98 - Understanding the Father's Heart#
98 - Understanding the Father's Heart
(JP Text Group - Organized by Qingqing)
Genesis Chapter 12, Verses 2-3
2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you for your grace. We gather before you; your words are our strength, our help, and our life. We receive your power and are renewed in strength. We are a blessing to many, and you first bless us. From you, we receive, and then we give out. We are willing to be channels of blessing, knowing the grace of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, understanding the blessings upon us. We completely dedicate this time to you, Holy Spirit, lead each of us so that we can understand and hear clearly. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
The topic of sharing is: Understanding the Father's Heart
Do you know what the Father's heart is? Turn to the people around you and sincerely greet them, saying: The Father's heart is to bless you!
Our Father is a good God. I prefer to use this word because there is absolutely no darkness or evil in Him. This is the God you believe in, the one who is your Father. Everything that comes from Him is good for you, and He always wants to bring blessings to others. This is the Father's heart; God's intention is absolutely blessing, not cursing. Amen!
No matter how you read the Bible, the ultimate purpose of God in any way is to bless you. Thank the Lord! We need to understand the Father's heart. What is the definition of blessing? What do you think blessing is? Is peace a blessing? Is having money a blessing? What else? Is joy a blessing?
If you become the richest person in the world but only live for one day, is that a blessing? No, peace is indeed a blessing, blessing is indeed a blessing, long life is indeed a blessing, but it is not enough. The blessing that God wants to give you includes every aspect of your life. When you go out, He is with you! Because He will keep your peace, that is a blessing for you. In a world full of dangers, God protects you, and that is a blessing. In everything you experience every day, God is involved, and that is a blessing.
When you rely on yourself, many problems arise. When you let God manage your life, that is a blessing. The greatest blessing in your life is that Jesus loves you! When the Israelites meet, they usually greet each other with "shalom," which means peace. In Chinese, it is translated as "沙龙，" but it actually represents not only peace but many aspects of your life. Let God be involved in every part of your life and let Him bless you. This is the meaning of "shalom." When we meet, we ask, "Have you eaten?" or "How are you?" But "shalom" is filled with all kinds of blessings from God. Amen!
God not only wants to provide you with peace and protection; He desires that every aspect of your life is within Him and is blessed. We see Abraham; after God saw Abraham, He said to him: "I will make you into a great nation." Is that a blessing? I will make you into a great nation; I will bless you.
When God saw Abraham, that was the first thing. God did not say, "Abraham, when you obey, I will bless you..." The first thing God does when He sees a person is to bless him. After Adam and Eve were created, did God first make them work or bless them? The Bible is very clear; God blessed them first and then let them manage the world, proving that God is involved. Thank the Lord!
This is the Father's heart; He wants His blessing to be upon everything you do. And it says here: "I will make you into a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great." This is a huge blessing. God wants to bless you first, and then it says, "You will be a blessing to others." Amen!
The Father's heart is not just to let you be blessed alone; God expects you to be a channel of blessing, to flow blessings to more people through you. You have received the grace of Jesus Christ; can you also tell those around you about this blessing so they can also receive the blessings of Jesus Christ? This is the Father's heart!
This morning, I was talking with an elderly sister who is already 84 years old. She said, "I believed in the Lord when I was 60, and it has been 24 years. God is truly so good." This is a phrase she often says. When others see her, they say, "Old lady, you are 84 years old, and you are so healthy!" She replies, "It is my Father's heart!" When others say, "Old lady, you have such a good heart!" She says, "It is not me; it is my Father whom I believe in who is good."
Brothers and sisters, when an old lady often says, "My Father is good," this glorifies God! Because when others see the old lady, they think, "Wow, at your age, you carry joy every day, are so healthy, and can often share the gospel." Others say, "You are such a good person," and she replies, "It is not me; it is the God I believe in who is good." In fact, she is doing something; she has already passed this blessing to many people. Amen! And God's heart is just like that; He does not expect us to enjoy blessings alone but wants us to let others receive this blessing. Amen!
What is God's promise to us in verse 3? "I will bless those who bless you." Amen! Because of you, those around you will be blessed. Do you know what that means? Those who like you will be blessed by God because of you. Brothers and sisters, remember, this is the original wording of the Bible: "I will bless those who bless you," meaning that because you are here, those who like you will start to be blessed by God. Those who praise you will be blessed by God; it is God who does it because of you. Amen!
You can imagine how important your existence is. The next part says: "And whoever curses you, I will curse." Let's read it again, "And whoever curses you, I will curse." Who will curse him? Is it God or you? Always remember this phrase: "Whoever curses you, God will curse him." The Father did not say, "I will bless those who bless you, and you curse those who curse you." If so, wouldn't that lead to conflict?
Because many times in this matter, we cannot receive God's words. When someone says something unpleasant to you, you immediately react and start to curse back, and in the end, it leads to conflict. God says, "What are you doing? Let me handle him; are you joking?"
God is very clear: "Do not curse those who curse you; let God do it." Amen! Why does God want to do this? Because the Father's heart does not want even a little bit of cursing to exist in your heart. Think about it; when you curse others, the curse first takes root in your heart, right? God does not want His children to have curses in their hearts, so God says: "Whoever curses you, I will curse him. Hallelujah! This is the Father's heart!
God is very clear when He says: "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse." All peoples on earth will be blessed through you. We are channels of blessing; always remember, do not let this channel become a curse. If every day you are complaining and cursing, it becomes a channel of curses. God said, "You are a channel of His blessings." Hallelujah!
God has many blessings for us. Today we will talk about a few of them, one of which is material blessings. Brothers and sisters, do you want God to greatly bless you materially? You do, right? God never said: "Those who believe in me will be poor; the poorer you are, the more spiritual you are..." If you read the Bible carefully, God has never said this to us. When you hear such spiritual words, forget them! Do not let them enter your heart because this is a curse; poverty is a curse. Amen!
Jesus said very clearly, He became poor for us so that we might become rich through Him. Amen! Therefore, poverty is not a blessing. Brothers and sisters, today we will talk about Abraham, a blessed man of God, and what kind of blessings he and his descendants received.
First of all, the Bible says: Abraham had a lot of silver and gold, servants, cattle, and sheep, right? In this regard, he received a special blessing from God! One time, his nephew Lot had a dispute with Abraham over some matters and eventually parted ways with him.
When Lot was living in Sodom, one day he was captured, along with his wife and possessions. After Abraham heard about this, he gathered 318 of his strong men and went to fight against the enemy. Just think about it; in such a situation, they were an army, and he was just a household servant; it was an unbalanced battle, right?
But that time, Abraham won. When he returned, he met a man named Melchizedek, king of Salem. Brothers and sisters, let’s see how Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Let’s read together,
Genesis 14:18-20
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Here, what I want to share with brothers and sisters is this: Generally, when people are in poverty or failure, or in sickness, they can usually think of God. No matter how foolish a person is, through their own efforts, when they have tried everything, they can still think of God, that there is a God to rely on!
Usually, when people are victorious or successful, they can easily forget God. Abraham had just won a victory, and in such a situation, it is easy to feel that it is his own achievement. Many people, after becoming successful in business, feel that it is their own achievement.
Some people say, "I have exercised and trained, and my body is great; I feel it is my achievement." But after Abraham's victory, he met the priest of God, and this priest said to him: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High."
Did God not bless him at first? He had already blessed him, but God still wanted to say that He would bless him. Is our God being verbose? No, He is not verbose; He is willing to bless you often. Amen! After Abraham won, the priest, who was the priest of God Most High, said to Abraham: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High," and at the same time, he gave Abraham a correct reminder. What kind of reminder?
God Most High delivered your enemies into your hand; He is to be praised! Amen! In other words, the priest has two roles: when you are weak, the priest reminds you that God will make you stand up; do not be afraid! Because He will be with you! After you have victory and success, the priest also reminds you that all your achievements today are blessings from God. Abraham had just won a victory, and the priest told him: It is the Lord who gave you victory. The question is, can we believe in God's power? Thank the Lord!
Abraham believed, and the words of blessing spoken by the priest to Abraham were also recorded in the Bible: "Blessed be the Lord who delivered your enemies into your hand." This reminds Abraham that God is with you! He is fighting for you. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, you may have great achievements in the future and excel in various aspects. When you become famous and wealthy, always remember that this is a blessing from God. Everything we have is received from God. When the priest reminded Abram, Abraham believed that all he had was given by God, and he was willing to let God manage it. Thank the Lord.
Let everything we need in life be managed by God. I often tell brothers and sisters, if you cannot take care of your own body, give your body to God and let Him manage you. Amen! If you do not know how to educate your children, give your children to God and let Him manage them, teaching them with the words of the Bible. If you do not know how to get along with others, God will tell you how; give your wisdom and your mind to God and let Him give you wisdom. Amen!
Do not rely on your own cleverness. Similarly, I have also asked you if you are willing to be blessed by God in terms of wealth and finances. How to do it? Give your possessions to God and let Him manage them. What is the difference between giving and not giving? After Abraham heard Melchizedek's words, he took a tenth of what he had and gave it to Melchizedek, right?
What is the significance of this? When we give what we have to God, God says, "I will take responsibility for you." Amen! You are not saying that money is not enough, right? You may worry that your salary is too low and fear that it will not be enough. If you give a tenth to me, I will take care of your financial issues. God will block many problems from happening. In your home, God will protect your possessions from being stolen by the devil. In such circumstances, you will still have enough. This is about whether you are willing to let God manage your affairs.
When someone says, "If I am unwilling to give a tenth, that is fine; God still loves you," even if you do not give a tenth, you are still saved. Amen! This must be remembered; it has nothing to do with your actions regarding salvation. What is the difference?
When we say, "Lord, I do not want you to manage my money; I do not want to give a tenth; I will manage it myself," God says, "Okay! You will have to take responsibility for everything you have." When we are responsible for ourselves, we are often in a mess. Even the smartest accountant cannot predict many things, right? This is about ourselves. If you want to be abundant in finances, give your possessions to God to manage. Amen!
Start with a tenth; this is the best. Thank the Lord! When Abraham willingly did this, it was not the law; Abraham willingly gave a tenth of what he had to God, meaning, "Lord, you manage everything for me." Amen! Let’s see what kind of blessing Abraham received.
Genesis 22:17, Regarding blessings, I will greatly bless you; regarding your descendants, I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies.
In Genesis 22, it talks about Abraham offering his son Isaac to God. After he offered him, God immediately said this to him: "Regarding blessings, I will greatly bless you." Earlier, we said that God had already said twice that He would bless Abraham, and now God adds a word: "greatly bless." It seems that God really has no other words to use; it has always been blessings, and this time He says, "I will greatly bless you."
What did he do before this? Why is the blessing at this time greater than before? It is not just to bless him; it also includes his descendants. Right after Abraham offered Isaac, the blessing came. It was not because of Abraham's action that there was such a result; it was because Abraham's heart was completely given to God. After I finish this story, you will understand. Abraham was 100 years old and finally had a son. Others' grandchildren were already grown, and he had only one son. Isn’t that very precious?
Think about it; for a 100-year-old man to have a child is a very precious thing. In human eyes, this child would not be sold for any amount of money; he would be cared for meticulously. But during this process, God said to Abraham, "Abraham, offer your son to me!"
Think about it; is it difficult? If someone says Abraham was particularly willing, that would definitely be a lie because the road to Mount Moriah was actually very short, but Abraham walked for three whole days! Could he not struggle in his heart? Yes, he did, but in the end, Abraham chose to believe God's words. Amen!
In your life, where do you want God to bless you? Give the best blessing to God; if Abraham loved his son so much, God indeed wanted to bless his son. God said, "Give him to me!" Brothers and sisters, do you understand this meaning?
Explaining under the law is very dangerous. When I was in seminary, a pastor asked me a question, and I will ask you today: Do you know that God loves you? Do you love God? Do you really love Him? Are you willing to give your child to God? Don’t forget, I am not saying to offer your child on the fire to be burned; do you understand?
Many people do not answer. At that time, I also did not answer; I did not know how to respond. But when we truly understand God's grace, I know this question is wrong. Because the person asking seems to imply that God wants to take away the most important thing in your life. Because there was a preacher who said, "You must not have anything else between you and God; if there is, God will surely take it away because He loves you..."
Isn’t that terrifying? I love money, and God says, "Okay, I will take away your money so that you can only love me!" This becomes a very terrifying law. What does this passage really talk about? God loves Abraham, and you may have heard many versions, but I want to share this passage from another perspective because God loves Abraham and also loves his descendants.
Then God immediately said, "Regarding your descendants, I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore; your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies."
This proves that his descendants are also victorious in God's hands. Do you hope your children will be very successful in the future? Give them to God! Remember, it does not mean to put them on the fire to be burned; it means to truly teach them with the words of the Bible, letting your children hear God's name and know His wonders. This is what it means to give them to God.
God knows that Abraham loves his son very much. He said, "Give him to me!" In this case, Abraham really did it. What is the foreshadowing here? It represents that our God has an only Son named Jesus. I have been emphasizing that a 100-year-old man has a son; does he love this son? Very much!
God hopes that you think about how much Abraham loved his son, and our Heavenly Father loves Jesus just as much. Amen! It is such a love that when Abraham offered his son, he may have walked very slowly, filled with worries and hesitations, but in the end, he chose to obey. But did God want him to kill this son? No, He did not kill this son!
He only used a lamb as a substitute. What about our Heavenly Father? He truly loves His only Son, Jesus Christ, but for our sake, He offered Him on the cross! He died for us on that altar. This passage mainly reflects the Father's heart, but in fact, it has a foreshadowing that tells you: Think about how much Abraham loved this son, and you will understand how much God loves our Jesus. Conversely, think about how much God loves you. Hallelujah!
Jesus, the best in the kingdom, our Heavenly Father did not keep Him but gave Him to us. All the firstborns of Israel, God had a law that said, "All your firstborns of Israel are mine; you must redeem this firstborn with the cattle and sheep from your home." In this way, the firstborn is still yours. Brothers and sisters, can you understand this meaning?
Just like Abraham's son, he is the firstborn. God did not want this firstborn; He only used a lamb as a substitute. In the end, this son was still in Abraham's hands; Abraham just knew that this child belonged to God. How do we do to give our children to God? In whatever aspect you want to prosper, you need to give it to God.
Let me give you an example: For instance, many people hope their children will be successful in the future and be the smartest. "God, bless him!" But we often do this: holding the child and saying, "Lord, bless him! Lord, bless him! Lord, bless him!" Do you understand what I mean?
For example, on Sundays, you do not need to watch the child; just bring him over, regardless of how noisy he is. Bring him over because we have microphones here, and at least this child can hear God's words. His little heart will know God. Some may say, "Teacher, it is so cold today! How many bacteria are outside? How terrible is the wind and sand? No, no, no, it is too scary outside; it is safer to stay at home."
So, they tightly hold the child while saying, "Lord, bless him!" God says, "Let go!" They say, "Lord, bless him!" God says, "Let go! Can you, like Abraham, put this child in that place and see how I bless him?" Brothers and sisters, this is the Father's heart. If you want God to bless your offspring in the aspect of children, give them to God! Amen! Why?
Let’s look ahead:
Genesis 25:11 After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac settled near Beer Lahai Roi.
How long can you take care of your sons and daughters? If your child runs out of money, you say, "No problem, I can give you some." But how many years can you give? One day, when your life is no longer, what will happen to this child?
You know, even if Abraham died, who is still alive? God is still alive; He will take care of your descendants forever. So, God's intention is: "Abraham, can you give him to me?" Abraham said, "Lord, I give him to you!" God said, "Good! Regarding your descendants, I will let your descendants take possession of the cities of their enemies." When Abraham died, God immediately began to fulfill His promise. God blessed his son Isaac and began to manage him. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, this is the best method; this is the Father's heart. God hopes that your whole family will be blessed! It also mentions what? Blessing; in fact, God has already promised Abraham, "I will bless your descendants."
When it came to Isaac, God said again, "I will bless you." Amen! The Father's heart is always to bless you. Brothers and sisters, Isaac was a very blessed person; throughout his life, he faced almost no hardships because he also believed in this God. Abraham also taught this son to know God, and he indeed gave this son to God.
You must believe that no matter how this child is now, let him know our God. Amen! God will take full responsibility for him. Brothers and sisters, so where is our faith? Our faith lies in recognizing the Father's heart; He will not harm you but is willing to bless you. You can tell God what you want!
In Mark 11:24, it says: "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
If you believe that God can take responsibility for your child, give him to God, and God will let you see. If you say, "Lord, I give my finances to you because I have messed it up," the Lord says, "I will turn your finances around." Amen! Whatever it is, if you are willing to give it to God, God will take responsibility for you. Hallelujah!
This passage is actually about prayer. Some people are confused about prayer, asking, "Should I pray once, or do I need to pray every day?" Some things seem to be similar every day; why pray like this? Sometimes teachers say, "You should pray often until it is accomplished," and sometimes they say, "Just believe it has been accomplished, and you do not need to pray again." Which one is correct?
Do you also have such doubts? In fact, it depends on the matter. In matters of blessing, you need to pray to God every day. Amen! Those of you who have added me on WeChat know that I send a spiritual message every day, actually three, and there is always a prayer at the end. Sometimes you will find that the prayers are very similar.
For example, today, "Lord, I believe you will be with me! You will bless the work of my hands." Sometimes I often mention such a verse; this needs to be prayed every day. God is willing to bless you; He has already blessed you. He has already said, "I will bless you; I will bless you today." God is willing to have such a beautiful communication with you. Amen!
But there are some prayers where you just need to believe it has been accomplished and can stop praying. For example, if you are sick, you say, "By the stripes of Jesus, I have been healed." If you truly believe you have been healed, do not keep saying, "Lord, heal me again!" You have already been healed; do not repeat that prayer.
Sometimes you may be confused, saying, "Why does my prayer seem ineffective?" or you still have worries, so you continue to pray. Amen! You need to distinguish what kind of matter it is because Jesus also taught us in the Lord's Prayer, "Lead us not into temptation," which is something we need to pray for often. When we go out, we should not be led into temptation and should be delivered from evil.
If we fall into the devil's trap and say, "Lord, save me," this is something we need to pray for every day. This is what we mean by praying often. We see that God said to Isaac: "I will bless you." In fact, Isaac was blessed from a young age; he had not yet experienced God but only knew that his father experienced God. He may have heard many testimonies, but up to now, he had not truly experienced God's grace personally. After his father died, God said: "I will bless you." Amen! God personally told him that during this process, God was going to bless Isaac.
Genesis 26:1-3
1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine in Abraham's time, and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. 3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham."
Here, what I want to show brothers and sisters is that originally he was in Beersheba, but later, because there was a famine in that place, he went to another place. When it came to Isaac, there was also a famine in that place, and he was preparing to go to Egypt. When he arrived in Gerar, God appeared to him and said: "Do not go to Egypt; stay in this land." God truly wanted to bless him, and the promised place for his father Abraham was Beersheba. But he left that original place and was now living in Gerar. God said to him: "I will be with you and bless you." Amen!
It seems that our God is very verbose; He always wants to say, "I will bless you; I will bless you," fearing that we might forget. But God does this to remind Isaac again and again that He is a God who blesses. This is the Father's heart. Amen!
The thoughts that the Lord gives are thoughts of blessing, and then He says, "I will be with you and bless you, for I will give all these lands to you and your descendants." God is not talking about Gerar; He is referring to Beersheba, which is the promised land. Now he is living in Gerar, which is just a temporary place.
When some circumstances arise, brothers and sisters, do not lose heart because God wants to give you greater blessings. Hallelujah! When he encountered these problems, his interpersonal relationships were very poor, and he was forced to leave that place and return to Beersheba. When he arrived in Beersheba, God's promise immediately came.
That night, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you."
Our God is so real; once you return to the correct promise, God says: "I am the God who is with you; I will bless you." Amen! He says, "Do not worry; you have been marginalized by others. Do not worry; I know the grievances you have suffered in this temporary place. I will bless you here!" Amen!
Immediately, the blessing for his descendants also came: "And I will make your descendants numerous for the sake of my servant Abraham." Amen! This had never mentioned Isaac's descendants before, but when he arrived in Beersheba, God said: "I will bless you, and your descendants will be numerous here." Amen!
Isn't God's blessing greater? Isaac built an altar there. This is the first mention of Isaac building an altar. In fact, his father Abraham often moved his tent and built an altar whenever he arrived at a place. Building an altar represents what? The purpose of building an altar is to offer sacrifices, which means: "God, you are my first priority." Abraham always knew that God was his first priority, but Isaac had not experienced this.
Until this time, when he returned to Beersheba, which was where his father had been, God appeared to him again and said: "I will bless you; I will be with you! Your descendants will be numerous here." Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, God is willing to bless us, and we should call on God. Amen! This is a reflection of the relationship. I hope that every day you will call on God.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I believe that today you will bless me, no matter where I go; you will go before me and make a way for me. Amen! I hope that every day you will pray for your children, saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ, my son is healthy because the grace of Jesus Christ is upon him." You should do this every day. From that time on, Isaac began to call on the name of the Lord and pitched his tent!
When we return to the promised land, we think every day that this place is temporary; our promised land is in the kingdom of heaven. Amen! While we are on earth, God also says: "I will be with you! I will bless you." God also says, "While you are on earth, I will bless you." Just as God treated Isaac, He will bless you and be with you! God is very clear: now you are living in this temporary place; it is not your eternal home, just a temporary residence. Amen! Looking ahead, brothers and sisters, you will understand that this place has a famine.
Gerar had a famine. In such a situation, how do you believe God's words? God said to Isaac: "Do not leave this place; stay here! I will bless you; I will be with you!" But when he looked at the environment, it was a famine. When he thought of God's words, "I will be with you; I will bless you," and then looked at the environment, it was a famine. Many times, we have such a contrast. In God's words, we feel joy, peace, and all kinds of blessings, and we are full of faith. But when we look at the environment, we immediately lose faith. Isaac was in such a situation.
But Isaac chose to believe God's words. In that year of famine, Isaac began to sow in the land. Sowing in a year of famine requires faith, brothers and sisters. If the weather is good, anyone can sow. If it has not rained for two years, and the land is dry, sowing anything will yield nothing. In such circumstances, sowing requires faith!
You may be sowing, and others say, "Don't bother; last year we sowed many seeds, and none survived; they all died. We even lost the seeds!" In this situation, it requires faith, right? Isaac remembered God's words: "I will be with you; I will bless you." When he sowed in faith, what did God say? That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. Amen! It was during that process that Isaac personally witnessed God's hundredfold blessing!
When everyone said it was impossible, could you believe that God's words are still true? When the world tells you that if you donate money to the church's offering box, you will have less, the more you give, the less you have. But God's words say, "If you put a tenth into my house, I will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings until there is no room to contain it."
Sometimes, God's words are completely opposite to human words. It depends on whether we can believe. Amen! Therefore, Isaac saw a hundredfold harvest in the year of famine. Did he experience God? Isn't that great? The Greek has a characteristic that the latter sentence is the reason for the former or the result of the former. You see this sentence: Isaac sowed in that land during the year of famine. That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. What is the reason? Because the Lord blessed him. Amen!
When we read the Bible, we must not interpret it casually. Do not say that the Lord blessed him; God protected Isaac, and he had a healthy body, so he did this and that... That is wrong. The blessing here refers to the blessing in sowing; it is a material blessing. Amen!
Let’s look at the next verse, Genesis 26:12-14
The Lord gave him a hundredfold harvest, which is indeed a rich blessing, right? A material blessing, he became rich and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy.
He had flocks and herds and many servants. The next sentence is, the Philistines envied him.
Although he was blessed materially, this blessing in interpersonal relationships was not good. He was very wealthy, and as a result, others envied him, began to exclude him, and persecuted him. Isaac dug a well, and the Philistines said, "This well is mine." What did Isaac do? "You are strong; I will give it to you!" He took a step back and dug another well, and they said, "This is mine." Isaac saw that he could not compete with them, so he gave it to them. Isaac dug another well, and they did not fight over it, so he named it "Rehoboth," meaning wide. Where did Isaac go later?
Genesis 26:23-25 says: Isaac went up from there to Beersheba.
He finally returned to the right place. While on this earth, God will indeed bless you, but do not forget that this is just a temporary place, not your permanent place. Amen! The important thing is to invest, hope, and give for the kingdom of heaven where we will be in the future. Amen!
So, serve more in the aspect of saving souls and in the church because money, this capital, will always be stored for you; what is on earth is temporary. Isaac may have initially thought, "Look, I am actually doing well in Gerar; my possessions are increasing; this place is quite good!" But God's intention was not here; God's intention was, "I want to bless you in Beersheba; that is your promised land; this place is not."
When some circumstances arise, brothers and sisters, do not lose heart because God wants to give you greater blessings. Hallelujah! When he encountered these problems, his interpersonal relationships were very poor, and he was forced to leave that place and return to Beersheba. When he arrived in Beersheba, God's promise immediately came.
That night, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you."
Our God is so real; once you return to the correct promise, God says: "I am the God who is with you; I will bless you." Amen! He says, "Do not worry; you have been marginalized by others. Do not worry; I know the grievances you have suffered in this temporary place. I will bless you here!" Amen!
Immediately, the blessing for his descendants also came: "And I will make your descendants numerous for the sake of my servant Abraham." Amen! This had never mentioned Isaac's descendants before, but when he arrived in Beersheba, God said: "I will bless you, and your descendants will be numerous here." Amen!
Isn't God's blessing greater? Isaac built an altar there. This is the first mention of Isaac building an altar. In fact, his father Abraham often moved his tent and built an altar whenever he arrived at a place. Building an altar represents what? The purpose of building an altar is to offer sacrifices, which means: "God, you are my first priority." Abraham always knew that God was his first priority, but Isaac had not experienced this.
Until this time, when he returned to Beersheba, which was where his father had been, God appeared to him again and said: "I will bless you; I will be with you! Your descendants will be numerous here." Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, God is willing to bless us, and we should call on God. Amen! This is a reflection of the relationship. I hope that every day you will call on God.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I believe that today you will bless me, no matter where I go; you will go before me and make a way for me. Amen! I hope that every day you will pray for your children, saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ, my son is healthy because the grace of Jesus Christ is upon him." You should do this every day. From that time on, Isaac began to call on the name of the Lord and pitched his tent!
When we return to the promised land, we think every day that this place is temporary; our promised land is in the kingdom of heaven. Amen! While we are on earth, God also says: "I will be with you! I will bless you." God also says, "While you are on earth, I will bless you." Just as God treated Isaac, He will bless you and be with you! God is very clear: now you are living in this temporary place; it is not your eternal home, just a temporary residence. Amen! Looking ahead, brothers and sisters, you will understand that this place has a famine.
Gerar had a famine. In such a situation, how do you believe God's words? God said to Isaac: "Do not leave this place; stay here! I will bless you; I will be with you!" But when he looked at the environment, it was a famine. When he thought of God's words, "I will be with you; I will bless you," and then looked at the environment, it was a famine. Many times, we have such a contrast. In God's words, we feel joy, peace, and all kinds of blessings, and we are full of faith. But when we look at the environment, we immediately lose faith. Isaac was in such a situation.
But Isaac chose to believe God's words. In that year of famine, Isaac began to sow in the land. Sowing in a year of famine requires faith, brothers and sisters. If the weather is good, anyone can sow. If it has not rained for two years, and the land is dry, sowing anything will yield nothing. In such circumstances, sowing requires faith!
You may be sowing, and others say, "Don't bother; last year we sowed many seeds, and none survived; they all died. We even lost the seeds!" In this situation, it requires faith, right? Isaac remembered God's words: "I will be with you; I will bless you." When he sowed in faith, what did God say? That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. Amen! It was during that process that Isaac personally witnessed God's hundredfold blessing!
When everyone said it was impossible, could you believe that God's words are still true? When the world tells you that if you donate money to the church's offering box, you will have less, the more you give, the less you have. But God's words say, "If you put a tenth into my house, I will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings until there is no room to contain it."
Sometimes, God's words are completely opposite to human words. It depends on whether we can believe. Amen! Therefore, Isaac saw a hundredfold harvest in the year of famine. Did he experience God? Isn't that great? The Greek has a characteristic that the latter sentence is the reason for the former or the result of the former. You see this sentence: Isaac sowed in that land during the year of famine. That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. What is the reason? Because the Lord blessed him. Amen!
When we read the Bible, we must not interpret it casually. Do not say that the Lord blessed him; God protected Isaac, and he had a healthy body, so he did this and that... That is wrong. The blessing here refers to the blessing in sowing; it is a material blessing. Amen!
Let’s look at the next verse, Genesis 26:12-14
The Lord gave him a hundredfold harvest, which is indeed a rich blessing, right? A material blessing, he became rich and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy.
He had flocks and herds and many servants. The next sentence is, the Philistines envied him.
Although he was blessed materially, this blessing in interpersonal relationships was not good. He was very wealthy, and as a result, others envied him, began to exclude him, and persecuted him. Isaac dug a well, and the Philistines said, "This well is mine." What did Isaac do? "You are strong; I will give it to you!" He took a step back and dug another well, and they said, "This is mine." Isaac saw that he could not compete with them, so he gave it to them. Isaac dug another well, and they did not fight over it, so he named it "Rehoboth," meaning wide. Where did Isaac go later?
Genesis 26:23-25 says: Isaac went up from there to Beersheba.
He finally returned to the right place. While on this earth, God will indeed bless you, but do not forget that this is just a temporary place, not your permanent place. Amen! The important thing is to invest, hope, and give for the kingdom of heaven where we will be in the future. Amen!
So, serve more in the aspect of saving souls and in the church because money, this capital, will always be stored for you; what is on earth is temporary. Isaac may have initially thought, "Look, I am actually doing well in Gerar; my possessions are increasing; this place is quite good!" But God's intention was not here; God's intention was, "I want to bless you in Beersheba; that is your promised land; this place is not."
When some circumstances arise, brothers and sisters, do not lose heart because God wants to give you greater blessings. Hallelujah! When he encountered these problems, his interpersonal relationships were very poor, and he was forced to leave that place and return to Beersheba. When he arrived in Beersheba, God's promise immediately came.
That night, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you."
Our God is so real; once you return to the correct promise, God says: "I am the God who is with you; I will bless you." Amen! He says, "Do not worry; you have been marginalized by others. Do not worry; I know the grievances you have suffered in this temporary place. I will bless you here!" Amen!
Immediately, the blessing for his descendants also came: "And I will make your descendants numerous for the sake of my servant Abraham." Amen! This had never mentioned Isaac's descendants before, but when he arrived in Beersheba, God said: "I will bless you, and your descendants will be numerous here." Amen!
Isn't God's blessing greater? Isaac built an altar there. This is the first mention of Isaac building an altar. In fact, his father Abraham often moved his tent and built an altar whenever he arrived at a place. Building an altar represents what? The purpose of building an altar is to offer sacrifices, which means: "God, you are my first priority." Abraham always knew that God was his first priority, but Isaac had not experienced this.
Until this time, when he returned to Beersheba, which was where his father had been, God appeared to him again and said: "I will bless you; I will be with you! Your descendants will be numerous here." Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, God is willing to bless us, and we should call on God. Amen! This is a reflection of the relationship. I hope that every day you will call on God.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I believe that today you will bless me, no matter where I go; you will go before me and make a way for me. Amen! I hope that every day you will pray for your children, saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ, my son is healthy because the grace of Jesus Christ is upon him." You should do this every day. From that time on, Isaac began to call on the name of the Lord and pitched his tent!
When we return to the promised land, we think every day that this place is temporary; our promised land is in the kingdom of heaven. Amen! While we are on earth, God also says: "I will be with you! I will bless you." God also says, "While you are on earth, I will bless you." Just as God treated Isaac, He will bless you and be with you! God is very clear: now you are living in this temporary place; it is not your eternal home, just a temporary residence. Amen! Looking ahead, brothers and sisters, you will understand that this place has a famine.
Gerar had a famine. In such a situation, how do you believe God's words? God said to Isaac: "Do not leave this place; stay here! I will bless you; I will be with you!" But when he looked at the environment, it was a famine. When he thought of God's words, "I will be with you; I will bless you," and then looked at the environment, it was a famine. Many times, we have such a contrast. In God's words, we feel joy, peace, and all kinds of blessings, and we are full of faith. But when we look at the environment, we immediately lose faith. Isaac was in such a situation.
But Isaac chose to believe God's words. In that year of famine, Isaac began to sow in the land. Sowing in a year of famine requires faith, brothers and sisters. If the weather is good, anyone can sow. If it has not rained for two years, and the land is dry, sowing anything will yield nothing. In such circumstances, sowing requires faith!
You may be sowing, and others say, "Don't bother; last year we sowed many seeds, and none survived; they all died. We even lost the seeds!" In this situation, it requires faith, right? Isaac remembered God's words: "I will be with you; I will bless you." When he sowed in faith, what did God say? That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. Amen! It was during that process that Isaac personally witnessed God's hundredfold blessing!
When everyone said it was impossible, could you believe that God's words are still true? When the world tells you that if you donate money to the church's offering box, you will have less, the more you give, the less you have. But God's words say, "If you put a tenth into my house, I will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings until there is no room to contain it."
Sometimes, God's words are completely opposite to human words. It depends on whether we can believe. Amen! Therefore, Isaac saw a hundredfold harvest in the year of famine. Did he experience God? Isn't that great? The Greek has a characteristic that the latter sentence is the reason for the former or the result of the former. You see this sentence: Isaac sowed in that land during the year of famine. That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. What is the reason? Because the Lord blessed him. Amen!
When we read the Bible, we must not interpret it casually. Do not say that the Lord blessed him; God protected Isaac, and he had a healthy body, so he did this and that... That is wrong. The blessing here refers to the blessing in sowing; it is a material blessing. Amen!
Let’s look at the next verse, Genesis 26:12-14
The Lord gave him a hundredfold harvest, which is indeed a rich blessing, right? A material blessing, he became rich and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy.
He had flocks and herds and many servants. The next sentence is, the Philistines envied him.
Although he was blessed materially, this blessing in interpersonal relationships was not good. He was very wealthy, and as a result, others envied him, began to exclude him, and persecuted him. Isaac dug a well, and the Philistines said, "This well is mine." What did Isaac do? "You are strong; I will give it to you!" He took a step back and dug another well, and they said, "This is mine." Isaac saw that he could not compete with them, so he gave it to them. Isaac dug another well, and they did not fight over it, so he named it "Rehoboth," meaning wide. Where did Isaac go later?
Genesis 26:23-25 says: Isaac went up from there to Beersheba.
He finally returned to the right place. While on this earth, God will indeed bless you, but do not forget that this is just a temporary place, not your permanent place. Amen! The important thing is to invest, hope, and give for the kingdom of heaven where we will be in the future. Amen!
So, serve more in the aspect of saving souls and in the church because money, this capital, will always be stored for you; what is on earth is temporary. Isaac may have initially thought, "Look, I am actually doing well in Gerar; my possessions are increasing; this place is quite good!" But God's intention was not here; God's intention was, "I want to bless you in Beersheba; that is your promised land; this place is not."
When some circumstances arise, brothers and sisters, do not lose heart because God wants to give you greater blessings. Hallelujah! When he encountered these problems, his interpersonal relationships were very poor, and he was forced to leave that place and return to Beersheba. When he arrived in Beersheba, God's promise immediately came.
That night, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you."
Our God is so real; once you return to the correct promise, God says: "I am the God who is with you; I will bless you." Amen! He says, "Do not worry; you have been marginalized by others. Do not worry; I know the grievances you have suffered in this temporary place. I will bless you here!" Amen!
Immediately, the blessing for his descendants also came: "And I will make your descendants numerous for the sake of my servant Abraham." Amen! This had never mentioned Isaac's descendants before, but when he arrived in Beersheba, God said: "I will bless you, and your descendants will be numerous here." Amen!
Isn't God's blessing greater? Isaac built an altar there. This is the first mention of Isaac building an altar. In fact, his father Abraham often moved his tent and built an altar whenever he arrived at a place. Building an altar represents what? The purpose of building an altar is to offer sacrifices, which means: "God, you are my first priority." Abraham always knew that God was his first priority, but Isaac had not experienced this.
Until this time, when he returned to Beersheba, which was where his father had been, God appeared to him again and said: "I will bless you; I will be with you! Your descendants will be numerous here." Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, God is willing to bless us, and we should call on God. Amen! This is a reflection of the relationship. I hope that every day you will call on God.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I believe that today you will bless me, no matter where I go; you will go before me and make a way for me. Amen! I hope that every day you will pray for your children, saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ, my son is healthy because the grace of Jesus Christ is upon him." You should do this every day. From that time on, Isaac began to call on the name of the Lord and pitched his tent!
When we return to the promised land, we think every day that this place is temporary; our promised land is in the kingdom of heaven. Amen! While we are on earth, God also says: "I will be with you! I will bless you." God also says, "While you are on earth, I will bless you." Just as God treated Isaac, He will bless you and be with you! God is very clear: now you are living in this temporary place; it is not your eternal home, just a temporary residence. Amen! Looking ahead, brothers and sisters, you will understand that this place has a famine.
Gerar had a famine. In such a situation, how do you believe God's words? God said to Isaac: "Do not leave this place; stay here! I will bless you; I will be with you!" But when he looked at the environment, it was a famine. When he thought of God's words, "I will be with you; I will bless you," and then looked at the environment, it was a famine. Many times, we have such a contrast. In God's words, we feel joy, peace, and all kinds of blessings, and we are full of faith. But when we look at the environment, we immediately lose faith. Isaac was in such a situation.
But Isaac chose to believe God's words. In that year of famine, Isaac began to sow in the land. Sowing in a year of famine requires faith, brothers and sisters. If the weather is good, anyone can sow. If it has not rained for two years, and the land is dry, sowing anything will yield nothing. In such circumstances, sowing requires faith!
You may be sowing, and others say, "Don't bother; last year we sowed many seeds, and none survived; they all died. We even lost the seeds!" In this situation, it requires faith, right? Isaac remembered God's words: "I will be with you; I will bless you." When he sowed in faith, what did God say? That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. Amen! It was during that process that Isaac personally witnessed God's hundredfold blessing!
When everyone said it was impossible, could you believe that God's words are still true? When the world tells you that if you donate money to the church's offering box, you will have less, the more you give, the less you have. But God's words say, "If you put a tenth into my house, I will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings until there is no room to contain it."
Sometimes, God's words are completely opposite to human words. It depends on whether we can believe. Amen! Therefore, Isaac saw a hundredfold harvest in the year of famine. Did he experience God? Isn't that great? The Greek has a characteristic that the latter sentence is the reason for the former or the result of the former. You see this sentence: Isaac sowed in that land during the year of famine. That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. What is the reason? Because the Lord blessed him. Amen!
When we read the Bible, we must not interpret it casually. Do not say that the Lord blessed him; God protected Isaac, and he had a healthy body, so he did this and that... That is wrong. The blessing here refers to the blessing in sowing; it is a material blessing. Amen!
Let’s look at the next verse, Genesis 26:12-14
The Lord gave him a hundredfold harvest, which is indeed a rich blessing, right? A material blessing, he became rich and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy.
He had flocks and herds and many servants. The next sentence is, the Philistines envied him.
Although he was blessed materially, this blessing in interpersonal relationships was not good. He was very wealthy, and as a result, others envied him, began to exclude him, and persecuted him. Isaac dug a well, and the Philistines said, "This well is mine." What did Isaac do? "You are strong; I will give it to you!" He took a step back and dug another well, and they said, "This is mine." Isaac saw that he could not compete with them, so he gave it to them. Isaac dug another well, and they did not fight over it, so he named it "Rehoboth," meaning wide. Where did Isaac go later?
Genesis 26:23-25 says: Isaac went up from there to Beersheba.
He finally returned to the right place. While on this earth, God will indeed bless you, but do not forget that this is just a temporary place, not your permanent place. Amen! The important thing is to invest, hope, and give for the kingdom of heaven where we will be in the future. Amen!
So, serve more in the aspect of saving souls and in the church because money, this capital, will always be stored for you; what is on earth is temporary. Isaac may have initially thought, "Look, I am actually doing well in Gerar; my possessions are increasing; this place is quite good!" But God's intention was not here; God's intention was, "I want to bless you in Beersheba; that is your promised land; this place is not."
When some circumstances arise, brothers and sisters, do not lose heart because God wants to give you greater blessings. Hallelujah! When he encountered these problems, his interpersonal relationships were very poor, and he was forced to leave that place and return to Beersheba. When he arrived in Beersheba, God's promise immediately came.
That night, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you."
Our God is so real; once you return to the correct promise, God says: "I am the God who is with you; I will bless you." Amen! He says, "Do not worry; you have been marginalized by others. Do not worry; I know the grievances you have suffered in this temporary place. I will bless you here!" Amen!
Immediately, the blessing for his descendants also came: "And I will make your descendants numerous for the sake of my servant Abraham." Amen! This had never mentioned Isaac's descendants before, but when he arrived in Beersheba, God said: "I will bless you, and your descendants will be numerous here." Amen!
Isn't God's blessing greater? Isaac built an altar there. This is the first mention of Isaac building an altar. In fact, his father Abraham often moved his tent and built an altar whenever he arrived at a place. Building an altar represents what? The purpose of building an altar is to offer sacrifices, which means: "God, you are my first priority." Abraham always knew that God was his first priority, but Isaac had not experienced this.
Until this time, when he returned to Beersheba, which was where his father had been, God appeared to him again and said: "I will bless you; I will be with you! Your descendants will be numerous here." Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, God is willing to bless us, and we should call on God. Amen! This is a reflection of the relationship. I hope that every day you will call on God.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I believe that today you will bless me, no matter where I go; you will go before me and make a way for me. Amen! I hope that every day you will pray for your children, saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ, my son is healthy because the grace of Jesus Christ is upon him." You should do this every day. From that time on, Isaac began to call on the name of the Lord and pitched his tent!
When we return to the promised land, we think every day that this place is temporary; our promised land is in the kingdom of heaven. Amen! While we are on earth, God also says: "I will be with you! I will bless you." God also says, "While you are on earth, I will bless you." Just as God treated Isaac, He will bless you and be with you! God is very clear: now you are living in this temporary place; it is not your eternal home, just a temporary residence. Amen! Looking ahead, brothers and sisters, you will understand that this place has a famine.
Gerar had a famine. In such a situation, how do you believe God's words? God said to Isaac: "Do not leave this place; stay here! I will bless you; I will be with you!" But when he looked at the environment, it was a famine. When he thought of God's words, "I will be with you; I will bless you," and then looked at the environment, it was a famine. Many times, we have such a contrast. In God's words, we feel joy, peace, and all kinds of blessings, and we are full of faith. But when we look at the environment, we immediately lose faith. Isaac was in such a situation.
But Isaac chose to believe God's words. In that year of famine, Isaac began to sow in the land. Sowing in a year of famine requires faith, brothers and sisters. If the weather is good, anyone can sow. If it has not rained for two years, and the land is dry, sowing anything will yield nothing. In such circumstances, sowing requires faith!
You may be sowing, and others say, "Don't bother; last year we sowed many seeds, and none survived; they all died. We even lost the seeds!" In this situation, it requires faith, right? Isaac remembered God's words: "I will be with you; I will bless you." When he sowed in faith, what did God say? That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. Amen! It was during that process that Isaac personally witnessed God's hundredfold blessing!
When everyone said it was impossible, could you believe that God's words are still true? When the world tells you that if you donate money to the church's offering box, you will have less, the more you give, the less you have. But God's words say, "If you put a tenth into my house, I will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings until there is no room to contain it."
Sometimes, God's words are completely opposite to human words. It depends on whether we can believe. Amen! Therefore, Isaac saw a hundredfold harvest in the year of famine. Did he experience God? Isn't that great? The Greek has a characteristic that the latter sentence is the reason for the former or the result of the former. You see this sentence: Isaac sowed in that land during the year of famine. That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. What is the reason? Because the Lord blessed him. Amen!
When we read the Bible, we must not interpret it casually. Do not say that the Lord blessed him; God protected Isaac, and he had a healthy body, so he did this and that... That is wrong. The blessing here refers to the blessing in sowing; it is a material blessing. Amen!
Let’s look at the next verse, Genesis 26:12-14
The Lord gave him a hundredfold harvest, which is indeed a rich blessing, right? A material blessing, he became rich and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy.
He had flocks and herds and many servants. The next sentence is, the Philistines envied him.
Although he was blessed materially, this blessing in interpersonal relationships was not good. He was very wealthy, and as a result, others envied him, began to exclude him, and persecuted him. Isaac dug a well, and the Philistines said, "This well is mine." What did Isaac do? "You are strong; I will give it to you!" He took a step back and dug another well, and they said, "This is mine." Isaac saw that he could not compete with them, so he gave it to them. Isaac dug another well, and they did not fight over it, so he named it "Rehoboth," meaning wide. Where did Isaac go later?
Genesis 26:23-25 says: Isaac went up from there to Beersheba.
He finally returned to the right place. While on this earth, God will indeed bless you, but do not forget that this is just a temporary place, not your permanent place. Amen! The important thing is to invest, hope, and give for the kingdom of heaven where we will be in the future. Amen!
So, serve more in the aspect of saving souls and in the church because money, this capital, will always be stored for you; what is on earth is temporary. Isaac may have initially thought, "Look, I am actually doing well in Gerar; my possessions are increasing; this place is quite good!" But God's intention was not here; God's intention was, "I want to bless you in Beersheba; that is your promised land; this place is not."
When some circumstances arise, brothers and sisters, do not lose heart because God wants to give you greater blessings. Hallelujah! When he encountered these problems, his interpersonal relationships were very poor, and he was forced to leave that place and return to Beersheba. When he arrived in Beersheba, God's promise immediately came.
That night, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you."
Our God is so real; once you return to the correct promise, God says: "I am the God who is with you; I will bless you." Amen! He says, "Do not worry; you have been marginalized by others. Do not worry; I know the grievances you have suffered in this temporary place. I will bless you here!" Amen!
Immediately, the blessing for his descendants also came: "And I will make your descendants numerous for the sake of my servant Abraham." Amen! This had never mentioned Isaac's descendants before, but when he arrived in Beersheba, God said: "I will bless you, and your descendants will be numerous here." Amen!
Isn't God's blessing greater? Isaac built an altar there. This is the first mention of Isaac building an altar. In fact, his father Abraham often moved his tent and built an altar whenever he arrived at a place. Building an altar represents what? The purpose of building an altar is to offer sacrifices, which means: "God, you are my first priority." Abraham always knew that God was his first priority, but Isaac had not experienced this.
Until this time, when he returned to Beersheba, which was where his father had been, God appeared to him again and said: "I will bless you; I will be with you! Your descendants will be numerous here." Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, God is willing to bless us, and we should call on God. Amen! This is a reflection of the relationship. I hope that every day you will call on God.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I believe that today you will bless me, no matter where I go; you will go before me and make a way for me. Amen! I hope that every day you will pray for your children, saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ, my son is healthy because the grace of Jesus Christ is upon him." You should do this every day. From that time on, Isaac began to call on the name of the Lord and pitched his tent!
When we return to the promised land, we think every day that this place is temporary; our promised land is in the kingdom of heaven. Amen! While we are on earth, God also says: "I will be with you! I will bless you." God also says, "While you are on earth, I will bless you." Just as God treated Isaac, He will bless you and be with you! God is very clear: now you are living in this temporary place; it is not your eternal home, just a temporary residence. Amen! Looking ahead, brothers and sisters, you will understand that this place has a famine.
Gerar had a famine. In such a situation, how do you believe God's words? God said to Isaac: "Do not leave this place; stay here! I will bless you; I will be with you!" But when he looked at the environment, it was a famine. When he thought of God's words, "I will be with you; I will bless you," and then looked at the environment, it was a famine. Many times, we have such a contrast. In God's words, we feel joy, peace, and all kinds of blessings, and we are full of faith. But when we look at the environment, we immediately lose faith. Isaac was in such a situation.
But Isaac chose to believe God's words. In that year of famine, Isaac began to sow in the land. Sowing in a year of famine requires faith, brothers and sisters. If the weather is good, anyone can sow. If it has not rained for two years, and the land is dry, sowing anything will yield nothing. In such circumstances, sowing requires faith!
You may be sowing, and others say, "Don't bother; last year we sowed many seeds, and none survived; they all died. We even lost the seeds!" In this situation, it requires faith, right? Isaac remembered God's words: "I will be with you; I will bless you." When he sowed in faith, what did God say? That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. Amen! It was during that process that Isaac personally witnessed God's hundredfold blessing!
When everyone said it was impossible, could you believe that God's words are still true? When the world tells you that if you donate money to the church's offering box, you will have less, the more you give, the less you have. But God's words say, "If you put a tenth into my house, I will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings until there is no room to contain it."
Sometimes, God's words are completely opposite to human words. It depends on whether we can believe. Amen! Therefore, Isaac saw a hundredfold harvest in the year of famine. Did he experience God? Isn't that great? The Greek has a characteristic that the latter sentence is the reason for the former or the result of the former. You see this sentence: Isaac sowed in that land during the year of famine. That year, he had a hundredfold harvest. What is the reason? Because the Lord blessed him. Amen!
When we read the Bible, we must not interpret it casually. Do not say that the Lord blessed him; God protected Isaac, and he had a healthy body, so he did this and that... That is wrong. The blessing here refers to the blessing in sowing; it is a material blessing. Amen!
Let’s look at the next verse, Genesis 26:12-14
The Lord gave him a hundredfold harvest, which is indeed a rich blessing, right? A material blessing, he became rich and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy.
He had flocks and herds and many servants. The next sentence is, the Philistines envied him.
Although he was blessed materially, this blessing in interpersonal relationships was not good. He was very wealthy, and as a result, others envied him, began to exclude him, and persecuted him. Isaac dug a well, and the Philistines said, "This well is mine." What did Isaac do? "You are strong; I will give it to you!" He took a step back and dug another well, and they said, "This is mine." Isaac saw that he could not compete with them, so he gave it to them. Isaac dug another well, and they did not fight over it, so he named it "Rehoboth," meaning wide. Where did Isaac go later?
Genesis 26:23-25 says: Isaac went up from there to Beersheba.
He finally returned to the right place. While on this earth, God will indeed bless you, but do not forget that this is just a temporary place, not your permanent place. Amen! The important thing is to invest, hope, and give for the kingdom of heaven where we will be in the future. Amen!
So, serve more in the aspect of saving souls and in the church because money, this capital, will always be stored for you; what is on earth is temporary. Isaac may have initially thought, "Look, I am actually doing well in Gerar; my possessions are increasing; this place is quite good!" But God's intention was not here; God's intention was, "I want to bless you in Beersheba; that is your promised land; this place is not."
When some circumstances arise, brothers and sisters, do not lose heart because God wants to give you greater blessings. Hallelujah! When he encountered these problems, his interpersonal relationships were very poor, and he was forced to leave that place and return to Beersheba. When he arrived in Beersheba, God's promise immediately came.
That night, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you."
Our God is so real; once you return to the correct promise, God says: "I am the God who is with you; I will bless you." Amen! He says, "Do not worry; you have been marginalized by others. Do not worry; I know the grievances you have suffered in this temporary place. I will bless you here!" Amen!
Immediately, the blessing for his descendants also came: "And I will make your descendants numerous for the sake of my servant Abraham." Amen! This had never mentioned Isaac's descendants before, but when he arrived in Beersheba, God said: "I will bless you, and your descendants will be numerous here." Amen!
Isn't God's blessing greater? Isaac built an altar there.