1124 - You in God's Eyes#
1124 - You in God's Eyes
(JP Text Group - Organized by Life Like an Eagle)
Let's read the scripture shared tonight together:
1 Peter 2:4-10
The Lord is a living stone, indeed rejected by men, but chosen by God and precious. 5 You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Through this passage, we want to show you what you look like in God's eyes.
Many Christians do not know how God sees them, and they are unsure of what they look like in God's eyes. As a result, people try to present themselves before God in their own way. When things do not go well or when their faith is weak, they become uncertain about whether God loves them or is willing to hear their prayers.
Today we want to share, You in God's Eyes.
We share the first point: Jesus is a living stone in God's eyes, and so are you.
The Lord is a living stone. What is a living stone? It is something that has life, that is alive. When you receive the resurrected life of Christ, living water will flow from your belly. But today, what do we know about how God sees Jesus? He is pleasing to God. When does God delight in Him? Is it only after Jesus died and rose again that God was pleased with Him? No.
The Bible tells us that God was pleased with Him even before He performed a single miracle, even before He preached the gospel, even before He spoke any words or did anything in the gospel. God was already pleased with Him.
Matthew 3:17 tells us that when Jesus came up from the water after being baptized, a voice came from heaven saying: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Today, we do not rely on our actions to gain God's pleasure. Like Jesus Christ, even before He performed miracles or preached the gospel, God was already pleased with Him. He had already received the clear evidence of the Father's delight in Him. Because Jesus clearly knew that He was not pleasing the Father because of good behavior, but that God had already delighted in Him. So today, we are the same; God has already delighted in us, and through faith, we have become children of God.
So how do people see Jesus?
Many people think that Jesus was not very successful. In that generation, many believed that Jesus was born of fornication because His mother was pregnant before she was married, and He was rejected by the people of that time.
In God's eyes, however, He is chosen and precious.
Brothers and sisters, this point is very important. Many times we live based on others' evaluations. Some people deliberately dress very beautifully, but then someone says, "Oh, that hairstyle really doesn't suit you," and they change their hairstyle. The next day, someone comments on the clothes you are wearing, telling you, "Those clothes really don't fit you; they look so cheap!" As a result, that person never wears those clothes again. If a person always lives in the eyes of others, they will find that no matter how hard they try, they can never satisfy everyone.
Although Jesus performed many miracles and healed many people, He came to the world and did many good deeds that benefited us, He was still rejected by the people of that generation. The Israelites at that time preferred a criminal, Barabbas, over Jesus; they preferred Caesar to be their king rather than Jesus.
But the stone that the world rejected has become the chief cornerstone. What the world deemed worthless, God has lifted up and regarded as precious.
What is the cornerstone? It is the first stone used in building a house or temple, and it serves as the standard for construction. This is a symbol of our Christ. No matter how high our construction is, it cannot deviate from the standard of Jesus Christ!
In Ephesians 2:20-23:
20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom all the building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Jesus is the cornerstone. What kind of stone is that? Isaiah 28:16 tells us, “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.’”
This stone is like a coordinate; through it, builders can determine the position and angle of the construction. Today, no matter how high the building is, that cornerstone determines whether the building will stand or fall. The cornerstone is both its foundation and the standard for height and level; it determines the balance of the entire house.
So Paul says that Jesus Christ is like the cornerstone, and every Christian builds upon Him. Each of us today uses Jesus as our measuring stick, and Jesus is also our foundation. Everything we have is built upon this rock. Jesus Christ is our standard. No matter how deep our faith is, no matter how high your spirituality is, Jesus Christ is always our benchmark.
The church is built upon Christ's living stone, and our lives are also built upon this living stone. Even if the world looks at you and says, "Oh, I see you are lost in faith!" what does that matter? Because in the time of Paul, he mentioned in the scriptures that the world saw them as the filth of the world, the scum of all things.
Aren't we the same today? Many people carry biases when they hear we believe in Jesus. But so what? Just as Paul said, "If I am beside myself, it is for God; if I am of sound mind, it is for you."
Paul knew clearly who Jesus was; he knew whom he believed. When he was old, when others asked him about his life of faith, he said, “I know whom I have believed.” This is Paul's summary of Jesus, a life without regret.
Many people do not understand what they believe, including those who worship wealth and idols; they do not know what they believe. But we know, we know whom we believe, the only Lord, Jesus Christ, this living stone is unique.
So we should view ourselves as Paul did. If the world says we are crazy, so what? I prefer a saying by a famous person: “The world laughs at me for being too crazy; I laugh at the world for not seeing through.” Indeed, if they knew our Lord, they would also go crazy like us. Because they do not know this Lord, they would rather see us as the filth of the world, always looking down on us. But what does that matter? What I want to tell brothers and sisters today is how God sees you; that is crucial.
2 Corinthians 5:13 says, “For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you.”
Verse 17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Because Paul, in his earlier days, recognized Christ based on appearance, but after he came to know this Lord, he said, "Now I no longer know Him according to the flesh, because I know who He is."
So what are you like in God's eyes? Earlier in this text, we specifically mentioned, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.”
Regarding this passage, I specifically checked the original text, and I think it is very necessary to read this original text to share with you because the meaning expressed in the original text far exceeds what our current Chinese Bible conveys. It says: “But you are a chosen generation,” the original text means: “But you are a chosen offspring.”
Abraham had many offspring, some as numerous as the stars in the sky, some as many as the sand on the seashore, but God says, "Only you are a chosen generation, only you are a chosen offspring." Among so many offspring, God chose you.
Among so many people, God chose you. It is not that we chose God, but that God chose us; it is not that we loved God, but that God loved us. God chose you to be His children, and He wants to give you His blessings because He chose you. This is you in God's eyes.
The next phrase says, “a royal priesthood.” The meaning in the original text is that you are a royal priest, the royal priest of the King of Kings, a noble identity.
Brothers and sisters, do you know what a priest does? In the Old Testament, the priest acted on behalf of the people before God. When the people sinned, they would bring a bull or sheep to the priest, and the priest would, through the sacrifice, transfer the person's sin onto the head of the sacrificial animal, and then their sin would be forgiven.
Now you are a noble priest, so each of us can preach the gospel, can lay hands and pray for others, and can tell them that if you believe in Jesus Christ today, you will receive eternal life.
The next phrase says, “a holy nation.” This tells us in the original text that you are a holy people. In God's eyes, you are a holy people. No matter how filthy the people of this world say you are, no matter how much they see you as the scum of the earth, what does that matter? In God's eyes, you are a holy people. Therefore, the Bible often refers to Christians as saints because in God's eyes, you have already become a holy people.
The next part says you are God's own people, meaning you are God's chosen people!
In the past, when we looked at the Old Testament, we would say, "Oh, the Israelites were really fortunate because God chose them, and they became God's chosen people." But today I want to tell you that you are also equally blessed because God has also chosen you to be His chosen people. Thank the Lord, this is you in God's eyes. Many times we see ourselves as very lowly because we do not know how God truly sees us.
1 John 4:4 says, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
When you know that the Holy Spirit lives in you, and His power is great and unmatched, you will understand why your prayers have power, why when you lay hands on others and pray, they are healed. Because it is not your power; it is the Holy Spirit within you that heals them. Similarly, when you declare in your family, you must know that it is not by your mouth that you declare, but it is the One within you who is working.
Brothers and sisters, when you understand that God has always been within you, that you are precious in God's eyes, that you are pleasing to Him, God does not delight in you based on your good behavior. You are a holy people, a royal priesthood, God's chosen people. This identity cannot be taken away by anyone because it is given to you by God, and no one can change it! Hallelujah, thank and praise the Lord!
Let’s look at the second point: Correctly understanding how God sees you.
Many Christians often complain, even becoming discouraged and weak, because they do not know how God sees them. Earlier we talked about how God sees Jesus Christ as precious, as His beloved Son, and Jesus knew this. So when He worked on earth, even when the world abandoned Him, He never lost heart because He knew His Father was always with Him, never leaving Him.
Today we need to correctly understand how God sees you, which will bring about a tremendous change in your current situation, turning your circumstances around. When you believe that God is with you and is your help, no matter what environment you are in, you will have a beautiful hope, believing that God will turn all bad things into good things.
Before we share this, let’s first share about a person. If you have read the Book of Job, you will know that Job had a terrible experience.
Many people, when explaining the Book of Job, say that Job was too pitiful. As a result, some brothers and sisters, when unfortunate things happen to them, often think of themselves as Job. They frequently quote Job's words: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.”
Today we want to share through Job to see what Job looks like in God's eyes.
Let’s turn to the Book of Job and read it. Those who have read the Book of Job know that Job lost everything in one day. He was originally a wealthy man in the East, but in one day, all his children died, all his possessions were gone, and he was covered in diseases from head to toe. The wife he had left did not bring him comfort, saying, "Curse God and die!" But Job's view of God remained unchanged. Although he did not truly know God, he only speculated.
We believe that many who believe in Jesus also have different understandings of Jesus. They do not know what they look like in God's eyes. Therefore, when they encounter difficulties, they say the same things as Job. But at that time, Job did not truly know God; all the views he expressed were wrong.
Do you think that sickness and disaster come from God? If you believe this, how fearful and worried should we be in life! If disasters and diseases do not come from God, yet many brothers and sisters still get sick! The question is, how did this happen to them?
Some say it is because they have a breach; they opened the door to the devil, so these disasters came in. How do we close such breaches?
Let’s turn to Job 1 and see what caused Job's problems.
In Job 1:1-5:
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East. 4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
This is the introduction to Job at the beginning of the Book of Job. Many people say that Job had self-righteousness and many sins, which led to his problems. However, this is not the correct answer. The correct answer lies in the verses we just read; God was very attentive to Job, even counting how many livestock he had. Would God not cherish Job, who is more precious than these animals?
Where is the problem? It is right here in verses 4-5. This is where Job's problem lies. What was Job always thinking? He often sent people to invite his children to feast together. After the days of feasting were over, Job did something very incredible: he sent people to sanctify them.
Brothers and sisters, what does it mean to sanctify? It means that when you feel you are unclean, you need to cleanse yourself, right? But every time after the feast days, Job would send them to sanctify themselves. Perhaps they were confessing their sins at home or offering sacrifices to God at home; in any case, Job was sending people to call them to sanctify themselves.
This proves one thing: Job felt that his children were unclean. And what did Job do? He rose early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. He did not count his livestock; the number referred to his children. He rose early in the morning and offered burnt offerings. While offering sacrifices, he was still thinking one thing: “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Every time Job offered sacrifices, he would think this way, and there is another very important phrase: “Thus Job did regularly.”
In other words, Job regularly felt that his children were unclean, regularly sent them to sanctify themselves, and Job regularly felt that he was unclean, regularly offered burnt offerings before God. He also regularly feared that his sons would sin and abandon God, and feared that he might lose God. He did this regularly, but what was Job like in God's eyes?
In God's eyes, Job was blameless. God did not say he was sinless. Just like us today, you are blameless in God's eyes. As I mentioned earlier, you are a holy people, a royal priesthood, but this does not mean that you will no longer sin. Even if you still sin, you are still blameless in God's eyes. I will soon explain why he is blameless.
1 John 2:1 says, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.”
God gives us His word to prevent us from sinning. But today, even if you believe in the Lord, how many people can say that since I believed in the Lord, I have never sinned again? We still do. The next part of the verse says, “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins.” This is the reason why God sees you as blameless. Thank the Lord.
We have an Advocate with the Father, so even if you sin today, God still sees you as righteous; God still sees you as blameless. This is the reason why Jesus is not only the propitiation for our sins but also for the sins of the whole world. Hallelujah.
Job never knew how God saw him. How did God view Job? In verse 8, when the devil accused Job, our God gave a testimony before Satan.
In Job 1:8, “Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job? There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil.’”
This is Job in God's eyes. Unfortunately, Job did not know that he was blameless, that he was one who feared God and shunned evil. Why did God see Job as blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil? Because of the burnt offerings Job offered. From this Old Testament scripture, we know that today it is not that God intentionally let Job off the hook or overlooked his sins, but that the burnt offerings Job offered had already replaced his sins. Therefore, in God's eyes, he was blameless and upright.
Of course, the Book of Job was written long before the Book of Leviticus. Some say the Book of Job might have been written after Genesis, making it one of the earliest books. At that time, there was no law. Let’s look at what the burnt offering meant under the law. Because Job offered a burnt offering.
Leviticus 1:2-4 says:
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock. 3 If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. 4 Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.”
This is very important, brothers and sisters. God did not lower His standards; rather, because of the burnt offerings Job offered, the burnt offering has an important function: it transfers all the sins of the person onto the head of the animal, and then the animal is to be killed. The blood is collected in a basin and presented before God, and the animal is to be burned. This is called a burnt offering.
Because of this, all his sins were transferred to the head of the sacrificial animal, and thus the person was accepted before God. Hallelujah. Job offered burnt offerings but did not know that he had already been accepted by God. He was always afraid of abandoning God and always feared that his children would sin. Therefore, when he thought this way, problems arose. This is why Job encountered problems.
Brothers and sisters, imagine a person who thinks every day at home: "Oh, am I sick? My head hurts today, or I must have some disease!" If he keeps thinking that he might be sick, what will happen to him? He will eventually become a patient. When he sees descriptions of cancer on TV, he might say, "Yes, I sometimes feel nauseous when I eat. I have no appetite, and I sweat at night; when I get anxious, I feel restless. This sounds too much like the symptoms of a certain disease. Am I sick?" If he keeps thinking this way, I tell you, this person will definitely manifest it.
Because his body will cooperate with the words he speaks. This is very important. If you keep saying to yourself, "I am an idiot, I have no ability, no one likes me, I am destined to be poor, I am destined to be unlucky for a lifetime," and you keep saying such negative things, how will your mood be? I tell you, if you keep repeating such words, your mood will be terrible, feeling that the whole world is gray. Can your mood be good with such words? Your body will also have problems.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, let these negative thoughts come out from within you! Do not let them in anymore!
You need to declare the you in God's eyes, not the you that you imagine is terrible. Hallelujah!
Let’s think about another thing: If Job had known that in God's eyes he was blameless, upright, fearing God, and shunning evil, would Job have kept worrying about his sons sinning and abandoning God? If he had known that he was blameless in God's eyes, his prayers would have taken a 180-degree turn, and he would have been shouting, “Hallelujah, thank and praise the Lord!”
If today you recognize the true you in God's eyes, your daily life will be filled with joy because God sees us this way. Hallelujah!
But how did Job come to know this Lord? When disaster struck him, he thought it was given by God.
Job 1:21 says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.”
This is completely wrong. What God gives you, He will not take back; it is already yours. The one who takes away is certainly not our God. So when he became sick, his wife said, “Curse God and die! Don’t hold on anymore; it’s of no benefit to you.” Job replied to his wife, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”
He believed that his blessings were given by God, which is correct, but he also believed that the calamity was given by God, which is incorrect. Brothers and sisters, how many church brothers and sisters still believe that their disasters and diseases are given by God? If today you think that this disease comes from God, how can you dare to pray to God for healing? Because if God gave you the disease, why would He heal you?
Brothers and sisters, we find that after Job had a wrong understanding of God, he began to curse his birthday. He said, "It would have been better if I had never been born!"
At this time, three friends, who were law-oriented, came to comfort him. These three friends came and continuously condemned Job, saying, "Job, you must have sinned; otherwise, how could such things happen to you?" Do you know that these three friends bombarded him in turn, extinguishing his last hope?
Today, do you know how many church brothers and sisters, when troubled by diseases or accidents, feel that this is given by God? They are already in great pain, and then brothers and sisters comfort them by saying, "You have sinned, so this has come upon you! You should bear this punishment; quickly confess before God! If you do not confess, even worse things will happen!" Do you know that such words, when heard, do not provide comfort but are like pouring salt on a wound?
Brothers and sisters, we should not be the ones who condemn others. Let’s see how Job's three friends treated him. They made him so sad that he even wanted to die. This is not comfort, brothers and sisters! But God's intention is not what they said. So after Job 38, God finally spoke:
In Job 38:2, God said, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?”
Who told you that my will is like this? So today we really want to ask those who like to condemn others: Who told you that God's will is like this?
God personally explained Job's problem.
We know that after Job 42, the Lord spoke to Job for several chapters. God said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My anger is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, My servant Job has.”
There is a very important phrase in the middle, brothers and sisters, I don’t know if you noticed it when you read it. This phrase shows again how God sees Job, saying, "Today you all go and offer sacrifices, let My servant pray for you, for I accept him." Here it says, "I accept him." Hallelujah.
It turns out that even though Job cursed himself and was condemned by his three friends, God still said, "I accept you. Job will pray for you; I will not deal with you according to your folly. Your arguments against Me are wrong."
God never condemned Job, but his three friends kept condemning him. Brothers and sisters, suffering is not given by God. You are precious in God's eyes because you have the most perfect sacrifice—Jesus Christ—before God. As we mentioned earlier, because of the burnt offerings Job offered, God saw him as a blameless person, one who fears God.
We have a better sacrifice than the one Job offered; that sacrifice is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus willingly offered Himself to God for you. Because Jesus Christ's one offering makes us forever perfect as holy people. Hallelujah!
Think about it: If God saw Job as a blameless person because he offered an animal sacrifice, how much more should you know that today God sees you as blameless because your sacrifice is the Son of God, Jesus! Therefore, you should know that today you are a blameless person in God's eyes; God sees you as one who fears Him, as one who shuns evil. Therefore, God has always accepted you because you have the best propitiation before God. You are better than the sacrifices Job offered; you are better than what Abel offered; you are better than what the descendants of Aaron offered in the past. This sacrifice is unique and perfect.
Today, God sees you as the apple of His eye. Therefore, I wish every brother and sister to see yourself as “you in God's eyes.” Do not see yourself as “that person” in the eyes of the world, because seeing yourself this way will make you feel very low, useless, and inferior. You need to see yourself as you are in God's eyes. I wish every brother and sister to live with the image of you in God's eyes.
If you have a disease, you declare in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: “By the stripes of Jesus, I am healed.” Today, God is no longer angry with me, nor does He remember my sins because I have a sacrifice before God, who is still at the right hand of God. He is Jesus Christ, my best sacrifice before God. Therefore, God sees me as a blameless person, calls me righteous. He will heal me because He is already pleased with me; I have already received the clear evidence of His delight in me.
Only when you know how much God loves you and that your debt of sin has been paid can you come before God with true faith, praying with certainty. Because you know that all your debts of sin have been paid, and now God loves you so much that He will surely give to you.
You can declare to your body: “I am healthy, for Jesus Christ has offered for me; I am healthy.”
Even if there is indeed a disease in your body, do not be deceived by the surface symptoms of this disease. You should lay your hands on the afflicted area and say: "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I declare that this disease leaves immediately; my body is now in the process of recovery." This is the truth; I no longer accept the falsehood of being a sick person.
You must completely eliminate the words "I am a sick person" because the curse of disease no longer has power over you. Previously, you did not know that your debt of sin had been paid. When you see Jesus Christ, you know your debt of sin has been paid, and God has begun to renew your life, to heal your body. Your body is in the process of recovery! Hallelujah!
Today, at the right hand of God, there is also an Advocate, the Son of God, Jesus, who is there advocating for you. What is He advocating for? Every time you sin, the devil may want to accuse you, saying, "Look, so-and-so has sinned again." But Jesus will say, "I have already paid the price for his sins."
The more you understand how much Christ loves you, the more you will love Christ. This will not lead you to indulge yourself and deliberately sin; instead, it will continually cultivate a heart of gratitude toward God. Because you know that all you have received is the grace earned by Jesus' suffering and death for you. With such gratitude, your behavior will change, becoming more and more like Christ.
The problem is that many brothers and sisters still do not understand this truth. When disasters come, they do not know how to refuse and say, "This is given by God." Then what can Jesus do? You have already accepted it. This will give the devil the opportunity to attack you. When you refuse, the devil has no power over you.
We should not be confused disciples; we should be Christians, for Christ is our Lord. Therefore, let the redemptive work that Jesus Christ has done for you remain in your heart. You should see yourself as you are in God's eyes, not as you are in the eyes of the world, nor as others speak of you.
God sees you as righteous, as the apple of His eye, as one He delights in, as one He accepts. Thank and praise the Lord! When you know that our Jesus is now at the right hand of the Father advocating for you, you will truly understand why God can listen to your prayers today and turn your weaknesses into strengths. Because you know that all this power comes from Jesus Christ, you are quite precious in God's eyes!
Matthew 10:29-31 also tells us:
“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Do you know how much God values you? Even your most beloved person does not know how many hairs you have. But Matthew 10:29 tells us that two sparrows are worth a penny; if God does not allow it, not one of them falls to the ground. All of this is under God's care, and He has counted the hairs on your head. What does this mean? It means how precious you are to God, how much He values you! Hallelujah! Brothers and sisters, this is you in God's eyes.
So when you think of this scripture, your heart should think: "Lord, You know my hair; You love me so much and care for me!" When you understand this, you will find rest. He hopes that you recognize today that you are very, very precious in God's eyes. Today, God cares not for sparrows but for you, who are worth many times more than sparrows.
The Bible tells us that an ox cannot be muzzled while it treads out the grain. Does God care for that ox? No, not at all; He cares much more for you! So today, God is willing to bless you and heal you. When you know that God is willing to heal you, your body will change. Therefore, you must often think about God's grace in your thoughts.
Brothers and sisters, what did Jesus do? He came into this world and never cursed anyone; everything He did was to comfort, heal, and encourage, brothers and sisters.
Mark 1 tells us that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is the beginning of the gospel. He is the beginning of the gospel. Brothers and sisters, so today I want to tell everyone that although sparrows are not precious, God cherishes them, and He will cherish you even more.
You need to know that today you are not an ordinary person; who are you? You are a child of God, a royal priest! Hallelujah! You are a chosen offspring of God. The world does not understand you; what does that matter? God understands you. What the world dismisses you for does not matter; God values what you do.
Many times we feel that what we do seems meaningless, and we do not even see results. But God says that nothing you give is in vain because God remembers everything with you. You are a royal priest; you are a royal priest before the King of Kings!
You tell everyone: "Come, come to Jesus! All your transgressions have been forgiven by Him." Today we are calling people to come before Jesus, and as evangelists, what we preach is to bring people back to Jesus. If you are weak, it does not matter; return to Jesus, and He will make you strong. If you are sick today, when you know that God accepts you, that God delights in you, you come before Him to receive His healing. If you feel very tired, it does not matter; return to Jesus and enjoy His rest, for God will renew your strength in His rest. Hallelujah.
Do not say that you are filthy, that you are useless. Let those negative messages completely disappear from your heart. You need to declare to yourself with the words in the Bible that God sees you as a person of the holy nation, a holy people. Hallelujah.
So you need to declare to yourself: “I am precious in God's eyes; even if the world does not love me, my God still loves me.” Hallelujah. Even when you are eighty years old, God still sees you as precious. Hallelujah! Because you have always been holy in God's eyes; you will not be considered old because of your physical decline. God does not say, "Oh, my child, you are no longer young!" No, it is not like that; you have always been the apple of God's eye because you are chosen by Him. Today, all we can do is correctly understand ourselves in God's eyes and then live, declare, and proclaim His beautiful name based on how God sees us. Hallelujah.
We hope that more people can know that they are like this in God's eyes. When you hear this message, I believe your heart will no longer be suppressed, and you will no longer worry about whether God hears your prayers because of sin. Hallelujah.
I truly believe that many brothers and sisters completely believe that God has the power to heal; they just do not know whether God is willing to heal them.
In the New Testament, there was a leper who came to Jesus and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” This person did not doubt Jesus' ability to heal; he fully believed that Jesus could heal his leprosy. Today, we also believe this. Therefore, those who believe in Jesus recognize that Jesus has the power to heal their diseases. The problem is that they do not know whether God is willing to heal them.
Today I tell brothers and sisters, what is the truth? Jesus said to that leper: “I am willing; be cleansed!” Because in Jesus' eyes, he was already a clean person! Hallelujah. Today we have a perfect sacrifice before God, Jesus Christ. Therefore, God is willing to heal you. When you bring your burdens before God, do not say, "Lord, if You are willing, You can heal me!" Because God is very willing to heal you. Do not let any devil's schemes deceive you into saying that this disaster is given by God, that God will not heal you, and that God will not listen to your prayers. Let these negative messages completely leave you!
You need to accept that God delights in you, that God is willing to heal you, and is eager to bless you. Brothers and sisters, with your capable hands, lay hands on yourself and pray. You need to know that the Holy Spirit within you will work, and the power He releases will turn your body around, change your work environment, and turn your current debt crisis around. God will transform your environment. Hallelujah!
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, I thank and praise You. Thank You for letting me know that I am precious in Your eyes, that I am the apple of Your eye. I know this and am assured of it, believing that my life will no longer be the same. I have more hope and faith; I no longer feel guilty, filthy, unworthy, or lacking. I no longer feel disappointed in myself, and I do not look at my faith but solely rely on the faith of the Lord.
Because You love me, my life is no longer the same. I know that all power, all blessings, and all provisions come from You. In this new week, I believe that good things will continually happen to me. I look forward to the beautiful things to come and to experiencing Your presence and power. Thank You and praise the Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!