1189 - Correct Belief Produces Correct Behavior#
1189 - Correct belief produces correct behavior
(JP Text Group - Brother Zhang 整理)
Today, the topic we are sharing is: Correct belief produces correct behavior.
John 1:14-18:
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father. John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, "This is the one I spoke about when I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" Out of his fullness, we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Let us pray first:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you for your grace! Your word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path, and it is also our help in life at all times. Holy Spirit, help us to correctly understand your word, receive the correct way, and live it out in our lives! Supply us with everything we need during this time! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
We ask our brothers and sisters a question: "Why did God become flesh?"
The answer the Bible gives us is in verse 18, No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
No one has ascended to heaven and seen God; only Jesus Christ came down from above. His purpose in coming down is to allow us to see God. When others ask you what your God looks like, can you show me? The Jesus recorded in the Bible is the likeness of God! He is a God full of love, grace, and truth. God sent his Son Jesus to become flesh and come into the world because we need grace so much. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, so God sent his Son to be among us. When you see Jesus, you see this God.
Verse 14 says, The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
Does Jesus have judgment and condemnation? He has that ability, so why doesn’t he do it? Because Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. The Bible says that when he dwelt among us, what was manifested was full of grace and truth.
Those who are sick and sincerely seek Jesus receive healing from him because he is full of grace and truth. God wants his Son Jesus Christ to receive glory in this last age! Who is grace for? For those who do not deserve it, for those who are unworthy. God gave Jesus as a gift to the world so that everyone who believes can receive it, Amen!
This is what we usually call the gospel, and many people have accepted the gospel and are telling of the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. However, the devil does not want people to receive God's grace. What is the devil's work? John 10:10 says: The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Jesus Christ came to give people life and to let them have abundant life. He restores what has been destroyed. He gives back to people what the devil has taken away. He allows people to receive eternal life. Therefore, every time Jesus blesses people, the devil feels very uncomfortable. The devil absolutely does not want your family to be happy; he would rather have you always arguing and never getting along. So when Jesus freely gives us his grace, the devil always tries to make people misunderstand grace, misunderstand God's will, and hinder people from receiving God's abundance.
The devil distorts grace into another kind of law. For example, grace is a kind of divine influence, meaning that if you come to Jesus to receive his grace, you will become a good person. After becoming a good person, you need to learn about grace more deeply; you will receive more, such as through more prayer to obtain more of God's grace. You can obtain more of God's grace by attending more meetings. It seems that people must pay a price for God to give his grace. In fact, God gives blessings as gifts freely!
Some people say that grace is a foundational teaching. Some say we are now in the third or fourth wave of grace, but they still do not understand what grace is. Grace is not a doctrine, not a denomination, but a person named Jesus, Amen!
The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. For example, when someone has insomnia, can you sleep with the Bible under your head? The Bible cannot save people, but the Jesus Christ recorded in the Bible, when you believe in him, you can enjoy rest. There is no such thing as Jesus I generation, Jesus II generation; there is only one Jesus! We are exalting Jesus Christ today, and in ten or twenty years, we will still be talking about this because he is full of grace and truth, and his grace is completely sufficient for us.
Verse 16 says, Out of his fullness, we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
Let me ask you, how many of you believed in Jesus because you were afraid of going to hell? You were attracted by the grace of Jesus Christ, attracted by his love, and that is why you believed in him. You received from his fullness of grace, so you are willing to follow him and serve him.
What does grace upon grace mean? The Hebrew word Yahweh consists of four Hebrew letters. The first is an outstretched hand. The second letter is grace, the third letter is a hook, and the fourth letter is also grace. Simply put, it is an outstretched hand, with grace connected to grace. This is the same as what we are talking about today, God's hand is always outstretched to give you his abundant grace, so in the Old Testament, God often said, "Yahweh, Yahweh is a God full of love and grace, slow to anger."
The name of Jesus is: He will save his people from their sins! His name is such, so what he does is like this. Many people misunderstand the gospel; they think that when their behavior is not good enough, God will not bless them. When people sin and are weak, the first thing they do is hide from God.
Genesis 3:8-10
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
After Adam and Eve sinned, what they did was hide from God. God personally came to find him and said: Adam, where are you? Adam said, "I heard your voice and I was afraid!"
Why was Adam afraid? Because he knew he had sinned and was afraid that God would condemn him, so Adam thought in his heart: I have eaten the fruit that God commanded me not to eat; God will surely find trouble with me, so he hid and was afraid when he heard God's voice.
Genesis 3:11 The Lord God said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"
Those who do not understand God have a wrong perception of God. Every time people are weak and sin, they feel that their relationship with God is very distant. God is high in heaven listening, but he does not care about my suffering; this is a wrong belief. At this time, they say that when they pray, God will not listen, but that is not the case.
When God found Adam, God said: Who told you that you were naked?
After Adam accepted the devil's wrong words and violated God's words, he felt condemned in his heart. When people live in sin, the first thing they see is their weakness, their inadequacies, and their shame! But our God came to find Adam to save him, to make garments of skin for him to wear. He prepared a way of salvation for Adam. The offspring of the woman refers to Jesus Christ. God prepared Jesus to save them after Adam sinned.
Verse 17 says, the law was given through Moses.
Moses is not the law; he merely conveyed the law. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The original meaning is that grace and truth come out from him; he himself is grace and truth! If today you feel unworthy, that is exactly when you need to receive his grace. When you are weak, that is when you need to come to Jesus to receive his strength. When you fail, that is when you need to seek Jesus and let him give you the strength to overcome life anew.
Look at those who sought Jesus in the New Testament; were they worthy? They were not worthy. Were the lepers worthy? Were the tax collectors worthy? Were the fishermen worthy? These people knew they were unworthy, and when they sought Jesus, they received Jesus' grace. On the contrary, those Pharisees and scribes who thought they were righteous felt they were holier than others and behaved better than others. Such people lost the grace of Jesus Christ.
What does grace upon grace mean? It means that when this blessing ends, a new blessing comes. Just like the Israelites picking up manna in the wilderness every day. They picked up a big bucket today, and when they were about to finish eating, the next day they did not need to pray for God to provide food; God's grace had already come down. This is grace upon grace.
When you say, "I have no strength now," God's strength has already been given. When you feel weak, God's strength has already been given; you just need to come and receive it. Every day, God's supply comes down; you just need to come and receive it. This is called from his fullness of grace we have all received, and grace upon grace. He is a God full of grace and truth; as long as people are willing to seek Jesus, they can find him!
Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
If people believe wrongly and want to exchange their behavior for God's blessings, they fall into the law. Such people will become increasingly weary in their faith. They will suffer without seeing any sweetness! Grace is for those who are unworthy and have no merit! It is for those who seek Him.
Brothers and sisters, when we try to rely on our own merits and achievements to please God, we place ourselves under the law. Once we discover our inadequacies, lack, or failures, we lose the confidence to believe that God will bless us.
Romans 4:4-8
Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works: "Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them."
If we try to please God with a mindset of earning wages, then our God is no different from other "gods"! Grace would not exist. Earning wages is what one is entitled to. But it is those who have not worked, who have not paid, yet receive God's righteousness and blessings. This is grace. God's grace is manifested outside of works.
According to God's law, we cannot keep all the laws. But Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins on the cross, so that his righteousness is credited to us. This is not earned by our good behavior or achievements. It is a gift he willingly gives. When people realize this is God's grace, they can receive it freely. Such people are blessed. When we receive the redemptive work that Jesus accomplished on the cross, God calls us righteous. He forgives our transgressions. All of this is done by Jesus. We are merely receivers. There is no boasting. This is grace.
Romans 11:6 If it is by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
It can also be understood as grace is a gift. What does a gift mean? It does not depend on how you behave; it only depends on the willing giver. If you work hard for a month and your boss pays you, that is not grace; that is what you are entitled to. But if a bonus is randomly given and it comes to you, that is grace. Because it is not earned by behavior.
John 8:10-12
Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
The woman in this passage was supposed to be stoned according to the law. However, Jesus forgave her sin, and it was not that Jesus abolished the law; rather, Jesus would soon go to the cross to pay the price for her sin. Therefore, Jesus gave grace to this woman, saying, "I do not condemn you; go now and leave your life of sin." The forgiveness this woman received was God's grace upon her. Immediately after, Jesus said he is the light of the world. Whoever follows him will never walk in darkness but will walk in the light. This light is the grace that God gives to each of us; anyone willing can enter the light. Believing is how you can receive it. When you enter the light, God will remove all your darkness, making you different.
For this woman, Jesus did not deny her sin. Instead, he gave her the strength to overcome sin. If people misunderstand grace, they will see it as an opportunity for indulgence! Jesus never said, "Woman, it’s okay; I won’t see what you did." This woman knew she had sinned, and Jesus knew she had sinned; he did not shy away from it. Jesus gave her grace to help her overcome sin and not sin anymore.
Romans 6:14-17
For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.
Paul makes it very clear in this passage that sin cannot be our master anymore. Because we are not under the law, we are under grace. It is because Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross that we accept what Jesus has done. Thus, we enter into Christ and come under grace. But this does not mean we can sin at will. Paul here firmly tells us, by no means.
Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
This means that whoever you willingly offer yourself to, you will live out that kind of life. If a person is willing to continue sinning, then they are a slave to sin. If a person is willing to live according to Christ's words, they will manifest a righteous life. And a righteous life is beneficial to us.
Our God is especially willing to give you his grace, allowing you to receive strength from his grace, and thus your life will be blessed and changed. Therefore, when you believe correctly, your behavior will naturally change. The pulpit is a very important place; when you hear correct teachings, you will live out a correct life. If you believe wrongly, your life will be chaotic.
Today, believing in Jesus is absolutely correct! You must believe in his grace and truth. Because you have received this grace and truth, you can live a life of gratitude. You receive grace from him, and you can give grace out. What is filled in the heart will come out of the mouth, Amen!
2 Corinthians 9:8-12
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: "They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever." Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
This passage is a promise from God. There are many promises in the Bible; you can memorize this passage and meditate on it every day because it is very important. What does all kinds of grace include?
But I want to tell you this in more detail. If a person is physically ill, God can add health to him. If this person needs a job, God can provide good job opportunities for him. If this person’s family is full of disputes and conflicts, God can place the grace of harmony in your home. If you are burdened with debts, God can give you the wisdom to acquire wealth to solve these problems.
All kinds of grace are not earned by our own efforts; they are given to us by God! To add means to give as a gift.
When you believe in Jesus Christ, God has already added all kinds of grace to you in Christ. So that you may always have all that you need. Brothers and sisters, this is God's intention; he wants to bless you this way. And God gives us all kinds of grace so that we can do all kinds of good works.
You are a channel of blessing. When God blessed Abraham, he said: I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, and you will be a blessing to others. God does not want us to be greedy, only taking without giving. Therefore, God tells us that he is willing to give us all kinds of grace so that we can do all kinds of good works.
As it is written: "They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever."
God hopes that through his grace, more people will be blessed. Let us scatter our gifts to the poor. This not only gives us a good reputation on earth but also stores up rich rewards in heaven.
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
In the matter of giving, we need to believe correctly, and our lives will be blessed. God is willing to give us more financial blessings so that we can do more good works, such as supporting the development of gospel ministries, helping the poor, and benefiting society. This will increase the fruits of our righteousness. He will add more seeds for us to sow. Brothers and sisters, it is seeds. Seeds will continue to bear fruit, thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold. So if families are willing, start with small things, start with small offerings. You will surely see God's abundant supply in your finances.
This not only can supply the needs of the saints but also allows people to see the love and support among brothers and sisters. Let those in need see God's real grace and thank God from then on.
Luke 5:12-13
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.
Just now we read that God can abundantly add all kinds of grace to you; we can all believe this part. Our God is a God full of power, glory, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. What many people cannot believe is the latter part, not knowing if God is willing. Many people see themselves as unworthy, behaving poorly, and weak, so how could God possibly heal them?
This person had the same thought, so he said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.
You must believe that God is willing to heal you, willing to bless you, and willing to fill your family with harmony. This is God's will! Some people say: "I also prayed, but I did not receive healing. What is the reason?"
Some say it is because your faith is too small; this statement is also true. I want to ask: How can one increase their faith? When Jesus was preaching, he said many times, especially to the disciples, "You unbelieving generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?"
After calming the storm, they were amazed, and Jesus said, "You of little faith!" If you have faith, you can do such things. Indeed, we lack faith, but how can we have faith? Some say, "Pray hard." Will prayer give you faith? Some say, "Read the Bible more." Will that give you faith? Actually, it is really simple. If you believe that the Heavenly Father is willing to give you Jesus, would he not be willing to heal you? If you believe that Jesus is willing to heal you, just receive it! God's grace is given freely!
Correct faith comes from correct belief. Our faith comes from hearing the word, from the words of Jesus Christ. When you believe in Jesus, who is a God full of grace and truth, you can generate faith.
Some people always say you need to have sufficient faith, you need to have enough faith. The question is, how can they have such faith? Once they have faith, naturally, there will be actions of faith. The Bible tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith testifies to things that will happen in the future. Christians indeed need to have faith; how can they obtain this faith?
Mark 9:20-25
So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." "If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Some manuscripts say, "He cried out with tears.") When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
The disciples were unable to cast out this spirit. So the father brought the child to Jesus. After inquiring, Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." The father of the child immediately cried out, saying: "I believe; help my unbelief."
How does your faith come? It depends on how much you know Jesus Christ. Why do you come to hear the word every week? It is because you want to know Jesus Christ more. Therefore, the pulpit is a place to preach Jesus Christ. The more you know Jesus Christ, the more your faith will grow. Amen!
He is the beginning and the end of faith. The reason we lack faith is that we know too little about Jesus. When people correctly understand Jesus and know that the grace he gives us is given freely, whenever people seek Jesus, he will never reject us. In this way, faith is generated. People can experience the goodness of Christ more in their lives.
The father of this child said, "I believe; help my unbelief." Jesus said, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." In fact, the original meaning of that statement is: If you believe I can accomplish all things for you, I can accomplish all things for you! Today, do you believe Jesus can do everything for you? If you can believe, that is your faith! Some believe that they can only be healed through a doctor; that is your faith! This faith has no right or wrong, only size. Correctly knowing Jesus releases faith.
This morning, while I was listening to a song, God revealed to me this statement: many people have been seeking faith, but they should not seek it this way. Then God gave me a revelation: God has already prepared a meal in the kitchen. A person is hungry, kneeling on the ground saying, "Lord, please don’t let me be hungry." Will he not be hungry after praying for an hour? Will he not be hungry after fasting for a day and praying? He will still be hungry! God's meaning is, just go to the kitchen and eat; I have already prepared it, just receive it!
What does the example I just gave you mean? A person kneeling on the ground: "Lord, please don’t let me be hungry anymore." God says, "Okay, I will take away your hunger." If you starve to death, you won’t feel hungry. How does our faith come? It is not by kneeling there praying: "Lord, give me faith." You stand up and still have no faith. The best way is to eat some spiritual food, and you will naturally have faith!
To solve your hunger problem, just eat, and you will naturally be full. This is a very rich feast; you are now having a great spiritual feast, so you will generate faith! Once you have this faith, your behavior in life will change. Previously, you were always worried, always anxious. Every time your child went to school, you worried: "Lord, please don’t let anything happen to him on the road; there are so many cars, so many people, how can I not worry!" God is always with him; you say in the name of Jesus Christ, the angels will go before my child and clear the way, and you will not worry so much because this anxiety and worry will be taken away. You know God is working; this is your faith, and complaints will disappear from your mouth!
In Luke 15, there is a story of the prodigal son. Many people have read the parable of the prodigal son. We look at the latter part, from verse 25 to 32, which says that after the younger son squandered his father's property, he returned. His father welcomed him as if he did not care about what he had done before.
The father embraced the son and brought him back home, restoring everything he had before. The father and son were very happy, enjoying a great feast. At that moment, the older son returned. When the older son came back from the field and heard the music and dancing, he called one of the servants and asked, "What is going on?" Someone told him, "Your brother has come home, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound." At this moment, the older son was very angry.
A person without grace in their heart will be jealous and angry even when they see good things. If a person has no gratitude and no grace in their heart, they will see everything as if the whole world is against them.
The older son saw that his brother had returned but was very angry and refused to go in and eat with them. His father came out to plead with him. The latter part is an important thing we want to share; he said a few words to his father that revealed what was in his heart.
Luke 15:28-32
The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, "Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours, who has squandered your property with prostitutes, comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!" "My son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
I have served you for so many years, brothers and sisters, does he have a very bad relationship with his father? He feels like he is serving his father; he is working for his father. "I have served you for so many years, always doing things, and it is an unwilling contribution."
I have never disobeyed your orders. The older son has always been working with a legalistic mindset. Perhaps he feels that he has not received wages for his work, so he feels resentful.
You never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends! He feels that his father is unfair to him. He has given so much but has never received a return.
We believe in the same God; some Christians can live in gratitude every day, while others still live in complaints every day. The problem is that our hearts have different understandings of God. This older son thinks his father is a very harsh, stingy, and miserly father, so his heart is full of complaints. He does not even recognize his own brother.
But when this son of yours, who has squandered your property with prostitutes, comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him. I have read this passage many times. Last week, when I read this passage, God gave me a new insight: this older son really cared about the food. He may have wanted to eat for a long time; every time he passed by and saw the goats getting fat, he wanted to eat but did not dare to eat. He did not dare to disobey his father's orders. He wanted to take it out and share it with his friends, but he did not dare. Because he had fear of his father, his understanding of his father was wrong. That unworthy younger brother came back and ate what he should have eaten, so he was very angry.
I previously shared a testimony about two sisters who both believed. The older sister believed earlier and was more devout, attending church every week. The younger sister believed not long ago and did not attend church often. But whatever the younger sister prayed for, God accomplished. On the contrary, whatever the older sister prayed for, God did not accomplish. One day, the older sister became angry and said, "Why does God listen to her prayers? That was supposed to be mine; why did he give it to her?"
Can you understand what this means? She thought our God was too stingy, always saying that God only had this one blessing, and it was given to her sister, so she had none left. But our God is not like this; God can abundantly add all kinds of grace to you.
Because this older son had a wrong understanding of his father, he often lived in bitterness and complaints. His behavior was also poor, and he was unwilling to sit down and eat with his father. There was a great distance between him and his father.
At this moment, think about how the younger son felt inside. Was he not grateful? I caused such a great disaster, and my father did not blame me. He even let me wear a ring, put shoes on me, and restore my identity. Will he run away from home again? It is very simple; his behavior will definitely change. This is the power of grace.
At first, this older son did not feel that he had a father-son relationship with his father; he felt it was an employer-employee relationship. But the father immediately said, "My son!" This is a correct reminder!
Meaning: You are not serving me; you are my son!!! Even if you do not serve me, you are still my son. Your brother, although he behaved poorly, is still my son.
Today, in the church, I want to remind you that no matter how you behave today, you are a child of God! Even if you are weak and have sinned, you are still the father's son when you return home! This is you; when you come before God, he still recognizes you as his child and still listens to your prayers. He still loves you!
You are always with me! This is the greatest blessing in the Bible! Many people in the Old Testament longed for God to be with them. But after the Holy Spirit completed his work, he left that person. Today, under the New Testament, the Holy Spirit dwells within you; wherever you go, he is with you! When you know God is with you, what do you have to fear? Those problems, God is with you; he can solve those problems! So whether you are facing illness, financial issues, family problems, or work issues, God is by your side, and he has ways to help you solve them!
Everything I have is yours! At first, this older son thought that everything belonged to his father; he was just a worker! So he worked diligently in the field, thinking he wanted to eat a goat, but his father did not even give him that. But the father corrected the older son's misunderstanding. The father said, "Everything I have is yours." Brothers and sisters, when you accept Jesus Christ, everything Jesus has is yours! Everything in the kingdom of heaven is yours!
What kind of blessings are there in the kingdom of heaven? You need to look at the Bible; you know what kind of blessings God has given you, all recorded in the Bible! Today, reading the Bible is to find Jesus within it, to find the grace and truth that God wants to give us. People are willing to read it; today, during the process of hearing the word, God wants to let you know Jesus Christ's grace more deeply! So people are drawn to come! It is not because we are looking at a certain person; it is to seek Jesus Christ and receive his revelation.
Many people complain to God, saying: "Lord, what do you want me to do for you before you bless me? How long do you want me to pray before you heal me?" Because they believe wrongly, their mouths are often filled with complaints. We do not rely on behavior to obtain God's blessings; it is because he has already given this as a gift to you. God is a good God!
He is full of love and grace. God's will is to heal you. God's will is to solve your problems, Amen! Life is indeed too short; do not let those wrong teachings limit your life and your faith. When you understand God's grace and believe correctly, your life and your living will be different.
Now let us begin to pray before God:
If what we shared today has helped you, you need to come before God in prayer, let God reveal to you, and let you correctly know Him. Because when you believe correctly, your behavior will change. Bring all the suppressed things in your heart, all problems, to the Lord in prayer.
No matter what it is, you need to know that today God is willing to listen to your prayers. He is smiling at you now; he no longer remembers your sins, no longer remembers your transgressions, because Jesus Christ has already paid the full price on the cross. He listens to your prayers, and he is willing to bless you. So open your mouth and pray, tell God all the pressures and troubles in your heart; he can comfort you; he is your strength. He is your help, Hallelujah. You need to know that when you reach out your hand, God will touch your hand.
Heavenly Father, we thank you! You are a loving Father; you are a loving Father who corrects our wrong understanding of you! You want to renew our understanding of you through your word because you are full of grace and truth. We have all received and are receiving grace upon grace. The grace you give us is there every day, and I also believe your grace is upon me, your healing is upon me, and the power of healing is flowing within me.
This week will be a different week; you have prepared abundant blessings for me. I receive the blessings you give by faith. I expect good things to happen to me. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!