you will find that he describes things very accurately. For example, if a person cannot walk and is lame, Luke says, "The ankle bones of this person became strong immediately." From a doctor's professional perspective, the ankle bones determine whether a person can stand and walk. If the ankle bones are strong, walking will not be a problem. When he wrote about the virgin birth, how many times did he have to ask others and observe how people around him spoke? How many testimonies did he need to finally confirm that this matter is true?
What does Theophilus mean? It means "beloved of God," so this passage is also for you, Amen. He carefully examined these matters from the beginning. Can you believe what Luke said? If you have doubts about the virgin birth as stated by God or about the Gospel of Luke written by Luke, you will not be able to understand the things he wrote afterward because Christianity revolves around one word: faith. If you can believe, these matters become relatively easy; if you do not believe, these matters are truly difficult, and there are many things you cannot understand or study!
Just like back then, when the angel said to Mary, "You will conceive and give birth to a son," Mary was very confused and said, "I am a virgin; how can this be?" The angel explained it very clearly: "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you."
It is the power of the Holy Spirit that will be upon you; you just need to accept this matter, and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit! Brothers and sisters, if we hear this word, we will surely think, "How will the Holy Spirit do this?" Brothers and sisters, is this something we should consider? It really does not need to be considered! Many people always ask, "Lord, how will you accomplish this?" This is not for us to consider; we only need to think, "Lord, your word says so, and I believe this matter will surely be accomplished in me!"
Is healing from illness like this? You do not know how God works in the middle, but as long as you see the result, that is enough! Mary believed this way; she said, "Although I do not understand, I know I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled." As for how it will be accomplished, I will not think about it; I really cannot understand. We receive God's word not waiting until we understand everything before we believe; it is that when you believe, you will understand more and more, Amen. The matter of a virgin giving birth is a fantastical tale to those who do not believe today!
There are many things in the world that we do not understand, but if a person believes in God's power, it is not difficult to understand because what is difficult for people is not difficult for the Creator! Is it difficult for our God to create heaven and earth? Not at all; He just needs to speak, and all these things will be accomplished, Amen! You say this difficult matter, creating heaven and earth and the universe, is so hard for us; how difficult is it for God to let a virgin conceive? Brothers and sisters, this matter is not difficult! Everything actually depends on whether you can believe in God. Since God can create man, can He not make a virgin conceive?
Look at how Adam was created at the beginning, Genesis 1:26-27:
26 Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
The image of God does not refer to our current appearance; God does not look like us. You say that Jews look somewhat different from us, right? The image God refers to is the Spirit. Brothers and sisters, if Adam had been created and did not have that breath blown into him, he would have been just like an animal. But what distinguishes him from animals? There is a spirit inside. Some may tell you that the difference between humans and animals is that humans can make tools, walk independently, and think. In fact, animals can do these things too; they just do not do as much as we do. The only difference is that we have a spirit! That spirit is the Spirit of God, possessing the image and likeness of God, as well as God's authority and glory.
When you accept Jesus, God puts this spirit inside you, and you become different; you are called a child of God. God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness."
When He created man, He called him man. The word "man" in Hebrew refers to all humanity. What happened afterward? When God created Adam, He breathed into his nostrils, and he became a living being. The fifth letter in Hebrew is HEI, which we know represents grace, right? God placed HEI before Adam's name, so his name is HEI Adam, which means living being.
Do you know that you are alive now? Many people change their names to have a smooth life. Why? To make their lives different. You do not need to do that anymore. This morning, a sister sent me a message saying, "Teacher Ren, I have something that troubles me! I just bought a house, and the door number is 1414! Just looking at this door number makes me uncomfortable! There are no problems inside; the lighting and other aspects are very good, but just seeing the door number makes me feel anxious. What should I do?"
Brothers and sisters, what do you think she should do? It does not matter, but she cannot get over it; she feels like dying. I told her that many times we are influenced by worldly concepts. You are no longer the same; the moment you accepted Jesus, the Holy Spirit entered you, Amen! It is like how Sarai became Sarah, and Abram became Abraham; your name now also has HEI added before it, which is God's grace, and the Holy Spirit is with you!
Do not say that 1414 is a problem; even a string of fours is not a problem. Will our lives and families change because of a number? No, our lives change because of God. Just like Mary, she could change not because her name was Mary, but because she was willing to let the Holy Spirit work in her, and her life became different.
If you are willing to let the Holy Spirit reign in your home, in your life, and in your body, your life will also be different. No number can affect you, Hallelujah! Because there are no such problems with Jesus. Are numbers created by God? Yes, since they are created by God, there is no evil; what is feared is your knowledge of good and evil.
When you have this knowledge of evil, you will fear and worry. Therefore, we should not be influenced by these worldly matters; we must believe in God's promises. Why did God send Jesus into the world? Because Adam and Eve sinned, sin entered this world, and much of humanity's knowledge is about distinguishing evil, resulting in families, bodies, and lives being filled with various problems. To solve these problems, Jesus must come.
Look at this passage, Genesis 3:14-15:
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
After Adam and Eve sinned, God gave them a promise, which is a promise of salvation. The curse was directed at the serpent, but for Adam and Eve, it was not a curse; it was a method of salvation. The serpent was cursed by God, saying, "You will crawl on your belly." As for how it walked before, we do not need to care; there is no need to concern ourselves with the devil!
It goes on to say, "I will put enmity between you and the woman."
This is something we need to pay attention to. The enmity between the serpent's offspring and the woman's offspring signifies spiritual warfare, which began at that moment. When your heart has more knowledge of good and evil, the battle begins. If you choose to only know the knowledge of God's goodness, the battle ends.
After they sinned, the battle had already begun: "Your offspring and the woman's offspring will be enemies." This battle has continued from their sin until today and will continue until the end of the world. Why is there a battle? The knowledge of good and evil is present, and everyone has their own standards of good and evil, using their so-called justice to eliminate others' evil, not realizing that many times they themselves are evil; how can they become just?
The woman's offspring will crush your head;
The woman's offspring specifically refers to Jesus. Now it not only refers to Jesus, as Jesus has become a whole, referring to the church, Amen. Jesus is the head, and we are the body. Brothers and sisters, you are the members, right? The woman's offspring refers to the church. The church managed by Jesus is powerful; at the beginning, it can crush the head of the devil. Can the offspring of Jesus also crush the head of the devil? This is why we have the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions, Hallelujah!
You will strike his heel.
This means that it is somewhat difficult for the devil to completely harm us. When Jesus fought with the devil, the devil struck His heel, but the heel wound was not fatal. Jesus said that by His wounds, we are healed. You may be hurt for your own reasons, but please remember that when you seek Jesus, because of the wounds He bore, you are healed! We can always have hope in Christ; this is the salvation God has given us.
If the children of God stand up, it is the woman's offspring that will crush the devil's head; this is fatal! Knowing our authority and power, the devil hides from you. Therefore, the devil is trying every possible way to deceive God's people, just like I mentioned earlier about 1414 (feeling anxious), how you interpret this number; it is just a number! Look at how superstitious people can be; they spend a long time choosing a phone number, looking for one without a 4, or one that is all 8s. Those whose phone numbers are all 8s think they will have endless wealth!
This has nothing to do with it, brothers and sisters. The real blessing comes from God. Here, it is mentioned that the woman's offspring is a singular term, specifically referring to our Lord Jesus Christ. The offspring of the devil and the offspring of God have been in battle. This is spiritual warfare, but after the birth of the woman's offspring, Jesus Christ, the power of the devil was completely ended, and He overcame the devil. Jesus went to the cross, taking our curse upon Himself.
Brothers and sisters, remember that the cross cannot save people; it is a symbol of curse. But Jesus went to the cross for us, taking our curse upon Himself, and we are saved because of Jesus! The devil especially hopes that everyone lives under the curse and dies in the end, but the Son of God has risen to eliminate the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8: The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
Did Jesus destroy the works of the devil? When you know Jesus and the redemptive work He accomplished on the cross for us, you will know Jesus' authority and glory, and you will be able to discern the devil's schemes. The key is to focus on the truth about Jesus. As long as you focus on the truth about Jesus, discerning the devil's schemes becomes very easy! Just like we have told you many times, the most direct and effective way to identify counterfeit money is not to study the latest counterfeit bills every day; it is enough to continually recognize real money, Amen.
To discern those false doctrines, you only need to keep understanding the true truth! When those come, your first feeling will tell you that it is not real. Why must Jesus become like a man to save us? Have you ever thought about this question? Why couldn't He come to the world in the form of God or as an angel and then forgive us?
Let’s look at Hebrews 2:14-15:
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
At the beginning, God created the world and everything in it, placing Adam and Eve in it to enjoy God's blessings, but they handed over the management of the world to the devil. Was this authority lost from human hands? If God intervened personally to eliminate the devil, this is what many people especially hope for: "Lord, stretch out your hand to eliminate the devil, and the world will be at peace!" If He did that, it would lose God's absolute justice. What truly causes the devil to fail? Good and evil are here; if we choose to believe in good, the devil will fail.
Many people always think that because the devil is in the world, I keep falling. You are mistaken; that is not the reason. If your heart is only directed toward good, even if the devil is here, he cannot defeat you. We have told you many times that if time could turn back, and God created the garden of Eden and placed you in it, and the serpent came to tempt you, saying the same words to you as to Adam, "Eat from this tree, and you will know good and evil, and be like God," would you eat? You probably would not!
Why would you not eat? Because you already know; after going through so much pain and seeing so many problems in the world, you now know the power of Jesus and why He came into this world. If Adam had not sinned, all these things could be directly ignored, and his life would not be the same.
Because after going through all this, if you were to choose again, you would rather eat the serpent than eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because you know these things. Do you not know good and evil? We can choose to abandon evil and choose good to live. In this world, what should we do? It is to do as God's word says. In fact, this is what Jesus helps us accomplish.
Because in Adam's hands, he was a man of flesh and blood, and because humanity lost God's blessings, they must complete God's justice by themselves. How to complete it? By sinning; the wages of sin is death. Jesus must become like a man, coming into this world just like us. He would also face the challenges of good and evil, the temptations of the devil, and various good things. He would face all of them, but Jesus overcame them all by choosing good over evil. Because He overcame, He was able to follow God's word among people, completely obeying it, and He reclaimed what Adam had lost.
He shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.
Therefore, the greatest fear the devil brings to people in this world is death. What do people fear the most? Death. Some say the pandemic is terrible, or a certain disease is terrible; people are not afraid of the disease itself but of the death it brings. For centuries, the devil has used death to scare some people, to control some people, making them feel compelled to listen to his words. Now Jesus has come, and He says, "Do not worry. The wages of sin is death; I will die in your place, and the power of the devil will be completely dismantled, while also satisfying God's requirements for justice, redeeming us from the curse and the curse of the law, Amen."
And to free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
There are too many people in the world who live in fear and worry every day because they fear death. You do not need to do that anymore; Jesus has died for your sins, and you have already been freed from these fears. This is another purpose of Jesus coming into the world: to release you from fear, disease, death, and bondage, Amen. Since Adam failed and lost God's glory, Jesus must also become like a man to take our sins and make up for what we owe.
2 Corinthians 5:21: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus is without sin. I have told you before that Jesus was not born from the union of a man and a woman. Anyone born through the union of a man and a woman is sinful; their blood contains sin, inheriting their father's blood. But Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit from Mary, so His blood is without sin. Is the first problem solved? His blood is without sin because only the blood of the innocent can replace the guilty.
In the Old Testament, was it not like this? You cannot find a disabled or lame lamb to substitute for a person; that absolutely cannot be done. It must be a lamb without defect or blemish. Jesus is without sin. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
When Jesus' blood is without sin, His blood can replace our sins. This is why we cannot go to the cross to redeem others' sins; our own problems have not been solved! But Jesus' blood is without sin, so when His blood flows out, believing that His blood is shed for you, your sins are cleansed, Amen.
Just as I mentioned earlier, Jesus' blood is without sin. Secondly, while Jesus was on earth, He also did not commit sin. Jesus came to this world to save us; first, His blood is without sin, and secondly, He cannot have committed sinful acts. In theological terms, this is called original sin and personal sin, but that is not important. What is important? Remember two points: first, Jesus' blood has no sin. Second, while in this world, Jesus also did not sin.
How do we prove that Jesus did not sin in this world? Let’s look at Luke 23:13-15:
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14 and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death."
Did Jesus commit sin in this world? Do not forget that Pilate and Herod did not care for the people of Israel; they would have loved to catch their problems and execute them. But these two men both testified that they found no basis for any charges against Jesus. Even if you accuse Him of those things, we have seen that there is nothing deserving of death. Is this from the mouth of Gentiles? They were the officials and judges at that time, proving that Jesus is innocent and has not sinned.
Who else is there? Let’s look at Matthew 26:59-61:
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally, two came forward 61 and declared, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'"
Since they could not find any sin in Jesus in this world, do you believe that people in the church have sinned? They could not find it, so they sought false witnesses to accuse Jesus and put Him to death, but they could not find any evidence! This shows that Jesus was too meticulous and perfect in His actions; people could not find even a trace of evidence of His sin! In the end, some came forward to bear false witness, saying, "This man said he could destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days." Who can condemn another with such words? If I say something today, and because you say this, you are a sinner, that is not correct, right? But they did not understand this word and took what Jesus said as blasphemy, thinking He was boasting about destroying the temple of God. Did Jesus' words come to pass? From today’s perspective, what Jesus said is not a lie!
"I can destroy the temple of God." In AD 69, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army and has never been rebuilt since. But Jesus said He would rebuild it in three days. What does this refer to? After Jesus died and rose again, the church was born. The church was born, Hallelujah! This is an invisible temple, with Jesus as the true head, and the church as the body. All who believe in Jesus are members. Is this temple still present today? Moreover, this temple is growing higher and larger; Jesus did not lie, right? So, we see that Jesus speaks very rigorously.
Matthew 26:62-65:
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony these men are bringing against you?" 63 But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God." 64 "You have said so," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy!"
If it were someone else, apart from Jesus, who would dare to say they are the Son of God, the Messiah? They would indeed be stoned to death for blaspheming God's name. But did Jesus deceive? Is He the Son of God? So, He did not speak blasphemy. At that time, the laws of Israel were very strict, especially in the church, where there should be order. You cannot just do whatever you want; you cannot all be prophets. Last night, God told me something, and you all must listen to me; that does not work. In the past, false prophets were treated very harshly. After making a prophecy, it must be verified to see if it is true; if it is false, they would be stoned to death. This means that a prophet must be responsible for what they say.
In this last age, too many people want to stand up and preach without realizing that they must be responsible for what they say. Once you say something that is false, how many people will stumble! It seems easy to preach here, but in reality, it is a very rigorous matter. You cannot just say, "I want to build a church," and go do it; you cannot just do whatever you want. If someone dared to say such things at that time, apart from Jesus, they would certainly be killed.
We think that is the law, but in fact, it is what God has prescribed, fearing that someone would deceive others in the name of God. I let everyone listen to the sermon, and afterward, you must discern. What should you discern? Use the Bible to discern whether what is being said is true, Amen. No matter whose sermon you listen to, it should be like this! You cannot say, "Because he is my pastor, I believe everything he says." No, that should not be the thought. You should check the Bible to see if it is true, no matter whose sermon you hear. If someone gives you a random prophecy, you must be cautious, Amen.
Finally, let’s look at a passage, Hebrews 10:19-23:
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
We can come before God because of the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is without sin because He was not born of a man and a woman but conceived by the Holy Spirit, Amen. This place may be a bit difficult to understand, saying that His blood is without sin, and it cannot be proven. When Jesus did things, He did not commit sin; has this been proven to them? Have the Gentiles not proven it? Also, at that time, the high priests and scribes in the church did not find any wrongdoing in Jesus. If they had found it, they would have arrested Jesus long ago. They did not find it, which also shows that Jesus is without sin, and His blood can save us. Amen.
As for the last part, they said He is the Son of God, and with this reason, they crucified Jesus. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? If you believe that Jesus' blood is without sin, and He is the Son of God, God's love is manifested here. The most beloved Jesus came into this world; He did not commit sin, and He had no sin in this world, yet He died for us, even dying on the cross, taking our curse upon Himself. What does this bring us? Because of the blood of Jesus, you can confidently enter the Most Holy Place.
Brothers and sisters, what do we go into the Most Holy Place for? What is the Most Holy Place? Some say it is the holiest place in the sanctuary; that is correct. But why do people go in? Is it to go in once a year and see if the two tablets of the law have grown any mold? Do they go in to brush them? What do they go in for? The high priest cleanses himself once a year, then takes the blood of bulls and goats and enters the Most Holy Place, coming before the mercy seat. What is the mercy seat for? Simply put, God speaks to the high priest through the mercy seat.
Everyone must remember that as long as the high priest can stand alive before the mercy seat, is there blood on the mercy seat? The blood must be sprinkled on it, and God begins to speak to the high priest through this blood. This is a very wonderful thing; if there is no blood, everyone would be dead because God would see their sins directly. But because there is the blood of bulls and goats, God speaks to the high priest through this blood, all words of blessing. The high priest waits here, and the people are still waiting outside for the high priest to bless them! So, after the high priest receives God's blessing here, he goes out to bless the people, and for that year, the people will have a bountiful harvest. The people can have plenty of grain and can eat curds and honey.
Returning to what we initially discussed, because Jesus is such a person, He has tasted and received the honey and curds from the Father, and He has given all of this to us, Amen. Brothers and sisters, do you know who our high priest is now? Jesus, see?
He opened for us a new and living way through the curtain, that is, His body. And we have a great priest over the house of God.
This great priest is our Jesus. Jesus comes before the Father, and there is a huge mercy seat between heaven and earth. The Father pours out all blessings upon Jesus. After Jesus comes out, He begins to bless us, Amen! This is why we gather in church every week; it is because when you come here, you can encounter Jesus. You know that Jesus wants to bless you through these words. The blessings the high priest receives from God are just the words of God; it is not that he literally brings out curds. What he receives is the word that comes from God's mouth, but this word carries power. When this word is spoken to the people, they receive it, and when they go back, whatever they plant this year will be a bountiful harvest.
When we come before God on Sundays, we also receive such words. After receiving this word, we carry it to work, believing that God will bless you in whatever you do, and then your life will no longer be the same! It is not that we are blessed by God because we have done well; it is because you have heard God's word. You live with God's word, and then everything about you changes, becoming better and better, Amen.
And our hearts' guilty conscience has been sprinkled away; what does this mean? As long as you stray from God's word, a matter will arise: the discernment of good and evil. We may be more concerned about the knowledge of evil: what has happened in the world, who has fallen ill; these are all knowledge of evil! Only when you come to church on Sunday, every day listening to the word, do you hear about Christ; this is the knowledge of good, which will change your life and allow your eyes to see not evil but good, the goodness of God, Hallelujah! Constantly focus on the blessings God has for you, knowing that you are a child of God, and whatever you do will surely be blessed. When you bless your children, bless your birthday, and bless everything you do, you will find that things will get better and better.
No matter how the world changes, you are different under God's blessing. Just like Israel, no matter how the world changes, the blessings the people of Israel receive do not come from their neighboring countries but from God. Therefore, when you come here to hear the word and see that another store like yours has opened nearby, you start to worry and feel anxious, fearing that they will take your customers. No, your blessing does not come from them; they cannot take away the blessing God has given you. Your blessing comes from God, from God! So, these guilty feelings should be sprinkled away! God has already given you; your blessing comes from above. You must continually receive God's word, and all your worries will disappear.
With a sincere heart and full assurance of faith, we come before God;
What does this mean? Every time you think of Jesus, think that since God loves us so much, sending Jesus into the world to take away my sins and give me blessings, now He is my high priest. I just need to come before Him, receive Jesus' words, and believe that this word will make my life different. The key is not where you are or what you do to be blessed; it is that you follow Jesus. When you follow Jesus, the world and the blessings of the world will follow you.
If you carefully read Deuteronomy 28, you will find that you will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. What does this mean? It does not depend on where you are but on the God who blesses. If that basin can be blessed, as long as it is there and never dies, just buy a basin, and that will be fine. Is this how people pursue blessings?
You are not like that. No matter which basin it is, as long as you bless it in the name of the Lord Jesus, there will be no problem. How meaningful our lives should be! Every day we can see God's greater blessings! What should we do? Hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. No matter what the world says, even if people say, "This business cannot be done! Life cannot go on!" You must not think like this. Even if others say, "You will die, you will die; there is no way to live!" You cannot think like this because the source of blessing is not in this world but with God, with the Lord Jesus!
The Lord Jesus has spoken words of blessing to you. When you receive them, you have received them because the one who promised us is faithful. You believe in God's promises, believe that God created heaven and earth, believe that God put the Holy Spirit in Adam, and he became a living being. At the same time, you also believe that Mary conceived and gave birth in this way, then you should believe that God's words are powerful, and the promises God gives you will never fail!
In the new week, we hope that everyone will live with the hope and power of Jesus, allowing your life to change a little! What change? We believe in God's word, focusing only on the knowledge of good, which is the truth. See if your life will change! Amen!
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for comforting us and leading us through such words. Jesus is the descendant of woman; He has overcome all the powers of the devil. He shed His precious blood on the cross, cleansing all my sins. I have been freed from the curse of the law, and I am in God's blessings.
I am also a descendant of this woman, carrying the authority and glory of Christ, believing that in this new week, I have the glory of the high priest upon me because His words have been given to me. I believe that this word will manifest great power in me. Wherever I go, I carry the blessings of Christ; I am a channel of blessings. Thank you and praise the Lord, allowing me to experience you more in life. All glory belongs to you. I pray in the name of Lord Jesus, Amen.
Let us receive the Holy Communion together
At this moment, let us quiet our hearts, believing that God's grace is always present. In the name of Lord Jesus, we set apart this bread. From now on, this is no longer ordinary bread but the body of Jesus given for me. Jesus laid down His body so that I could receive healing and wholeness through His body. I may have been contaminated by the knowledge of evil, bringing about these problems. When I come before Jesus again, I will receive healing because of His broken body. This is the body of Jesus given for me. He can make all diseases in my body completely disappear. At this moment, please lead me to receive your wholeness through your body.
Brothers and sisters, if you have any problems now, you can pray for yourself with Jesus' body. At this moment, what do you hope Jesus will do for you? Believe that His body is full of power. Because of Jesus' body, you have come before God. This great priest is now governing God's house. Hold on to this promise, and you can receive healing and wholeness! Thank you and praise the Lord. Each person before the Lord, we receive the Holy Communion, receiving the body of Christ, and offer prayers for ourselves.
In the name of Lord Jesus, I bless all who receive the body of Jesus. This bread has entered your body. In the name of Lord Jesus, I command this disease to leave now; you have received healing! Thank you and praise the Lord. If you believe, you will see God's glory descending upon you. This moment is when you receive healing; this is when you are healed. You must tell yourself, "In the name of Lord Jesus, my body is healthy! In the name of Lord Jesus, I am completely healed!" No matter how serious this problem is, do not discern this knowledge of evil; believe that God's power far exceeds these! Hallelujah, you have received it; believe that you have received it! Amen.
In the name of Lord Jesus, I also set apart this cup. This is no longer ordinary wine but the precious blood of Jesus shed for me. The innocent blood of Jesus flowed out, forgiving all my sins. I have been completely accepted by God. The Holy Spirit is now in my heart; I am justified by God. Others' attacks and curses against me are ineffective. In Christ, the blessings God wants to give me cannot be taken away by anyone.
No matter what problems you encountered last week, being slandered or attacked by others, from now on, let Jesus' words completely cleanse you of these feelings of guilt and condemnation. In the name of Lord Jesus, declare their ineffectiveness. Thank you and praise the Lord. At this moment, let God's peace and joy fill your heart, believing that because of the punishment He bore, you have received peace! Thank you and praise the Lord. What do you need Jesus to comfort you with at this moment? Please offer your prayers before Him. Let us pray together.
You can pray to our Heavenly Father, lifting your hands to pray in tongues or with understanding. At this moment, when you stretch out your hand, our Heavenly Father is holding your hand. He is comforting you and bestowing the power of the Holy Spirit upon you. When we lift our hands in prayer to God, He will hear your prayers and comfort you, giving you His comfort and strength, allowing your life this week to be different, allowing your life to be different. You did not come to this world because of worry; you came to this world to receive God's blessings. Pray to Him at this moment.
Let us pray to Him together, opening our mouths to call upon Him. He will show you a different vision, filled with truth, allowing you to live with His power. Hallelujah! Believe that God's word can be accomplished in you, regardless of whether others believe it. You should receive it this way. Hallelujah! Thank you and praise the Lord! We believe that Jesus is the descendant of woman, inheriting the blessings of the descendant of woman, living with the power of Christ! Thank you and praise you! Heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us so much. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
In the name of Lord Jesus, I bless all the brothers and sisters who listened to the sermon today. As the new week begins, no matter where you go, you know you are a channel of blessings. You are filled with God's glory. This glory is not earned by our own efforts but is the glory of Jesus upon us. Therefore, whatever you do will surely be filled with God's blessings, and wherever you tread will be a land of grace.
This week, you will know Jesus more in your life and experience the goodness of Jesus. Thank you and praise the Lord. I also bless you and your family in the name of Lord Jesus, keeping you away from all diseases, allowing you to experience the wonders of Jesus more in your family. I bless everyone in the name of Lord Jesus, Amen! Hallelujah!